Speaker 1: Hi there to Mumbay listeners. This is Fred Greenholsch, the
Speaker 1: host of Undertow Realm's premiere horror podcast, and I'm excited
Speaker 1: to let you know that the creators of Tumumbay have
Speaker 1: a new show out with us called The Sisters. When
Speaker 1: the curator of a museum of medical oddities receives a
Speaker 1: mysterious gift, she uncovers a story of a curse that
Speaker 1: connects her present with one family's haunted past. Terrifyingly enough,
Speaker 1: this tale of grief and obsession was inspired by real events,
Speaker 1: and if you are a skeptic about ghosts and the paranormal,
Speaker 1: while listening to The Sisters will probably make you think again.
Speaker 1: Today you'll hear the first full episode of The Sisters.
Speaker 1: To find the rest, look for The Sisters, season six
Speaker 1: of Undertow rever Podcasts are served.
Speaker 2: What you are about to hear is a true story.
Speaker 2: It happened in Hexham, England in the nineteen fifties and sixties.
Speaker 2: Names have been changed out of respect to the victims
Speaker 2: and to protect the innocent. The Sisters episode one Believe
Speaker 2: it or.
Speaker 3: Not, it's the third nineteen sixty five interview number seven with.
Speaker 4: Well why don't you introduce yourself?
Speaker 5: My lovely? Tell me your name?
Speaker 6: Where's Jackie? We do everything together, which I know you are, Jill.
Speaker 3: I bet you have a lot of fun, don't you. No,
Speaker 3: But today Jill is all about you?
Speaker 6: Is it blake? Going to the dentist?
Speaker 7: No much nicer than going to the dentist. What have
Speaker 7: you got there, Jill? What are you playing with my locket?
Speaker 7: Is there anything inside it?
Speaker 6: Yes? H from an angel.
Speaker 7: Well that's something that'll keep you safe't it.
Speaker 4: Now?
Speaker 8: Jill?
Speaker 3: Why don't you tell me about My name is.
Speaker 8: Mart did you?
Speaker 9: That doesn't mean anything?
Speaker 7: She's heard me talk?
Speaker 10: Please let the child speak.
Speaker 7: My name is mort all right, Maude, tell me about yourself.
Speaker 6: My name is Jill any years old. We are eight
Speaker 6: years old. We live in Hexham, England. We ride bikes.
Speaker 11: Hell.
Speaker 12: Hello, good afternoon. My name is Frankie Bradshaw. I'm the
Speaker 12: chief curator of the world famous Motor Museum here in
Speaker 12: downtown Philadelphia, and I'll be your tour guide through Hell. Kidding,
Speaker 12: that's just a joke. Before we get started, you should
Speaker 12: know some of the objects on display here can be
Speaker 12: quite triggering. I hate that word, but it's true. This
Speaker 12: isn't a typical museum. It's not filled with beautiful objects.
Speaker 12: To the contrary, it's a showcase of imperfection, an unflinching
Speaker 12: look into the mysteries of the human body, and that.
Speaker 13: Yes, you have a question.
Speaker 14: Is it true you have a piece of Einstein's brain?
Speaker 8: Yes, we do.
Speaker 12: We also have the fucking moor of pickled skin. This
Speaker 12: is the last place I ever wanted to work.
Speaker 11: Yes.
Speaker 12: Actually, when I was in grad school at Penn, I
Speaker 12: thought I'd be the curator of the Philadelphia Art Museum
Speaker 12: by now, or at least a gallery with actual art.
Speaker 10: Follow me.
Speaker 12: The fact is I'm thirty four years old and working
Speaker 12: here is one step above Ripley's believe it or not.
Speaker 14: So where's the rest of Einstein's brain?
Speaker 8: Do you keep it on a separate floor?
Speaker 13: Like the different rings and Lord of the Rings?
Speaker 15: It's too powerful to have them together?
Speaker 12: So how do I deal with questions like these? I
Speaker 12: sneak into the bathroom for a drink. I really shouldn't.
Speaker 12: What I should do is call my sponsor. But before
Speaker 12: I get the chance, Frankie, Yes, duncan, I'm in here.
Speaker 15: We just got a delivery, a box. They won't let
Speaker 15: any time for it.
Speaker 13: Did you tell them you work here?
Speaker 15: Yes, Frankie, of course.
Speaker 16: Well what kind of box?
Speaker 15: I don't know. I haven't seen it.
Speaker 17: I want you, Frankie, what should I tell him?
Speaker 15: Are you Frankie to diary?
Speaker 18: Uh?
Speaker 13: Yeah, well sort of.
Speaker 12: I'm divorced. It's no longer.
Speaker 13: My last name.
Speaker 1: Well, whatever your name is.
Speaker 2: You kept me out here fifteen minutes freezing.
Speaker 17: My assigh Yeah, sorry, don't be gorgeous A signy?
Speaker 15: So where's the box back of the truck? You got
Speaker 15: a back door or something.
Speaker 6: I can help you load it in.
Speaker 12: How big is it?
Speaker 14: Oh?
Speaker 5: It's big.
Speaker 13: Let's take the plastic off.
Speaker 15: Okay, let me cut it.
Speaker 14: Shit.
Speaker 13: I think it's some kind of animal.
Speaker 15: Animal, Franky, it's a bipedal. Do you know what this is?
Speaker 15: It's a fucking alien. Look at the thing. It's huge.
Speaker 12: It is huge, twice as thick and several feet longer
Speaker 12: than a normal human skeleton. And there's no space between
Speaker 12: the bones. It's like the skeletal remains of a blob.
Speaker 15: Jesus, where do you think he's from? Mars or Venus?
Speaker 12: Probably New Jersey? Oh, come on, Duncan, don't you see
Speaker 12: it's a prank, you think. Yeah, remember the two headed
Speaker 12: pig man we got in the mail last year.
Speaker 13: That was very convincing, I know, And remember how disappointed
Speaker 13: you were hi estas, Yeah, I know. It's my faults.
Speaker 12: Day is my childhood friend from Hershey, Pennsylvania. She's from
Speaker 12: an orthodox Jewish family, but she's a devout atheist like me.
Speaker 12: I'm proud of her. She's the best medical examiner in Philly.
Speaker 11: Anyway, it's been a long day.
Speaker 13: Listen, we have something for you. Tada, So what do
Speaker 13: you think? It just arrived?
Speaker 14: Duncan thinks it's an alien?
Speaker 11: Tilt the camera, Frankie.
Speaker 15: Frankie thinks it's a frank.
Speaker 11: Oh, it's not a prank. Pull back, Frankie scroll from
Speaker 11: head to toe.
Speaker 13: Poor woman, it's a woman.
Speaker 11: I think. So it's hard to tell over FaceTime. Maybe
Speaker 11: I can come by tomorrow and take a closer look.
Speaker 15: Sure, that'll be great.
Speaker 11: Just so I'm clear, there was no information, no return address.
Speaker 14: Nothing, no, no.
Speaker 13: She came in this box, just totally anonymous.
Speaker 5: Shall we stop.
Speaker 6: Right?
Speaker 19: Today is August the twenty third, nineteen sixty nine, and
Speaker 19: I'm here interviewing Francis Pollard has brought hospital night and
Speaker 19: Gal wins.
Speaker 8: It's all right.
Speaker 14: You can call it an asylum for the criminally insane,
Speaker 14: because that's what it is.
Speaker 19: I'm here to help you better understand your your situation.
Speaker 14: No doctor, No, you're here to answer a question.
Speaker 5: Well, hopefully together we will answer many.
Speaker 8: No, just one.
Speaker 14: Why would a mother come to the conclusion that the
Speaker 14: world would be a better place if her children were dead?
Speaker 5: That's the question.
Speaker 9: Okay, yeah, all right, Mum and dad, if you stand
Speaker 9: on either side of.
Speaker 5: The girls, all right, like this yet? Yeah, just like
Speaker 5: that it Maud, move a bit closer on the sofa.
Speaker 20: I'm Mary.
Speaker 5: It's okay.
Speaker 14: Everyone confuses.
Speaker 19: Sorry about that, Mary, about you and your sister have
Speaker 19: a lot of fun confusing people.
Speaker 6: Ah, No, I'm married. No, I'm married.
Speaker 8: Enough.
Speaker 4: Okay, a big smile everyone, three two one.
Speaker 14: We had a happy life. We were a happy family until.
Speaker 10: Relax, Francis, just relax, Have another sip of water, the better.
Speaker 8: Yes.
Speaker 5: Do you want to stop now?
Speaker 14: No? No, I want to carry on all right. It
Speaker 14: was the summer of nineteen fifty seven, our last summer together.
Speaker 14: Our twins Mary and Maude were everything we ever wanted.
Speaker 14: It was a good year for us. For the whole country.
Speaker 14: In fact, the war was over, we had a new
Speaker 14: queen on our throne, and we just bought our first
Speaker 14: car on higher purchase. It seemed like it really was
Speaker 14: a new era where everything was possible. My husband, Thomas
Speaker 14: was an engineer. He worked at the local car factory.
Speaker 14: Was a good, steady job. We enjoyed simple pleasures, you know,
Speaker 14: family outings, picnics by the lake, church, social events, we
Speaker 14: went to Saint Luke's. But most of all we enjoyed
Speaker 14: going to the pictures around New York, especially Hollywood movies
Speaker 14: from America.
Speaker 6: I want to go to America in there. Why no,
Speaker 6: you don't. You're only seen it because I said it.
Speaker 11: No, not, yes, you are.
Speaker 14: Girls. We had everything we needed, and yet Thomas.
Speaker 5: What about Thomas Francis?
Speaker 14: There was Somehow did I ever really know him?
Speaker 5: What do you mean, Francis?
Speaker 6: You're such a good girl? You know, I think Matelda
Speaker 6: needs a brother. Good idea, Mary? Hey, Dad, can we
Speaker 6: get a boy dog? What we can name him Cliff?
Speaker 9: Oh no, no, no, no more dogs. No, but listen,
Speaker 9: I've got something even better for you. Come on, come on, girls,
Speaker 9: follow into the garage.
Speaker 5: Is this another invention?
Speaker 11: Daddy.
Speaker 9: No, no, it's not just another invention.
Speaker 5: It's the invention.
Speaker 9: This is my masterpiece. You ready, Tella, Well.
Speaker 11: What is it?
Speaker 9: This is our future, girls. It's a refrigerator motor, my
Speaker 9: original design, so it will allow fridges to run longer
Speaker 9: and more efficiently.
Speaker 8: Do you have any other inventions?
Speaker 15: This is my masterpiece.
Speaker 14: So that's how it started with a fridge motor. He
Speaker 14: took it around the trade show as we tried to
Speaker 14: find investors. No one was interested. As far as I
Speaker 14: was concerned, it was a hobby, something he tinkered within
Speaker 14: the garage. I didn't realize then that.
Speaker 5: What didn't you realize, fancis.
Speaker 14: That it would lead to the end of everything. Fancy
Speaker 14: a cup of tea?
Speaker 5: Love?
Speaker 6: Oh?
Speaker 11: Yes.
Speaker 14: One evening we were watching television. The girls were upstairs asleep,
Speaker 14: and suddenly Matilda, our dog, began running around in circus bark.
Speaker 4: Mantilda calmed down, Helmos got into her.
Speaker 9: Eight until they come here.
Speaker 14: You expecting anyone?
Speaker 9: It's probably someone collected for something, all right or right?
Speaker 10: I'm coming.
Speaker 4: Uh yeah, hello, there are you Thomas Pola? If not,
Speaker 4: I've got their own half.
Speaker 11: Hi.
Speaker 13: I'm Frankie. Hi. Hi, I'm an alcoholic.
Speaker 8: Yeah.
Speaker 13: I'd been sober, well semi sober.
Speaker 12: For you know, about three years, but the last six
Speaker 12: months have been, uh been pretty rough on me.
Speaker 13: You know, I got divorced. Well, I mean it wasn't consensual,
Speaker 13: you know.
Speaker 12: He he left me, which was probably a good decision
Speaker 12: on his part because I'm a complete mess.
Speaker 13: But you know, I'm I'm.
Speaker 12: Also a fighter.
Speaker 20: So here I am bagels.
Speaker 16: I've got bagel, Good morning yesterday.
Speaker 14: Here you go, duncan oh?
Speaker 15: I stay here? The best?
Speaker 16: Could you remember this extra cream cheese? Yes, we're all
Speaker 16: going to have high cholesterol. Now where is she in
Speaker 16: the back? Come on, so, Frankie, how was your date
Speaker 16: last night?
Speaker 8: Oh?
Speaker 16: Shit, you forgot Huh?
Speaker 8: Poor guy.
Speaker 13: He'll be fine. He's a straight man on tender. He
Speaker 13: probably had another date lined up right after. Besides, I'm
Speaker 13: preoccupied with who Banil?
Speaker 11: Frankie, you got to stop thinking about him. It's over.
Speaker 14: No, not Banil.
Speaker 13: I was thinking about Matilda, who.
Speaker 15: She named the skeleton Matilda?
Speaker 16: You name the skeleton Matilda?
Speaker 11: It's cute?
Speaker 16: Any reason?
Speaker 11: Why?
Speaker 14: No?
Speaker 13: Not really, It's just sort of came to me.
Speaker 12: Okay, there she is, that's her in the box.
Speaker 15: And I still think it's an alien.
Speaker 20: Mm hmm, this is wow.
Speaker 16: The bones are so thick. See here, the first seven
Speaker 16: ribs are completely fused. They're thick as baseball bats.
Speaker 21: Right, I've never seen anything like this?
Speaker 15: Who is she?
Speaker 14: Not she? They?
Speaker 11: Maybe?
Speaker 8: Wait?
Speaker 14: Two people?
Speaker 11: Oh?
Speaker 16: Look at the neck here in the conjoin twins connected
Speaker 16: like this, just stacked on top of each other, their
Speaker 16: organs would be crushed.
Speaker 12: I mean, she's not a conjoined twin, She's not a giant.
Speaker 8: Who is she?
Speaker 16: I don't There is one other possibility?
Speaker 11: What I have to call?
Speaker 14: Doctor Lee? Who my boss?
Speaker 16: Can you stop by?
Speaker 5: Is there a better light back here?
Speaker 15: Maybe turn on the overheads they're already on.
Speaker 11: Oh maybe it's just my eyes.
Speaker 5: No, that can't be possible.
Speaker 6: No, no, no, no, to say it?
Speaker 16: Say what it's FOP right?
Speaker 5: FOP yes?
Speaker 16: Or to use the technical name fibro dysplasia osipicuns progressive.
Speaker 14: My god, there's only been a handful of cases.
Speaker 13: Really in your whole career.
Speaker 4: Ever, and you have no idea where it came from.
Speaker 12: No, she was sent here anonymously.
Speaker 5: Well I need to know more. Can I take her
Speaker 5: back to my office?
Speaker 11: No?
Speaker 12: Sorry, it might be helpful I know, but it was
Speaker 12: sent here Esda to me.
Speaker 5: Is this about credit?
Speaker 11: Yes?
Speaker 12: Actually, I'm the curator of this museum.
Speaker 5: Who else has seen it?
Speaker 16: Just us break it down for me, Doc, What is FOP?
Speaker 15: I mean?
Speaker 12: If what you're saying is true, if it's so extremely rare,
Speaker 12: then finding the owner of this skeleton shouldn't be too hard, right, Okay,
Speaker 12: let's see For the next week, I researched every known
Speaker 12: case of FOP I could find Harvard Medical Journal, July.
Speaker 12: It turns out FOP is an extremely rare genetic disorder
Speaker 12: that causes the body's soft tissue to transform permanently into bone.
Speaker 12: In other words, a second skeleton grows on top of
Speaker 12: the first. Early doctors posited that it was the result
Speaker 12: of two souls trapped in one body. Hi, I'm calling
Speaker 12: about an old case of a child with FOP back
Speaker 12: in the early seventies in a village called Mattie Carrey. Okay,
Speaker 12: this might sound kind of strange, but basically, in nineteen
Speaker 12: seventy two, in the small farm town of Mahdi, Care, India,
Speaker 12: a boy named ragu Basi Maadra was born with FOP.
Speaker 12: Some of the locals worshiped him as the reincarnation of
Speaker 12: the god Vishnu.
Speaker 13: You knew the location of that skeleton at this time.
Speaker 11: Sorry unusual cases.
Speaker 12: My apartment slowly transformed into a science lab. I pinned
Speaker 12: up pictures of bones on the wall, surrounded by anatomy
Speaker 12: textbooks and medical journals. If someone walked in on me,
Speaker 12: they'd think I was a doctor, or a serial killer,
Speaker 12: or just a lonely woman desperate to connect some dots
Speaker 12: and that our next guest is.
Speaker 8: Great.
Speaker 12: Meanwhile, my ex husband, the Neil, a professor at Penn,
Speaker 12: was on TV promoting his new book about ancient religion.
Speaker 18: With you, and we'll just jump right in with the
Speaker 18: first question.
Speaker 11: Does God exists?
Speaker 4: It would depend largely on what you mean by God.
Speaker 15: You know what our next move is.
Speaker 17: Right's speciall exhibit display her display the skeleton for the public,
Speaker 17: you think, I know, it'll get people talking, and who knows,
Speaker 17: maybe a real academic.
Speaker 15: Will show up.
Speaker 13: I'm a real academic.
Speaker 17: Well, you're also a curator, and it's your job, your
Speaker 17: responsibility to bring asses through the.
Speaker 13: Door, isn't it asses in the seats?
Speaker 15: You know what I mean?
Speaker 17: Besides, I'd already said yes, you spoke to the board well,
Speaker 17: I floated the idea, Duncan.
Speaker 15: It'll be fun.
Speaker 17: We'll have a party, red carpet, paparazzi, like a respectable museum.
Speaker 15: Hi, I'm Duncan. I'm the assistant curator here at the museum.
Speaker 16: Wow, this is quite the turnout.
Speaker 14: Oh no, cute boys.
Speaker 12: Well, Duncan is around here somewhere passing out wine and cheese.
Speaker 16: Pass although I could use a drink.
Speaker 11: Shit, franky.
Speaker 12: Sorry, it's okay, I'm a I'm back in the program.
Speaker 12: Really yeah, well, I'm proud of you.
Speaker 16: Come on, let's go.
Speaker 13: Check out the star attraction.
Speaker 12: Okay, s D is right, it is quite the turnout.
Speaker 12: More than two hundred visitors have flooded the mutter to
Speaker 12: see Matilda.
Speaker 16: There she is.
Speaker 12: The skeleton is presented, simply positioned upright behind a thin
Speaker 12: wall of glass.
Speaker 16: She's kind of beautiful, don't you think like it a
Speaker 16: Tim Burton way.
Speaker 21: It's true, she is beautiful.
Speaker 4: Yeah. Hello, are you Thomas Pollard? If not, I've got
Speaker 4: the wrong hat, yes.
Speaker 5: I mean no, No, you do have the right house.
Speaker 5: I am Thomas Pollard, Mark Whitney.
Speaker 4: I'm a friend of father Tim from Saint Louis.
Speaker 9: Well, if it's church business. Perhaps it's my wife you
Speaker 9: want to speak to.
Speaker 4: No, no, it's you, Thomas. May I come in. Well
Speaker 4: you see, father Tim told me all about your invention.
Speaker 4: Oh right, well right, I may be able to help you.
Speaker 9: Well, yes, yes, of course, come.
Speaker 4: On Ina, mm hmm.
Speaker 9: Hm, oh, Francis, this is mister mister Woodney.
Speaker 4: Oh well, but I hope I'm not interrupting, I think missus.
Speaker 14: Part No, no, no, no, no, it's I was just
Speaker 14: going to make a coop of tea.
Speaker 9: Can I make you?
Speaker 4: If it's not too much trouble? Yes, that well, that
Speaker 4: that would be lovely.
Speaker 5: I'm so sorry mister.
Speaker 4: That's quite all right.
Speaker 5: He we dog come here, stopped dad.
Speaker 9: I don't know what's gotten into her.
Speaker 6: She doesn't like you.
Speaker 14: What what you doing down here? You should be in bed?
Speaker 5: Maude?
Speaker 4: What a lovely name? Hello, little miss I'm Mark Marred.
Speaker 14: Off you go upstairs?
Speaker 5: Now?
Speaker 6: Can I take Matilda?
Speaker 15: Yes?
Speaker 5: Off you go go on, good night, good night, maud.
Speaker 14: Well, I'll make a cup of tea. I didn't like
Speaker 14: mister Whitney from the start. He was too rehearsed, and
Speaker 14: the doult didn't like him either. I didn't trust him.
Speaker 9: Mister Whitney, how can I help you?
Speaker 4: That's the other way around to us. From what father
Speaker 4: Tim tells me, you're a bit of an engineering genius.
Speaker 9: Oh well, go as far to say that.
Speaker 4: You know, I double don't be modest. I want to
Speaker 4: see your refrigerator engine.
Speaker 11: Why's that?
Speaker 4: Because I'm a businessman.
Speaker 9: You see, it takes barely any time to warm up
Speaker 9: or cool down.
Speaker 4: It's certainly more compact than I've seen before. Some beam
Speaker 4: an electrologue aren't marketing anything this small?
Speaker 9: Well, hey, you've done your research.
Speaker 4: Well, As I said, I am a businessman. Have you
Speaker 4: Have you protected it? Have you applied for a patent
Speaker 4: so no one can copy it?
Speaker 9: Oh no, no, no yet, No, there are still few
Speaker 9: little niggles that need to be sorted out.
Speaker 5: First.
Speaker 4: I should apply for protection. You know, I can't stress
Speaker 4: how important that it.
Speaker 5: Right.
Speaker 4: Well, look, i'll tell you what. I'm going off to
Speaker 4: London next week. If you give me the schematics, I
Speaker 4: can pop into the patent offers and I can just
Speaker 4: you know, get things started for you.
Speaker 9: Oh no, no, you don't have to do no, no, no.
Speaker 4: You know, no expense on your end. I mean, we
Speaker 4: can sort that out. Later. But you really must do
Speaker 4: this to protect yourself, you know, and your family.
Speaker 18: Morning, Philadelphia Today is Friday, October eighth, and in today's
Speaker 18: Talk of the Town segment, a strange story from a
Speaker 18: local oddity called the Mutter, a museum dedicated to.
Speaker 14: Medical abnormalities.
Speaker 15: Their latest arrival.
Speaker 6: Yes, I'm watching it.
Speaker 16: It's like a human Good morning, Philly.
Speaker 13: Remember they're doing the segment.
Speaker 22: On prepare yourself morning. We got another box delivery box.
Speaker 22: I think it's got something to do with Matilda. Really,
Speaker 22: just get out of bed and come down to the museum.
Speaker 22: I'm dying to open it.
Speaker 13: Okay, okay, well, well don't open it, just wait for me.
Speaker 5: What have you got there? Jill?
Speaker 7: What are you playing with my locket? Is there everything
Speaker 7: inside it?
Speaker 8: Uh? Hum Remaine, if you're safe?
Speaker 7: Wasn't it.
Speaker 4: Now?
Speaker 8: Jill?
Speaker 7: Why don't you tell me about?
Speaker 6: My name is mart?
Speaker 7: Did you?
Speaker 5: That doesn't mean everything?
Speaker 8: She's heard me talk?
Speaker 14: Please let the child speak.
Speaker 6: My name is mart.
Speaker 7: All right, Maude, tell me about yourself.
Speaker 6: My name is Jill and years old. We are eight
Speaker 6: years old. We live in Hacksome, England.
Speaker 11: We ride bikes.
Speaker 2: The Sisters is a Goldhawk production presented by Realm in
Speaker 2: association with Lights Out, created by Brett Neatchen and written
Speaker 2: by Brett Neatchen, John Scott Dryden and Mack Rogers. Frankie
Speaker 2: is played by May Whitman, Francis, Helen Baxendale, Mark, David Morrissey, Duncan,
Speaker 2: Miles Heiser, Thomas Lee, ingleby Stay Karen Chay and the
Speaker 2: psychiatrist David Holt, with sound designed by Adam Woodhams and
Speaker 2: original music by Seymour Milton and Sasha Putnam. The script
Speaker 2: editor is Mike Walker for Goldtalk Productions, the producer is
Speaker 2: Emma Hearn, and the director and executive producer is John
Speaker 2: Scott Dryden. For Realm, the producers are John Brooks, Fred
Speaker 2: Greenhall and Nicole Otto, and the executive producers are Molly Barton,
Speaker 2: Marcy Wiseman and Julian Yapp. Find the full list of
Speaker 2: credits in the show copy. Realm is Your Portal to
Speaker 2: Another World. Listen away.