NoSleep Podcast 2026 Holiday Hiatus Vol. 2

Summary

The NoSleep Podcast 2026 Holiday Hiatus Vol. 2

Date: January 11, 2026
Host: Creative Reason Media Inc.
Episode Overview:
This special hiatus episode presents listeners with three chilling horror tales, each previously released on the Sleepless Universe platform. With The NoSleep Podcast preparing for the launch of Season 24, the host invites listeners to cozy up and brace themselves for a blend of psychological terror, cosmic horror, and eerie urban encounters. Atmospheric music amplifies the dread, while masterful performances and careful storytelling maintain the series’ signature tone.

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Episode Structure & Stories

1. The Mud G

[Main story starts: 02:48]

Theme: Haunted legacies, guilt, and the supernatural returning from the earth.

Key Discussion Points & Story Beats:

• Setup:

  • Listener is welcomed to the episode; mention of "Dry January" and settling in for horror (00:18).
  • Introduction to the episode’s first tale – "The Mud G" by Jim Horlock.
  • Setting: protagonist’s home on a cold January night; hears unexplained crying from "the lower field".

• Descent into the Field:

  • Protagonist (B) is lured outside by infant-like wailing.
  • Internal monologue reveals familial trauma and guilt, especially relating to the father:

    "My father had built the damn fence. Gone for more than 10 years, and he was still managing to make me bleed." (03:35 - B)

• Ghostly Confrontations:

  • Finds a mud-caked, seemingly dead infant who horrifically cries again.
  • Protagonist recognizes parallels to his own long-buried family tragedies (abusive father, dead mother, loss of child Joshua).
  • Other characters, all seemingly revenants, appear — Lorna, the protagonist’s ruined wife, and his parents, all muddy and mutilated.
  • The land and mud become a metaphor for guilt and cyclical violence:

    "What I buried, the mud gave back. The sun never set and the past wouldn't stay dead. I'd killed the monster but couldn't escape him because I'd become him." (14:20 - B)

• Profound Quotes & Moments:

  • Father’s repeated condemnation:

    "You reap what you sow, boy, and you sowed death right into the mud." (12:21 - C)

  • Ghostly Lorna’s condemnation:

    "You’re all muddy... it’s in your blood, your heart." (07:52 - D)

  • Final realization and surrender to fate:

    "Somehow I knew I'd been here before." (13:53 - B)

• Memorable Conclusion:

  • The cycle of violence and guilt becomes endless, with the protagonist doomed to relive burying his family and himself, as the mud gives the dead back over and over.

Key Timestamps:

• Protagonist enters the field: 02:48
• Father’s condemnation: 04:48 / 12:21
• First horror manifestations: 06:45
• Climax and self-realization: 14:00

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2. It Fell With The Night

[Story starts: 17:33]

Theme: Cosmic horror, the unknown, and survivor’s guilt after a close encounter.

Key Discussion Points & Story Beats:

• Opening Premise:

  • Two friends, narrator (D) and Jackson (C), witness an immense unidentified object crashing from the sky during a stargazing trip.
  • Immediate horror as the object is revealed not to be a plane or space station, but something alive, with many twitching legs.

• Community Chaos:

  • The impact triggers destruction and confusion: fires, loss of power, communications down, parents frantically try to reach their kids.
  • The friends process the terror and share nervous banter:

    "Man, we're going to feel so stupid if this turns out to be a weather balloon." (26:20 - C)

• Philosophical Reflection / Bond:

  • Jackson posits a theory that the falling creature might be harmless, even lonely:

    "What if that's what happened to our weather balloon?... It came here not to attack, but to get to know us." (28:40 - C)

  • Comparisons to the "Loneliest Whale" evoke themes of cosmic isolation and misunderstood intentions.

• Direct Encounter with the Entity:

  • The friends approach a gigantic leg blocking the road. Upon poking it, bizarre reactions occur – patches of the skin seem to harden, and the creature emits bone-shaking vibrations.
  • Things escalate when they accidentally wound the creature, and are exposed to its otherworldly blood.
  • Swarms of smaller, jellyfish-like creatures descend, feeding on the larger being — and then on Jackson, drawn to the blood he carries.

• Profound Loss and Horror:

  • The narrator’s frantic attempts to save Jackson ultimately fail:

    "The last thing he saw was me running away from him. Whether he knew I was coming back or not, I'll never know. But it hurts to think he might have thought I was abandoning him." (45:33 - D)

  • By dawn, all evidence of the cosmic visitors is gone; only a scar remains.

• Aftermath:

  • The town embraces a “polite fiction” of a meteor strike, but the trauma lingers with those who truly witnessed the unnatural event.
  • The narrator reflects:

    "I don't think it was an attack. I think it was just some sort of cosmic entity reaching the end of its life cycle..." (46:40 - D)

Key Timestamps:

• Impact & first look at the creature: 17:33 – 20:36
• Power outage & anxiety for family: 23:52
• Jackson’s existential musings: 27:22 – 28:56
• Poking the leg & horror escalates: 37:54 – 40:36
• Swarm descends / tragic resolution: 41:33 – 45:33
• Closing reflections: 47:45

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3. Keep On Rocking in the Free World

[Story starts: 51:39]

Theme: Urban weird fiction, music as protection, and the price of curiosity.

Key Discussion Points & Story Beats:

• Premise:

  • Young couple (narrator C and Elena E) on a road trip to a music festival; their car dies mysteriously on a shortcut road.
  • No cell service; the town they enter is filled with abandoned houses and strange, ever-present heavy metal blasting from everywhere.

• Increasing Unease:

  • The only occupied building is a run-down radio station (KLLD), where an old DJ keeps the music going.
  • The man quizzes them on their route and insists they help keep the records playing, dodging questions about why.

• Creepy Clues:

  • Disturbing realization:

    "The music keeps them away." (80:07 - C, reading a note discovered at the DJ’s trailer)

  • When the music stops, faceless, static-like figures emerge from doorways — danger is immediate and real.
  • Music resumes; monsters vanish.

• Desperate Plan:

  • Couple deduces they need to keep the music going to escape, ideally by putting on the longest album or song they can find.
  • Argument about who will run for help; they decide to stay together — but Elena ultimately leaves while narrator is in the bathroom.

• Ominous Ending:

  • The narrator discovers Elena has abandoned him to keep the music playing, the closing tune being "The Final Countdown" by Europe:

    "...the lead singer for the band Europe belted out the chorus of their most popular hit, the Final Countdown." (92:20 - B)

Key Timestamps:

• Car breaks down and journey to town: 51:39 – 55:20
• Arrival at abandoned town; music everywhere: 55:54 – 60:52
• They find the radio station & meet the DJ: 66:26 – 70:14
• Note reveals the truth (“music keeps them away”): 80:07
• Faceless figures appear: 81:51 – 84:24
• Final escape plan & betrayal: 89:35 – 92:20

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You reap what you sow, boy, and you sowed death right into the mud." (The Mud G, 12:21 - C)
• "Man, we're going to feel so stupid if this turns out to be a weather balloon." (It Fell With The Night, 26:20 - C)
• "The last thing he saw was me running away from him..." (It Fell With The Night, 45:33 - D)
• "The music keeps them away." (Keep On Rocking, 80:07 - C reads note)
• "You can't be serious. Look at the size of that thing." (It Fell With The Night, 32:32 - D)
• "We're just looking for a phone so we can call someone to come help us." (Keep On Rocking, 70:32 - E)

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Episode Tone & Atmosphere

• Consistently foreboding, bleak, and immersive, with the narrative voice emphasizing psychological dread, cosmic insignificance, and everyday people thrust into inexplicable horrors.
• Performers maintain a conversational, sometimes humorous rapport, plenty of banter breaking tension, which makes scary moments hit harder.

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In Summary

The NoSleep Podcast’s 2026 Holiday Hiatus Vol. 2 is a masterclass in horror storytelling, blending psychology, cosmic dread, and eerie modern myths. Each of the three tales is rich in character and atmosphere, delivering scares that linger. Whether it’s haunted farmland, mind-bending extraterrestrial encounters, or eerie abandoned towns, the stories revolve around the inescapable past and unknown terrors lurking just out of sight. The recurring motif is inescapability—of trauma, doom, and the things we can never truly shed. Music, as both comfort and shield, links the tales emotionally and thematically.

Listeners can expect an engaging, dread-soaked ride well worth their time, even if they’re catching up during Dry January—or not.

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For those new to the NoSleep Podcast:
This episode offers a perfect snapshot of what the series does best: haunting, expertly performed horror anthologies that leave you with more questions, chills, and a sense of uneasy wonder about the world.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the no sleep podcast 2026 holiday hiatus episode volume two. That song you just heard was an oldie called How Dry I Am. It's meant to be a humorous ditty sung by a person who is desperately hoping for a drink of the adult beverage variety. And we're now well into January, a month that many people choose to turn into dry January. It's a time when people decide to refrain from the booze after perhaps overindulging during the festive holiday season. If you're choosing to do that, we applaud your efforts. And if you're not dry this month, then curl up with a nice warm Irish coffee and settle in for some chilling horror. The no Sleep team is ramping up for the start of Season 24 in February. As such, we have some stories for you this week that originally aired on our Sleepless Universe platform. We hope you'll enjoy or fear them while we keep prepping for the big premiere. And we'll have two episodes from our Sleepless Decomposition series the next two weeks, so be fully braced for those. Now raise a glass or just sip some water, because it's time for our Sleepless Tales. In our first tale, you find yourself in the perfect spot for a cold January night. Your home inside where it's warm. It would take a lot for you to venture outside in that weather, except you hear it, just like the man in this tale shared with us by author Jim Horlock. He hears a sound from outside and he ventures out into the mucky fields to find out what it is. Performing this tale are David Alt, Ash Millman, and Andy Cresswell. So dress appropriately and mind your footing out there when you discover what the mud G.

[B]

I heard crying in the lower field, and it chilled my blood to ice. I wanted to believe it was some lost kid run away from the village, hiding from heartbreak or parents or the pressures of school. I knew it wasn't that terrible whale couldn't be anything other than a baby. I had no brothers or sisters, and thus avoided nieces and nephews. I'd never wanted kids, but I knew that sound all the same. Except it was wrong, all wrong, and in the lower field of all places. What did it mean? Despite the thickness of my coat, the terrible cold of dread crept up my spine. A part of me wanted to turn away, to go home and forget it. It was a trick of the mind, I'd tell myself later. A stray gust of wind or the call of a sick bird. The lower field was in fall. I'd left it that way for years and never went there. There was no crop nor herd to worry about, no reason to check. The whale came again and I found myself walking. My grip was tight on my shovel. I couldn't ignore it. Who could? The way down was steep and wet. I'd walked this path since I was a child. But I still slipped despite my caution. In panic, my flailing hand gripped the barbed wire and I hissed as it drew blood. It welled up in the creases of my palm. A river flooding valleys. I curled my lip. My father had built the damn fence. Gone for more than 10 years, and he was still managing to make me bleed. For a moment, I pictured his face. The dark and furious eyes and the hard, heavy brown. The face of the monster. He'd scold me for hurting myself on the fence and missed the irony of hurting me more in punishment.

[C]

You reap what you sow, boy.

[B]

I remembered how I'd last seen him, broken and pleading. That proud nose flattened, those eyes filled with fear. This land was mine now, not his. The mud belonged to me. Before those red memories could take hold, I heard the wailing again, closer now, urgent. The anger was gone in an instant, ripped away by fear. There was not a doubt in my mind that there was something unnatural about it. I found the babe half caked in mud, naked and pale. Its eyes were closed and there was no movement from its chest. How had it come to be here? There was no one around, no tracks. As I struggled to fathom the situation, it let out another chilling cry from those cold blue lips. I fell back. Had I gone mad? This couldn't be. I squeezed my wounded hand in a tight fist, blood welling between my fingers. The pain was real. This was no dream. Standing once more, I crept closer, drawn in by the horror of moment. The likeness was uncanny, but I guessed all babies looked roughly the same. This couldn't be him. I'd buried him myself years ago. This was Joshua. I'd never felt a paternal instinct, but in that moment I felt the opposite. Revulsion, dread and utter loathing. This creature was a threat to all I was. As it cried again, I lifted my shovel with a primal scream. I wasn't sure how I got back to the farmhouse. I must have walked, but I don't remember doing it. The miserable rain had burned off in the sun and I had no idea of time. The front door was open. I stumbled in, cold and numb. The shovel was heavy in my hands. Muddy footsteps led into the kitchen. Lorna was there in all her ruin, still wearing the clothes she'd been buried in. She'd looked neater then, standing up. Her broken neck left her head hanging at an angle. Her feet were bare and muddy. I thought I should tell her that she was dead, but I was sure she knew. Her eyes were sad and empty. I buried Joshua, I told her.

[D]

Yes.

[B]

Her voice crawled up out of her crushed throat like some skittering insect. I could see the rope marks on her pale skin in the lower field. I frowned. That was right, wasn't it? I struggled to grasp the order of events. But that was years ago.

[C]

Does it matter?

[D]

You're all muddy.

[B]

I slipped.

[D]

You're caked in it, through and through. It's in your blood, your heart.

[C]

It's all you care about this damn land.

[B]

That's not true. My voice thundered and made me wince. That room had heard too many raised voices over time, my father's and then my own. They were all the louder for it. Silence reigned a while after that.

[C]

Your parents are outside.

[B]

It couldn't be. The monster and his enabler died years ago. They stood out in the yard anyway, naked pale shapes in the pounding sunlight. Mud caked them both. My father's face was dark with dried blood. Still, there'd been no funeral for him, no coroner to tidy up his body. I'd buried them in the lower field. Even the police hadn't asked too many questions. Everyone knew what he was. I alternated between fear and rage as I looked at them standing motionless, staring at the house. This wasn't right. This wasn't fair. I'd rid myself of them both. This was my land now. Whatever the fertile mud gave up was mine. Fury won out and I stormed out there, shovel in hand. I'd done it in the barn the first time I'd struck my father when his back was turned and hadn't stopped. My mother ran in to find out why I was screaming. When she tried to stop me, I did her, too. She was just as much to blame as him. It was their fault. This time neither of them screamed. They just stared at me as I did it. I buried them in the lower field beside the babe. That couldn't be Joshua, but was. I didn't ask why they'd come back or why they weren't rotted. They weren't ghosts. They were made of cold flesh. When I split their skulls, mud was what came out. I asked no questions at all. I put them back in the ground while the sun beat down on me. The lower field could have them, and it would be left to rot with them just as it had been when I first put them there. When it was done, I was sweating hard and panting heavy. I wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep. Lorna's muddy footprints left the house and went to the barn. I'd always wondered why she'd chosen to do it there. Sweet Lorna. Lovely Lorna. I loved her as hard as a broken thing like me could. Love hadn't been enough. I didn't look in as I passed. I knew I'd see her swinging if I did, right over the spot where I'd killed them years before. I hadn't put her in the lower field. That was a place for all that was wrong in my life. Instead, she'd been buried in the garden, an act that meant I could never find peace there again. I didn't even open the curtains on that side of the house in case I caught sight of the spot and it reminded me what I was. They were open. As I passed through to the bedroom, I forced myself not to look. It should have been dark, but the sun wouldn't set. I slept anyway, until Lorna woke me.

[D]

Where's Joshua?

[B]

She stood at the foot of the bed, neck still bent, eyes still empty. I'm sorry I buried him in the lower field.

[D]

That's what you said.

[C]

But you are never sorry.

[D]

You never wanted children.

[B]

You were never supposed to get pregnant. You knew I couldn't have kids, not with what I am. Not with what he made me into. I got up and left the room, but she pursued me.

[C]

The lower field is where you left.

[D]

Our son buried with all the other people you hated, the other people you murdered.

[B]

I turned all fury and struck her across the face. It was like punching wet soil. Mud trickled from her mouth. She grinned at me and her teeth were brown with it.

[D]

Your parents are outside.

[B]

For the first time, her eyes weren't empty. They were bright with cruelty. I ran to the window and saw she was right. They were in the yard just as before. As I stormed out to meet them, taking up my shovel, my father spoke.

[C]

You reap what you sow, boy, and you sowed death right into the mud.

[B]

It's mine. I pulled back to swing.

[C]

You're right. It's all yours.

[B]

His head tumbled and mud oozed from his neck. Joshua was crying again when I dragged their bodies to the field. When I came back, Lorna was back in the barn. I slept and I woke and I did it all again. What I buried, the mud gave back. The sun never set and the past wouldn't stay dead. I'd killed the monster but couldn't escape him because I'd become him. I'd killed anything that threatened to ruin me. I killed them again and again under the light of the undead sun, and the mud gave them back every time. When my strength finally gave out, when my spirit broke and I could no longer lift the shovel, they came for me. I didn't fight them as they took me to the barn, carried in their muddy hands. Why? I asked Lorna. I never killed you. I never put you in the mud.

[D]

You did second. You killed our baby.

[B]

They placed the shotgun in my hands.

[D]

Do it. We bury you in the lower field and the mud will give you back just like us.

[B]

My jaw quaked and my vision swam. Somehow I knew I'd been here before.

[D]

Just like every time before.

[B]

I raised a shaking hand to my head. Half my skull was missing. I brought my fingers back down to check them. They were coated in mud. I nodded, crying, took up the shotgun and pulled the trigger.

[A]

Let's clean up and be thankful not only for no mud on our boots, but also for the fact that this episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. At this time of year, it's easy to start chasing a new you, and weight loss is a common theme. But how can you let go of what's weighing you down? Instead, this year feel lighter. The new year is an opportunity, but you don't need to be a new person. We all have things that weigh us down. Signing up for therapy with BetterHelp can shine a light on what's been heavy and illuminate all the possibilities for the year ahead. It's a small act of courage that can yield big results. After all, we can't reach our goals without first making space for them. I have plenty of goals this year, many coming from a lot of big changes I'm making. And therapy continues to help me stay grounded while genuinely feeling lighter and better about things. It just takes filling out a short questionnaire to help identify your needs and preferences, and BetterHelp's 12 plus years of experience and industry leading match fulfillment rate means they typically get it right the first time. And if you aren't happy with your match, switch to a different therapist at any time from their tailored recommendations. I highly recommend you give betterhelp a try so you can't step into a lighter version of yourself without leaving behind what's been weighing you down. Therapy can help you clear space, sign up and get 10% [e-mail] nosleep that's betterhelp.com nosleep thanks BetterHelp for your continued support. Now back to the horrors found in the night sky. Clear, frosty January nights are the perfect time to do some stargazing. But something else is up there, and we realize it isn't a plane. But it is falling quickly to earth. And in this tale shared with us by author Manon Lysette, we meet two residents of a nearby town who witness the crash. And when they finally realize what's happened, it's too late for their lives to ever remain the same. Performing this tale are Lindsay Russo and Atticus Jackson. So look up. Look way up. You might see something. And proclaim, it fell with the night.

[D]

We saw it moments before. We heard the booming sound. Sound like lightning before thunder. The massive shape in the sky commanded our attention when it appeared suddenly, as though out of nowhere, plummeting towards the earth in a directionless fall. In the dimming light of dusk, it was hard to make out what it was. At first I thought it was a plane, but as it grew closer, I realized it couldn't be. Planes don't have legs. Planes don't blot out the sky. Planes don't twitch as they fall. Perspective dictates the closer the object, the bigger it gets. That held true at first, with the thing seeming to take over every inch from zenith to horizon. I remember feeling like a child under a playground parachute. But rather than delight as the fabric fell towards me, I felt nothing but dread at the thought of being crushed under it like an ant. Thankfully for us, as it descended, the shape shrank. To what size exactly? I couldn't really tell. If it had to be a hand, it was now a finger. If it had been a metropolis, it was now a town. Within minutes, the central part of its body impacted the ground, shooting out a scorching wind in all directions. By the time it reached Jackson and I, the gust had cooled enough that it only felt like opening an oven door. Others closer to the impact site weren't so lucky. Later, I would see the burn scars which spoke for themselves. Then there were those who were never found at all, presumed incinerated or crushed during the incident. The legs. I couldn't count how many fell in turn. Their landing was more graceful, punctuated only by the crew creek of trees buckling under their weight. They stuck out over the forest canopy, bent at sharp angles, capped by joints, with each segment spanning at least a football field in length, if not longer. From our vantage point up on the hill, sitting in Jackson's trunk bed where we'd been waiting for Nightfall to watch the yearly meteor showers. We couldn't see it in detail. The fallen thing was a silhouette that had permanently changed our once familiar horizon.

[C]

What the hell was that?

[D]

Jackson was the first to speak, asking a question I'd normally meet with a smart ass reply. For once, I was too stunned to say anything. Don't get me wrong, I'm normally good in a pinch. A few months ago, a pipe burst in my dorm and my roommate just stood there while I ran to close the water valve. Some people jump into action immediately, others need a moment to gather their thoughts. I'm the former, but I don't think any less of the latter. I'd want a surgeon to be able to react quickly if their patients suddenly started bleeding out. And I'd want an architect to thoroughly mull over the numbers to make sure they use the correct support beams in their structures.

[A]

This.

[D]

This was so outside the realm of the natural that I knew needed to process what I was seeing counterproductively. My body was screaming at me to act, using up valuable brain resources needed to figure out what I was looking at and how I should feel about it. I had no point of reference, no roadmap to follow. My whole world had suddenly been shrouded in the unknown. The space station. I heard my voice as though someone else had borrowed it. The world came back into focus and I realized I'd replied without even thinking about it. In hindsight, I probably said that because it was the only big thing that could fall from the sky. Even though it obviously wasn't the ISS for the same reasons it wasn't a plane. In a large radius around the impact site, the trees were bowing, seemingly locked in their bent positions, while the ones farther away were whipping back and forth as they recovered from the scorching gale. I reasoned that if they were still swaying, then I must not have frozen for as long as it felt like I had. Jackson stared bug eyed at the forest.

[C]

What is that?

[D]

I don't know.

[C]

You saw that, right?

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

It wasn't in my head.

[D]

No. Our phones went off almost in unison. Jackson's mom, my dad. Both checking to see if we were okay. Both knowing we were near the forest and terrified it. Whatever it was could have fallen on us. We reassured them. And like a relay race, as soon as we hung up, the phones rang again. Jackson's sister, my mom. Mom wanted to know if us kids were okay. Didn't matter how old we got or that I'd been away for college for a year, but we'd always been kids in our parents eyes. We went through another round of reassuring one another we were fine and vice versa. I had three voicemails by the time I hung up. Jackson had a few as well. Everyone and their poodle was calling one another, some quoting the accident, others the earthquake and even the gas explosion. I don't know if they hadn't seen the creature or if they were in the same state of disbelief as Jackson and I were. Either way, there was no mention of the crater sized elephant in the room. I was halfway through reassuring my Auntie Erica that I was okay when the creature's legs twitched, making me realize to my horror that it, whatever it was, was still very much alive. Simultaneously, the call dropped and the lights in town went off from closest to farthest, as though hit by a wave of pure darkness. Jackson, who'd been facing me, pulled his phone away from his ear and looked at it quizzically. He was about to ask when I gestured behind him. Power outage, I said, though it felt more malicious and intentional than the banal words used to describe it. Jackson's face turned a sickly white I'd only ever seen on corpses on tv.

[C]

Rose.

[D]

Rose was his sister. She'd been his second or third call during our phone marathon. She's okay, right? She's home alone, but she's okay?

[C]

I think so, yeah. No, yeah, she's fine. She was a bit shaken up, but.

[D]

He hopped out of the truck bed, gesturing for me to follow.

[C]

She's home alone. We gotta get back.

[D]

I lifted my hands in surrender. Okay. Okay. Rose was 13. Not so young that she couldn't be left alone, but young enough that he was understandably freaking out about leaving her in the middle of what may very well have been a Wood World ending event. For all we knew, he'd already started the truck by the time my feet hit solid ground. I became less aware of what I was doing, as though I'd engaged autopilot. Before I knew it, we were well into a three point turn to get back onto the single road down the mountain, high beams on eyes scanning the forest, the gravel road, and the sky in a continuous loop. He was driving at a slow crawl, even though I could tell he wanted to race back. His hands were white, knuckling the steering wheel. His chest wasn't moving. Breathe, Jackson. It's gonna be okay.

[C]

I am breathing well.

[D]

You're not breathing enough. He threw his arms in the air in frustration.

[C]

What the hell does that even mean? Get out of here with your not breathing enough. I'm breathing okay? The hell are you, the breathing police?

[D]

He clutched the steering wheel again, his angry expression melting back into fear. He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes in an apologetic manner.

[C]

She's gonna be all right, right?

[D]

I placed a hand on his shoulder. You said it yourself. She's at home. She's safe. She's probably a little scared, but it's okay to be scared.

[C]

Are you, bro?

[D]

I nearly shat my pants back there. Of course I am.

[C]

Don't you dare yourself in, my baby.

[A]

I just said.

[C]

The interior's cleaned.

[D]

I shoved him playfully. We laughed. He swept the sky by gaze again, tension returning to his fingers. He let out another chuckle, though this one sounded much less genuine.

[C]

Man, we're going to feel so stupid if this turns out to be a weather balloon.

[D]

And just like that, we broached the topic we'd been skirting around. I felt my chest tighten. To talk about it was to acknowledge it was real. There was no going back. I almost wished we'd had a few more minutes of pretending it's not a weather balloon.

[C]

I know.

[D]

You think it's just us.

[C]

Just us.

[D]

Just here, I mean. I couldn't help but picture hundreds, maybe thousands, of these creatures falling all over the planet in quick succession. A coordinated attack. It knocked out the power our cell signals. For all we know, the rest of the world's already dead. I suddenly felt very small, like on a cosmic level. Jackson was quiet for a long, uninterrupted moment. Mulling it over.

[C]

I guess. Or maybe it's like the Loneliest Whale.

[D]

That a children's book or something?

[C]

No, it's a.

[D]

He froed his brows.

[C]

Well, I don't remember all the details, but there's like this whale in the ocean, right?

[D]

Yeah, that's where most whales live.

[C]

Harar. Real funny.

[D]

He scratched the back of his head.

[C]

This one's special. Has like a deeper voice or whatever. Or a higher pitched voice. I forget. Exactly. They think it might be the last of its species because it doesn't sound like any other whale. And it's always alone, wandering aimlessly in search of a friend or family or anyone that could understand it. Maybe it doesn't know it's hopeless. Maybe it washed as all the others of its kind fell away into the abyss, leaving him behind.

[D]

Jackson tended to rant when he was nervous. Well, that's depressing. Jackson smiled. But it was hollow.

[C]

What if that's what happened to our weather balloon? Maybe it was gliding through outer space when it saw one little blue planet full of life and it came here not to attack, but to get to know us. Or for us to get to know it.

[D]

I'd never known Jackson to be the sentimental type. The way he talked about loneliness, I couldn't help but feel he wasn't just talking about whales and aliens. I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing. In hindsight, that was probably the wrong thing to do. The truck's lights landed on what I thought was an uprooted tree up ahead that was blocking the road. It went diagonally across, leaving a gap that might have been okay if we'd been on ATVs or bikes, but was far too small for the truck to fit through.

[C]

Shit. Must have got knocked down.

[D]

He didn't need to specify that he meant knocked down by the shockwave following the crash. The forest floor was littered with broken branches and fallen leaves. There was no doubt more than a few trees even farther away like we were had broken. There was only one problem with Jackson's theory. The impact site was to the east and the elevated portion of the tree was also facing east. If it had been broken by the shock wave, shouldn't it be facing west away from the epicenter? Jackson? I think I knew before I understood all the implications. I think a part of me had said seen the bigger picture as we were driving up to the so called tree. But the conscious part of me was lagging. I pointed to the shape and found that my hand was shaking. I couldn't even tell you how long it had been doing that. It's not a tree. He leaned forward in his seat. I watched him rather than it as his eyes trailed up to the treetops and then higher still. Fear dawned on his face anew. It was like we were on a merry go round. But instead of slowing to a stop, every turn kept going faster, never giving us a second to breathe. There was barely anything to hold onto as reality strobed around us, stripping away our peaceful evening like old flecks of paint. A leg. It was one of its legs and it was blocking the way. We need to go around it. Maybe. Maybe if we went very slowly and quietly he wouldn't notice us. Jackson shook his head.

[A]

Can't.

[C]

Tree line's too dense.

[D]

He was right. His truck didn't have much hope of weaving through the forest. Even if we tucked his mirrors in. There had to be something we could do because I knew what the alternative was and I didn't fancy doing it. I knew he'd make us walk. There was no keeping Jackson from getting back to Rose and While a hike wouldn't kill me under normal circumstances. It was dark and a giant alien creature had just crash landed in the forest. I think I can be forgiven for wanting to remain in the relative safety of his truck. Then I remembered. What about the old logging road that leads to Murphy's Creek? Turn us around. It can't be too far back. It would be a bit of a detour, sure, but it was better than the alternative. Jackson looked at me with a pitying look. What? He gestured ahead.

[C]

We haven't passed it yet. It's a bit farther down.

[D]

Shit. The gears in Jackson's head looked like they were turning. I had a pretty good idea what he was about to suggest.

[C]

What if we absolutely not try to move it?

[D]

Okay, that wasn't what I was expecting. So he didn't want us walking. He wanted us to do something even more unhinged. You can't be serious. Look at the size of that thing.

[C]

I'm not talking about crashing the truck into it. What if we just, I don't know, do something?

[D]

Do something? What a great plan, Jackson. Brilliant.

[C]

Shut up.

[D]

No, no, I mean it. Step one, do. Step two, something. It's great. I mean it.

[C]

Okay, Miss College Educated, you can cut the sarcasm. I get it. You think I'm stupid.

[D]

I. What? No, come on. I never said that. I just. I rubbed circles into my temples. Look, we're both stressed. We need to take a second and a few nice big breaths and we're.

[C]

Back at being the breathing police. God, you're insufferable sometimes.

[D]

He unbuckled and opened the door, leaving the keys in the ignition. On the truck running. Wait. Where are you going?

[C]

Where do you think I'm going?

[D]

He made a very broad and sharp gesture towards the leg. A gesture that screamed duh.

[C]

I'm going to check it out.

[D]

His tone still held resentment, but his next sentence had an underlying current of apprehension to it.

[C]

You coming?

[D]

It felt like a stranger's hands were wringing my stomach. Like someone was standing right behind me. Their breath on the nape of my neck. My head and shoulders floated. My bottom half was cement. I didn't want to get any closer. I wanted to scream, hell no. But somehow I unbuckled myself and stepped out of the truck with him. It was like an out of body experience. I wasn't fully in control of myself. And let me be clear, I'm not saying I was being possessed by the creature or anything like that. It's just that we. We humans have an incredible ability to just carry on, even in no, especially in extreme situations. It's our survival instinct. It's how mountaineers crawl back to camp on frostbitten limbs. Or how some stabbing victims stay conscious up to and not a moment longer than when help arrives. Fight, flight, freeze. Those are all temporary conditions. Once they fade away, you either go back to being you or another you takes over for a bit. The other me followed Jackson much, much closer to the entity than I was comfortable going. I'm surprised to admit that as we got closer, some of my fear was replaced with curiosity. Illuminated by the truck's headlights, I could see a veiny tapestry of sagging skin hanging from something rigid within. Think a towel on a towel rack. The surface, whose color I can't even begin to describe, was full of deep ridges and folds in all directions, a bit like pruny fingers. In hindsight, I think the creature had deflated. I think that's why it appeared so large from a distance, and smaller as it fell to the earth. Whatever its insides were made of had been expanded, expelled, leaving behind a month old birthday balloon you can't bring yourself to throw away because there's still a bit of air left. Jackson stumbled back. My heart stalled. What? I looked where he was looking, but I couldn't see anything abnormal. Well, the entire situation was abnormal. But within the context of abnormal normality, nothing seemed weird. Er, that is, until I caught movement in my periphery. For a moment, part of the skin changed. A clump of sagginess tightened towards a central point. And for an even shorter amount of time, the collection of skin hardened into what I can best compare to a bug's exoskeleton. It turned a deep mirror like lack of, then released and sagged anew. Then it happened again to another collection of skin cells nearby the. I guess I'll call it a shell because that's kind of what it was. Kept glitching on and off in quick succession. Almost as though the creature was trying and failing to transform. Jackson was transfixed by the show.

[C]

It's like chromatophobia.

[D]

Force, huh?

[C]

Like hell. Squids change colors. They got sacks of color under the skin, like thousands of them. And when they open them.

[B]

Boom.

[C]

Instant color change.

[D]

Well, this thing looks like it's getting harder.

[C]

Same principle, different animal.

[D]

Slowly, some of the the clumps started staying in their shell form for longer. I couldn't tell you if this was a good thing or not. Jackson picked up a stick, which instantly made me think of a kid prodding a jellyfish. Tell me you're not gonna poke it. He smiled.

[C]

Fine. I won't tell you.

[D]

The next time his shell formed near him, he gave it a tentative poke. The reaction was instantaneous. From deeper within the forest, the creature groaned. I didn't so much hear it as I felt its voice. It's like the static you feel hovering your fingers over an old TV screen. Or when your arm falls asleep and prickles as it wakes up, only much more intense. I could feel it inside my skin. I could feel it in my bones. Hell, I could feel my bones, period. Which was a sensation much more unsettling than you can imagine when hearing it recounted. Do you know how many bones you have? Imagine suddenly being aware of each and every one of them. Imagine being able to feel their exact shape inside of you because they're all vibrating like a doorstop. Or maybe it was everything else vibrating against them. Whichever it was, it wasn't a pleasant sensation. It was dizzying, nauseating, terrifying. And I almost lost it when Jackson poked it again. Stop that. He frowned.

[C]

Sorry. I thought maybe it'd move.

[D]

I shoved him again, and this time there was nothing playful about it. Seriously? And do what? Squash us like a bug?

[C]

I just want to get home to Rose.

[D]

Well, don't piss off the giant alien creature and we might make it.

[A]

Fine.

[D]

He rolled his eyes and threw his arms back in surrender. But as he did so, the stick poked into the sagging skin, creating a small tear that sputtered some sort of blood equivalent. I jumped away, as did Jackson, but a few drops of the liquid landed on him. The smell was utterly indescribable. It was as foreign to me as if the sky turned a color outside the gamut of human sight. My olfactory receptors were somehow able to pick up the scent, but were unable to compare it to anything I'd ever smelled before or since. I couldn't even tell you whether it smelled good or bad. It was that foreign, that un adapted to my nose. Sometimes when you smell something potent, you can kind of taste it, too. That wasn't the case with this. There was only the smell. Through it all, I could feel the creature bellowing once more, shaking me to my literal core. Jackson was screaming, swatting at the liquid in panic, but after a moment or so, both he and the creature calmed down. He looked at me, red in the face.

[C]

I thought it was gonna be acid.

[D]

Does it hurt? Nope.

[A]

All right.

[D]

Well, I was going to tell him he should probably clean himself quickly, just in case, but I was interrupted by something that drew my eyes above. What's that? We both looked up at the sky where translucent shapes were floating gently towards us. They were hard to make out individually, but visible due to their sheer number. Where they overlapped, their outlines were denser, like layering two pieces of frosted glass. They were cone like, with a trio of antennae on the shorter end and at least 30 probably more tentacles of various widths and lengths on the other. The tentacles were spread out, dancing overhead almost like falling snowflakes. The central parts of their bodies were about a foot in length, with their tentacles or tails or whatever you want to call them, adding to each several more feet. Some were shorter, some were longer, some fatter, some skinnier.

[C]

Polyps.

[D]

The tentacled creatures landed on the leg, which bucked hard enough that it threw Jackson and I on the ground. I missed a few instances of what happened next, but my best guess is that some of them wove their way into the colossal body through the cut in its flesh. I turned back to see the skin around the area turned to its shell like consistency, but by then it was too late. There were thousands of the little creatures landing along the leg and I assumed, up to its central body and other branching limbs. The creature emitted wave upon wave of static like screams, which had me pointlessly cover my ears and tuck my head between my legs. I could feel Jackson next to me also roiling in agony and likely a fair amount of confusion. I'm not sure how long we spent on the ground being vibrated from the inside out, but it was long enough. I practically forgot what it felt like to be normal. Even to this day, when I try to sleep, sometimes I feel it just like one might feel ocean waves after a long day at the beach. Eventually it ceased. I took a few minutes to collect myself and let my body adjust to the silence. By the time I unfurled, swaths of the giant creature were missing. The appendages I'd mistook for antenna on the smaller critters had latched onto the skin and were sucking in the organic matter. Filling themselves with gave them color where previously they'd been nearly transparent. I was vaguely conscious that I was seeing the food filling their alien bodies.

[C]

Go on, get.

[D]

I scanned the area by gaze and found Jackson backing away, swatting at some of the creatures homing in on him. They weren't circling me the same way they were circling him. Hell, they didn't even seem to care I was there. Why Jackson? My blood ran cold. The creature's blood. They must have been drawn to the smell or taste or whatever it was the creature had left on Jackson. Their three pronged Mouths swooped in and tried to latch on, but he quickly slapped them away. He couldn't keep it up. There were too many of them. I already had a plan, already knew what needed to be done. Since we didn't have time to wash the blood off Jackson, the next best thing is to bury the scent, to soil the taste. While Jackson screamed for help, I hopped into the truck bed where there was a canister of gasoline. Wouldn't be pleasant, I knew that much. But while the fumes might kill smaller creatures, Jackson would probably be okay as long as we kept him away from matches or any sort of spark. It was a risk we had to take. Gasoline in hand, I turned around. A few years ago, I was working at a convenience store near a construction site. It was broad daylight, so not exactly a scary time of day. Though I was working alone that shift. A man wearing a bright orange vest walked through the door. His eyes were wide with fear, but somehow also vacant. He shambled towards me, pointing at something on the shelf. I'm not sure what. Maybe it was the first aid kit bolted to the wall. Maybe it was the newspapers. Whatever it was, he seemed completely oblivious to the pole running all the way through his head. The first responder told me, and I remember her words very clearly, that he was dead. He just didn't know it yet. There was nothing that could be done to save him. As I turned to face Jackson, I saw that same vacant expression of petrification and confusion on his face. I saw something moving under the surface of his skin. I was in denial as I ran over and covered him in gasoline, as though my plan still had a chance to work. A few of those things fell off, but it was too late. Jackson let out a weird groan as his body jerked upright and one of the critters burrowed out from the top of his head. I remember thinking, I wish I hadn't run for the gasoline, because the last thing he saw was me running away from him. Whether he knew I was coming back or not, I'll never know. But it hurts to think he might have thought I was abandoning him. I wish I'd run to him, swatting the creatures away in vain, so that at least I would have been by his side. Side. The result would have been the same. He was dead the moment that blood hit his skin. But I could have brought him comfort, and I didn't. And I have to live with that. The critters circled back around to him. Gasoline or not, I spent at least an hour trying to fend them off, screaming at them that they couldn't have him. All I did was draw out the process. I got him. Every last piece stolen from me, little bite by little bite. By the time he was gone, there was almost nothing left of the colossal creature either. By dawn, every trace of it and the tentacled things were gone, leaving nothing but a scar on the landscape. Today we subscribe to a polite fiction about what happened that night. It was a meteor strike. The forest shows all the signs of one and there's no evidence to the contrary. Jackson is considered one of the casualties. Telling his father was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life. I don't even know if Rose knows the truth. That's the the thing. Since we all pretend it didn't happen the way it did. I don't actually know how many people know what really fell from the sky. With some, it's obvious that they saw. I can tell by the way they're always scanning the sky or flinching when a bird flies overhead. With others, well, they either hide it very well or they genuinely don't know. As for me, I know what I saw. And while I'll never have all the answers, I have a pretty good theory thanks to Jackson. I think he was right to compare it to sea life. I don't think it was an attack. I think it was just some sort of cosmic entity reaching the end of its life cycle and ending up in shallow waters. Just like marine life from the depths do when they're weak and dying. It was probably warped and deformed by Earth's pressure and atmosphere. Who knows what it was supposed to look like? Who knows how many of them are out there now, unbeknownst to us. As for those jellyfish like things, I think they were simply bottom feeders. Probably sensing the creature's end was near, they'd probably followed it, waiting for a quick meal. In some small, strange way, thinking this makes me feel a little bit better about everything. It was nature, that's all. But then I think of Jackson and all I want to do is cry.

[A]

Things are looking up. We'll be back after a delicious word from our sponsor. As the new year kicks off, I'm trying to simplify everything I can, including dinner. With work and routine starting back up and long winter evenings, having Home Chef deliver fresh pre portioned meals takes a a huge weight off my plate. It's the easiest way to start the year. Feeling organized, well fed and way less stressed. Home Chef is rated number one by users of other meal kits. For quality, convenience, value, taste and recipe ease. Home Chef makes cooking simple, fresh food delivered, easy recipes to follow and meals that actually taste great. And now with Gordon Ramsay's exclusive recipes on the Home Chef menu, you can enjoy five star meals without the stress. And it's not one size fits all. Home Chef has over 30 meal options each week with choices for different diets and tastes. Plus it's affordable. Home Chef customers save an average of $86 per month on groceries. For a limited time, Home Chef is offering sleepless listeners 50% off and free shipping for your first box. Plus free free dessert for life. Go to homechef.com no sleep that's home chef.com no sleep for 50 off your first box and free dessert for life. Home chef.com no sleep must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert. Now let's get back and keep on rocking. In our final tale, we join a couple on their way to one of the most legendary and life affirming experiences anyone can have attending a music festival. They're young, they're living life in the fast lane, and their car's broken down. And in this tale shared with us by author KG Lewis, a forced detour leads to an eerie metropolis where music and mayhem go hand in hand. Performing this tale are Atticus Jackson, Sarah Thomas and Peter Lewis. So there's a warning sign on the road ahead, but pay no attention, just power on and of course keep on rocking in the free world.

[C]

I cursed as the car's engine suddenly died. I tried to restart it, but it wouldn't respond. I couldn't even get the lights or radio to turn on. Nothing seemed to be working. Not wanting to leave the car in the middle of the road, I turned the wheel and let it coast to a stop on the shoulder. Elena opened her eyes and stretched in the passenger seat.

[E]

What's going on? Why did you stop?

[C]

Car's dead. I pointed at the dashboard. Elena sat up and looked around, trying to get an idea of where we were. When she didn't see any street signs or buildings, she pulled out her phone and tried to open her map app.

[E]

No service.

[C]

She turned the screen so I could see it before putting the phone away.

[E]

Do you have any idea where we are?

[C]

No clue. I was following that shortcut that guy at the gas station told us about. All I know is that this road is supposed to reconnect with the interstate. At some point. I had asked the gas station attendant about an alternate route around the city when I saw that an accident had closed all the lanes of the interstate, potentially adding hours to our drive.

[E]

What's the last town we drove through?

[C]

Some place called wrong way, about 20 miles back.

[E]

Wrong Way? Seriously?

[C]

That's what the sign said.

[E]

Does your phone have service?

[C]

I lifted the phone to check. Nope. I haven't had any service since we left. Wrong Way. Elena turned in her seat and looked back at the way we had come, scanning the road behind us.

[E]

Have you seen any other cars?

[C]

Not since Wrong Way.

[E]

I guess that means we're walking.

[C]

Five minutes later, Elena and I were standing next to the car, adjusting our backpacks. We'd packed light because we were only supposed to be gone for a couple of days. I sighed as we started walking away from the car. Looks like we're not going to make it to the music festival in time to see the opening acts.

[E]

That's fine with me. All of the bands I'm most excited about seeing aren't playing until tomorrow anyway.

[C]

We continued talking about the music festival until I realized we'd walked a couple of miles and hadn't seen a single car or house or any other sign of people in the area. Maybe we should turn around, I suggested, wondering if it would have been smarter to walk back to Wrong Way instead of going forward.

[E]

This road leads to the interstate, right? If it does, we're bound to run into someone eventually, don't you think? I guess we can go back if you want.

[C]

I could tell she didn't want to do that. She figured the next town had to be a lot closer than returning to the previous one. No, we can keep walking this way.

[E]

I'm sure we'll come across a house or a gas station soon. Certainly within the next mile or two.

[C]

We walked the next mile in silence before I spotted something in the distance. What's that? I pointed across an expanse of tall grass where the top of a white dome was peeking above the tree line. Elena, who was walking a couple of steps in front of me, stopped and turned so she could see what I was pointing at.

[E]

It looks like the top of a water tower.

[C]

She smiled.

[E]

I told you the next town had to be nearby.

[C]

She left the road and started to cross the field, motioning for me to follow her.

[E]

Come on.

[C]

Where are you going?

[E]

I'm taking a shortcut.

[C]

Shouldn't we just follow the road?

[E]

We could.

[C]

She stopped and and turned around.

[E]

But this way will be faster.

[C]

How do you know that?

[E]

Because of the water tower. The closer we get to it, the closer to town we should be.

[C]

When I didn't make a move to Joiner she continued.

[E]

We can keep walking along the road if you want, but it'll probably take us twice as long to get there. Assuming the road doesn't bypass the town altogether.

[C]

I hadn't thought of that. I didn't like the idea of walking any further than I had to, and I certainly didn't want to risk walking past the town. I pulled out my phone and checked it, something I'd done frequently as we walked. When I saw that it still had no service, I slid it back into my pocket and walked out into the field to join Elena.

[E]

Almost there.

[C]

Elena stopped to finish the last drop of water from the plastic bottle she was carrying. When she was done, she put the empty container into her backpack. The walk to get to the water tower was a bit more arduous than it looked. Once we passed through the field and made it into the trees, the ground began to rise and fall fall in a series of rolling hills. What I thought was going to be a quick walk ended up being an hour long hike. I pulled out my own water bottle to take a drink.

[E]

Do you want to take a break?

[C]

Nah, I'm good. The tower was about 500ft away from us at the top of the next hill. I recapped my water bottle and slid it into the little pouch on the side of my backpack. We could take a break when we get to the top. We were halfway up the hill when Elena suddenly stopped and tilted her head listening to something.

[E]

Do you hear that?

[C]

I stopped so I could listen too. When she'd asked, all I could hear was the sound of my my footsteps crunching through the tall grass covering the hill. It sounds like music. There was the faint pounding of drums as I continued to listen. I could make out the whine of an electric guitar and the screaming vocals of a heavy metal singer. Yeah, that's definitely music. Elena smiled as she started walking again.

[E]

I know this song.

[C]

I don't recognize it. I followed behind her. It didn't sound like anything Elena or I normally listen to.

[E]

It's Rainbow in the Dark by Dio. It was one of my dad's favorite songs.

[C]

We'd reached the top of the hill where a cracked and rutted road led to the left and right of our position. I pointed to the left. I think it's coming from down there. As we stood there, Rainbow in the Dark ended in a new song began. Elena smiled again.

[E]

Whoever's playing this stuff really loves their 80s metal.

[C]

I didn't know you were a fan. In the eight months I'd known Elena, I'd always assumed our taste in music was the same. It was the topic we bonded over, especially our love for the Lumineers and other modern folk bands. We were actually on our way to a folk music festival when the car broke down. I didn't think liking heavy metal was a bad thing. I was just surprised to hear that Elena liked it.

[E]

I grew up on this stuff. My mom and dad were huge metal heads in the 80s.

[C]

She laughed as she recalled some of the pictures she'd seen of her parents.

[E]

You should have seen their hair laughs.

[C]

She held her hands up to both sides of her head.

[E]

So much hairspray.

[C]

As Elena talked, I pulled out my phone, checking to see if the service had returned.

[E]

Anything?

[C]

I shook my head. Nope.

[E]

I guess that means we should find whoever's blasting that music and see if they have a phone we can use.

[C]

In my mind, I pictured a bar full of burly bikers sitting around drinking beer and listening to loud music. That made me uncomfortable with the idea of seeking out the source of the music, but we didn't really have any other options at the moment. As I followed Elena up the road, I silently hoped that we'd find someone else to help us before we found out with the music was coming from Elena, who had started singing along to Judas Priest's you've got Another Thing Coming didn't seem to share my concerns.

[E]

I think I see a house.

[C]

We'd been walking for about 10 minutes following the music, when Elena saw the roof of a structure behind a line of trees a few hundred meters from the road.

[E]

Never mind.

[C]

She sighed as she came to the other side of the tree line and saw the broken windows and missing door of the house. I pointed at another one on the opposite side of the road in a similar state of disrepair. This one's abandoned too.

[E]

Sounds like the music is coming from both houses.

[C]

Elena stopped and looked from one house to the other while tilting her head to listen. I stopped and listened too. The music did sound like it was coming from both houses, but it also sounded like it was still coming from further up the street. Want to check it out? I asked, nodding toward the nearest house.

[E]

Sure.

[C]

The music coming from the abandoned houses had peaked her curiosity. She followed me through the weed infested yard and up onto the porch. The closer we got to the house, the louder the music got. It sounds like it's coming from the back. I stepped off the porch and began circling the house, peering through the broken windows. Elena followed behind me.

[E]

What are you doing?

[C]

Making sure there's nobody inside. Somebody had to have set up the speakers that were playing the music, and I wanted to make sure they weren't still around. Plus, I started to feel a presence. Like someone was watching me.

[E]

See anything?

[C]

No. I can't tell where the music is coming from either.

[E]

Well, let's find out.

[C]

Elena stepped into the back patio, through the remains of the sliding glass door, and into the house. I turned in a circle, scanning the surrounding area behind the house, trying to figure out why. I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me. When I didn't see anyone, I joined Elena.

[E]

It sounds like it's coming from up there.

[C]

Elena had to raise her voice to be heard over the music as she pointed at the same ceiling in the attic. This doesn't feel right. I think we should leave. Elena looked over at me and then back up at the ceiling.

[E]

It is pretty weird.

[C]

The two of us left the house. When we returned to the road, I started walking back the way we had come. Come? While Elena went in the opposite direction.

[E]

Where are you going?

[C]

I looked over my shoulder at her. Back to the car.

[E]

Seriously? We're already here. Let's just keep going until we find someone who can help us.

[C]

Okay, but if we don't find anyone in the next half hour, we're going back to the car.

[E]

Fair enough.

[C]

We continued walking up the road without talking to each other. Even if we had anything to say, the increasing volume of the music would have made it hard for us to hear each other clearly. As we walked. I kept my phone in my hand so I could periodically check for service and to see how much time had passed. If we didn't find any anyone soon, I was planning on walking back to the car with or without Elena.

[E]

Look.

[C]

I glanced up from my phone to see her standing at an intersection, pointing at a building down the street.

[E]

I bet whoever is playing the music is in there.

[C]

The building Elena was pointing out was a small brick structure with remnants of a large antenna tower on the roof. Mounted on the side of the building facing us were four large, heavily weathered letters identifying the structure as a radio station. K ll D. Never heard of it. I had to practically yell to be heard over the music, which seemed to be coming from all of the buildings that line the street.

[E]

I don't think many people have. I doubt they can broadcast very far with a broken antenna.

[C]

Do you really think there's someone inside? I don't see any cars. The fact that we'd seen so many abandoned houses but not a single person was making me feel anxious. I didn't want to go any further. I wanted to turn around and leave.

[E]

There has to be someone. The music isn't playing itself.

[C]

Maybe. Maybe it's automated, programmed to play random songs.

[E]

Even if it is, there should still be someone around to make sure it's running properly.

[C]

Not if they've left town like everyone else seems to have. I swept my arm behind me to gesture at the row of empty houses we just walked past.

[E]

Well, I guess there's only one way to find out.

[C]

When we made it to the entrance of the radio station, Elena reached out and tested the glass door to see if it would open.

[E]

It's unlocked.

[C]

I pressed my face to the dirty glass so I could see inside.

[E]

See anyone?

[C]

No. All I saw was a reception desk with two large speakers sitting on opposite ends of it. Currently blaring from them was the Quiet Riot song Come On, Feel the Noise, But I didn't know that at the time. Elena pulled the door open and walked inside, holding it open for me to follow. As I walked by her, she threw up her hand, making the sign of the devil, and began singing, singing the chorus to the song while banging her head to the beat.

[E]

I love Quiet Riot.

[C]

I couldn't tell, I replied with a lopsided grin on my face. The two of us stood in the entryway, examining our surroundings.

[E]

Which way?

[C]

Two doors led further into the building, one on either side of the reception. Reception area. Why don't you check that door and I'll check this one?

[E]

Sounds like a plan.

[C]

Elena turned and approached the door closest to her. I waited until she opened it and peeked inside before I opened my door. On the other side of the door, I saw the Booth where the DJs sat and played music. When I noticed that someone was sitting inside the booth with a pair of headphones on, I quickly shut the door and spun around to get Elena.

[E]

What you see?

[C]

I considered lying and telling her that there wasn't anything there, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. There's a guy in there.

[E]

Well, let's go talk to him.

[C]

Elena brushed past me as she rushed across the entryway and through the door. I stood in the doorway and watched as she approached the window of the booth and knocked on it, trying to get the man's attention. It took her several tries, knocking louder and louder each time before the man who was sitting with his back to us swiveled in his chair and saw her. Elena waved at him. The man, who appeared to be in his late 50s or early 60s, was clearly shocked to see us. He stared at us for what seemed like an eternity before removing his headphones, slowly rising from his chair and walking out of the booth. How did you get here? Elena looked back at me before answering.

[E]

Our car broke down on the way to the interstate. We saw the water tower from the road and figured there was town nearby, so we cut across across the woods and headed this way. From there we just followed the music until we found you.

[C]

She paused for a moment. When the man didn't say anything, she.

[E]

Went on, we're just looking for a phone so we can call someone to come help us.

[C]

I walked over to join them. As Elena spoke, the man opened his mouth to say something but stopped and looked back at the the booth instead because the Quiet Rite song had just ended one second. He raised his index finger and rushed back into the booth, removed the Quiet Right record from the player, grabbed the new record without looking at it, and started to play it. A moment later, the guitar intro for Metallica's For Whom the Bell Tolls roared from the speakers. When the man returned, he shuffled over to the desk in the corner of the room, grabbed something, and returned to where Elena and I were standing. You said you came into town over.

[B]

By the water tower, right?

[C]

He unfolded the thing he'd grabbed from the desk and held it up, showing us that it was a map. Elena and I both nodded.

[B]

Can you show me the route you took to get here?

[C]

Sure, I said, wondering why that was so important to the guy.

[B]

This is where we are.

[C]

The man pointed to a spot near the center of town.

[B]

And this is where the water tower is.

[C]

He slid his finger to a spot outside of town. This is the way we came, I said, stepping forward and placing my finger on the spot where the water tower was and moving it diagonally to the edge of the map. The map didn't show enough of the surrounding areas to have the road where we'd broken down on it.

[B]

Did you follow this road to get into town?

[C]

The man pointed at the road that ran in front of the water to Tower.

[B]

Or did you cut through here?

[C]

He moved his finger in a straight line from the tower to the radio station, cutting across a couple of fields and side streets. We followed the road. Why does that matter? I was getting irritated at being questioned. I just wanted to use the phone and get the heck out of there. The man ignored ignored my question.

[B]

Do you know how to use a record player?

[C]

He looked from me to Elena. I was sure I could figure it out, but I wasn't gonna offer no. The man motioned for Elena to follow him into the booth. Once inside, he pointed at the record player.

[A]

Know when that song ends?

[B]

Start another one.

[C]

He moved his finger from the player to the crates of records that were stacked up against the wall. Elena walked over to one of the crates and lifted a record out.

[E]

You only have singles.

[C]

She held up a small record that was only large enough to contain a single song per side. The man swept his arms across the room. What you see is what I got. Elena put the record back and started flipping through the crate until she found a record that caught her eye. It was Queens Reich's Operation Mine Crime. She pulled it out and turned around to show me smiling.

[E]

I'd completely forgotten this band existed. I'm playing this next.

[B]

Play whatever you like.

[A]

Just keep it plain.

[C]

He jabbed his finger at the record player. Why? Once again, he ignored my question.

[B]

I need to run over to my trailer to get my phone so you can make your call.

[A]

I'll explain everything when I get back.

[C]

He shuffled out of the booth and toward the exit of the radio station. What's wrong with that phone? I followed the man, pointing at an old phone sitting on one of the desks.

[B]

It doesn't work.

[A]

None of them do.

[C]

If you want to make a call.

[B]

Here, you need a satellite phone, which I have in my trailer.

[C]

I was about to suggest that maybe I should go with the man, but Elena interrupted me.

[D]

Leave him alone.

[E]

He's just trying to help.

[C]

She turned to the man.

[E]

Do you have anything to drink around here? My throat is killing me.

[C]

The long hike into town and then having to constantly shout over the music was taking its toll on both of us.

[B]

There's a fridge in the break room.

[C]

The man pointed to the other side of the building. Help yourself self to whatever you want.

[E]

Cool.

[C]

Right after she finished speaking, the Metallica song ended.

[E]

That's my cue.

[C]

She smiled, returning to the booth to put the Queen's Reich record on. The man waited until the song began to play before he left. I stopped him as he was about to step out into the parking lot. Wait a minute. Where's your trailer?

[A]

You see that stop sign?

[C]

The man gestured up the street.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Take that left and it's two blocks up on the right hand side.

[C]

You can't miss it. When he was done talking, he pushed the door open and walked outside. I considered following behind him to see if he was really going to his trailer, but I decided against doing that. I didn't want to leave Elena alone.

[E]

Do you want something to drink?

[C]

Elena came up behind me, startling me.

[E]

Sorry I didn't mean to scare you.

[C]

When I didn't acknowledge her comment, she put her hand on my shoulder.

[E]

Are you okay?

[C]

Not really. This place gives me the creeps. Where is everyone? And what's up with all of this? I gestured at the speakers on the desk. None of it makes any sense.

[E]

You're right, it doesn't. But we're here, so let's try not to make a big deal out of it. When he comes back, we'll call a tow truck and get the heck out of here, okay?

[C]

Okay. If he comes back, I thought.

[E]

In the meantime, let's see what he has to drink.

[C]

Elena tugged on my arm, pulling me toward the door that led to the break room.

[E]

What do you want?

[C]

Elena stood before the open door of the refrigerator and gestured at the various brands of beer and soda that filled the shelves. I pointed at a bottle of IBC root beer. O haven't had one of those in a while.

[E]

Sounds good to me.

[C]

She grabbed a couple of bottles and held one out to me, then reached into the fridge and grabbed two more before shutting it.

[E]

Let's get back before the song ends. I need to figure out what I'm going to play next.

[C]

She seemed to enjoy the idea of being a disc jockey. As we made our way back to the booth, I stopped by the front doors and chugged my root beer, looking outside. I don't think he's coming back.

[E]

Why do you think that?

[C]

Just a feeling.

[E]

You can go look for him if.

[C]

It'Ll make you feel better and leave you here.

[E]

I'll be fine.

[C]

Are you sure?

[E]

Positive.

[A]

Now go.

[E]

The sooner you make that phone call, the sooner we can get the hell out of here.

[C]

I pulled my phone out and checked it for the millionth time, hoping it would have service. I wouldn't have to go looking for this man. But that wasn't the case. Okay, I'm going. I pushed my way through the door and walked out into the parking lot as Elena returned to the booth to start looking for the next song she was going to play. Two blocks up on the right hand side, I muttered to myself after I'd reached the stop sign. I stood there for a moment, looking in the direction the man had indicated, but I couldn't see a trailer, just a row of shops. Wanting to give the man the benefit of the doubt, I decided to walk up the road to see if I could find the trailer. I did find it on the other side of an auto body shop set back a couple hundred feet from the road on a heavily wooded lot and I didn't like what I found. The door to the trailer was wide open, and there was no sign of the man. Knew it. I hissed after I'd poked the my head through the doorway of the trailer, confirming that it was empty. As I looked around the interior of the trailer, I noticed feminine items scattered around, items that most men wouldn't have a need for, and they all looked like they'd been recently used. There's someone else here, I thought. I whirled around and scanned the road, looking for for any sign of the man or the woman who was likely with him. But the road curved out of sight, limiting my field of vision. I couldn't have gotten far. I was about to jog up the road and try to catch up to them, but I stopped when I saw a piece of paper weighed down with a brick sitting on top of a trash can next to the trailer door. I pulled the paper free and held it up. Written on it was a single sentence. The music keeps them away. What's that supposed to mean? As soon as I asked the question, the song that was playing ended. I assumed Elena would start a new song any moment, but she never did. The sudden silence, coupled with the idea that something might have happened to Elena, sent chills up my spine. I ran back towards the radio station. Elena? I'd only managed to make it a block before strange figures began appearing in the doorways of all the nearby shops.

[B]

Hello?

[C]

I stopped and raised my hand and grabbed greeting, thinking the closest figure was a person. I quickly realized my mistake when the figure stepped out of the shadows and onto the sidewalk. There was nothing human about it except its basic shape. Its face was featureless, and its body was a pixelated mixture of gray, black, and white, the colors and constant, constant motion like the static on a television screen. As it got closer, I thought I could hear the hiss of white noise coming from it. The figures converged on me. With slow, measured steps, I turned and ran back towards the trailer, but again I didn't make it very far. While I was watching the figures in front of me, several more had come out of the buildings behind me. There were close to 20 of them, all making their way toward me. I was surrounded. I spun in a circle, looking for a way to escape, but none presented itself. There were now more than 50 of the figures spread out around me in every every direction, all walking toward me. The closest ones were less than 20ft away. If you're gonna do something, you better do it now. The voice of reason shouted in my mind. I tensed my muscles, preparing to run. But before I did, the drum intro to Iron Maiden's Run to the Hills began pounding from the speakers. The bodies of the figures flickered like a TV screen, having trouble focusing before they dispersed with flashes of light so bright that I had to shield my eyes. When I was able to uncover them, I saw that I was alone in the street, not wanting to be stuck outside. With the current song ended, I ran as fast as I could back to the radio station. Elena. It threw open the doors of the station and kept calling her name until I saw her standing in the doorway of the booth, staring at me with a concerned look on her face.

[E]

What's wrong?

[C]

He's gone. And there was these things. We're looking at me and he's gone. He's not even here. The trailer empty.

[E]

Catch your breath and then start over.

[C]

He's gone.

[E]

What do you mean he's gone?

[C]

Gone as in gone across the room so I didn't have to shout to be heard over the music. He just up and left.

[E]

Why would he do that?

[C]

It probably has something to do with the weird I paused, trying to think of the right word to describe the figures. I'd seen people out there. I hooked my thumb over my shoulder towards the entrance of the radio station.

[E]

There are other people here.

[C]

I sighed in frustration. Not people.

[A]

People.

[C]

People is the wrong word for them. They're things. Ghosts. Aliens. I don't know what they are. I just know they aren't human. They appeared when you stopped playing the music. Why did you stop playing the music anyway?

[E]

I had to pee really bad. I didn't think I was going to be gone that long.

[C]

Then it suddenly hit her what I had said.

[E]

Did you say aliens?

[C]

She raised her eyebrows, looking at me like I was crazy. Instead of replying, I held out the note I'd found still clutched in my fist. I found this. Elena took the note and smoothed it out so she could read it.

[E]

The music keeps them away. What's that supposed to mean?

[C]

It's better if you see for yourself. Go and stand in the entrance and keep your eye on the street.

[E]

What am I supposed to be looking for? Little green men?

[C]

She laughed as she walked toward the entrance. I wasn't amused by her attempt at humor. You won't be laughing when you see them. Once Elena was in position, I walked into the booth and removed the needle from the record that was playing. A couple of minutes later, Elena came running back into the booth.

[E]

What the hell are those things?

[C]

I shrugged. I have no idea. All I know is that the music keeps him away, like the note says.

[E]

Then hurry up and turn the music back on before they get in here.

[C]

I obliged, placing the needle back on the record, restarting the song. Elena peeked back through the doorway at the entrance to verify that the things outside were gone. She sighed in relief when she saw that they were.

[E]

We can't stay here.

[C]

I agree, but we can't just walk out of here. We won't make it out of town before the music ends. Thinking about leaving made me recall the conversation we'd had with the man and how he was asking so many questions about the route we'd taken to get into town. He was asking those questions because he knew he'd be able to escape if he left the same way we had arrived.

[E]

How long did it take us to get into town from the water tower?

[C]

About 25, 30 minutes. Why? Elena picked up the map the man had left on the desk and examined it.

[E]

If we cut across here.

[C]

She drew a straight line with her finger from the radio station to the.

[E]

Water tower, running the entire way. We could probably make it back in about 10 minutes.

[C]

That means we'll need to start a song that's at least 10 minutes long to cover our escape.

[E]

Not a song. We need an entire album.

[C]

Well, I doubt you're going to find one here. If there was one, that guy would have been playing it instead of sitting here playing song after song. Don't you think?

[E]

He wouldn't have been able to do that all day though. He'd have to sleep sometime.

[C]

He had help. There was someone else living in that trailer with him. They probably took shifts playing songs while the other person slept.

[E]

That's what we can do. You can stay and play the music while I go and get help.

[C]

Why don't you stay and I get help? I didn't want to be left alone in this creepy ass town because I'm faster than you.

[E]

I can make it back to the car a lot quicker than you can.

[C]

You don't know that. I can run pretty fast when I want to. Elena eyed my body, the look on her face implying that I was not in the best of shape.

[E]

I'm going.

[C]

She began walking quickly toward the exit. You won't get very far. I moved into the booth, then remove the needle from the record.

[E]

Seriously, don't you want to get out of here?

[C]

Of course I do. But I want us to do it together. Elena stood with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. Let's wait an hour. If we can't figure out a way for both of us to leave by then. You can go and get help while I stay here.

[B]

Here.

[E]

Fine. One hour.

[C]

Satisfied that we had settled our differences, I placed the needle back on the record.

[E]

I guess we should see what songs we have to work with.

[C]

After walking into the booth to join me, she started flipping through the available records. I don't recognize any of these bands.

[E]

Look for anything by Megadeth, Metallica, or Slayer. Some of their songs are pretty long.

[C]

Okay, but first I need to pee. The root beer I drank had gone straight to my bladder. I started to walk away, but stopped when I realized I had no idea where the restroom was. Guessing what I was about to ask her, Elena pointed the way.

[E]

It's on the other side, past the break room.

[C]

Thanks. I'll be right back. After I'd finished using the facilities and was washing my hands, I heard the music stop. A few seconds later, a new song started playing. Surprisingly, it was one that I recognized. I know this song, I declared as I walked back over to the booth. But there was no reply. The booth was empty and Elena was nowhere to be found. She'd left without me, knowing I'd do the right thing and keep her the music playing for her. Through the speakers, the lead singer for the band Europe belted out the chorus of their most popular hit, the Final Countdown.

[B]

Sa.

[A]

Our tales may be over, but they are still out there. Be sure to join us next week so you can stay safe, stay secure, and stay Sleepless the no Sleep podcast is presented by Creative Reason Media. The musical score was composed by Brandon Boone. Our production team is Phil Michakulski, Jeff Clement, Jesse Cornett, and Claudius Moore. Our editorial team is Jessica McAvoy, Ashley McInally, Ollie A. White, and Kristen Samido. To discover how you can get even more sleepless horror stories from us, just visit sleepless.thenosleeppodcast.com to learn about the Sleepless Sanctuary ad free extended episodes each week and lots of of bonus content for the dark hours. All for one low monthly price. On behalf of everyone at the no Sleep Podcast, we thank you for joining us and seeking safety from the things that stalk us in the night. This audio program is copyright 2025 by Creative Reason Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The copyrights for each story are held by the respective authors. No duplication or reproduction of this audio program is permitted without the written consent of Creative Reason Media, Inc.

[D]

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