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The Horror! (Old Time Radio)
The Night The Fog Came by The Hall Of Fantasy
The Hall Of Fantasy brings the frights for this week's episode of The Horror. We'll hear The Night The Fog Came, their story from March 28, 1953. Listen to more from The Hall Of Fantasy https://traffic.libsyn.com/forcedn/e55e1c7a-e213-4a20-8701-21862bdf1f8a/TheHorror1276.mp3 Download TheHorror1276 | Subscribe | Spotify | Support The Horror Support your weekly hauntings by visiting donate.relicradio.com! Thanks!
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Oh, stories. Real stories. And murder too. Turn out your legs. Turn them out. Good evening. Come in, won't you? What's the matter? Surely you're not nervous. But I tell you a story. We are meant to call from out of the past. Stories strange and weird. Tales of mystery and terror by radio's masters of the maa. Story of a supernatural the supernova Dramatized fantasy. The mystery of the unknown. We tell you this Frank, frankly. So if you wish to avoid the excitement tension of these magnet play ladies. We urge you our radio series to turn off your radio.
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Welcome back to the horror. We're going to hear from the hall of Fantasy this week. Series that debuted in 1946 had a short run of 26 episodes until 1947. Returned over WGN in Chicago in 1949 where it aired until 1953. 183 episodes were produced. The one we'll hear today is from March 23, 1953. It's titled the Night the Fog Came.
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And now, the hall of Fantasy. Welcome to the hall of Fantasy. Welcome to the series of radio dramas dedicated to the supernatural, the unusual and the unknown. Come with me, my friends. We shall descend to the world of the unknown and forbidden. Down to the depths where the veil of time is lifted and the supernatural reigns. His king. Come with me and listen to the tale of the Night the Fog Came. From our right. We better take a look. Come on. They're getting close to the lake. Hold me. This fog. Read this. There. Right there. Let's take a look. All right, throw them over. He's dead. I know. Do you realize how he died? What do you mean? Look at him closer, Hal. His clothes aren't wet. Even his hair isn't wet. Look at the water trickling from his mouth. This man died less than a minute ago on dry land 200 yards from the lake. And he died by drowning. In just a moment, the hall of Fantasy will present the Night the Fog Came. And now for our story. An original tale of fantasy by Richard Thorne entitled the Night the Fog Came. If the theory of evolution is correct, then there is a connection between minute organisms which are found to be living in water, and life as we know it today. But what connection with us did those things have which came from out of the fog? What connection with human life did those horrible creatures who came from the depths have? And what is their purpose? Why did they suddenly appear and destroy, then vanish as suddenly as they had come? I shall tell you as much as I know about it. Listen to the tale of the Night the Fog came. The first inkling of their existence came to us as we were going through some routine research. I dropped over to the lab to see Hal. Harold Enroll was perhaps one of the foremost men in his field. Our friendship stretched back for many years. I'd been away for a while and so I dropped in at the lab to see him one morning. Jeff, you old dog. You're a sight for sore eyes. How are things going, Al? Fine. Couldn't be better. How'd you like your vacation? I can't wait till next year. I hate it to come back. You know, Jeff, I'm glad you dropped in. I have a little problem. No, what is it? Money? No, not that. Here, I'll show you. Pull those blinds, will you? Sure. Yeah, that's fine. I have a specimen here on the slide. I want you to take a look at it. Go ahead. Turn the projector on. All right. There. What do you think of that? Hmm, I don't know. It looks like some form of water life. I don't think I've ever seen it before. This has been enlarged a hundred times. There's no use trying to recognize what it is. It's a form of water life completely unknown to us. A new form of life. Where did you get this? It's a specimen of water one of our field researchers took from the westernmost tip of Lake Superior, somewhere near the Wisconsin, Minnesota border. Have you contacted anyone else about it? No. Why not? Well, it's. Come on, come on. Don't try to avoid telling me how. We know each other too well. All right, all right. Listen to me, Jeff, alright? Everything I say is fact. I've conducted countless tests to discover what I do know about this form of life. That thing is able to reproduce itself. A hydra type, possibly. That's beside the point right now. What's more important, all trace of the other organisms. Organisms in that drop of water has disappeared. Are you serious? Of course I am. And another thing. There was a little mist hovering above what was left of the water. A mist? That's what I call it. Something like fog. Why, that's impossible. No, it's not. I know that when the water evaporated, it should have been dispersed into the air eventually. It was, but not for several hours. I'm sorry, Hal. I still care. I'll show you. We have a little of the water left. It's over here in this jar. And see for yourself. It looks just like ordinary water. I know it does, but believe me when I say it isn't. Now, it'll take just about three minutes. Do you see what's happening? I can't believe my eyes. See that little cloud of misty vapor beginning to form? Like fog? Yes. What causes it? I wish I knew. Our field men say the conditions up there are getting to be unbearable. The whole area for 100 square miles is almost covered completely by this fall. What are you going to do? I'm going up there myself, Jeff. If I send for you, will you join me? Of course. I may need you. I may need everyone I can get. It's begun to prey on my mind, Jeff. Somehow I think there's something in back of this. Something the likes of which the world has never seen. Something evil. Hal went up there the afternoon of the morning. I had seen him at first. He wrote that the reports had been exaggerated. Then he discovered that all traces of the new form of life had disappeared. He decided to return. I was quite glad to get that letter from Hal. Before he had gone up there, he had been quite worried. The only thing I couldn't understand was what had become of the new water life form. The day before he was to return to the city. Hello, Jeff, this is Hal. Where are you? I thought you. I had them put me through direct to you, Jeff. I need your assistance. What's the matter? I've already called Arnold Simpson and Jack Rackell. They've agreed to come. I need you, too, Jeff. Just as soon as you can possibly make it. Don't worry, Hal. I'll be there. Remember, as soon as you can possibly make it. I knew Arnold Simpson, and he and I went up together. The train left Chicago and headed north and then slightly west over Illinois and Wisconsin. Simpson and I talked it over on our way up there. Hal talked to you before he left, didn't he, Arnold? Yes, he did. I never had enough time to get up to his lab so he could show me what it was. But his words were description enough. Frankly, I'm worried. In what way, Jeff? Why should a new form of water life suddenly appear? Why should it destroy everything with which it comes into contact? And why should the mist through the fog appear to be so dense and heavy? I don't know. That's just the trouble. We don't know. Where has this form of life been? Or did it just develop? What's its reason for being here? Perhaps we'll find the answers to those questions when we get there, Arnold. Perhaps. But I'm convinced of this much, Jeff. Whatever it is, whatever that fog is hiding poses a new problem for us. A problem which may be unsolvable and which could very well destroy the human race. Back now to our story, an original tale of fantasy by Richard Thorne entitled the Night the Fog Came. Simpson seemed disinclined to talk, so we spent the remainder of the trip in silence, both of us lost in our thoughts. We arrived at the town and then hired a car to take us to the little village where we would find Hal Enron. The closer we came to our final destination, the darker the sky became and the air was heavy with a mist which was both damp and clammy. It was an old, rickety car, and the roads were little better than the ground on either side of it. The car stopped a few hundred feet from our destination. You gotta walk the rest of the way. You said you'd drive us home. Look, mister, I come farther than I was going to in the first place. I ain't in no mood to go into the woods up there. If you're gonna go, then you walk in. Jeff, can't you do something? I don't think so. Here's your pay. Thanks. Let's go, Arnold. It couldn't be worse, Arnold. I suppose so. You seem genuinely afraid. Aren't you? A little. Hey, we must be pretty close to the lake. I've never seen the fog this thick. It's unnatural. Eventually we made it up to the house. Al was there waiting for us and showed us where we would sleep. Through the window I could see that the fog seemed to be getting thicker. That's a neary lonely sound. You get used to it after you've been here for a while. Hal, you wrote me that this fog, the new form of life, had disappeared. It had. But two days ago it suddenly reappeared and with it the fog returned. Then there must be a connection between the two. Yes, but what? I haven't any idea. Look, I have to go down to the village for some food. We don't have enough here to feed four of us. Will you come with me, Jeff? Certainly. I'll be right back, Arnold. It's only about a mile away, near the lake. Go ahead. That trip may be tired. I think I'll take a nap. The house in which we were staying was on a high level of ground which tapered off on the side facing the lake. It was only three in the afternoon, but it looked almost as dark as late evening. And there was something about that cloudy mist. It was cold and clammy and smelled strongly of the lake. I don't see how you were able to stand it up here by yourself. Well, I had a lot of things to interest Me? I was all ready to meet you at the station, but when I got your call, I didn't know what to think. I wish I could understand this, Jeff. The fog disappeared when the water life disappeared. When signs of this strange new form of life showed again, the fog came back. Why? Maybe we can find the answer to that. I hope so. Surely the sound of that foghorn does get on your nerves. I can imagine it would. You know, if this were a clear day, you could see the village from here. Actually, it's just a tiny resort town for fishermen and hunters. And it's located right on the westernmost tip of the lake. Imagine. It must. It came from our right. We'd better take a look. Come on. We're getting close to the lake and holding this plug. Wait a minute. There. Right there. Let's take a look. I hope he's all right. Roll him over. Okay. He's dead. I know, but do you realize how he died? What do you mean? Look at him closer, Hal. His clothes aren't wet, even his hair isn't wet. But look at the water trickling from his mouth. This man died less than a minute ago on dry land 200 yards from the lake. And he died by drowning. That's not possible. Are you sure he drowns? There must be a doctor down at the village. Let's take him down there and see what the doctor says. I'm sure he'll agree with me. Together we carried the man down to the village. Luckily for us, he was a slight pill, not too heavy. Took us almost half an hour to get him down there. When we finally did arrive, it took another few minutes to locate the doctor. What do you think, Doctor? You're getting there, Melody. All right. Will you please wait outside? The Doctor can't work with you in here. Just like all the others, ain't he dropped? Please wait outside. Thank you. What did he mean by. He's just like all the others, Doctor? Just what he said. Ever since this fog has settled down again, five people have died. All in the same way? Yes. You mean by drowning? That's right. I can't understand how this man we found could die by drowning when he wasn't in the water. He reached him about a minute after he screamed. How could he drown? Professor Enroth, I've been asking myself that same question about all the others. I've been almost half insane these past two days trying to find the solution. Dr. Craig, this fog, has it always been like this in the area? No, not until about two months ago. Which coincides with the time we first discovered that new form of water life. What did you say? Nothing, Doctor. We're doing a little research work up here, that's all. This keeps up, I'm afraid of what might happen. I've never seen anything like it before. The fall, those deaths, how can they be explained? We don't know, Doctor. We just don't know. When we got back to the house, we discovered that Simpson had indeed taken a nap. Our arrival must have awakened him, for as we entered, he came slowly down the stairs from the second floor. Need any help? No, we can manage. But come out to the kitchen with us. What's the matter with you two? We found a dead man on our way to the village. Are you serious? Let's set those bags on the table. All right. I'm not joking, Arnold. We heard a scream. Took us about a minute to get to him. He was dead when we got there. My knife drowned. What? On dry land, 200 yards from the lake. You must be insane. No, it's the truth, Arnold. There have been four other deaths just like it. When did they happen? In the last two days. Since the fog reappeared? That's right. Then there is a definite connection between this fog and the new life form you've discovered. Hell, that's right. But what's the connection? We'd gotten back to the house about six o'. Clock. It was about seven that it happened. Simpson said he was going outside for a minute. He opened the door. I just want to get outside for a bit. Good heavens. What's wrong? Take a look. The fog is so thick. I've never seen anything like that before. Shut the door. Some of it's getting inside. It's moving along the floor. Just shut the door. Did you see it? Yes. The fog. Just like it was alive. Moving like. Like a living thing creeping along the floor. Back now to our story, an original tale of fantasy by Richard Thorne entitled the Night the Fog Game. When Simpson had opened the door, the fog crept into the house in little wisps that curled and snaked this way and that. It looked like a thing alive. You saw it, didn't you, Hal? Yes, I saw it. What does it mean? I'm afraid of what it means. You mean you. You know, I hope I'm wrong, but I'm afraid I'm not. It's just possible that this form of life has developed from something that was present in the water all the time. The great brute animals ruled the world before man appeared and then were destroyed. Eventually, mankind wrested the supremacy of the earth from the other animal and plant life. Perhaps the cycle is to continue, perhaps after man. This new form of life. As the minutes passed by, we noticed that little slips of the fog began inching their way through every opening of the house. It was Simpson who pointed down at the bottom of the door and first brought it to our attention. We began to plug up all the openings in the house. At first we did it slowly. But as time passed, we worked faster and more feverishly. No matter how tired we became. We had to finish the job where the fog might claim the house, too. It was too quiet. The only thing we heard was the distant, monotonous call of the foghorn. And then Hal broke the silence. Do you know why this fog is so thick? I wish I did. This might be insane, but it has to be the answer. That fog is carrying moisture. A lot of it. Perhaps enough to also carry this new form of life. To move it from place to place. To spread it even farther. To kill everything which stands in its way. That might be it. It is. I'm sure it is. Well, in that case, what happened to break it up the first time? And that's the solution to the problem. I don't know what it is, but it did break it up the first time. It drove it back down to the depths from where it came. That's why there was no sign of it in the water. That came from right outside the house. Rattle. He said he was going to arrive this evening. You better take a look. Bring the plasma. Right. Let's go. That light can carry more than a few feet. So wet out here. Over there. Look. Little pinpoints of light dancing up and down, all clustered together. That must be it. Come on. It keeps running out like. Look. There on the ground. Draco. The same way. Same way as the other one. The little specks of dancing luminescence had withdrawn from Rakow's body. But now we noticed that there seemed to be more of them. We carried the body back to the house. We'd forgotten to close the door behind us. And some of the fog had gotten inside. It wasn't too bad, however, while the little. It began to disperse. Look out that window. Yes, I see them. Gathering together with a whole mass. Getting larger and larger all the time. Separating like the hydra. It must be destroyed. Yes, but how? They created the fog. That must be the only way they can travel on land. They must have a basic water carrier. Have you realized what this means? What are you getting at? The area this fog now covers is a hundred square miles Every animal in this area may lose its life. And then what happens? They divide again and again and again. And the area of the fog keeps getting larger all the time. If it isn't stopped now, while we still have a chance, it may never be stopped. And I ask you the same question, Simpson. How? I don't know. Someone's outside. Let him in quickly. They're moving towards the house. Thank goodness. I didn't think I'd make it such a miracle that you did. Sit down, Doctor. Thank you. I was out to a call on my way back to town. I. I noticed how thick the fog was. And then I noticed the animals lying dead in the forest. The smell of their death was in the air. I continued on towards the town. Then I saw the bodies lying just where they had fallen. The whole town seemed to be covered by a strange luminescent mass which in some manner moved. I was afraid. Then I thought of you people in this house. And I got here as soon as I could. I don't know how long we'll be able to withstand them, Doctor. I'm sure the townspeople are dead now. In fact, almost every living creature in the area must be dead. But what is it? What caused it? If we get out of this alive, Doctor, we'll tell you. Look outside. It must have split again. It's twice the size it was. What are we going to do? Look into the doorway. They're getting through. Lock it up. Use some newspaper, clothes, anything. We've got to pop it. Constant opening, closing the door. Loosen the other things we have down there. I think they're. Look. The things that did get in first, you see, they're light and then they're gone. What happens to them? Perhaps we can't see them. Or perhaps they die. Now wait a minute. Your first letters to me mention the fact that the mist had been dispersed. What caused it? I don't know, Doctor. Urinated at these parts. I want you to tell me about anything unusual which happened that day. Well, I don't remember anything about that day particularly. I remember I was quite pleased to see that the fog had lifted. It was a beautiful day. Unseasonably warm. In fact, the sun was quite hot. Peach, I wonder if water. These things, these hydra type creatures must die in the heat. His house is quite warm. The day the fog was dispersed was warm with a bright sun. Perhaps that's the answer. Doctor, is there any firebreak around this area? Well, there was one cut through the trees several years ago. Yes, case of a fire, a bad one in the heavy Timberlands. Everyone was instructed to get into this area. In other words, there's a complete fire break around this entire area. Yes. It comprises about 150 square miles. And that's it. It's the only chance we have. We'll burn out this area and hope it drives them back. There's some oil downstairs. Get it. We'll start the fire here and hope it sets fire to the trees surrounding this house. Be right back. We'll have to make a run for it once this place is on fire. We may not come out of this alive, but we can try. Everybody knows. Well, you'd better light it. Those things outside, they're going to get in. Each man will carry a torch. Yes, and I'd light your torches. All right. And then set fire to this house. Lighting mine. Yours now. All right. One more. Right here under the door. They're pouring in under the door. Set the house on fire. Let's get out of here. No matter what happens. Hold those horses. They're afraid of fire. The fire caught hold and the entire area was burned out. A week later, the smoke had cleared and the fire was out. There was no sign of the fog, which had meant death to so many things. I had caught a glimpse of the Doctor. He had dropped his torch and it had gone out. He was immediately engulfed in those luminescent killers. I'm going back up there with Enroth and Simpson. Though there is now no trace of those things in the water, still we know they lurk somewhere, waiting for their moment. We must destroy them once and for all before that moment arrives. So runs tonight's tale of the unusual, the terrifying, the unknown. Join us again when next we journey down the corridors of the hall of Fantasy to hear another strange tale of the supernatural. All characters and events portrayed in these programs are fictional and any similarity to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
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Visit relicradio.com for more from the hall of Fantasy, the Horror and all of the relic radio shows. Thousands of episodes to listen to there and our shoutcast stream. Streaming 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with even more old time radio lots to listen to, all made possible by your support. If you'd like to help out, visit donate. Relicradio.com or click on one of the support links in the show notes. Thanks to those who have. Thanks for joining me this week. I'll be back tomorrow with Strange Tales next Saturday with our next episode of the Horror.