The Demon Spirit by The CBS Radio Mystery Theater

Summary

The Horror! (Old Time Radio)

Episode Summary: "The Demon Spirit" by The CBS Radio Mystery Theater

Release Date: December 28, 2024
Host/Author: RelicRadio.com

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Overview

"The Demon Spirit," an episode from The CBS Radio Mystery Theater, delves deep into the dark interplay between tradition, ambition, and the supernatural. Set in a closed-knit community steeped in mysticism and ancient customs, the story follows Simon, a young theological student who becomes entangled in the perilous world of Kabbalah and black magic in his desperate quest to secure a prosperous future for his daughter, Leia. As Simon's obsession grows, it unleashes malevolent forces that threaten to consume not only his family but the very fabric of their community.

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Act 1: Simon’s Descent into Obsession

The narrative opens with Simon returning home after a year of mysterious absence, visibly changed and consumed by a singular obsession. Concerned Rabbi welcomes him back, noting his pallor and fervent demeanor.

[00:46] Rabbi: "You're meddling with something beyond you, Simon."

Simon reveals that his quest led him to Reb Meyer, a master of the Kabbalah, who taught him to harness the divine spark within to conquer death and attain unparalleled beauty and power. Despite Rabbi’s warnings about the dangers of delving into occult practices—only a handful having succeeded without adverse effects—Simon remains undeterred.

[06:47] Simon: "I'm not frightened. They may have failed because they entered paradise for the wrong reason."

His relentless pursuit stems from a promise to provide a bright future for his daughter, Leia, even if it means forsaking traditional pathways and ethical boundaries.

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Act 2: The Struggle Over Leia’s Marriage

Simon's ambition is further complicated by impending marriage arrangements for Leia. Sender, Leia’s father, seeks to marry her to Menasha, a poor but deserving young man. Rabbi mediates the conflict, urging Simon to consider the happiness and genuine affection rather than monetary gain.

[09:26] Rabbi: "How can you guarantee what you cannot control? A heart is not a machine."

Despite approaching the Rabbi for a solution, Simon's desperation pushes him toward dark rituals. He presents a golden amulet, claiming he has transformed base metal into gold, offering to bestow wealth upon Sender in exchange for Leia’s hand in marriage.

[13:07] Simon: "I can make you rich beyond your wildest dreams. All I want is Leia's hand in return."

This deal sets the stage for the supernatural events that follow, highlighting Simon's moral decline and the lengths he’s willing to go to achieve his desires.

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Act 3: Supernatural Unraveling and Possession

As the wedding day approaches, unsettling events unfold. Leia experiences disturbing dreams and visions of Simon, blurring the lines between the living and the dead. Her refusal to marry Menasha leads to a confrontation, culminating in her possession by a malevolent spirit seeking to disrupt the union.

The community convenes a rabbinical court to address the possession, invoking ancient rites and exorcism rituals. Simon's actions are scrutinized, revealing past grievances and unfulfilled obligations that have tethered malevolent forces to his family.

[26:37] Rabbi: "He sought riches for your daughter. In doing so, you thrust his son into the abyss."

The climax features a dramatic trial where Simon is held accountable for his transgressions. The exorcism involves intricate rituals with sacred objects, culminating in the banishment of the demon spirit. However, the ordeal leaves Leia in a fragile state, teetering between life and death, symbolizing the lingering consequences of tampering with dark forces.

[40:43] Leia: "Do you hear? They are going to dance around the holy grave so that my dead mother may rejoice."

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Conclusion: Aftermath and Reflection

In the aftermath, the community grapples with the thin veil between the natural and supernatural. Simon's desperate actions serve as a cautionary tale about the perils of forsaking tradition and ethical integrity for personal gain. The episode closes with reflections on superstition's enduring power and the fragile balance between faith and reason.

[43:25] EG Marshall: "We scoff at the supernatural, but not in the dark."

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Key Themes and Insights

• The Dangers of Obsession: Simon's unwavering pursuit of power and security leads him down a path of moral compromise and supernatural peril.
• Tradition vs. Modernity: The tension between adhering to ancestral customs and seeking new, potentially dangerous solutions to personal crises.
• The Supernatural as a Reflection of Inner Turmoil: The possession and demonic influences symbolize the destructive nature of unchecked ambition and ethical erosion.
• Community and Accountability: The role of communal structures, like the rabbinical court, in restoring balance and addressing internal conflicts.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. Rabbi on Simon’s Obsession:

   [06:47] "You're meddling with something beyond you, Simon."

2. Simon’s Defiance:

   [06:47] Simon: "I'm not frightened. They may have failed because they entered paradise for the wrong reason."

3. Rabbi on Uncontrollable Affections:

   [09:26] Rabbi: "How can you guarantee what you cannot control? A heart is not a machine."

4. Simon's Tempting Offer:

   [13:07] Simon: "I can make you rich beyond your wildest dreams. All I want is Leia's hand in return."

5. Rabbi’s Realization of Past Grievances:

   [26:37] Rabbi: "He sought riches for your daughter. In doing so, you thrust his son into the abyss."

6. Leia’s Haunting Vision:

   [40:43] Leia: "Do you hear? They are going to dance around the holy grave so that my dead mother may rejoice."

7. EG Marshall’s Reflective Closing:

   [43:25] EG Marshall: "We scoff at the supernatural, but not in the dark."

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Final Thoughts

"The Demon Spirit" masterfully intertwines elements of traditional lore with the psychological unraveling of its protagonist, offering listeners a haunting exploration of ambition's dark side. Through vivid storytelling and atmospheric soundscapes, the episode underscores the timeless struggle between human desires and the ethical boundaries that safeguard communal harmony.

For those unacquainted with the episode, this summary provides a comprehensive glimpse into its rich narrative and thematic depth, inviting a deeper appreciation of classical horror narratives rooted in cultural and mystical traditions.

Transcript

[Simon]

Oh, stories.

[Sender]

Real stories.

[Simon]

And murders too. Turn out your legs.

[Sender]

Turn them out.

[Rabbi]

Good evening. Come in, won't you? What's the matter? Surely you're not nervous for that to.

[Simon]

Be calm, I think.

[Rabbi]

Restored, we are meant to call from.

[Simon]

Out of the past. Stories, strange and weird.

[Rabbi]

Tales of mystery and terror by radio's masters of the maa. Stories of the supernatural, the supernormal dramatized the mystery of the unknown.

[Simon]

We tell you this. Frank. Frank.

[Rabbi]

So if you wish to avoid the excitement of these magnets, play our latest.

[Simon]

Series to turn off your.

[Narrator]

Welcome back to the horror we're going to Hear from the CBS Radio Mystery Theater this week. Series that debuted in 1974, aired until 1982, produced over 1300 episodes. The one we'll hear today is from October 31, 1974. It's titled The Demon Spirit.

[EG Marshall]

The CBS Radio Mystery Theater presents. Come in. Welcome. I'm EG Marshall. Welcome to the universe of the uncanny. We live on such a tiny surface of space and time and try so hard to shut out the mass that lies beyond. But when the whispers die out and the echoes cease, a force still fills the void that remains. Evil spirits, malignant and destructive, waiting in limbo to be summoned by the foolhardy. In our tale, a young and talented student of the Talmud turns to a secret body of occult doctrine, the Kabbalah, to conquer death itself.

[Leia]

Simon, why do you punish yourself so?

[Simon]

To reach an exalted state. I wish to attain the possession of a clear and sparkling, sparkling diamond. And melt it down in tears. Then inhale its essence into my soul. I want to attain the rays of the third planet of beauty. I wanna. I wanna. I want two barrels of golden pieces for him who can only count. In gold.

[Leia]

Please, Simon. My father is not greedy. He only wants a bright future for me.

[Simon]

And your bright future is paved with gold.

[Rabbi]

Careful, my son. You are on a slippery road. No holy powers will help you achieve what you want.

[Simon]

If the holy powers will not, then I must. Don't.

[Leia]

Don't say it, Simon. You terrify me.

[Simon]

Then I must find my way along another path.

[EG Marshall]

Our mystery drama the Demon Spirit was especially adapted from the classic S. Ansky play the Dybbuk for the Mystery Theater by Whistoff and stars Norman Rose and Mason Adams. It is sponsored in part by Buick Motor Division and Anheuser Busch Incorporated, brewers of Budweiser. I'll be back shortly with Act One. Black magic is rooted in the darkest corners of our mind and emerges only when we feel the insatiable need for Power, money, love. Any desire that becomes obsessive when withheld. It has always been so. Man has invoked the aid of spirits since he first evolved. What could be more natural for primitive man. Than the urge to call upon the supernatural. When confronted with the sinister demons of wind, fire and water? Civilization has only spread a thin veneer over this ancient instinct. A veneer that vanishes completely in our tale concerning a young theological student, pure of spirit, who invokes terrible forces in his quest for love.

[Simon]

It's Simon. Rabbi, I've returned. May I come in? Simon. Simon.

[Rabbi]

Oh, come in, my son.

[Simon]

Come in.

[Rabbi]

So you finally come back. You look so pale and drawn.

[Simon]

I've had a long, hard trip.

[Rabbi]

Why did you stay away so long? It's been almost a year. We missed you.

[Simon]

Yes, you mean you missed. That's not true.

[Rabbi]

Many regard you highly.

[Simon]

But not enough to consider me as a prospective son in law.

[Rabbi]

But Leia thinks well of you.

[Simon]

Not enough to oppose her father's wishes.

[Rabbi]

Clear our traditions, Simon. A daughter must obey her father.

[Simon]

Well, it's time we change them.

[Rabbi]

Look, Simon, Sender is no monster. He merely wants what he thinks is best for his daughter. Come, Simon. Let's talk about you.

[Simon]

There's not much to say.

[Rabbi]

You're a fool. A bright, intelligent, scholarly flower. Your brilliance was the talk of the community. And then you disappeared. Where did you vanish to?

[Simon]

At first, I just. I just wandered aimlessly. And then one day I heard about this small village. Where a great scholar and wonder worker lives. A man so steeped in the ritual and lore. That he can make miracles.

[Rabbi]

And did you find him?

[Simon]

Yes. Yes, Reb Meyer. I found him. After months of wandering.

[Rabbi]

Is he truly a worker of miracles?

[Simon]

Even more wondrous than I had heard.

[Rabbi]

Is your wonder worker a student of the Kabbalah?

[EG Marshall]

Master of it.

[Simon]

He taught me that man can develop the divine spark within him. Until he masters the entire universe and all its forces.

[Rabbi]

You're meddling with something beyond you, Simon. It shows in your fevered eyes your gauntness. Don't dwell too deeply on these mysteries.

[Simon]

Why not? The Kabbalah tears your soul away from the limits of the earth. And lifts you to paradise.

[Rabbi]

Remember, only four wise men succeeded. Only one went in and came out again unscathed. One died, one went mad. And one lost his faith.

[Simon]

I'm not frightened. They may have failed because they entered paradise for the wrong reason. I want to offer myself as a sacrifice, like the. Like the Great One who succeeded.

[Rabbi]

How can you compare yourself?

[Simon]

I make none. I will follow my own road.

[Rabbi]

Oh, come in, come in, my child. Ah, how nice to see you.

[Leia]

I'm not disturbing you, am I?

[Rabbi]

Not at all. You remember Simon?

[Leia]

Oh, of course I do. You've been away. Simon.

[Simon]

Then you. You noticed.

[Leia]

We missed you, even though you left without a word.

[Simon]

There was nothing more to say.

[Leia]

Redmire, you promised to show me the embroidered curtains of the Ark.

[Rabbi]

And so I shall.

[Simon]

Aren't you afraid to be in the temple so late at night?

[Leia]

No, no, not afraid. Sad and touched. The walls look as if they'd been wept over. I wish I could put my arms around this ancient tear stained wall and never leave.

[Simon]

Tears are everywhere, Leia. Not just here.

[Rabbi]

And happiness too. How does our Simon seem to you after his long absence?

[Leia]

Pale. Have you been ill?

[Simon]

Yes, but not of the body.

[Leia]

But why do you punish yourself so?

[Simon]

To reach an exalted state. I wish. I wish to attain the possession of a clear and sparkling diamond and melt it in my tears, then inhale its essence into my soul. I want to attain the rays of the third planet of beauty. I want. I want. I want two barrels of golden pieces for him who can only count. And Simon.

[Leia]

My father's not a greedy man. He only wants a bright future.

[Simon]

And your bright future is perfect.

[Rabbi]

Be careful, my son. You're on a slippery road. No holy powers will help you achieve what you want.

[Simon]

And if the holy powers will not, then I must.

[Leia]

Don't say it silent. You terrify me.

[Simon]

And I must find my way along another path. Redmire. Red Meyer.

[Rabbi]

Ah, good day to you, Sender. What brings you to the marketplace? Don't you trust your servants?

[Simon]

I was looking for you. I'm bursting with good news.

[Rabbi]

Yes, I know, I know.

[Simon]

How could you? I've just.

[Rabbi]

In a closed community, nothing stays secret very long. Congratulations. Who is this paragon you've betrothed your daughter to?

[Simon]

A fine young man, completely worthy of becoming part of my family.

[Rabbi]

I was curious. Tell me, why did you stand in the way of Simon? Simon?

[Simon]

But he's only a poor student.

[Rabbi]

How would he fit with the rich house of Sender? He loves Leia. And I'm sure that she loves him.

[Simon]

She will love her bridegroom as well, I assure you.

[Rabbi]

How can you guarantee what you cannot control? A heart is not a machine.

[Simon]

I know my daughter. Ramaya. I would like to talk to you about the arrangements for the wedding. No, no, no.

[Rabbi]

Not here, Sender. Here one buys food and drink, not a life. Come to the temple and we will talk. Simon, I have some food for you and some News?

[Simon]

Ramaya? I'm not hungry.

[Rabbi]

I'm afraid the news I have for you will not.

[Simon]

It's not news to me. I was there with you at the market. I was there in spirit. I heard everything. Ramayan opened the door. Her in.

[Rabbi]

Simon, before she tears the walls down, help me.

[Leia]

Help me with your prayers.

[Simon]

Intercede for my daughter, the forlorn widow who has a death door. Please, I beseech you, help me.

[Rabbi]

We will pray and hope for the best.

[Simon]

No, I need more than hope. I need help. And you shall have it.

[Rabbi]

Now please don't interfere.

[Simon]

Simon, I must. Now take this diagram I've drawn. Mark it out. Around your daughter's bed, the circle completely around and the six point star with a point toward her head. Slaughter a young fowl and touch a forehead with its freshly drawn blood. Stop.

[Sender]

Stop that. I forbid this.

[Simon]

What am I to do? He offers hope. I give you your daughter's life. Give me the diagram, Simon. I will follow you. And God bless you. Simon.

[Rabbi]

Simon. I asked you not to interfere. You have gone too far.

[EG Marshall]

Far enough.

[Simon]

I still have a long way to go. But I am drawing nearer all the time. Watch. Redmoir, this is the Lord of the gods. Lord of the universe. He whom the winds fear, thee I invoke the bornless one, Thee that didst create the earth and the heavens, the night and the day. Thou art the truth and matter into the magic circle power the hazel wand shroud me with a cloak of darkness. Simon, come back before it is too late. He has covered me with a rose, raven's wings. He has whispered the unnamable to me. I am master of many arts and skill. The black arts now rap me. When the curtain parts, all is visible. Black and white alike.

[Rabbi]

Oh, Simon, it is time to sleep now. I am tired. You must go now.

[Simon]

I'm no longer welcome here.

[Rabbi]

You are to me, my son, but not to this temple.

[Sender]

Go now.

[Simon]

I'm here, Redmire, to discuss the arrangement.

[Rabbi]

Sender, you are certain that you want to go through with the marriage?

[Simon]

As certain as I have been of anything in my life. Sender. Sender, I have something to show you. Look at this object in my hand.

[Rabbi]

Why, it's a golden amulet.

[Simon]

Don't you recognize it?

[Rabbi]

Hmm.

[Simon]

It looks like the one I presented to you on your birthday.

[Sender]

But it cannot be.

[Rabbi]

Why not?

[Simon]

Because that was not gold, Redmire. But it is the same amulet. Sender. Sender, I have worked a miracle. Something many men have tried to do all of their lives. I have turned base metal into Gold?

[Rabbi]

I don't believe it, but it's true.

[Simon]

Give me any object and I will convert it to gold for you. Think of it. I can make you rich beyond your wildest dreams. I couldn't allow you. Please, Sender, take my offer. Please. All I want is Leia's hand in return. Impossible. I have given my word. Weigh your word against gold? No. I must weigh it against my daughter's happiness. And that is my concern.

[Rabbi]

Above all.

[Simon]

Thank you, Simon.

[Rabbi]

I bear you no ill feelings.

[Simon]

But my daughter will be married as soon as Redmire can make the arrangements. How can that be? Rabmire, I've done everything. The fasting, I've worked with the word, the spells, the symbols. All in vain.

[Rabbi]

What will be, will be. Simon, stay with me now.

[Simon]

But what remains for me? What is there I can still do? Black Rider. Fling back your hood, demon. And master, show me the way. I see. Thank you. The secret is revealed. I see you now. I see him. And I. I see.

[Rabbi]

Oh, Simon. Simon. What is it?

[Simon]

I have one. Where my. I won. The bride is mine.

[EG Marshall]

It is said there are four indispensable conditions to knowledge and power in the black arts. An intelligence illuminated by study and intrepidity which nothing can check. A will which nothing can break, and a steadfastness nothing can corrupt. Simon, it seems, was master of all will he then prevail even after death? We shall know more when I return shortly with Act 2. How can we explain the strength of superstition? Shall we ascribe it to the primitive, the ignorant? Then how can we explain the fact that British Witch Coven celebrated All Hallows Eve before tremendous crowds with rights involving the magic circle, the magic knife, weird incantations and all the other trappings of the occult? Many believe the origin and development of superstition are rooted in fact, that it exists and makes itself known to us. Perhaps we can shed some light on the subject.

[Leia]

Red Meyer. It's so hard for me to believe that he's gone.

[Rabbi]

He is my child. He's buried there. Poor Simon. Everything he did, he did with such intensity. He studied longer, prayed harder than any of my pupils. And his love was deeper than most. He died for it.

[Leia]

I had a dream that I was wandering in the meadow when a storm arose. And I hid in a small hut until the rain stopped. It was very early morning and the vapors rose over the fields. And as they swirled, they took shape. Redmire. It was Simon that appeared in my dream. He called to me, but I couldn't hear. And then He. He beckoned to me to follow him. But when I did, I awoke.

[Rabbi]

It was a dream, nothing more. We must leave here at once.

[Leia]

Answer me, Redmire. Is Simon stronger than death? Is he still here?

[Rabbi]

No, no, no, Leia. He is dead. You must remember that he is dead. And he will never come to life again. And you must live, my child. You must live with the living. Come now, let us go.

[Leia]

I thought I heard him so clearly.

[Simon]

We'll meet again, my bride. My beautiful Leia. No one can take you from me now. I'm so happy you could, Comrade Meer. This would be no wedding without you.

[Rabbi]

How could I miss such an event?

[Simon]

Did you happen to meet the groom's party? They should have been here by now.

[Rabbi]

The bridegroom will arrive on time. That's not what you need worry about.

[Simon]

What do you mean?

[Rabbi]

Nothing. Nothing, Sender. I meant Muffler. Return to your festivities.

[Simon]

Ah, so I shall. Everyone. Everyone into the house. There are silver coins waiting for all of you there. Ravmaya, please stay with Leia until I return.

[Rabbi]

I will be here.

[Simon]

Leia.

[Rabbi]

Leia. Child. You're white as a sheet. Did they tire you with the dancing?

[Leia]

Well, it was all so violent. My head swam, I grew faint and then somehow lifted me high in the air and carried me far, far away.

[Rabbi]

Perhaps you should rest a while. I'll wait outside.

[Leia]

No, no, Aunt Maya, stay.

[Rabbi]

Don't think about demons and evil spirits.

[Sender]

Go.

[Rabbi]

Leia, change your dress. The dancers have stained it. Freshen your beauty and prepare to meet your bridegroom.

[Leia]

No, not yet. Will you come with me in the cemetery?

[Rabbi]

Why?

[Leia]

To visit my mother. She died when I was still so young. I want to invite her to join my father in leading me to the wedding canopy. And afterward, she will dance with me.

[Rabbi]

No, no, Leia. I forbid it.

[Leia]

But it's the custom.

[Rabbi]

Redmire customs are not rigid, my child. You will not dwell with the dead, but with the living.

[Leia]

Then I will invite her from here. Beloved mother, I invite you to my wedding. Come and stand near me under the canopy. Who's there?

[Simon]

Your father, dear.

[Rabbi]

May I come in?

[Leia]

Oh, Father, of course.

[Simon]

Why are you still sitting here, child?

[Leia]

Oh, I was just thinking. Grandmother says I must go to the graveyard.

[Simon]

You have my permission.

[Leia]

But Red Meyer says I should not go.

[Simon]

Ah, he's an old man set in his ways. Go, child. Go to your mother and shed your tears.

[Leia]

May I invite her to the wedding?

[Simon]

Of course. And your grandfather as well.

[Leia]

And I would also like to invite someone who is not related.

[Rabbi]

It is Forbidden.

[Simon]

If you invite a stranger, the other dead may take offense.

[Leia]

He's not a stranger. In our house he was like one.

[Simon]

Of us, I think. I hear. Yes, it is the wedding party. Your bridegroom, Menasha. He's arrived at last.

[Leia]

But father, I.

[Simon]

Not now, Leia. I must meet the wedding party. Hello. Wait there, I'm coming. Welcome, Manasha. How was the trip? Oh, we had a hard and bitter journey. We lost the road and wandered about the fields for a long time. Nasha, you're shivering.

[Sender]

Are you cold?

[Simon]

Yes. I felt. This chill since I approached your town penetrates the marrow of my bones and fills me with an uncertainty, an unknown dread. What is it you fear? I. I don't know. Come, let's have a drink on your safe arrival. It will warm you and drive away the demons. Who is it? Open the door.

[Sender]

Sender.

[Simon]

What?

[Leia]

What?

[Simon]

What is she.

[Rabbi]

What?

[Simon]

What's happened? What is it?

[Rabbi]

Red Mile. It's Leia. Bring her in.

[Leia]

What?

[Rabbi]

Put her on the couch.

[Simon]

My baby. What has happened? You can go now. All of you.

[Leia]

What? What is it?

[Simon]

Redmire. My God, is she.

[Rabbi]

No, no, no, no. She's in a coma.

[Simon]

How still she is. How lovely. How did this happen?

[Sender]

She.

[Rabbi]

She went to the grave, despite my warning and wept. And then suddenly she started to talk incoherently. No one could make out a word she was saying. And then she fainted.

[Sender]

Leia.

[Simon]

Leia, do you hear me? Everything will be all right.

[Leia]

Who is it? This man?

[Simon]

This is Manassha, your bridegroom.

[Leia]

That's a lie. He's not my bridegroom. Nor will he ever be.

[Rabbi]

My child.

[Simon]

My child. What has come over you?

[Leia]

I will not marry Menasha or any other man. I do not choose.

[Rabbi]

Sleep. Sleep now, Leia. Sleep and rest. We will talk about this in the morning.

[Simon]

But we were to be married at noon. Yes. Is it wise to delay?

[Rabbi]

Not wise, perhaps, but necessary, if you value the life of your daughter.

[Simon]

Where is the physician?

[Rabbi]

He had to leave. There was no point in keeping him any longer. Did you do as I told you?

[Sender]

Yes.

[Rabbi]

Yes.

[Simon]

I summoned the wise man of Bratislav. He will come. But it will be days before he's here.

[Leia]

Oh, Leia.

[Simon]

Leia. How do you feel?

[Leia]

Oh, tired. I'm so tired. Where am I?

[Rabbi]

Where you have always been.

[Simon]

In the home.

[Leia]

Turn down the light. My eyes. I've been in dark places so long.

[Simon]

You're back now.

[Rabbi]

God be praised.

[Leia]

It was so cold. Where I dance.

[Simon]

You'll feel better now that you're with us again.

[Leia]

I feel nothing, Father. Empty.

[Simon]

Everything is so empty.

[Leia]

I must go back again.

[Rabbi]

Try to get out of bed, child.

[Leia]

I have no place here.

[Simon]

What's happening, Redmire? Her voice.

[Rabbi]

Leia.

[Simon]

Leia.

[Rabbi]

Open your eyes.

[Simon]

And I stay. I cannot stay. Wake up. Wake up, child.

[Rabbi]

Listen to your father.

[Simon]

You are not my father. You are not any part of me. Burning sulfur. I am filled with the smell of burning rail. The name of God. Leia.

[Rabbi]

Come back.

[Simon]

If I do, it will not be in that name. Two days, Redmire. Two days. She lies there and still no sign of the wise man.

[Rabbi]

He will come. Sender.

[Simon]

Be patient. Be patient. How can I? She was all I lived for. I have no patience either, Redmire.

[EG Marshall]

I love her so deeply.

[Simon]

I cannot wait until we are man and wife.

[Rabbi]

But you hardly know her.

[EG Marshall]

I know her as well as I.

[Simon]

Have ever known anyone.

[EG Marshall]

She is dear to me.

[Simon]

What more can I say? Open the door, Manasha.

[Rabbi]

A good day to you, Rev.

[Sender]

Nissen. And a good day to you, Rev.

[Rabbi]

Meyer.

[Simon]

Thank God you've come. We've waited so eagerly.

[Sender]

That's not an easy journey from Bratislav, you know.

[Simon]

Hugo, Can I offer you something?

[Sender]

No, no, no. I wish to examine your daughter first. Oh, poor child. She hardly seems more than that. How long has she had that mark on her cheek?

[Simon]

I have never noticed it.

[Rabbi]

It seems more like a shadow.

[Sender]

Yes, A dark shadow. I've seen it before. I will try to rouse her. God's world is great and holy. The holiest land is the land of Israel. In the land of Israel, the holiest city is Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, the holiest place was the Temple.

[Leia]

Holy.

[Simon]

Holy. Unholy. Unholy. Unsacreligious. Evil is the holy.

[Sender]

Where have you come from, spirit?

[Simon]

I have risen from repose to bring an end to all this.

[Sender]

Who are you?

[Simon]

I am Leia, daughter of Sender, Beloved of Simon. Beloved of Manassha.

[Rabbi]

Be quiet, Manasseh. Do not interfere.

[Sender]

Rest easy, Spirit. Hear me. Out at the edge of the world stands a tall mountain. And on the mountain lies a great rock. And from the rock flows a clear spring. At the other edge of the world is its heart. And it gazes at the cool spring and cannot have its fill of looking. But it cannot take the slightest step toward the spring.

[Leia]

But I can.

[Rabbi]

You are awake, child.

[Leia]

Have I been sleeping?

[Simon]

Yes. Yes, you have. For several days.

[Leia]

Oh, I feel so tired. I'm so tired.

[Simon]

Is she all right?

[Sender]

Yes, yes. She sleeps naturally now.

[Simon]

Thank you, Rachel. Listen, when she awakes, can we have the wedding ceremony?

[Rabbi]

We must Wait and see, Manasha.

[Sender]

No, no, Redmire, we must not wait. We must try the wedding as soon as possible. There is no time to lose.

[Leia]

Help me, Father. I feel so weak.

[Simon]

Of course, my darling. I should have known. Here, take my arm.

[Leia]

Stand by me. Mother. It is such a difficult way for me.

[EG Marshall]

She is here with you, as are.

[Rabbi]

All who love you.

[Simon]

Friends, friends. It's time for the ceremony. There's your Menasha. Look at him. So tall, so handsome.

[Leia]

Quicker, Father, we must hurry.

[Rabbi]

As we stand under this canopy, I.

[Simon]

Will not stand under earth. Come closer, Leia.

[Rabbi]

Come under the canopy.

[Sender]

I will not send her. Usher her under.

[Simon]

Ready the canop for the sleeping dead to wake Till they are burnt down and spent. This is our final song until we return where we belong.

[Sender]

Be still, my child. In the name of the King, our Lord, Be still.

[Simon]

Round the steps carefully, for this place is chosen ground. Seven times we turn around within the magic circle. Seven times we turn about. Marcia, do you take this woman to be your wife? With all my heart. Leia, do you take this man for your husband? Never, Leia, never. He is not my bridegroom.

[Sender]

Rebuyer, Rebire, Continue.

[Simon]

Holy bridegroom, protect me. Holy bridegroom, save me from this I call upon you. Save me.

[Sender]

Redmire. Pronounce them man and wife.

[Simon]

Rehab. You will never pronounce them man and wife. They do not belong with each other.

[Sender]

Simon, is that you?

[Simon]

Ay, it is Simon. Redmire. Come back for my destined bride. And I will never leave her again.

[Sender]

You must not do this. Simon.

[Simon]

Simon. What is happening here? Yes, Simon, my greedy friend. Simon. You murderer. You killed me. But you could not kill our love. Rednessen.

[Rabbi]

My daughter.

[Simon]

She's gone mad.

[Sender]

No, no, Thunder. Not mad. She has been possessed by a iuk. An evil spirit has control over.

[EG Marshall]

The belief in possession is an ancient one. From the earliest times, men have been fascinated with the possibility that our earthly shell can be taken over by an alien form. And the horror of it haunts us even today. How does a body become possessed? And how can we exercise it? We shall find out when I return shortly with Act 3.

[Rabbi]

This is WBBM Chicago News Radio 78.

[EG Marshall]

How did this act of possession begin? Certainly the setting of the dybbuk was its basis. A closed world, which, despite its proximity to the 20th century, had not as yet purged itself of faith in magic, making a world heavily tarnished with superstition. And yet it was a world pervaded by a mystic sense of the immediacy of God. Of the miraculous and the power of man. In such a world, the natural and the supernatural, the living and the dead, seem to flow across one another in a continual contact. A world where the daily routine of life absorbs and becomes a symbol of eternity.

[Simon]

Please, Remnieson. I know you're tired, but my daughter lies in grave danger. Her soul is at stake.

[Sender]

I know.

[Rabbi]

I know.

[Sender]

I know. The misery and anguish of the world reach out to me. Every plea pierces me as a needle. And I. I have no more strength. I can go no further.

[Simon]

Rabbi, you cannot desert me in my hour of need. Help me save my child.

[Sender]

If I can. Now, the dybbuk. You knew him well?

[Simon]

He pro. Ate at my house regularly until he left one day. When he returned to our town, he was meddling with the Kabbalah and came to grief.

[Rabbi]

By what powers they say? By evil spirits.

[Sender]

Did you cause him pain or shame?

[Rabbi]

Try.

[Sender]

Try to remember.

[Rabbi]

I don't know. I don't know. I don't remember.

[Sender]

All right, all right. Bring in the girl.

[Simon]

Come in, Leia. Come in, my child. Don't you hear me? Come in.

[Leia]

I won't.

[Simon]

Leia, dearest, have pity.

[Sender]

Don't shame me. Come in.

[Leia]

I want to obey, Father, but I cannot.

[Sender]

Maiden, I command you, come in and sit down.

[Leia]

Let me go.

[Simon]

I refuse.

[Sender]

Gibbon, I command you to say, why did you enter the body of this maiden?

[Simon]

I am her destined bridegroom.

[Sender]

Our holy Torah forbids the dead to abide among the living.

[Simon]

I am not dead.

[Sender]

You are departed from our world. You are forbidden to return until the great ram's horn is heard. Therefore, I command you to leave the body of this girl.

[G]

Ramnicin, I know how powerful you are, how invincible. I know that you can command the angels, but you cannot sway me.

[Sender]

Wandering soul, I feel great pity for you. I will try to release you from destroying angels, but you must leave the body of this girl.

[G]

I will not leave.

[Sender]

Dibble Cross soul of one who left our world. I command you to leave this body and in leaving, not to harm her nor any other living creature. If you do not obey, I will proceed against you with anathema and excommunication. With all the powers of exorcism.

[G]

I do not fear your anathemas and I do not believe in your assurances.

[Sender]

In the name of Almighty God, I charge you for the last time. Go, or I will give you over into the hands of the destroying angel.

[G]

In the name of Almighty God, I am joined with my destined pride and I will not part from her.

[Simon]

Forever. Sender.

[Sender]

Sender. Have white robes brought. Bring seven rams horns, seven black candles. Then take from the holy ark the seven sacred growing.

[G]

Please. Rem. Do you believe Injustice.

[Sender]

Injustice and in truth.

[G]

And I demand that Sender be brought before a rabinical court. I demand a trial.

[Sender]

On what charges?

[G]

I charge Sender with spilling my blood. I am the son of Abraham Ben Rifty. I bring charges of an obligation that Senda had to my father. Which he did not fulfill.

[Sender]

In that case, I will postpone the exorcism until tomorrow noon. Sender. Do you remember the dybbuk's father? Abraham?

[Simon]

But he's dead these many years.

[Sender]

Know then that you will be summoned to trial to answer his charges.

[Simon]

Heaven help me. What does he want of me? What should I do?

[Sender]

You must accept the summons.

[Rabbi]

I will do as you say.

[Sender]

Send for the bridegroom and Asha. He must be at the trial as well. When the dybbuk leaves, the marriage will take place.

[Leia]

Almighty God, help me to find peace.

[Sender]

Judges. Judges. Sit beside me. We can begin the trial. I call upon Sender.

[Simon]

I am here, Rebnisson.

[Sender]

Will you accept the verdict of this court?

[Simon]

Yes.

[Sender]

Will you carry out our decision?

[Rabbi]

I will.

[Sender]

Sender. Abraham claims that in your youth you were students. That your souls were bound together in loyal friendship. You were both married in the same week. And each of you pledged that if his wife should conceive and bear a child, the one a boy, the other a girl, the children should wed.

[Simon]

Yes, it was so.

[Sender]

He died soon after. But you grew rich and Abraham's son was poor. You turned your gaze from him and sought other matches for your daughter. Among families of wealth and station. Abraham saw how his son was plunged into despair and went wandering, seeking new ways. And the powers of blackness spread their nets for him and captured him. Sender. Sender. Did you hear the charges? What do you have to say in your defense?

[Simon]

I have no words for my defense. None. But I beg my old comrade to spare my child. For I did nothing out of ill will. I swear to you, Abraham. After you departed, I did not know what happened to your wife. She left our village for the home of her people. I never knew she had a son.

[Sender]

Abraham asks why when his son was received into your home, sat at your table, you never inquired who he was?

[Simon]

I do not know. But I can swear I was always drawn to him.

[Sender]

Abraham declares the deep in your heart. You recognize Simon. That is why you never asked who he was. You sought riches for your daughter. And in doing so, you thrust his son into the abyss.

[Simon]

I have no answer.

[Sender]

This tribunal has heard the arguments and now delivers its verdict. Sender, you are held guilty on the charges brought by Abraham. You will give half your wealth to the poor. And as long as you live, you will light a memorial candle on the anniversary of the death of Abraham and Simon. And recite the prayers for the dead as though they were your own children. Now let us proceed with the marriage ceremony. Dybuk Duk. In the name of this holy congregation and the great Sanhedrin of Jerusalem, I command you for the last time to depart.

[Simon]

I will not live.

[Sender]

Members of the congregation, don your robes. Sender, distribute the seven horns and the seven scrolls.

[Simon]

Yes.

[Sender]

Stubborn spirit, since you are not humble unto our command, I give you over into the power of the higher spirits to expel you by force. Blow the ram's horns.

[Simon]

Let me go.

[G]

Do not track me. I will not. I cannot leave.

[Sender]

Since the higher powers cannot conquer you, I will give you over into the middle powers that are neither good nor evil. Let them, by whatever cruel means at their disposal, tear you out. Sound the horns.

[G]

Angels and hosts. Help me.

[Sender]

And I declare you excommunicated from all of Israel. By the sentence of the angels. By the decree of the saints, we anize cut off and curse you. The Lord blot out his name under heaven and set him apart for destruction. Sound the horns.

[G]

Can struggle no more.

[Sender]

Do you submit?

[G]

I submit.

[Sender]

Do you promise of your own free will to depart and never return?

[G]

I promise. Recite the prayer of the dead for me, my appointed timeless hours.

[Sender]

Say Kaddish for your soul.

[Leia]

Oh, Father.

[Simon]

Oh, Father.

[Leia]

I'm so sad. Help me.

[Simon]

Do not be sad. Let your heart be light. And may holy cherubim cradle you in their wings.

[Leia]

Do you hear? They are going to dance around the holy grave so that my dead mother may rejoice.

[Simon]

Do not tremble, child. Do not be afraid. You are guarded by 60 giants with drawn swords.

[Rabbi]

Our holy patriarchs protect you from evil.

[Leia]

Simon. I hear your voice, but I cannot see you.

[Simon]

A forbidden circle rings you round.

[Leia]

Your voice sounds as sweet as the weeping of a violin on the sign of night. Oh. Who are you?

[Simon]

I have forgotten. Only in your thoughts can I remember myself.

[Leia]

I remember now. My heart was drawn to you as a bright star. On silent nights I have shed sweet tears. And always in my dreams. I saw it wasn't.

[Simon]

It was.

[Leia]

Yes, I remember. Your hair was soft and it glistened as though with tears. Day and night I thought of you. Return to me, my bridegroom. My husband. I will carry you in death, in my heart and in my dreams. We will rock our unborn babes. We will celebrate them clothes and sing them lullabies.

[Simon]

The wedding procession has started. Leia, we must go.

[Leia]

They come to lead me to the canopy with a stranger. Come to me, my bridegroom. I see you a light upon the wall. The barrier is broken. Come to me.

[Simon]

I am coming.

[Leia]

A great light flows about me. I am joined with you, my destined bridegroom.

[Sender]

Too late. Blessed be the true judge. May their poor souls find rest.

[EG Marshall]

And so the demon bridegroom and his bride are joined. Until the great awakening. A small gravestone marks the place where Leia, Daughter Ascender, is interred. But none of the villages in the closed world believe it is her final resting place. Steeped in superstition, they cast an eye over the shoulder when they passed the grave. I'll be back shortly. We scoff at the supernatural, but not in the dark. When strange sounds echo. And even the most rational of us find more and more natural. What was once deemed the supernatural. Minds have been linked across great separations of space. Without visible means of contact. If mental telepathy and magic shapes exist, why not other forces still branded as the supernatural? Our cast included Norman Rose, Mason Adams, Marion Seldes, Nat Poland, Joe Silver and Jack Grimes. The entire production was under the direction of Hyman Brown.

[Simon]

Now a preview of our next tale.

[Leia]

Why did you leave the stage after the show?

[EG Marshall]

Pan.

[Simon]

I. I can't go on.

[Leia]

L. After performing a miracle. You can't go on? The entire audience is on its feet calling for you, and you can't go on?

[Simon]

The watch. Just. Happen. Happened.

[EG Marshall]

What did happen out there, Mr. Klein?

[Simon]

It was as if. Oh, you're Anton Vberg.

[EG Marshall]

Yes.

[Sender]

Well, go on.

[Rabbi]

Tell me what happened to you.

[Simon]

Something. Some force suddenly gripped my right arm. Began to pull my hand. My. My right hand off the keyboard. I. I didn't know what was happening to me. I thought I was having some sort of seizure. I was going mad or I don't know what. And then my left hand kept playing.

[Leia]

You mean you kept playing with your left.

[Simon]

No, no, no, no, Lottie, no. My right arm. It was forced down to my side. And I was scared. I was so scared. I couldn't have gone on playing with my left.

[Rabbi]

And I didn't. It did.

[EG Marshall]

Radio Mystery Theater was sponsored in part by Anheuser Busch Incorporated, brewers of Budweiser and Buick Mooter Division. This is E. G. Marshall, inviting you to return to our Mystery Theater for another adventure in the macabre until next time. Pleasant dreams.

[Rabbi]

CBS News in one minute on Newsradio 78.

[Narrator]

There's more from the CBS Radio Mystery Theater, the Horror and all of the Relic radio podcasts@ Relicradio.com. you can find the podcasts on Spotify now. Just click on the link in the show notes or search for the Relic Radio Network on Spotify. You'll find it there. You can also donate through the website if you you'd like to help support this and all of the shows. Donate relicradio.com or click on one of the links on the website. Thanks to those who have helped out. Thanks for joining me this week. Be back tomorrow with Strange Tales and next Saturday with our next episode of the Horror.