Podcast Summary: The Horror! (Old Time Radio)

Episode: The Haunted Crossroads by The Witch’s Tale

Release Date: November 15, 2025
Host: RelicRadio.com

Episode Overview

In this chilling installment, The Witch’s Tale presents “The Haunted Crossroads,” a tale of supernatural vengeance rooted in the dark history of an old Massachusetts crossroad. Police officers patrolling the infamous site are drawn into a mysterious string of deaths eerily linked to a centuries-old curse. Exploring the terror of the unexplained, spectral possession, and justice from beyond the grave, the episode blends classic radio suspense with macabre folklore.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. Setting the Scene: The Haunted Crossroads

• The episode opens with the cast gathering around a virtual campfire, setting a classic old-time radio tone:

  "We wander lots of darkness when we tell our bedtime stories." — Kathleen Fallon (01:22)

• Listeners are transported to a desolate Massachusetts crossroad, infamous for unexplained deaths.

2. A Pattern of Grisly Murders

• Police officers Tom Fallon, Sergeant McGee, and others discuss recent killings — all involving officers at the crossroads.

• Three victims have been stabbed in the back under suspicious circumstances.

• The murders seem impossible, as each occurred when no one else was present:

  "Tom wasn't alone here more than a minute. No one could have gotten to him... Yet I saw no one but him. And you." — Captain Elton (04:42)

3. Supernatural Suspicions & the Woman’s Laugh

• A chilling, inexplicable woman’s laughter is heard at each tragedy, casting doubt on rational explanations.

• The stories of haunted crossroads and "a laughing invisible woman" unsettle even the hardened police.

• Notable exchange:

  "I didn't hear a woman's laugh."
  "You hear it too? It sounded... right here beside me."
  — Kathleen Fallon & Captain Elton (04:56-05:00)

4. Personal Loss and Psychological Breakdown

• Serjeant McGee confesses, admitting to killing Tom despite loving him, claiming he was compelled by an overpowering force:

  "I stabbed the knife into his backpack. As I couldn't help myself. I was made to do it." — Sergeant McGee (09:51)

• Overcome with guilt and terror, McGee takes his own life (10:11-10:17).

5. Unanswered Questions Deepen the Mystery

• The living characters struggle to make sense of events, as McGee could not have committed the earlier murders.

• The idea that a malevolent force compels loved ones to kill strikes terror.

  "But who killed Smith and Barkley?... Why did he say he couldn't help himself? That he was made to kill his nephew? And what was the meaning of that woman's laugh I heard?" — Captain Elton (10:26)

6. The Curse Claims New Victims

• Kathleen visits Eugene (Dean) Hardy at the crossroads, where another spectral appearance occurs. The woman in black appears and vanishes; Hardy falls under her spell and attempts to kill Kathleen.
• Kathleen is forced to shoot Hardy to save herself (15:47).

7. Revelation of the Ghostly Origin

• In the hospital, Kathleen and Captain Elton reflect on her ordeal. The seriousness of the haunting is underscored by Hardy's delirious repetition under anesthesia:

  "He couldn't help himself. Somehow she made him want to kill me... but that love was stronger than her past. He had time to warn me." — Kathleen Fallon (17:22)

• The town doctor presents historical records. The deaths are traced back to the execution and burial of Goody Fairfax, a woman hanged as a criminal at the crossroads in 1721. Her dying curse promised vengeance upon officers of the law (19:51-22:33).
• Redramatization of Fairfax’s death and curse:

  "Hear me, ye officers of so called justice... I vow to return from death the murderer ye do hang me. ... For not even death will stay my haste. I shall return to bring ye death, ye officers of law." — Goody Fairfax via Kathleen Fallon (21:11)

8. Resolution: Lifting the Curse

• Captain Elton and others exhume Fairfax’s remains and rebury them in consecrated ground, hoping to end the haunting (23:03).
• A hopeful, lighthearted ending for the newlyweds Kathleen and Hardy:

  "Be happy. And Kathleen, let that first shot you had at your husband be the last." — Captain Elton (23:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Unsolved Murders:

  "They're only telling you what really happened. But it couldn't have happened. Just the same. It did."
  — Captain Elton & Kathleen Fallon (05:00-05:06)

• On the Haunting:

  "It looks like a haunted place."
  — Kathleen Fallon (14:21)

• Goody Fairfax’s Vengeful Oath:

  "For not even death will stay my haste. I shall return to bring ye death, ye officers of law."
  — Goody Fairfax/Kathleen Fallon (21:11)

• Doctor’s Wisdom on the Supernatural:

  "We can't call a thing a lie simply because we don't understand it."
  — Doctor (18:15)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Historical context and eerie introduction: 01:22–02:19
• First murder at the crossroads: 03:53–04:56
• Supernatural suspicion discussed: 05:00–06:00
• Sergeant McGee’s confession and suicide: 09:09–10:17
• Another attack, driven by the curse: 14:39–16:23
• Historical curse recounted: 19:51–22:33
• Exhumation of Goody Fairfax’s remains: 23:03–23:14

Episode Tone and Style

• Language and Atmosphere: The script embraces melodrama and melodious old-time radio dialogue, with intense expressions of horror and old-world superstition.
• Emotional Core: Deep grief, confusion, and a sense of cosmic injustice—countered by grim humor and a romantic ending.
• Closing Mood: Although menacing and foreboding early on, the resolution offers both closure and a wink at the audience.

Takeaways

The Haunted Crossroads capitalizes on classic themes of ghostly vengeance, family tragedy, and the inescapable grip of the past. Steeped in New England folklore and police procedural mystery, the episode highlights the limitations of rationality in the face of enduring supernatural folklore.

Listeners are left with an ambiguous sense of relief—perhaps the curse has finally been lifted, but the darkness of the crossroads remains part of the landscape, and a warning as old as the land itself.