Episode 100 !!!!!!

Summary

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Radio Rental – Episode 100!!!!!

Podcast: Radio Rental
Release Date: April 3, 2026
Host: Payne Lindsay
Store Proprietor (Fictional): Rainn Wilson as Terry Carnation
Theme: Milestone 100th episode featuring Radio Rental’s signature blend of true-life horror stories—bizarre, paranormal, and chillingly memorable—delivered with a playful ‘80s video store flair.

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Episode Overview

Episode 100 marks a celebratory milestone for the cult-hit horror podcast Radio Rental. Host Payne Lindsay and the eccentric video shopkeeper Terry Carnation (Rainn Wilson) guide listeners through three chilling stories— a late-night rest area encounter, a haunted message in a Boston condo, and the return of the fan-favorite ghost tale, "Laura of the Woods." The episode weaves reality-blurring terror, wry humor, and community nostalgia.

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Main Sections & Stories

1. Welcome to Episode 100

[01:11 – 05:27]

• Terry Carnation opens with signature dry wit, reminiscing about 100 episodes with remarks on the store cat Malachi and an interstellar journey to win back his wife, Zelon.
• Outlines the special archive system for this episode:
  • Red post-it: A brand new, never-before-heard story
  • Blue post-it: The most popular story ever, now in a special cut

Quote:

• "100 episodes. Wow. And, boy, have we had some times together. Have we not?" – Terry Carnation [03:03]
• "If you see a red post-it note on a tape, that means it's a brand new story. And if you see a blue post-it note, that will be our most popular story to date—but a new and improved cut." – Terry Carnation [04:48]

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2. Story #1: The Rest Area Encounter

[05:27 – 13:04] A cross-country journey turns deeply unsettling on a foggy Texas night.

Key Points

• Narrator, road-tripping at 3am, stops at a deserted, eerie rest area, feeling intense unease.
• After using the restroom, loses car keys—can’t find them anywhere.
• As panic mounts, loud thumps on the car roof, followed by the sound of footsteps above the car.
• Out of nowhere, keys are flung in front of the car; narrator debates whether to risk venturing out.
• No cell service; forced to dash out, retrieve the keys, and escape.
• At a distant gas station, a clerk cryptically asks if he used “that rest area up the road.”
• Finds wet, human footprints on car roof; speculates about ghosts, shapeshifters, or something supernatural, having never had a paranormal experience before.

Quotes & Moments

• “I get back to my car, close my door, go to start my car, and I don't have my keys. Where the fuck are my keys?...Now I'm nervous as shit." – Guest Story Narrator [06:48]
• “I hear this loud, just thump on the roof of my car…then I start hearing footsteps...They stop right above me.” – Guest Story Narrator [07:48]
• “Right in front of my car, lands my fucking car keys.” – Guest Story Narrator [08:42]
• "There was footprints, human footprints, wet footprints on top of the roof of my car." – [12:38]

[13:04] Terry Carnation returns, marveling at the story’s creep factor:

• "Terrifying. I hope that satisfied you. Happy One Hundo, babe." – Terry Carnation [13:05]

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3. Story #2: Coffee Machine Message

[16:03 – 26:51] Payne Lindsay himself narrates a personal experience of unexplained phenomena in his new Boston condo.

Key Points

• Feeling “weird” and unfocused after moving, deliberates between Red Bull and coffee.
• Drawn twice inexplicably to his tough-to-open coffee maker, feels watched or “called” by it.
• Loud crash sound; coffee maker’s pod-hatch is popped open—mechanically impossible for that to happen by itself.
• Discovers a tarot booklet (Santa Muerte deck) wedged under the heavy appliance—impossible for this to have happened by accident.
• Booklet is open to a page (translated from Spanish) delivering advice about grounding oneself, not clinging too tightly, and trusting one’s path—matching exactly what he needed to hear.
• Neither of the only two guests to his home, nor anyone else, can explain it.
• Wonders if it was a message from “the universe,” an unexplained synchronicity, or, more chillingly, an intentional supernatural occurrence.

Quotes & Moments

• “I woke up…feeling a little bit down, just sort of, I don’t know, like I needed some direction.” – Payne Lindsay [16:11]
• "I'm like, why am I staring at my coffee maker again?" – Payne Lindsay [17:36]
• “That might be the biggest mystery: how that thing opened. I really don't know. And I clearly didn't leave it open.” – Payne Lindsay [18:54]
• “For that booklet to have ended up under this heavy coffee maker…is in zero way accidental. Borderline requires two people.” – Payne Lindsay [23:05]
• "Maybe that was just the universe's way of getting my attention. I think that sometimes I can get in my own way. And maybe it will just pull me back to earth a little bit." – Payne Lindsay [26:40]

[26:51]

• Terry Carnation: “Weird story, bro. But I do firmly believe that messages come to us from the great beyond, often when we least expect it.” [26:59]

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4. Story #3 (Blue Post-it): Laura of the Woods (Fan Favorite)

[29:17 – 42:05] A beloved "ghost story" in Radio Rental lore returns, newly edited. A listener recounts his strange, nostalgic childhood friendship with Laura, the mysterious girl from the ‘mystery house’ hidden deep in the Indiana woods.

Key Points

• 1988: 10-year-old narrator in rural Indiana; their “Spielberg movie” childhood is shadowed by a strange, gothic “mystery house” in the woods.
• Meets “Laura,” an odd girl with unkempt hair and strange clothes, claiming to live in the mystery house’s attic.
• Laura initiates narrator to smoking in the woods; she’s an outcast, secretive about her home life.
• Suddenly, Laura disappears.
• A year later, the mystery house goes up for sale—the family tours it. Laura’s parents say their daughter has been dead “for years.”
• Narrator is both terrified and confused; finds physical evidence (tree carved with Laura's name, hidden cigarettes years later) that blurs reality.
• A later adult return to the woods, followed by a feverish dream, suggests Laura’s striking resemblance and connection to her mother; “It was…the mom the whole time.”

Quotes & Moments

• “I was 10…We all like each other…pretty much a Steven Spielberg movie.” – Storyteller [29:20]
• “I knew someone— or something—was watching me out there.” – Storyteller [30:10]
• “And then all of a sudden the voice came…She simply said, 'You don’t have to go home.' And this is how I met Laura.” – Storyteller [31:01]
• “Eventually she said that they lost their daughter years ago…She said our daughter had passed away at that point. I’m freaked out.” – Storyteller [36:05]
• “What I saw then really freaked me out…It was always the mom. It was the mom the whole time.” – Storyteller [41:56]

[42:05] Terry Carnation wraps up:

• “Perhaps our most sought after story ever. I've never heard anything quite like it. I can't tell you how many people have rang my proverbial doorbell just to get their hands on this one. Laura. Laura, where are you now?” – Terry Carnation [42:05]

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Eject me right now. I won’t take it personally. I’ll wait. Oh, I only wish I could see your faces.” – Terry Carnation [04:58]
• “From what I'm thinking in the area that I was in, I want to say with like a shapeshifter, you know, something along those lines. I felt like if it really wanted to attack me, it would have. I think it more was just playing with me than anything.” – First Guest Story Narrator [12:03]
• “It felt like a reminder. Like, hey, man, you’re good. Like, you’re. You’re on the right path. You’re already doing it. Like, just keep going. Just ground yourself and stay focused.” – Payne Lindsay [22:37]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:11] Terry Carnation’s milestone 100th introduction
• [05:27] Story #1: Rest Area Encounter begins
• [13:04] Terry Carnation responds to rest area story
• [16:03] Story #2: Boston Coffee Machine Haunting begins
• [26:51] Terry Carnation reflects on strange messages
• [29:17] Story #3: “Laura of the Woods” (fan favorite)
• [42:05] Terry’s final thoughts and closing character moment

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Tone & Style

• Radio Rental’s signature blend: unnerving, reality-warping horror told in the voice of everyday people, combined with the playful, tongue-in-cheek commentary of Terry Carnation (Rainn Wilson).
• Darkly comic interludes from Terry maintain an ‘80s video store atmosphere and provide moments of levity.
• Stories are delivered conversationally, with authenticity, vulnerability, and often frank cursing reflecting real-life fear.

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Summary Takeaway

Episode 100 delivers everything fans love about Radio Rental: chilling tales that blur supernatural possibilities and deeply personal mystery, all wrapped in nostalgic, genre-loving fun. The podcast celebrates its centennial episode with both brand new frights and a polished retelling of its most iconic ghost story. For listeners new or old, it's a quintessential showcase of why Radio Rental has become a cult classic—mixing the bizarre and the hauntingly relatable, always with a wink from the video store counter.

Transcript

[Payne Lindsay]

You're listening to a Tenderfoot TV podcast.

[Tenderfoot TV Announcer]

So good, so good, so good.

[Storyteller]

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[Rainn Wilson as Terry Carnation]

How did I not know Rack has Adidas?

[Tenderfoot TV Announcer]

Cause there's always something new. Join the Norty Club to unlock exclusive discounts. Shop new arrivals first and more.

[Storyteller]

Plus, buy online and pick up at

[Tenderfoot TV Announcer]

your favorite rack store for free. Great brands, great prices. That's why you Rack

[Payne Lindsay]

Hate waiting a week for the next episode of Radio Rental. Subscribe to Tenderfoot plus to get early access to episodes, ad free listening, and even some bonus scary stories. Visit tenderfootplus.com for details.

[Tenderfoot TV Announcer]

The following podcast includes scary stories with content that could be triggering to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

[Rainn Wilson as Terry Carnation]

Take a break from the same old boring blockbusters and experience a new kind of movie night with Radio Rental. At Radio Rental, our videos come to life in your living room, defy all logic and reasoning, and make you question your own reality. This is not your ordinary video rental store. At Radio Rental, we carry one of a kind videos. So frightening, so mind bending. You won't be able to sleep at night. You've gone Radiorental. Is this thing even? Damn you, jvc. I knew I should have gotten Panasonic. Okay, there we go. Yes. There, there, there, there. The little red light is blinking. Am I in frame? Yes, I am. Perfect.

[Payne Lindsay]

Aha.

[Rainn Wilson as Terry Carnation]

My dear loyal customers, welcome. If you found this tape, then you already know what today is. Drum roll, please. Episode 100. 100. 100. Malachite. That was your cue. You're supposed to release the confetti. I made that whole kitty cat Rube Goldberg machine. And you were? Yes. Thank you. Oh, that's. That's great. Thank you. Vibrant. Really helping me feel confident leaving the store in your grubby little paws. Shut it. Anyway, my dear fans, 100 episodes. Wow. And, boy, have we had some times together. Have we not? I am so sorry I can't be with you there in person. Or IRL, as they say I am. On day 50, or perhaps it's day 500, I've lost count of my journey to recover my beautiful and ever elusive wife, Zelon. She knows I'm a sucker for the chase. That's enough now, Zilon. The intergalactic things we do for women. Alas, I simply couldn't miss the opportunity to pop in and join you for this milestone. Partly because I miss you, but mainly because I know how much you miss me. And it Breaks my heart to leave my adoring fans wanting more. So you'll see, I left a little DIY system for you to honor this momentous occasion. If you see a red post it note on a tape, that means it's a brand new story. And if you see a blue post it note, that will be our most popular story to date. But a new and improved cut. How about you pop in the tape with a red post it note first? Okay, so now for the annoying part. You're going to have to pop this tape out. You're gonna have to put the new tape in and then when it's done, take it out and then put this tape back in. Anyways, sorry, but it's time you pulled a little weight around here anyway. Eject me. Eject me right now. I won't take it personally. I'll wait. Oh, I only wish I could see your faces.

[Guest Story Narrator]

This was, I want to say, July 2023. I was in Arizona. I was getting tired of it, just couldn't stay there anymore. Having trouble with jobs and family. And so I was like, okay, you know what? I'm going to go back to Florida. I can't do this. I've got my car packed up and I have a 30 hour drive ahead of. About 6pm I start hitting the road, just driving, you know, nothing's going wrong and I'm just listening to music, jamming out, having a good time. Six hours go by. I think this is about like 3 o' clock in the morning. I don't know where I'm at. I know I'm probably in Texas. It's about 3 o' clock in the morning. I have to pee so damn bad and I can't find a gas station. I can't find a rest area. It's dark as out. All of a sudden, like it starts getting a little foggy. All of a sudden I just see rest area next 28 miles. So I'm like, thank God. So I keep driving and driving and I finally get to the rest area. But when I pull up, there's one light right above the bathroom. The both doors to the bathrooms are open. But there is nobody at this rest area. Not a single car, not a truck, nobody. I'm feeling a little uneasy here. I'm nervous, my anxiety is heightened. And I pull up, I'm like, okay. So I take my keys, I leave my car unlocked and I beeline it straight to the men's room, take care of my business, wash my hands and I just want to get in and out of this rest stop as fast as I can. As soon as I get back to my car, close my door, I go to start my car, and I don't have my keys. Where the fuck are my keys? I literally just had them in the fucking bathroom, and I have no idea where the hell they're at. So I'm sitting there and I'm thinking I must have left them either on the counter or they're sitting next to the toilet or something, but they're not in my pocket. They're nowhere on me. They're not on my person. I don't know what happened to my keys. I don't remember taking them out of my pocket. I don't remember setting them on the counter. I don't remember setting them on the floor. Now I'm nervous as shit, and I don't know what to do because I'm scared to get out of my car again because this is like the worst rest area I've ever been in. So as soon as I go to get out of my car, I go to unlock the door, and I hear this loud, just thump on the roof of my car. I immediately close my door again. I have no idea what it was. I don't know if it was a tree branch or what an animal, a raccoon or a possum, you know. Something very loud hit the roof of my car. I'm sitting there for a second, just like, what the fuck was that? And all of a sudden, I just start hearing footsteps Just walking closer and closer to where I'm sitting in the driver's seat. And it stops right above me. They're on the roof of my car. I'm sitting there. I don't see any shadows on the ground. I'm looking around, there's nothing there. I don't know what to do. I'm about to cry. I'm freaking out. My heart is pounding. It was bad. Do you know, like, the sound of throwing keys, like when they, like, toss something. So I hear this swing and then that jingle. And then right in front of my car, lands my fucking car keys. So I'm sitting there, I'm just looking at these fucking keys and wondering what the fuck is on top of my car. What do I do? What do you do in this situation? Do you get out of the car, go grab them super fast? Do you sit there and wait? Do you try and call somebody? I feel like I'm in a life or death situation to get my keys now. So I look at my phone, and I have no fucking Service. So I'm just like, okay, you know what? Fuck this. I'm just gonna go run out of my car. I'm gonna go grab my keys real quick. And I go to open up my car door, take a deep breath, and I just fucking book it straight out right into the front of my car. I don't even look to see what's on top. I have no idea what is there. I got back in, close my door, turn my car on, put that shit in reverse, and I get the fuck out as fast as I could. I didn't hear anything roll off of the top of my car. I didn't hear anything run off. I didn't see anything jump off. I don't know what it was. I keep driving and driving, and I go until I see a gas station. And I stop. And I'm sitting there and I'm just shaking. I am just absolutely, just scared shitless right now. I have no idea what the fuck that was. And I get out and I go into the gas station. The people inside, they could see that my face was just pale, like I lost all color. And the lady looks at me and she goes, oh, you stopped at that rest area up the road, didn't you? Not a lot of people stop at that. One, one, one, one, one. And I didn't say anything back. Cause I just didn't know what to say. And I just walked out, went back to my car. But when I got back to my car and I was sitting outside, I noticed that there was footprints, human footprints, wet footprints on top of the roof of my car. I still don't know what to say about it today. Could have been anything. Ghosts, supernatural type, Cryptid. Who knows? Could be all the above. From what I'm thinking in the area that I was in, I want to say with like a shapeshifter, you know, something along those lines. I felt like if it really wanted to attack me, it would have. I think it more was just playing with me than anything. I've never experienced anything like this before. I've never had a paranormal experience. I've never had supernatural experience. I've never seen something crazy before in my life. It's. This is. This is all new to me. I saw what I saw and I heard what I heard. If you don't believe it, then that's. That's on you. I know my story and what happened to me. And it's just. It's crazy.

[Storyteller]

Ooh.

[Rainn Wilson as Terry Carnation]

Terrifying. I hope that satisfied you. Happy. One hundo, babe from me to you. Attention may I have your attention, please. The radio rental store has stocked new merch items featuring me, Terry Carnation. If you've ever longed to wear my face, well, that's deeply concerning Fairy Silence of the Lambs. But you're in luck because there are new T shirts featuring me and they're in the merch store now. So go to shop.tenderfoot TV and peruse the Terry Carnation collection. That's Shop Tenderfoot TV. It pairs well with fava beans and a nice Chianti.

[Tenderfoot TV Announcer]

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[Rainn Wilson as Terry Carnation]

Okay, now pop in another one. I'll wait, obviously. What choice do I have? I'm not real. I'm just a recording.

[Payne Lindsay]

I just moved into a new condo in Boston and so I've been in this kind of weird state of moving in furniture from storage, and it's kind of felt half lived in and a little empty at times. I woke up in the morning and I was kind of feeling a little bit down, just sort of, I don't know, like I needed some direction. What's kind of in my head that morning? I've always kind of gone back and forth on coffee, I will go from drinking iced coffee to drinking only hot coffee. And then recently, and this sounds unhinged, but I promise you, it's actually not as bad as it sounds. I've been drinking sugar free Red Bulls in the morning, which sounds diabolical, but they actually have less caffeine than a single cup of coffee. This particular morning, I wake up, I go to my fridge to get one of these sugar free Red Bulls. And for whatever reason, I look at my coffee machine. It's not one of those regular keurigs where you just put in a pod. It's super big, clunky. But for whatever reason, I was going to the fridge and I looked at this coffee maker. I found myself staring at my coffee maker on my kitchen counter and consciously asking myself, why am I doing that? And for whatever reason, I clocked that and I remembered it. I go sit back down on my couch. And this particular morning, I decided to listen to some podcast stuff I've been working on. I'm gonna play it loud. And so it's already kind of a weird vibe. And then all of a sudden, I hear this crashing sound.

[Guest Story Narrator]

Bang.

[Payne Lindsay]

It almost sounded like somebody was inside the room and they threw something across the room. They honestly scared the shit out of me. I thought somebody was in my house and threw a plastic cup across the floor. I paused the music and I look over to my kitchen, and the first thing I lock eyes with is my coffee maker. And the top hinge where you put the pods into is completely open. Which maybe at first you're like, okay, well, that could happen. But I promise you it can't because I went over there and tested it. You literally have to use a full hand and pull it open. It's not like a spring loaded one or lightweight. It's almost like a. Like a lever. It requires physical force to pull it open. Wind wouldn't do it. There's no spring apparatus that made it shoot open. The next thing you know, I'm just standing there in front of my coffee maker and I'm like, why am I staring at my coffee maker again? But then before I played the podcast again, I was like, you know what? Let me just go back over there to the coffee machine. Just take a look. I wasn't even really looking for anything specific. So for like 10 seconds, I'm staring it up and down, and I noticed that the coffee machine was up. That might be the biggest mystery of them all is how that thing opened. I really don't know. And I clearly didn't Leave it open. I never touched it earlier, but it opened. That's what I heard when I went to go recreate that part of it. I'm like, oh, my God. There's, like, not even, like, a spring thing here. I'm like, oh, my God. Like, you have to, like, physically pull this up. I'm like, sorry to explain.

[Storyteller]

I don't like that.

[Payne Lindsay]

As my eyes go from the top of it to the bottom, I see something sticking out of it. There's some sort of paper or something that's just ever so slightly sticking out of the bottom of this coffee machine. And mind you, this is a pretty heavy coffee maker. It's not some lightweight thing. It's definitely at least £20. And so I lift up with one hand, and I'm bending over and I'm trying to see what's under there, and I pull out this little booklet. And my first thought was, what the hell is this doing here? This booklet came with this tarot card set that I had, and it's called Santa Muerte, which I think means holy death. And at first glance, if you're not into this kind of spooky stuff or tarot cards, this would be the deck that you're like, don't play around with that one. It's got, like, a skull on it, and it's red and it's metallic. It looks like a Ouija board or something. So when I first got it, I opened it up and I read a page or two of the booklet that came with it, and it said something along the lines of, take really good care of this card deck. Put it somewhere important. Don't just store it away somewhere. And I was like, yes, sir. And so I've always. I've always set it up somewhere in a room where it's kind of visible, and it's not just tucked away in a corner. The booklet's open. It's open to a specific page, and it's all in Spanish. And I'm like, oh, my God. Like, am I about to ask ChatGPT what this says? And it's gonna be something, you know, God awful. Like, this place is brand new. I thought, how is it haunted already? And so I take a picture of it and I translate it on my computer. And the message is basically all about grounding yourself, being careful with your decisions and your resources, staying focused on your path, not rushing things, trusting your direction, and recognizing opportunities when they appear. And it also talks about, like, not clinging too tightly to what you already have and helping others. And it Was like, maybe anything would have felt like the perfect thing to tell me, but in that moment, it was. It felt like a reminder. Like, hey, man, you're good. Like, you're. You're on the right path. You're already doing it. Like, just keep going. Just ground yourself and stay focused. I really wanted to definitively figure out how there was any other logical explanation for this having happened. For that booklet to have ended up under this heavy coffee maker in the first place, someone would have to really kind of hold it down flat with one hand and then kind of balance getting it just right and snug underneath it. And just, like, picturing that is in zero way accidental. Borderline requires two people. Okay, who's been to my place? Two of my friends, Mike and Mavs. They've both been here. They actually were here a week or two ago. And so I text Mavs first, and I say, did you put that under my coffee machine? And he goes, what are you talking about? I'm like, you know what I'm talking about.

[Storyteller]

About.

[Payne Lindsay]

He goes, no, I. I seriously don't. Don't know what you're talking about. And I sent him a picture of it. And he goes, what the is that? And I'm like, God, I think he's being serious. And I'm like, did Mike really just pull one on us? Like, did he get drunk or something and hide this? Like, what. What's the story? Mike was even more in denial and more confused by my ask. Neither of these guys even speak Spanish, so they wouldn't even know what it said to begin with. I just. I knew it wasn't there by accident because it could only be placed there on purpose, literally by way of where it was. It didn't end up there because the cleaning lady bumped it with her elbow. Impossible. Can I see myself accidentally setting the coffee maker down on this booklet when I moved in? In no world, I've owned this coffee maker for probably just about a year. It's never happened before or since then. Just that one day on the day that I stared blankly at it for what felt like a strange, subconscious reason. The same day I found this booklet for a tarot card set I'd never used in my house that had a message I really did need at the time, right there for me. You could even try to explain away everything else, but someone or something, whatever that even means, had to intentionally put this booklet flush underneath the coffee maker. Maybe that was just the universe's way of getting my attention. I think that sometimes I can get in my own way. And maybe it will just pull me back to earth a little bit. At least that's what I like to think.

[Rainn Wilson as Terry Carnation]

I swear I know that voice. Hard to forget. Kind of annoying. Gets under my skin. Can't quite place it. Hmm. Nevertheless, weird story, bro. But I do firmly believe that messages come to us from the great beyond, often when we least expect it. Do you hear that, Zelon? Come out from beyond the great beyond. Please and thank you. Please. Pretty please. You're killing me here. Hahaha.

[Payne Lindsay]

Before the music comes back, one idea.

[Rainn Wilson as Terry Carnation]

Between work and family, who has time for long sports shows?

[Payne Lindsay]

TikTok gives you quick updates and highlights in seconds. Easy to watch, easy to keep up.

[Rainn Wilson as Terry Carnation]

Download TikTok now.

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[Rainn Wilson as Terry Carnation]

All right, pop in the tape with the blue post it note now and when that's done, put me I think you get the idea.

[Storyteller]

It was 1988. I was 10 years old. My family and I lived in a small town called Trafalgar, Indiana. When you think of out in the middle of the country, that's what it was. All the kids knew each other. We all like each other. It's your typical 80s childhood. You know, before computers, everyone's riding their BMXs around town playing Star Wars GI Joes. Pretty much a Steven Spielberg movie. On our street that I lived in, there was about five houses and in between was a giant wooded area. All these neighbors we knew the Mitchells on one side. Down the other street we had Mr. Robinson. And then one of the other houses was a teacher of mine. And then there was another house. We called it the Mystery House. No one knew who lived there. You could hardly see it. You could see it if you went back in the woods, but you could only see like the top story, the roof, window. So we kind of became fascinated with it. The kids around town, you know, we spy on the mystery house. Tried to catch any sign of people coming in or out. And we never did. No one knew who even lived there early. And the look of the house was kind of. It was different than all the other houses. You know, this is 80s in Indiana. Most are just one story brick houses. This was like three stories, big, black, pointed. It looked very gothic, just stood out, it was out of place. We just referred to it as the Mystery house. And in the summertime I just liked going out in the woods. I just liked being out there by myself. I was kind of a loner. I'd take a bag of GI Joes out in the woods and one day I went back there, the little spot by the creek where you could kind of see the mystery house. I'm out there and I'm playing with my GI Joes and all of a sudden just an overwhelming feeling of paralyzing fear. Basically. I don't know how to explain it. Besides, I knew someone was. Or something was watching me out there. I just remember stiffening up and being scared shitless, basically. I didn't turn around, I didn't want to know what it was. And I remember putting my GI Joes back in the bag, calmly stood up. And then all of a sudden I don't know if I heard something or not, but I just knew. I don't know how to explain it other than someone's there. And I started walking away. And all of a sudden the voice came. It scared me. But since it was a gentle voice, I turned around and there was a girl standing there. And she simply said, you don't have to go home. And this is how I met Laura. Laura was kind of strange looking. She had like a mop top hair, kind of messy. Her clothes were kind of weird. And she explained to me that she lived in the mystery house and that she was an only child and that she was home taught. And that's how we struck up our friendship. She was wearing clothing that you shouldn't be wearing in the summer. She had a long sleeve flannel and it was buttoned real high. It looked very Uncomfortable to me. It was, like too tight in some spots and too baggy in other spots. And her hair was like a mop top, kind of slobby, you know. You know, like she hadn't combed it for like a week or two. I kept going out there and hanging out with Laura. I just was having fun out there, you know, I was. I met a new friend in the woods. It's kind of strange. She explained to me that her room in her house was the whole top floor, like a giant attic to herself. You could see one window from the area in the woods, and that was her window. The way she made it sound was basically like a giant toy room. One day she said very matter of factly, come here, I want to show you something. She took me through this little area, and there was this tree. First she showed me her name that she had carved in there. And her name was carved on the tree. And then she said, I want to show you something. One of the limbs had fallen off and there was like a hole. And she put her hand in and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Marlboro Reds. I'll never forget it because it was all crumpled up. And she taught me how to smoke cigarettes out there. She pulled one out and lit it, smoked it, like, half down, and then handed it to me. And I took, at the time, my best attempt at inhaling a cigarette. I think I did, like, two of them. And she smoked a lot. I think I watched her smoke like 10 cigarettes out in the woods. She had a smoking habit. Then one day I went out there and she was gone. I went back out there a few times, but she never came back. The year after the house was for sale, they were having an open house like they do. All of a sudden, Laura came back into my head. We talked for years about this house, and finally it was open to the public. So we pleaded and pleaded with my mom and we went to the open house. I thought I might see her, you know. Plus, we just wanted to see what the house looked like. My mom wasn't even excited. I remember, like any open house, there's other people there. I remember some other people like us looking at the house. And then there was a man, which I assume was Laura's dad. And then there was Laura's mom. And I could tell right away it was Laura's mom. They looked a lot alike, only she had real short hair, but they looked alike. And you could just tell that they were related. She's showing us around the house, and we get through the Second floor. And that's it. That's the end of the tour. And I know there's a third floor because she's told me there's a giant attic up there. And I've seen the window. She didn't mention it. She just said, and that's the house. I'm thinking, no, I know there's more. I was 10 and I was kind of shy. I wanted to say, I know there's a third floor, but I didn't. Eventually she said that they lost their daughter years ago. She said our daughter had passed away at that point. I'm freaked out. She said, years ago. It hadn't been years since I hung out with the girl. I'm thinking, who have I been out there hanging with? I must have looked funny because the mom said to me, what's wrong, buddy? Looks like you've seen a ghost. I just wanted to get the hell out of there. We were walking to the car, and my mom said, no more. No more going out there. I don't know what's going on here, but you're not going out there by yourself anymore. I don't know if she believed in ghosts or what, but she, you know, you're not going back out there without someone supervision. It wasn't real scary until we got back to the house. And I was thinking about the ramifications of what. Oh, my God, is it a ghost? Am I playing with a ghost? And I didn't think she was dead. It's still creepy thinking about it. It's been 31 years already with my interactions with Laura. I already had a bad vibe about her parents because she would never talk about them. I didn't trust the lady. I thought Laura was in that house. I honestly thought Laura was locked in the attic. Maybe something bad's going on up there. After the open house, I disobeyed my parents one time and did go back out there. Out of morbid curiosity. I kind of thought maybe Laura was locked up there. I thought she was being held hostage or something in the house. Being a kid, very curious, thought maybe I could save Laura, I think. And I thought maybe if she was in the window, maybe she'd try to signal me. And I went out to the exact spot, and I went to where I could see the window, and I looked up at the window, and sure enough, I was being watched. But it wasn't Laura. It was her mom staring at me like she was waiting for me. And it scared the piss out of me. She was staring right at me out the Window. There was no smile, just staring at me. I turned around and got the hell out of there. My sister coined the name Laura of the woods as the ghost out there. And it sounded like a pretty cool name. So eventually it kind of became a cool story. I was telling my buddies that I had a little ghost friend out there. And Laura of the woods, you know, out there roaming the wild woods at night or whatever, and it kind of became a myth of its own. I just kind of went with the ghost story eventually in my head. Finally I started believing it over and over. A couple years later, my parents got divorced, and in that process, we sold the house. So I moved, and I never went back there for a long time. Eventually, Mr. Robinson passed away and my Uncle Bill bought his property. So now I had a chance to go back, not to my house, but to the wooded area that I knew. And one day we were at a cookout. I took my wife and my sister brought up, Remember Laura of the Woods? I started telling the story again. I never told it fully to my wife. And then I realized after I was telling her, I never told my family about the cigarette part and all that good stuff. After a few beers, you know, my wife and sister were like, okay, let's go see it. The spot that I hung out in, Mr. Robinson's trails were grown up, but they were still there. It was just like being a kid again. I was tracing my own footsteps. We're going along the trail, and finally we get to the part where I used to sit with my GI Joes. And we found it, and the tree was there, and the name was still on the tree. And without really thinking, I walked up to it and put my hand in the tree and pulled out the old pack of cigarettes that was still there. We were all freaked out at this point. I thought I was maybe playing with a ghost, you know, but now it's physical. I'm feeling this. So we're like, okay, confirmed what I was telling them, it's true. Let's get the hell out of here. What the hell was my childhood? What was I doing out there? For the next week or so, it was on my mind big time. And one night I had some kind of food poisoning or something. I was real sick and in bed, having, like, fever dreams and sweating. And I had this dream. I'm walking out on the trails. It's dusk, it's gray outside, it's fall. I know the trail well. It's the one with the bench overlooking the creek. I'm just following the trail. And I don't want to, but I just keep walking. Turned a corner and there's one of the benches. And sitting on the bench was Laura. You can tell the mop top hair from the back. She was facing the other way. I was coming up from behind, but I could tell from the hair, everything, that it was her. And they get closer and she's like laughing this weird little giggle. She's laughing and I feel like she's laughing at me. I feel really stupid. She lifts her head up and when she does, her hand is on her hair and it just comes off. And what I saw then really freaked me out. My wife said I sat straight up in the bed, panting and sweating and screaming. It was always her. It was always the mom. It was the mom the whole time.

[Rainn Wilson as Terry Carnation]

Ah, perhaps our most sought after story ever. I've never heard anything quite like like it. I can't tell you how many people have rang my proverbial doorbell just to get their hands on this one. Laura. Laura, where are you now? I hope not still in the woods tricking lonely children. Okay, well, the battery is dying on this old camcorder. I've got to wrap it up. Malachi, buddy, you take care of our store, all right? Don't eat too much right before bed. Groom yourself, but not so much that you get a hairball. My God. And Malachi, one thing you should know. I miss you. I really do.

[Storyteller]

No.

[Rainn Wilson as Terry Carnation]

Yes. Hi. I know you're right here. Hi, Malachi. Don't listen in. This is supposed to be for future you. I mean, obviously I don't miss you right now. I'm with you now. I'm. Yes, I'm petting you right now. So come here. Come on now. Come and get a screech. Scratch. That's a good boy. That's a good boy. You're purring like a lawnmower. What do you have in your mouth there? Is that a Lego piece? Give me that. Wait, no, wait. Don't hit the up.

[Tenderfoot TV Announcer]

Radio Rental is created by Payne Lindsay and brought to you by Tenderfoot. TV showrunner is Meredith Stedman. Lead producers are Eric Quintana and Steven Perez. Executive producers are Payne Lindsay and Donald Albright. This episode is hosted by Rainn Wilson as his character Terry Carnation. Writing by Meredith Stedman. Original score by makeup and Vanity. Set with additional score by Jay Ragsdale. Sound design, mix and master by Steven Perez and Cooper Skinner. Editing by Eric Quintana, Sean Nurney, Steven Perez, Meredith Stedman and Cooper Skinner. Our production manager is Jordan Foxworthy. Cover artwork by Trevor Iler and Rob Sheridan Radio Rental merchandise by Byron McCoy to Shop Radio Rental Merch Shop Tenderfoot TV Special thanks to Oren Rosenbaum and the team at UTA, as well as the Nord Group and the team at Odyssey. If you have a radiorental story that you'd like to share, please email us at yourscarystorygmail.com or contact us via the form on our website radiorentalusa.com follow us on Instagram at radiorental. On behalf of the RadioRental store, we'd love it if you'd subscribe. Rate and review as always, thanks for listening.

[Storyteller]

SA.