Knock Knock

Summary

Snap Judgment: “Knock Knock” (October 30, 2025)

Podcast: Snap Judgment (PRX)
Host: Glynn Washington et al.
Episode Theme:
The “Knock Knock” episode blends raw, immersive storytelling with music to delve into tales of supernatural encounters and ancestral mysteries. Focused on stories “from the edge,” the episode invites listeners to consider the boundaries between past and present, the seen and the unseen, through first-person narratives of ghostly happenings and mythic encounters—from post-war Chicago to the hills of India.

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1. Main Theme & Purpose

Snap Judgment’s “Knock Knock” episode, part of the Spooked series, explores how brushes with the supernatural shape identities, families, and communities. The episode weaves together personal stories where knocking, spirits, and mysterious lights serve as portals between worlds—reminding us that the past and the unknown often remain just a heartbeat away.

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2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

Story 1: “Knock Knock Ghost” (Connie Shirakawa)

• [03:28–20:37]

Setting:

• Post-WWII Chicago, Japanese American community navigating life after internment.
• Connie’s family runs a boarding house for men just released from the camps.

Childhood in the Boarding House:

• Connie describes her early freedom and oddities of her home: “I was like Eloise at the Plaza Hotel...I had a little key so I could run up and down the stairs.” (05:30)
• The family uses post-war army issue items (“army issue blanket, knives and forks that said US on them.”)

The Enigmatic Wall & The Knock:

• Connie discovers a mysterious communicative knocking in her childhood bedroom wall during a moment of anxiety about a school exam.
  • “For no particular reason, I just hit it. I instantly heard—” (09:00)
  • Learns one knock = “yes,” two knocks = “no.” The knocks answer her questions, some important, some childlike.
• Realization: There’s no one on the other side of the wall, and neighbors confirm the room next door is empty.
• The knocks become a private companion, linked to comfort and truth during formative years:
  • “It was kind of like a reassuring friend that would soothe me and tell me what I wanted to know.” (11:45)

Family History—A Haunting Legacy:

• A found Ouija board triggers her mother’s trauma from internment camp:
  • The same YES/NO knocking once helped internees make sense of bleak futures. (14:55)
  • “That’s when I realized it must be the same ghost. Because the table knocked on the floor.” (16:30)
• The ghost seems tied to the family’s survival and searching for answers amidst chaos.

Loss & Growing Up:

• Father’s sudden death; Connie desperately knocks for supernatural reassurance—which the ghost gives, confirming his death.
  • “I was sobbing. I was banging on the wall, hurting my hand… The knock knock ghost answered me. He was dead.” (18:17)
• The knocking stops as Connie takes on adult responsibilities—a symbolic end to childhood.
• Long after, the old house is torn down, but a TV news segment shows the wall resisting demolition.
  • “The newscaster said the wreckers have been trying to bring down this wall all week. The wall would not fall.” (19:40)
• Reflection on the permanence of trauma, memory, and unseen presences.

Lingering Mysteries:

• In adulthood, the knock returns during hard times:
  • “Recently, I was sleeping. It was early in the morning and I heard this knock. And it woke me up. It wasn’t that it was loud. It was that I knew that knock. It was so clear, just like the old days.” (20:17)

Notable Quotes:

• “It was the same signal. That’s when I realized it must be the same ghost. Because the knocks. Because the table knocked on the floor.” (16:24 – Connie Shirakawa)
• “After my father died, I didn’t knock on the wall again. I was in charge of the house and I didn’t have time…I didn’t have time to knock on the wall anymore.” (19:12 – Connie Shirakawa)
• “There were other walls that were just as thick, but it was that wall with the knock knock ghost that didn’t come down.” (19:50 – Connie Shirakawa)

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Story 2: “The Dancing Lights” (Chaitanu Razdan)

• [22:34–40:37]

Setting:

• Jammu, India—foothills of the Himalayas.
• Grandfather narrates a decades-old experience of supernatural danger to his grandson.

The Grandfather’s Tale:

• In the early 1950s, while traveling to inspect food supplies, grandfather is stranded at night in the forest due to a broken-down bus.
• Begins a journey alone through the dark—describes natural fears: “He could hear crows, wild dogs barking… He was not afraid. He was used to places like these.” (25:30)
• Encounters multiple flickering lights—balls of fire that appear, disappear, and seem to circle around him.
• Fear mounts as the lights multiply and close in:
  • “In the horizon in front of him, there were 50, 60 lights…crisscrossing, jumping 50ft in irregular patterns…It was like a dance of those lights.” (31:18)
• Culturally, these are regarded as supernatural spirits or beings called “Ra chok” or “Brahma Ra chok”—trickster entities that prey on travelers.

Survival—Faith, Ritual, and Iron:

• Grandfather follows folk wisdom:
  • Sits cross-legged, places iron objects before him, chants the Hanuman Chalisa (a Hindu prayer) for protection.
  • When he opens his eyes, the lights are gone.
• When he arrives, local villagers confirm the phenomenon’s danger:
  • “You should consider yourself very lucky that you made it to my place tonight. Not everybody’s been so lucky.” (36:42)
• The village head explains: people who chase these dancing lights often disappear forever.

Lasting Legacy:

• The storyteller, now an adult, continues to wear an iron ring—a protective practice inspired by family tradition.
  • “Just keeps me safe, let’s put it that way.” (40:25)

Notable Quotes:

• “If you ever see a light in the forest at a far off distance, never approach it or go towards it. Just make sure you follow your path.” (24:17 – Grandfather)
• “It was like a dance of those lights.” (31:18 – Grandfather’s narrative)
• “There have been people we never found again…you are lucky that you did not leave the trail and start following those lights.” (38:00 – Village Head)

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3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Connie Shirakawa:

• “It was kind of like a reassuring friend that would soothe me and tell me what I wanted to know.” (11:45)
• “After my father died, I didn’t knock on the wall again.” (19:12)
• “Every couple years I knock just to see, just to check if the ghost will answer me—and never answered.” (20:00)

Chaitanu Razdan’s Grandfather:

• “Some people also call it Brahma Raa chok. They say that ra chok is a human-like creature on two legs and it has a fire on its head. It creates an illusion, makes you take the wrong road…” (37:03)

Host Glynn Washington:

• “When you think, you feel that whisper of rain on your skin…You may be standing exactly where the ancients would have built a temple … where the mystery still dwells, still watches, still waits.” (44:30)

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4. Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment/Content | |----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:28 | Beginning of Connie Shirakawa’s “Knock Knock Ghost” story | | 11:45 | Connie describes the “reassuring friend” of the knocking ghost | | 16:24 | Realization the knock ghost matches her mother's internment story | | 18:17 | Father’s death and seeking confirmation from the ghost | | 19:40 | The wall resists demolition—symbolic and literal resilience | | 20:17 | Ghost’s return in adulthood | | 22:34 | Introduction of Chaitanu Razdan and grandfather’s light encounter | | 25:30 | Grandfather’s journey into the forest begins | | 31:18 | Terrifying dance of supernatural lights described | | 36:42 | Village head explains dangers of the “Ra chok” | | 40:25 | Adult storyteller’s continuation of the safety ritual | | 44:30 | Glynn Washington reflects on places, mystery, and ancient wisdom |

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5. Tone & Style

The narratives are intimate, deeply personal, and often poetic. The music and pacing build atmosphere and resonance, evoking both wonder and unease. The hosts and storytellers use vivid, nostalgic language, remaining true to the voices and lived experiences of those featured.

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6. Summary Table of Stories

| Story & Speaker | Setting | Supernatural Element | Core Message/Insight | |-----------------------|----------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------------| | Connie Shirakawa | Chicago (post-WWII) | “Knock Knock Ghost” – a guiding, ancestral presence | Trauma, resilience, unseen connections to family history | | Chaitanu Razdan | Jammu, India | “Dancing Lights”/Ra chok trickster spirits, and protective folk rituals | Power of tradition and faith in the face of the unknown |

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7. Conclusion

“Knock Knock” invites us to listen for echoes—the knock on the wall, flickering lights in the dark, the stories families carry, and the signs that the past (and the inexplicable) are never too far away. Both tales underscore the need for guidance, protection, and connection, whether to a familial spirit or a ritual passed across generations.

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Memorable Sign-Off:
“Never, ever, never, never ever turn out the lights.” (Glynn Washington, 45:00)

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

My parents were both born in California. When President Roosevelt put all the Japanese Americans into a concentration camp behind barbed wire, my dad spied my mother in the camp. She was quite the femme fatale in her day, picky and reserved and aloof. He chased my mother around and of course, she couldn't run very far. He asked her to marry him. She didn't want to marry this guy. She was a graduate of the University of Southern California. She considered herself an intellectual. She wasn't sure he graduated from high school. When they were released, they weren't allowed to go back to the west coast because even though the war was over, it was considered a sensitive military site. Because it was on the coast, they were told to live in Chicago. My dad finally talked her into getting married in Chicago. She didn't have what they call practical life skills. She didn't know how to clean. She didn't know how to cook. Whereas my father, he was very dynamic and he was streetwise because his family had a restaurant. She said to me once, I knew I wouldn't starve if I married your father. They were put in charge of a boarding house in A three story row house on Winchester Street. And it was sort of a halfway house. Men who were coming out of the concentration camp stayed there. There used to be five men sleeping on the floor in one apartment. I had the run of the house. I was like Eloise at the Plaza Hotel. I was about six years old and I had a little key so I could run up and down the stairs and check out what the other people were doing. And if nobody was in the boarding house, I could have the apartment on the top floor in the back by the alley. I just kept my things there. Slept on a couch that flipped over. When my grandmother came to visit, she was appalled. But I loved it. I could play and do what I wanted. I loved getting up in the morning to play on the street. What I liked was playing with the boys. Because some of the girls I didn't like in the neighborhood, they did things that were odd to me. Wearing dresses and I just had this jumpsuit that I wore every day. And I really didn't know how other people lived. I remember going to someone's house one day and they had matched bedspreads and curtains and towels that said his and hers. And I said, how odd. Because my blanket was an army issue blanket. That was this old scratchy khaki colored thing. And we had army issue forks and knives that said us on it. My parents, they would occasionally talk about the camp. I was a big eavesdropper. And I could sit on the stairs in the house and listen while the men were playing cards. Once my dad said when the feds had inspectors that were coming, then we got good food so that the inspectors would see that we were being well treated. But if the inspectors went around, the sons of sold rotten meat and charged double the price. I didn't know what that meant. One day I was about 7, 8. I was upset because I thought I hadn't done well on the test that I took to get into the good school. My mother wanted me to have perfect grades. I was laying in my bed and my bed was next to the wall next to the north wall of the row house. There were no paintings on the wall. The wall was solid brick and it was plastered, very sturdy for no particular reason. I just hit it. I instantly heard. I thought maybe someone else was there on the other side of the wall in the house next door. I just thought it was a game. I thought it was fun. I was giggling. I was just so excited that there was a knock. I kept trying it. I kept trying it and was only in that One place. Eventually, it was like a language that you're learning. I learned that one knock was yes and two knock was no. I said, did I pass the test? And I got the one knock back. And I was smiling. I was happy. A couple weeks later, I found out that I passed the test because I went to the new school. And then I'd knock all the time. I just start asking questions. Will I win the gumball machine at Mary's Candy Store? If I don't go to the dentist, will my teeth fall out? Later on, I asked Frank and Rose, who live next door, who lives on the other side on the second floor in the back by the alley. And they said, no one. That was a storage room. Then I knew it was something else, but I didn't know what yet, except that it was mine and would answer what I needed to know. I called it the Knock, Knock Ghost. It was kind of like a reassuring friend that would soothe me and tell me what I wanted to know. First, I have to call the ghost. We have a signal. If I get the signal back, it knocks twice. Back. Then I know it's going to give me an answer. And then I ask whatever I want to ask. I didn't ask frivolous questions. I did it only when I was in distress because I was looking for an answer that nobody else could give me. Will these pimples go away? When will I get to buy an Italian lemonade with my own money? Well, they're all frivolous questions, but not to me. One time I'd gone with someone in my class named Richard. And he didn't like what I was wearing that day. And I was upset. I was still just a little kid, but I liked playing with the boys. So I said, does he really like me? And I knocked on the wall. I got one knock at school the next day I found out that he did still like me, but I was mad at him, so I wouldn't talk to him anymore. It didn't always answer back. I don't know why. Maybe I just didn't want to answer that question. I never told anyone about it. I thought that in the telling it wouldn't help me anymore because I had betrayed it and it would disappear. And I needed it to be there for important things. And I wanted always to answer me when I called. Every Saturday, I went to my piano lesson downtown. And I would get the money for the bus. But if I walked, then I could buy a treat at the Fannie Mae Candy Factory. So I usually walked, and I could walk through all the alleys on the west side till I got to the loop. One day I was walking to my piano lesson. I found this Ouija board in the garbage. Somebody had thrown it out. But it didn't have the thing that you're supposed to rub on top of the board. But I thought I could find something that would work. I didn't associate the ghost with the Ouija board. It was a game. It was in a box. I just wanted to see if it worked or not. But my mother was horrified. She said, no, you're not bringing that in the house. I don't want anything like that here. I said, why not? And she told me about when they were in camp. When people in town were hired to build the barracks for the concentration camp. They built everything too small because they heard the people were tiny. The beds were too short and the sinks were too low. Some of the people in the camp were farmers. They were used to hard work. And they found themselves with nothing to do. So they made things. And they had made this table. A table that would fit their bodies. That was high enough. My mother said, we pull the table over. There was one bare light bulb. And we touch hands with each other and ask questions. How many days before they will let us out of here? Are my neighbors taking care of my house? Will my husband go to prison because he refused to serve in the army? And the table would sway back and forth and tilt slightly. And the leg would hit the floor once for yes and twice for no. I was totally stunned. It was the same signal. That's when I realized it must be the same ghost. Because of the knocks. Because the. The table knocked on the floor. Because there was no other physical manifestation of the ghost except for the knock. I thought, I wonder if the ghost came with them when they came from the camp and lives in the house. Because that's where all the people in the camp had come. My mother didn't want me to bring the Ouija board in the house. She was afraid of it. She had seen these things happen in the camp. And she just wanted to put all that behind her. But the ghost was already in the house. And now the ghost was mine. Now it would answer my questions. One day, when I was 12, I was sitting on my porch. And my dad, he was going to work. And he drove away and turned around and came back to the house. And he climbed the stairs as if he were going back in the house. But he patted me on the head and turned around and got back in the car and went to the Bar across from where he worked to have coffee with the other guys. And he had a heart attack. Massive heart attack. My mother answered the phone. I heard it on the phone. I was sobbing. I was banging on the wall, hurting my hand, hurting my knuckles. I thought, well, maybe he isn't dead dead. Maybe he was on an assignment. Maybe the government made him look like he had died. He was still alive and he'd come back to us. When he was done, I decided to knock on the wall and he asked to see if he was really dead. A few seconds later, the knock knock ghost answered me. He was dead. He wasn't coming back. The world was a different place after that. My father was the one who went to work every morning. He was the one who took care of any trouble. The world revolved around him. I was the oldest child. My mother was incapable of handling the house by herself. I would have to step up and fill in the part that he left. I was in charge. We didn't have any money, so the roof would start leaking. I saw people in the neighborhood fix their roofs. So I took our wagon. I went to Sears. I got two big buckets of tar. I hauled them up the ladder to the roof and I poured them on top of the roof and spread it around with an old broom. And it was fixed. After my father died, I didn't knock on the wall again. I was in charge of the house and I didn't have time to knock on the wall anymore. In my 20s, the city tore down the block, the entire block, and everyone had to move out. We moved to the north side into an apartment building. I was sitting watching television in our new place and I saw the side of the building where I had lived on the 10 o' clock news. And there was my wall. The wall that I knocked on all those years. The newscaster said that the wreckers have been trying to bring down this wall all week. The wall would not fall. I thought about the times that I had slept next to that wall and was so close to the knock knock ghost. There were other walls that were just as thick, but it was that wall where the knock knock ghost was that didn't come down. Eventually, I guess they did get it down, but they had a hard time. I imagine that the knock knock ghost, it's homeless. Every couple years I knock just to see, just to check if the ghost will answer me and never answered. Today we are in bad times. And there are all kinds of reasons that we need the knock knock ghost to be there to answer our questions. Will we go to war with Russia. When will there be a cure for the coronavirus? How many people have to die before it's over? Recently, I was sleeping. It was early in the morning and I heard this knock. And it woke me up. It wasn't that it was loud. It was that I knew that knock. It was so clear, just like the old days. So I sat up and I came out into the hallway. And then it knocked a second time. Hello? I came downstairs and I heard it again. I hadn't asked a question, but I'm sure it's my ghost.

[A]

Big thanks to Connie Shirakawa for sharing her story. Connie is a storyteller in Chicago. You can catch some of her performances at Connie's ship shirakawa.com that story was scored by Doug Stewart. It was produced by Anne Ford. When the Snap Judgment Spook special returns. There's a light in the distance and that is good, right? Right. Stay tuned. Forget the Africa you think you know. This is Radio Workshop. Real stories about young Africans from celebrating queer love in Uganda. Man, have you been in love? When you're in love, it's just like you're on a cloud. To Zimbabweans chasing opportunities in the uk.

[B]

I was so disappointed when I got here.

[A]

The world's youngest population. One story at a time. The Radio Workshop podcast. Welcome back to Snap Judgment, the Knock Knock episode, celebrating the brand new season of the supernatural sister podcast Spooked, the new Spooked season, Crossroads. It's available right now wherever podcasts are available. And for our next story.

[C]

There are.

[A]

Many, many ways to walk the forest. Now let's meet Chaitanu Razdan. Just seven years old, living with his grandparents in the beautiful city of Jammu, India, the foothills of the Himalayas. Now, his grandfather would always tell him stories, but there was one story that he had kept to himself until right now.

[C]

One day, I was in the front yard of my house playing with a ball while the sun was setting. We had this house that was surrounded by farms and fields, and I could hear the birds chirping and going back to their nests. I loved living there. My grandmother was inside the kitchen preparing supper for the whole family. And my grandfather was sitting on the veranda. That's where we used to sit in the evening and have a cup of tea and watch sunset. I went to grab the ball. I bent down, and as I got up, I saw a light blinking in the horizon. It looked like it was a bulb or a fire floating in the air six feet above the ground. It's in the middle of the field very far away from our house. The light was there for just few seconds and then all of a sudden it disappeared. It was gone. My first thought was, there's never a light on that side of the house. There was no electric pole. There was no road on that side where you could see a bike or a car or a bus or anything. I turned to my grandfather. I used to call him Papa G. I said, papa G. Did you notice that I just saw some light on the other side of the field? Did you also see that the expression on his face, it suddenly changed. He looked startled and surprised. He said, if you ever see a light in the forest at a far off distance, never approach it or go towards it. Just make sure you follow your path. The immediate question was like, but why? It's just a light, right? He said, okay, sit in this chair right next to me. And he started narrating his story. In the early 1950s, my grandfather used to work for Food and Supplies Department as an inspector. His primary role was basically going around to different parts of Kashmir to check the quality of the food grains before they could be distributed within the province. One fine day in the fall season, my grandfather had to go for an inspection to a very far off village in the middle of the mountains. So he prepared for the trip. He put everything that he usually used to carry in his bag. A spare set of clothes, a shoe horn, a knife that he would use for protection if needed, and some food that he could eat on his journey. He caught the bus in the city of Srinagar at around 10:30 11. His plan was to get off the bus around 5, 5:30 and then another one hour of journey on horse carriage and be at his end destination before it started getting really dark. After a few hours into the trip, the bus broke down. So he ended up reaching his first stop at 8pm and it was already dark. My grandfather stepped out of the bus expecting a horse carriage to be there. There was nobody there. He was in a very small town. Everything was closed. But then he thought, he has been to that village so many times. Maybe he can just start walking towards the place. It might take him just two hours. So he started walking away from that town towards the forest. He could barely see the path in front of him. He could hear crows, wild dogs barking at a distance. He was not afraid. He was used to going to places like these. All of a sudden he notices a small light flickering at a distance. It looked like a ball of fire, dark orange in color. It was few feet above the ground, like Hanging in the air. He thought, why is a flame there? I've taken this journey so many times. There's supposed to be nothing in that direction. He thought, maybe it's a shepherd. Usually they take their animals for grazing in the mountains. But then the light disappeared. He thought, oh, maybe he is imagining it. So he kept walking around 30 to 40 paces ahead. He notices something from the corner of his eye. He turned his head to the left and he noticed there's another light there. This light is at far off distance on the other side of the mountain, hanging in the air. He was surprised. Is this the same light that he saw earlier? Was that light moving and following him? Or it's a new light? And then he turns around and he sees four lights right behind him at a distance. They were very close to each other, as if it was four lanterns together. And they are getting slightly brighter, which means the distance is getting shorter. My grandfather was wondering, is somebody following me? Are there any thieves or dacoits that are following his lead? He is scared. He turned around and he started picking up pace towards his destination. My grandfather looks ahead and he notices the first lights. They were all changing directions. Some were moving left, some were moving to the right, few feet above the ground. It's as if the lights are circling around him. They are following him from different directions. He starts thinking this is supernatural. My grandfather was a devout Hindu. He had heard stories from his grandparents about spirits. Some of those mystical beings, they take possession of your soul, they take possession of your body. Some of those try to kill. And it is said the forest is full, full of those kind of creatures. He thought, I better get out of this place as soon as possible. He started running. The trail moved to the right along the mountain. And as soon as he turned right, what he saw was out of this world. In the horizon in front of him, there were 50, 60 lights glowing, floating above the ground, moving from one side to another, crisscrossing, jumping 50ft in irregular patterns. Some of them were coming closer, some of them were moving further away. Some lights would go off and they would start glowing in a different direction altogether. It was like a dance of those lights. My grandfather started rubbing his eyes. It was something that he had never seen or imagined. His hands were shaking, his legs were shaking, and he starts running at his full speed. Then he noticed that the lights were kind of following him. They were also moving in the same direction. He was scared so much that he thought, this is the end of his life. He realized that the village was still far ahead. He Couldn't run that far. And he suddenly remembered that his parents and grandparents had passed. Told him when he was a kid, if you are ever in danger, you should chant Hanuman Chalisa and Lord Hanuman will come and save you. He is the monkey God, the saviour of all. The lights are immediately behind him. So he hurriedly sat down, opened his bag, he took out his knife and also the metal shoe horn that he would always carry with him. It's a common belief in some parts of India that having a metal object with you saves you from anything supernatural. He put that shoe horn on the ground, he stick that knife into the ground. He crossed his legs, closed his eyes and started chanting Hanuman Chalisa loud and clear. He's just sitting there praying. He doesn't dare to open the eyes. He just keeps chanting and he's just praying, Pray, pray. Finally he gathers the courage to open his eyes. He could not see any lights. He looked behind him. He turned left, he turned right, but there were no lights to be seen anywhere. He thanked God. He grabbed the knife and the shoehorn.

[A]

In his hand and he started running towards the village. Will the grandfather make it back to the village? And if he does, what is waiting for him there? Spook continues right after the break. Stay tuned. Foreign welcome back to Snap Judgment. My name is Glenn Washington. Tis the season we're celebrating Tales of the Weird from our sister podcast Spooked. And yes, the brand new season of Spooked. The crossroads just dropped. We are so proud now. When last we left, our hero's grandfather had just made it back to the village. Spooked.

[C]

He ended up reaching the village at 11 o'. Clock. My grandfather straight went to the village head's house. The village head was a very good friend of my grandfather. The village head came and he opened the door, he said to my grandfather, what happened to you? Why are you so late? Are you okay? Why don't you come in? So my grandfather comes in and he sits on the ground on the carpet, also known as Kaleen. He told my grandfather, okay, so what happened in the journey after my grandfather explained it to the village head? He had very concerning look in his eyes. He said, you know what? You should consider yourself very lucky that you made it to my place tonight. Not everybody's been so lucky. My grandfather asked him why. He's like, what you saw there? It's called a Ra choke. Some people also call it Brahma Raa chok. They say that ra chok is a human like creature on two legs and it has a light on his head. It has a fire on his head. It's so bright that you cannot see his face. He shows himself to people who are traveling at night. It creates an illusion, makes you take the wrong road. People usually tend to follow the light, thinking there's a human dwelling there or a village. My grandfather is like, yeah, I have heard about Rachok. When I was a kid, I thought, it's a, you know, story you tell your kids. And then when you grow up, you kind of forget about those stories. So is it real? And the village head replied, yes, it is real. There have been people we never found again. In the past, we had to send search parties to find people. Some of them were lucky we found them, but some people, we have no clue about what happened to them. You are lucky that you did not leave the trail and start following those lights. Otherwise, who knows, tomorrow morning we might be looking for you in the forest. My grandfather was shocked. He said nothing, but he also felt felt a sense of gratitude towards the Lord. Probably it was some of his good karma that helped save his day. After that, he made it a point that he did not travel anywhere by himself at night. My grandfather finished his story. He went quiet. Then I was silent. I had goosebumps. And I was also scared a little bit because I had just seen a light. My grandmother had actually come out and she was also listening to this story. Probably maybe 20th time or 50th time. My grandma says, okay, let's go, let's have dinner now. I am 40 now and I still remember all the details of this story. It left an everlasting impression on me. I do believe there are still Rachok somewhere in those mountains. I still have an iron ring that was given to me by my parents. I have never taken that ring off my finger. It's been a part of my body for the last 30 years. Just keeps me safe, let's put it that way.

[A]

Thank you, Rozdan, for sharing your grandfather's story with Spook. The original score for that story was by Clay Xavier. It was scouted by Aditya Matu and produced by Eric Yanez. Oh yes, there are more Spook stories available. The brand new season of Spooked. The crossroads just dropped with Spooked episodes leading you through the heart of the Shadowlands. Available right now wherever you get your podcast Spooked. And here's a little taste. The story goes, in the dark of night, a young Robert Johnson, afraid but determined, leaves the warmth of a small cabin and walks to the Crossroads. There he waits for the the stranger, the dark man with the burning eyes. And there he makes the deal. The deal that lets him set fire to his guitar strings like no one has ever done before or since. Robert knows full well everything. He's for sale at the crossroads. Problem is, everything has a price. Prepare yourself for a midnight stroll like no other. On the brand new seasonal spoon.

[C]

The rabbit was probably about maybe 60ft from me. And in between me and the rabbit, the blood reeds opened up and there was a hand, like a human hand, but it had like big claws sticking out of its fingers and it wrapped the blood reeds and pulled them back. It's the middle of the night. There aren't very many people awake at this point. And for someone to be out there in the pitch black darkness standing on the front of the ship, that rings.

[A]

Alarm bells in my head.

[B]

That's when all of a sudden I catch movement in the corner of my eye. And I looked over to the patio right beside the sun room and I see the rocking chair moving back and.

[C]

Forth and I just walk around that corner with my head down and I.

[B]

Could see these feet and I looked up and boom.

[C]

All I seen was this goat man. You can tell it has, you know, little prongs on its head and he.

[B]

Was just standing there like in a.

[C]

Wrestling stance with his hands curled up.

[A]

We proudly present The Crossroads Spook Season 10 don't turn out the lights. Now then, 1868, London. In front of several witnesses, a man by the name of Daniel Douglas Holm flew out of a third story window and flew back in through another window. Naturally, folks were both amazed and dubious. Daniel later allowed himself to be tested by multiple skeptics, including eminent scientists. After a thorough examination, one of these esteemed souls finally concluded, and I quote, I have seen him rise completely from the ground on several occasions. Daniel never charged for his performances. Even after his death, no concrete evidence to dispute his miracles ever arose. So I guess what I am asking Stokesters is can you fly? Can you? Seems unlikely, but if you can, I really need to know about it. No funny business [e-mail] let us know why. Because there's nothing better than a spook story from a spooked listener. Spookednapjudgment.org and if you want to see spooked come to life a whole new way, follow Spooked on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok. It is on Spread the Word. Spooked is brought to you by the team that still returns home before the street lights come on. Except, of course, Mark Ristich. Mark shot out his streetlights a long time ago. There's Davey Kim, Zoe Frigno, Ann Ford, Eric Ganez, Tael De Cott, Marissa Dodge, Miles Lassie, Doug Stewart, Paulina Creaky, Elizabeth Z. Pardu, Aditya Matu, Lulu Jemima. The Spook theme song is by Pat Mesiti Miller. My name is Glenn Washington. And it feels like our consciousness is expanding to consider ideas that we may have dismissed as absurd or fringe even a little while ago. Mainstream thinkers speak about Gaia, the collective unified consciousness of the planet, which I think is progress. But it's hard to get my mind around the planet. What about this place? What about this forest? This valley? Can it have its own consciousness? Can it love? Can it hate? Fear? See, the ancients didn't just build temples to their gods. They built temples. Their gods already danced. Those standing stones aren't placed at random. Those sacred groves don't flower by chance. Our reverence is a dialogue with that which is already here. A communication that demands we approach with offerings, with respect in return. Some places give blessings, others spit curses. They are no more the same than we are, each speaking its own tongue. When you think, you feel that whisper of rain on your skin. When the buzz of the swarm presses against your daydream. Listen. You may be standing exactly where the ancients would have built a temple. You may be standing on a temple where. Where the mystery still dwells, still watches, still waits. Do you imagine that you cannot hear the scream of a place and it's being murdered as we kill our own gods? This is not just madness. This is darkness. And it's why we plead. That's why we beg. Never ever. Never ever. Never. Never, ever. Turn out the lights, Sam. It.