Full Body Chills – “Vertigo” (Oct 10, 2025)

Podcast by Audiochuck
Episode written by Nina Schmidt, read by Christopher Swindle

Episode Overview

“Vertigo” is a spine-chilling, atmospheric horror short story centered on a former construction worker who, after a life-altering injury, experiences a terrifying, surreal ordeal involving vertigo, isolation, and an eerily persistent crow. The episode explores themes of physical and psychological trauma, guilt, the threat of nature reclaiming its place, and an unsettling blurring of reality and hallucination.

Key Discussion Points & Story Beats

1. Introduction to the Protagonist and Setting

• The narrator, formerly a laborer at Summit Builders, now works as admin after a workplace injury left him with a damaged collarbone and fear of heights.
• The office is slow due to an environmental hold on a major construction project—referencing the damage to local bird populations, particularly crows.
  • “Crows were practically a pest. They were so pervasive at any given time I could turn around and see a dozen of them. They’d hang out my window on the telephone wire like jurors on a bench that were about to declare us guilty.” (05:07)

2. Descent into Surreal Danger [03:45–12:00]

• Routine is interrupted: On a casual bathroom break, the narrator opens the door and suddenly finds himself, inexplicably, atop a 40-story out-of-service crane at an abandoned building site.
• Initial panic: He drops his phone, realizes no rescue is imminent (since the site is shut down), and contemplates his grim prospects.
• Vertigo and dread intensify as he faces exposure to the elements and isolation.
• The crow makes its first significant appearance, disturbingly attentive and unafraid.
  • “The crow spiraled down in three easy, slow circles and landed on the far side of the platform, its talons clicking gently against the metal. It adjusted its wings and cocked its head, its beady eyes never leaving my face.” (13:55)

3. Psychological and Physical Ordeal [12:00–22:00]

• Internal debate: Facing freezing temperatures and no easy way down, he resists despair and suicidal thoughts.
  • “I could just end it. Take one step and let the crows feast on what’s left in the dirt. I shook my head sharply, trying to drive away the grizzly train of thought.” (16:40)
• The only escape: a dangerous descent down the rusted ladder with his injured arm.
• The crow returns, increasingly menacing and unnatural in its presence and appearance — its hunger and resentment feel personal and uncanny.
• Flashbacks to his accident surface—memories of pain, adrenaline, and the helplessness of injury.
• The narrator pushes himself to attempt the climb down, his body protesting with each movement.

4. Hallucination, or Something Worse? [22:00–27:00]

• As he climbs, the presence of the crow (and a sense of being watched) dominates his senses, reality blurring.
  • “I sensed a pair of eyes boring into the back of my skull. I was being followed...against my will...my head began to turn as though an invisible claw had grabbed me by the chin.” (24:18)

5. The Fall and Aftermath [27:00–29:00]

• The narrator’s grip and sanity fail; he falls from the crane in a dizzying, nightmarish sequence.
• Suddenly, he jolts awake on the office carpet — it’s as if nothing happened, but he’s left shaken, unable to shake the feeling that it did.
• He’s haunted by the sound of something scratching at his office window, which earplugs can’t block out. The sense of the crow’s presence remains.
  • “There’s this noise coming from my office window. It’s grating at me, making me clench my jaw and tense my sore shoulders and twinging clavicle. It’s quiet but impossible to ignore. … I can’t see the creature knocking at my window, but I know if I could I would see beady black eyes and a shiny sable head pecking, scratching, clawing to get in.” (29:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Surreal Transition

• “Instead of the dirty gray carpet, my feet stumbled onto a silver grate. … I was on top of the 40-story tower crane at 865 Union, the Summit Builder’s job near the coast. Suddenly lightheaded, I teetered as my knees gave out, falling forward but saved by freezing metal pole.” (08:36)

The Threatening Symbolism of Nature

• “The inky feathers [of the crow] were dull and missing in chunks, its eyes unnaturally sunken … It had that same look I saw on clients’ faces … waiting and not patiently for something it felt it was owed.” (15:50)

Existential Terror

• “How long could I fall? For a moment I wondered if I would be suspended in this purgatory forever, falling ceaselessly towards nothing.” (28:00)

Lingering Horror

• “I can’t see the creature knocking at my window, but I know if I could I would see beady black eyes and a shiny sable head pecking, scratching, clawing to get in.” (29:05)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:59 – Opening of the primary story, introduction of the office setting and character context.
• 05:00–10:00 – Transition to crane, vertigo, and confrontation with isolation.
• 13:55 – First intense crow encounter.
• 16:40–18:00 – Suicidal ideation and resolution to try the ladder.
• 24:12–25:30 – The sense of being watched and the crow’s menacing gaze.
• 27:00 – The fall, blurred reality.
• 28:30–29:37 – Return to office, persistent haunting, story conclusion.

Tone & Language

The narrative is visceral, claustrophobic, and unsettling, weaving psychological horror with haunting surrealism and natural symbolism (the crow as both an observer and active tormentor). The language is blunt, introspective, and laced with gallows humor—reflecting a blue-collar worldview battered by trauma and paranoia.

Summary for New Listeners

“Vertigo” plunges listeners into a waking nightmare: a mundane workday becomes a death-defying ordeal atop an abandoned crane, stalked by a sinister crow and menaced by guilt, isolation, and the relentless threat of nature. The story’s cyclical ending—returning the protagonist to the office but haunted by unshakeable dread—ensures Full Body Chills earns its name.

Written by Nina Schmidt. Read by Christopher Swindle. An Audiochuck Production.