Episode 28 - Somewhere Better I

Summary

Hymns for the Road: Episode 28 - "Somewhere Better I" (Release Date: March 8, 2025) Host/Author: Hodgepodge Audio

---

Overview

In Episode 28 of Hymns for the Road, titled "Somewhere Better I," listeners are taken deeper into the harrowing journey of four survivors navigating a post-apocalyptic America transformed into a fantastical yet perilous wasteland. This episode intensifies the group's quest to find a sanctuary they've been searching for over the years, unraveling tensions among the characters and introducing new threats that challenge their survival.

---

Setting the Scene

The episode opens amidst treacherous weather conditions, with relentless pouring rain making the already dangerous road even more perilous. Silver, the group's determined driver, exudes anxiety as the vehicle skids perilously close to a cliff's edge.

Silver:
"I know we're 10ft away from it, but it feels like we're right on the edge of the cliff. Like a wrong twitch will send us over the side, rolling all the way down to the bottom."
[02:25]

The landscape outside is a blend of "impossibly dreamlike landscapes" and "esoteric survival rules," setting a foreboding tone for the journey.

---

Discovery of the Sanctuary

As the group continues their arduous drive, Amber spots a significant landmark that matches the description of the sanctuary they've been seeking.

Amber:
"Hey, look. I think it ends up there."
[04:11]

The team identifies a massive, multi-colored tree surrounded by a circular stone wall, suggesting the presence of a protective barrier.

Copper:
"We've been driving a while. Wouldn't it be funny if this road didn't even go there?"
[09:56]

Despite initial doubts, the group's excitement grows as they realize they've potentially found the "valley of the shadow of death," a place they've longed for as a safe haven.

---

Tensions Rise

As they approach the sanctuary, the mood shifts from hope to apprehension. The group debates whether to investigate further, concerned about possible guardians or traps protecting the sanctuary.

Silver:
"I just want to make sure we're thinking this through before we leave the main road."
[07:53]

Amber expresses skepticism about halting their journey, worried about the reality of what lies ahead.

Amber:
"Guys, maybe we shouldn't stop to investigate the thing that fits every description of the place we've been trying to find from, like, years."
[07:46]

Copper remains steadfast in the belief that they've found what they're searching for, driving the group to make a closer inspection.

---

Encounter with the Guardian

Upon closer examination, the group encounters a formidable guardian—a towering creature with a skeletal mask—that threatens their entry into the sanctuary.

Silver:
"That thing is almost 20ft tall. But it bends down to Copper's eye level. And then it crawls back up into the tree, almost silently."
[22:14]

The guardian's presence forces the group into a dire situation where their vehicle is destroyed, leaving them stranded without their primary means of survival.

Amber:
"We can't just leave it. Our car is a pile of metal."
[13:05]

This revelation ignites panic and desperation among the survivors, highlighting the fragile trust within the group.

---

Climax and Conflict

With their car incapacitated, the group's unity fractures as they grapple with the immediate threat and the uncertainty of their survival.

Silver:
"I'm gonna take a look when we're out."
[04:41]
Later:
"Sorry, Copper. I was wrong."
[19:28]

Copper refuses to abandon the search, questioning Silver's decisions and emphasizing their dire predicament.

Copper:
"You were not wrong. I know we can find it. We have to find it. Okay? I can't keep doing this, Silver. If it's not here, then it's somewhere. And we're going to find it."
[19:32]

Amber confronts the harsh reality of their situation, underscoring the destruction of their life support and the impossibility of continuing without their car.

Amber:
"It’s not all right. Did you see what that thing did to it? It's scrap metal. Silver. What do we do? What about the rest of our stuff in there? How are we supposed to get any of it out without that thing?"
[13:05]

The group faces the looming threat of the guardian, culminating in a frantic attempt to escape while dealing with internal conflicts and the loss of their vehicle.

---

Resolution and Leave-Taking

As the guardian closes in, Glass faces a heartbreaking moment of fear and regret, expressing a desire not to abandon the group.

Glass:
"I don't think I'm gonna make it out of here. I don't know if you can even hear me. I. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't want to leave you."
[21:23]

Silver rallies the group to flee, prioritizing their survival over their attachments.

Silver:
"Forget the car. We gotta go. Come on."
[23:16]

The episode concludes with the group narrowly escaping the immediate threat, leaving behind the sanctuary that remains just out of reach, and their unity shaken by the harrowing experience.

---

Notable Quotes

• Silver on Pressure:
  "Like a wrong twitch will send us over the side, rolling all the way down to the bottom."
  [02:25]

• Amber on Realism:
  "We are not going to be fine. Our car is destroyed and we can't possibly carry all our stuff with us because you wanted to find somewhere better."
  [19:05]

• Copper's Determination:
  "If it's not here, then it's somewhere. And we're going to find it."
  [19:32]

• Glass's Fear:
  "I don't think I'm gonna make it out of here. I don't know if you can even hear me."
  [21:23]

---

Conclusion

"Somewhere Better I" is a pivotal episode that escalates the tension and stakes for the survivors. The discovery of a potential sanctuary brings both hope and new dangers, testing the characters' resolve and unity. As they confront external threats and internal conflicts, the episode delves into themes of trust, desperation, and the relentless pursuit of safety in a world where beauty and danger coexist unpredictably. The dramatic developments set the stage for future episodes, leaving listeners eagerly anticipating the group's next moves amidst the fantastical apocalypse.

---

"Hymns for the Road" continues to enrich its narrative with original music by Joshua David Mitchell, enhancing the immersive experience of this darkly enchanting journey across a transformed America.

Transcript

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[Podcast Announcer]

Hymns for the Road is a fiction podcast that often takes place inside a moving vehicle. Listener discretion is advised while driving. General content warnings are listed in the show Notes.

[Song Lyrics]

I took my love and I took it down I climbed a mountain and I turned around and I saw my reflection Snow covered hills till the landslide flee down O mirror in the sky what is love? Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changing ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life? Well I'm in fate of changing Cause I feel my life around you.

[Silver]

But.

[Song Lyrics]

Times get older, Children get older. I'm getting older too.

[Silver]

It's pouring outside. I can feel the tires slipping on the road. I know we're 10ft away from it, but it feels like we're right on the edge of the cliff. Like a wrong twitch will send us over the side, rolling all the way down to the bottom. I lived in the valley once.

[Amber]

Real slow around this turn.

[Silver]

I know, Amber.

[Glass]

Keep your eyes closed, cobber. We're not out of it yet.

[Silver]

No way people would have built a road like this. Not for as long as it's been going miles and miles around the edge of this mountain. The folk must have seen a few roads like this and decided to string them all together.

[Copper]

We've been getting tossed back and forth like a ship in a storm for a hundred years.

[Glass]

Hasn't been that long, Squeaker. You'll make it.

[Silver]

Whoa.

[Amber]

Hell I did not like that.

[Silver]

I've got it.

[Copper]

It's windy now too.

[Glass]

We don't have any motion sickness stuff, but I can dig you out some antacids or something.

[Copper]

No, I'll be fine. Tell the masses of my bravery.

[Amber]

You get even more dramatic when you're sick.

[Copper]

I deserve it.

[Silver]

Big one coming up. Hold on everybody. The road thins out in places. Like they're trying to push us closer to the edge. Or maybe it just looks that way. I think it just looks that way.

[Amber]

Hey, look. I think it ends up there.

[Copper]

We're almost out of the valley of the shadow of death.

[Glass]

Never changed. Copper.

[Amber]

Yes, that is where we are. We are in the valley.

[Copper]

Okay, were technically on Top of it.

[Glass]

Whoa, whoa, Silver, slow down for a second.

[Silver]

Why? What's going on back there?

[Glass]

Nothing. I just see something down below.

[Amber]

What? Where?

[Glass]

Down there. Look. That dark shape.

[Amber]

What is that?

[Copper]

I'm not opening my eyes.

[Silver]

I'm gonna keep driving. Maybe it'll take us a little closer. I can't see what they're seeing. I gotta focus on the road. Might be a trick to distract me. The moment I take my eyes off this path, I might go careening off the edge, taking everybody with me. I can take a look when we're out.

[Glass]

Good call, Silver.

[Amber]

Is it a circle?

[Glass]

I think it's a building of some kind.

[Silver]

Almost there, y'all.

[Copper]

Tell me when.

[Amber]

Now.

[Glass]

Nabber's lying.

[Amber]

What's the matter, Copper? Don't you want to see the sheer drop right next to us?

[Copper]

I don't want to look directly at our immediate doom. No.

[Silver]

Phew. All right, y'all, I think we're over the worst of it.

[Amber]

Can you slow down here?

[Glass]

Copper, move over here.

[Copper]

I can't see. Can you move your back?

[Silver]

What's it look like?

[Amber]

It's a big round wall.

[Glass]

It looks shiny.

[Silver]

What's it made of?

[Amber]

How could we tell from way up here?

[Glass]

Something black. It looks like some kind of stone.

[Copper]

There's a big tree. Can you see that?

[Glass]

Yeah. There's a huge tree right in the middle.

[Amber]

No, it's a bunch of separate ones.

[Glass]

It's definitely one big tree.

[Amber]

It's not. It's all different colors.

[Copper]

How are there so many leaves on it? It's only March.

[Glass]

Guys, look at the clouds.

[Silver]

What? I can't see. The ceiling's in the way, right above it.

[Amber]

No way.

[Copper]

What?

[Glass]

It's not draining.

[Silver]

Yes, it is raining.

[Glass]

No, above the wall, there's a hole in the clouds. And it's not raining.

[Amber]

You can see the sunbeams coming down.

[Silver]

I can't see far enough past the edge. I'm buckled into the driver's seat. I'm not at the right angle.

[Amber]

There's this ocean of trees down there. The way they shake in the wind makes them look like waves. It's all dark blue and green.

[Glass]

And way down at the bottom, tucked into all the trees, there's this little circle of sunshine. It probably just looks little from where we are. I bet it's huge up close. There's a circle of black around it. It looks like a stone wall to me.

[Copper]

There's one big tree in the middle. Or maybe a bunch of them. When I first saw it, I thought it was white, maybe pink. But Amber's right. It must be dozens of colors standing up in the middle of that garden. Lit bright by the sun where the rain can't get to it.

[Glass]

I want to make sure I have this, right?

[Amber]

Dark walls. Light on the inside, safe from the.

[Copper]

We found it.

[Glass]

We found it.

[Amber]

This whole time I thought you guys were just full of.

[Copper]

It's actually there.

[Glass]

What are we waiting for? Silver? Let's go.

[Silver]

Y'all are sure we want to do this?

[Glass]

Of course we're sure.

[Podcast Announcer]

Yeah.

[Amber]

Guys, maybe we shouldn't stop to investigate the thing that fits every description of the place we've been trying to find from, like, years.

[Silver]

I just want to make sure we're thinking this through before we leave the main road.

[Copper]

Silver, we may have really found it. We have to go look.

[Silver]

And if it's not.

[Copper]

If it's not, we'll keep going until we find it. We move on, just like always.

[Silver]

All right, y'all, we're still missing one of them. We can't see if there's a guardian.

[Copper]

Yet, so we're gonna get a closer look.

[Silver]

We're going to get a closer look.

[Glass]

Yes.

[Amber]

There's a turn up there. It goes down into the valley. Do you see it?

[Silver]

Oh, I see it.

[Glass]

Well, I've been afraid of changing. Cause I've built my life around you.

[Song Lyrics]

But time makes you older Even children get older and I'm getting older too oh, I'm getting older too Climb a mountain and turn around and if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills well, the landslide will bring it now.

[Copper]

And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills will the landslide will bring it down.

[Song Lyrics]

The landslide will bring it down.

[Copper]

We've been driving a while.

[Amber]

Wouldn't it be funny if this road didn't even go there?

[Silver]

We'll get there. We gotta get there.

[Amber]

I was just kidding, Silver. What if we don't get there?

[Glass]

Besides, even if it doesn't, we'll just go back to business as usual. They'll be there.

[Copper]

Hard to see anything through all these trees. I'll find it.

[Amber]

There it is. There it is. It's huge.

[Silver]

Look, y'all, it is one big tree.

[Copper]

All the leaves are different colors.

[Glass]

Told you. I told you.

[Amber]

Shut up, Glass.

[Silver]

I can't believe it.

[Amber]

Is there a way in? Where's the door?

[Copper]

Looks like the road goes all the way around. Let's keep going.

[Glass]

A Silver. Maybe we should slow down for a second.

[Copper]

Let's make a loop first. See if we can find.

[Glass]

There's something here.

[Copper]

Glass is right. There's something back there.

[Amber]

Copper, move your head. I can't see. Holy hell.

[Copper]

Has it moved?

[Glass]

It's looking at us.

[Amber]

It's not looking at us. It doesn't have a face. It's just bricks.

[Copper]

Is it one of the folk?

[Silver]

Maybe we should stop talking about it and keep moving.

[Amber]

It definitely just moved.

[Silver]

Good news is we got the last piece of the puzzle.

[Glass]

That's the Guardian, isn't it?

[Silver]

Got to be.

[Amber]

I don't think they want us here.

[Copper]

Everybody look for a way in. If we can find one, we'll be safe.

[Glass]

How do you know that?

[Copper]

I don't know. I just got a feeling.

[Amber]

It's coming. It's coming.

[Glass]

Drive, Silver, drive.

[Amber]

Speed up.

[Silver]

Something's broken. It won't go fast enough.

[Glass]

Where's the entrance? I don't see an entrance.

[Copper]

There has to be a way in. There has to be.

[Silver]

We'll find.

[Glass]

We're not gonna be able to take another hit like that.

[Copper]

Where?

[Silver]

There's a crack in the wall. It's big enough. Hell, we gotta run, y'all. We can make it inside.

[Copper]

Put the car.

[Amber]

We have to go.

[Silver]

Amber. Ready? Three, two, one. Go. Run. This way.

[Glass]

Silver, come on. Amber, go.

[Amber]

I'm fine.

[Silver]

Hurry. Through here.

[Amber]

Silver, come on.

[Copper]

Is it gone?

[Glass]

I think it's gone.

[Amber]

Holy hell.

[Copper]

The car.

[Silver]

He'll be all right. We'll be all right.

[Amber]

It's not all right. Did you see what that thing did to it? It's scrap metal. Silver. What do we do? What about the rest of our stuff in there? How are we supposed to get any of it out without that thing?

[Silver]

Dar. And breathe.

[Amber]

Don't tell me to breathe. That car is our life support. We can't just leave it.

[Glass]

Oh.

[Silver]

One end of the wall to the other. Bright colored greenery all around.

[Glass]

It's the most vibrantly beautiful place I've ever seen.

[Amber]

I look at this gigantic tree and think it must be some kind of creature all by itself.

[Silver]

We're here. We're here. We're here.

[Copper]

We made it, Silver. We made it. I thought I found it.

[Silver]

I can't believe we're here.

[Glass]

They always knew we would. Did you see something?

[Silver]

No.

[Amber]

I just think we should look around first before we start partying.

[Silver]

You're right. I'm getting carried away.

[Glass]

We need to find water and shelter first.

[Amber]

What? You're not going to just hang out and wait for the universe to provide?

[Glass]

We don't have the car now. I'm just being realistic.

[Amber]

Realistic? Who are you and what have you done with glass?

[Silver]

Follow me, y'all. Let's take a look around. It's beautiful. I don't recognize any of the plants I see, though. It's like we got into another world somehow. We probably did get into another world.

[Copper]

I can't believe we found it.

[Amber]

It's so quiet.

[Silver]

Mmm. Peace. The sun streams in from above us out of a perfect hole in the clouds. I can still hear the rain on the other side of the wall, but none of it's making it inside a sanctuary from the bad weather.

[Copper]

I can't identify any of these plants.

[Silver]

I don't know. I ain't never seen them before.

[Copper]

You could draw them later.

[Glass]

Silver.

[Silver]

I can make a whole field guide to whatever we find in here.

[Glass]

Does this seem off to any of you?

[Amber]

Oh. Ew.

[Silver]

Amber pokes her toe at the dead bird on the path, all curled up on itself. Huh. Somewhere better. Ain't immune to death, I suppose.

[Glass]

Huh?

[Amber]

What?

[Glass]

The leaves on this bush. Come here. Feel this.

[Amber]

They're hard.

[Glass]

They're dead.

[Copper]

What? No, they're not. They're bright pink. Oh. Well, it. It feels like they are. But they can't be. They wouldn't be so bright.

[Glass]

You okay, Silver?

[Amber]

What are you looking at?

[Silver]

The flies by that dead bird.

[Glass]

Flies do love dead things.

[Silver]

They're all dead. All dead sitting on top of the bird and all the dirt around it.

[Amber]

Hey, all the plants feel dead.

[Silver]

Y'all calm down. It don't mean anything. Maybe they just feel different because they're not the plants we're used to.

[Glass]

Found another dead animal.

[Amber]

Another one over here, too. Squirrel.

[Copper]

Silver.

[Silver]

But let's keep going. We haven't been through the whole area. Maybe we'll find something that Silver. What?

[Copper]

The tree.

[Silver]

Copper points up toward the tree in the middle of the circle. A huge gnarled thing with leaves and a rainbow of colors so bright we could see them back at the top of the canyon. But closer. The leaves are crumpled and dry. And once more.

[Amber]

There's somebody up there.

[Glass]

That's the biggest one I've ever seen.

[Silver]

Y'all sh. The plants, the insects, the animals.

[Copper]

Everything's dead in here, Silver.

[Silver]

Everything's dead. Except for that huge creature. Creature? Laying in the branches of the tree. Shiny black fur. I can't make out shape of its long body except for one leg hanging from the branch, ending in a massive bird like claw. Its face is a skeletal mask, but I could see it breathing.

[Amber]

Maybe they're dead.

[Silver]

All right, y'all. Let's just back up quietly.

[Copper]

So they killed everything else?

[Amber]

Probably.

[Silver]

Y'all need to stop talking about Them, or they're gonna know we're here.

[Copper]

What do we do?

[Amber]

Our car is a pile of metal.

[Silver]

I know it is.

[Glass]

That golem is still out there.

[Silver]

I know.

[Copper]

This was supposed to be.

[Silver]

Was supposed to be. It was supposed to be. It fit all the signs.

[Copper]

There must be something else. There must be something else we can do. We missed something. There's something we have to do.

[Glass]

And we try again. That's just like all the other times we leave.

[Amber]

How? We have no car.

[Glass]

Oh, I'm sure it'll be all right.

[Silver]

It's not. It's not gonna be all right. Glass. We're gonna die here.

[Copper]

We're not gonna die. Maybe. Maybe they want something. Maybe there's something we could give.

[Glass]

Guys, we don't have to panic. We're gonna be fine.

[Amber]

We are not going to be fine. Our car is destroyed and we can't possibly carry all our stuff with us because you wanted to find somewhere better.

[Copper]

Me?

[Amber]

It's all you've been talking about for weeks.

[Copper]

You wanted to find it, too.

[Silver]

Doesn't matter whose idea was. We've got nothing.

[Glass]

We still have our backpacks. We'll be fine on.

[Copper]

There has to be something we missed. There's something we have to do.

[Silver]

Sorry, Copper. I was wrong.

[Copper]

You were not wrong. I know we can find it. We have to find it. Okay? I can't keep doing this, Silver. If it's not here, then it's somewhere. And we're going to find it.

[Amber]

We have to.

[Copper]

Or we're going to get swallowed up into the rest of all this. And I can't. I can't let it all be for nothing. For nothing.

[Glass]

Oh, no.

[Silver]

Everybody back to the crack in the wall.

[Amber]

But.

[Silver]

Now.

[Glass]

Hurry.

[Amber]

Hurry.

[Copper]

They're getting up.

[Silver]

Come on.

[Amber]

Run.

[Copper]

Which way to the exit?

[Amber]

Come on.

[Copper]

Wait. We. We have to stay together.

[Amber]

Where is it? Where is it? No. Get back. Stay away from me. I said stay back.

[Silver]

It's gotta be around here. Ah. I found it. This way. Over here. Stay back. Amber.

[Glass]

No.

[Amber]

Get back here.

[Silver]

Get to the exit. This way.

[Amber]

I'm not letting it get the others.

[Glass]

I can't find the exit. I tried to. Really, I did. I don't think I'm gonna make it out of here. I don't know if you can even hear me. I. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't want to leave you.

[Silver]

I don't.

[Glass]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

[Copper]

I'm sorry.

[Glass]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

[Copper]

Hey.

[Amber]

Look over here. Gun. Over there. I'm right behind you.

[Glass]

The exit. Where's the exit?

[Silver]

Here.

[Glass]

Where did it go? Is it still following us?

[Silver]

It's gone.

[Amber]

Where's Copper?

[Silver]

We're only feet from the way out, but we can see them through the dead trees. Copper.

[Glass]

Standing stock still, the creature floats over the drybrush toward them. I can still hear its voice from here.

[Silver]

That thing is almost 20ft tall.

[Amber]

But it bends down to Copper's eye level. And then it crawls back up into.

[Glass]

The tree, almost silently.

[Silver]

Copper. Copper. Come on, darling.

[Copper]

Hurry.

[Glass]

Come on. Move.

[Amber]

Where are we supposed to go?

[Silver]

Into the forest. Hurry. Don't look back.

[Amber]

But the car. The golem.

[Silver]

Forget the car. We gotta go. Come on.

[Podcast Announcer]

Hymns for the Road is a podcast written and Produced by Anna McGuire. Starring Maurice Thomas as Silver, Papangani as Glass, Grizz Siebenek as Amber, and Tabitha Bardal as Copper. Original music by Joshua David Mitchell. This episode's hymn is Landslide by Fleetwood Mac. Sign up for our [e-mail] or support our work on Patreon.com Hodgepodgeaudio thank you for listening.

[Silver]

Check engine light on. Take the guesswork out of your Check engine light with O'Reilly Veriscan. It's free. Ask for O'Reilly Veriscan today.

[Glass]

O. Riley Auto Parts.