Episode 47: Of Moths and ...what is that?

Welcome back, listeners. Sorry about this morning. 

The voice of Tanner Walling is Chuck Raymond. The voice of Clark "British" Olsen is Shaun Pellington.

Sound effects this episode from Freesound.org contributors: brainclaim, cognito perceptu, harveyjnz, joviansounds, kmoon, ryding, szelestamas, zeraora, nox_sound, mastersdisaster, kodack, toefur, the woodland nomad, haulaway, reiyamanor, and dynamique.

CW: Existentialism, descriptions and mentions of injury, and frightening descriptions.

Nowhere, On Air is created, voiced and produced by Jesse Syratt. Cover art by Moon Hermit Crab on Instagram.

We'd love to hear from you! Email us at nowhere.onair@gmail.com. Or, find us on the app formerly known as twitter, @NowhereOnAir

Transcript

[STATIC, INTO:]

TANNER: Have you– have you been sitting there this whole time? 

JESS: What? Are you back already? 

TANNER: I left– ... it's been hours, have you even moved? 

JESS: What are you talking about? Hours? 

TANNER: Are you feeling okay? 

JESS: [NOTICING] It's dark out. 

TANNER: Uh, yeah. Have you been there since the show this morning? 

JESS: …Where were you? 

TANNER: I told you earlier I was going out— don’t change the subject. 

JESS:  I don’t know, I don’t remember…  

TANNER: You doing okay? After… John…? 

JESS: [SIGHING] I’m fine. Just- spooked mostly. [SHARP INHALE] I must have zoned out. 

TANNER: For the whole day? 

JESS:  Apparently. Damn. I guess it's time for the show again. 

TANNER: Maybe this is a sign that it's time to stop. 

JESS: I tried. 

TANNER: I know yesterday you said…  but maybe we should– 

JESS: No, I seriously tried. I was thinking, and listening to the static, and… I guess I just got lost… but I was thinking that I should go and ask you to take over today. I- I honestly thought I was sitting in my room, but I guess I imagined that–

TANNER: Hey, I’m happy to take over if it means you’ll take a break. 

JESS: No, I can’t, I— I can’t. 

TANNER: Jess, one night off isn’t gonna kill you–

JESS: I can’t.I- I want too, I really do, but something in me– I don’t know… I just can’t. 

TANNER: Have you eaten something at least? [BEAT. HE SIGHS] Let me see what leftovers we have– 

JESS: I’m not hungry. 

TANNER: You have to take care of yourself, okay? If you’re gonna keep this up, if we’re all gonna make it out of this… where’s Clark? I’m surprised he didn’t check on you. 

JESS: I haven’t seen him. 

TANNER: Okay, this guy has got to stop disappearing.  

JESS: [LAUGHS LIGHTLY] I think he’s just in his room. I wasn’t really here, y’know? 

TANNER: Well, I’m gonna get you something to eat and then… just make sure he’s still alive. [SHE’S STARTING SHIFTING AND MOVING SOME STUFF] You gonna start the show? 

JESS: Yep. 

TANNER: No one would be mad if you didn’t. 

JESS: I… I don’t know how else to explain it except that I have to. [BEAT. SPUTTERING] Oh, hey-

TANNER What? 

JESS: There’s a moth in here. Flew right in my face. 

[THEME MUSIC]  

JESS: Good evening, folks. Twice in one day– I hope you aren’t getting sick of me, I… 

[SHE COUGHS]

Sorry, excuse me. I hope you aren’t getting sick of me. 

I’m back. Like I promised. I’d say better than ever but… I don’t like lying to you listeners. Not that I ever have. But that perhaps is one I don’t think I’d get away with. 

But, I’m back. 

I’ve also got a headache. Or, maybe, considering it hasn’t actually let up, it's the same headache that’s been knocking around my skull the last few days. Like a dull nail is being jabbed by an invisible hammer into this spot just at the top of my head… 

Well, I don’t mean to bore you with the details. You don’t tune in to hear me complain. Sometimes I must admit I’m not sure why you tune in, still, in these times, but… I appreciate it. 

Um. I wasn’t able to sort of, prepare for this mentally or emotionally at all so… 

Oh. 

[PAPER SLIDES]

There’s a note on the table in front of me so… I wonder if someone stopped by today to drop this off, and uh… I’m sorry if I ignored you. It seems I must have because I have no memory of this, or of the day at all really, but, it once again looks like Herman Blanchard’s handwriting. 

I’m just- gonna read it for a second. Just in case… there’s anything… 

Hmm. Okay. Um. 

[PAPER SOUND]

Two things. Thank you, Herman, for dropping this off. I’m not sure what it is you’re up to these days, but, thank you for taking the time to keep us informed. 

First things first: a… update about the fog, though I don’t think this counts as weather. 

According to reports Herman very helpfully collected on our behalf, several of you have seen… voids burrowing their way into the cloud. These do not sound like the shimmering voids we are somewhat accustomed to, however, but much… darker. Not just, in a, like vibe sense, but literally darker. They are described in this note as suspended pockets of shadow. 

Herman, or who I’m assuming is Herman based solely on the handwriting, further describes his experience watching one of these voids appear, saying it was like watching the fabric of observable reality stretch then thin then pull, then rip, as though two hands were pulling from either end of a piece of gauze, leaving a frayed black, gaping hole. 

As always, we don’t know any more about these voids yet, or how many of them there are, and I would, as with most unknown things we’ve come up against, encourage you to avoid them. 

I’m sure it's no surprise that voids of any kind make me a little nervous. 

[INDESCIPHERABLE STATIC AND AUDIO FROM THE END OF EPISODE 23] 

And, on a similar note, this note’s second point: 

We have also had… an alarming amount of names passed on to us of people that seem to have disappeared since the fog’s appearance, and this list seems as though it is not limited to just those who lived on the street that is no longer there. As per Herman’s request, we’ll add this to the rest of the details we’ve been keeping track of. [TURNING AWAY FROM THE MIC] In fact, I’ll go pin it to the wall when we go to a break– 

It's… I forgot that I… not forgot, I can’t forget, but… 

It was weird… to see my name was up there. My name is up there. Among the missing. 

[QUIET] No matter where I am, I’m lost, huh? 

[BEAT. INHALE]

It's possible, very possible, that at least some of these people are just adrift in the cloud and have yet to find their way home. It's also very possible, here in Braedon, that something worse could have happened. I think I understand in some ways more than most the uh, instinct to be concerned when people disappear. 

The idea that someone you love is out there lost, that you have no idea where they are or how to find them… that you have no conception or scope of the distance that separates you and all the strange and terrible things that may lie in between you… with no way of knowing whether they know the way back home…    

I perhaps can’t totally relate to that feeling from exactly the same perspective, but… well, not only do I know what it is to miss someone, I also know what it is to carry the weight of knowing someone out there misses you. Not in a conceited way, but I know what it's like to be gone. To be lost, so lost that home isn’t even a point on the map. 

And knowing that you’ve left something near and dear behind, knowing you’ve left them with the worst kinds of questions… that maybe you’ll never get to answer… 

It isn’t fair, is it? Separation beyond your control, helpless behind a door you want nothing more than to open? 

TANNER: [FOOTSETPS APPROACHING] Grubs up. [SETS DOWN A PLATE] I’m no expert but I think most things are easier to deal with once you’ve got some food in you. 

JESS: Right. Well, I’ll go to a break listeners cause I’m sure no one wants to hear me eat…  I’d encourage you all to also grab a snack or something if you can. 

[BUTTON. MUSIC FOR A SECOND. STATIC. JESS WINCES]

JESS: Ah, god… 

TANNER: You okay? Your hand still bothering you? 

JESS: No, no. I mean, yes, but it's not that. I’m fine, just– that– this morning, with John, it just irritated… an old injury. Hurts to move sometimes.  

TANNER: “Old injury?”

JESS: Yeah. Well, I guess it's not that old. But it's not healed as much as I thought it would by now. It's fine. 

TANNER: …You’ve just been hiding it since you got back? Does Clark know? 

JESS: It's not- it's not that big a deal. Sounds worse than it is. Where have you been, by the way? 

TANNER: I— Uh- I- [SIGHS] It’s– it's Becca’s birthday. 

JESS: Today? 

TANNER: Yeah. 

JESS: Oh. I- You should have said something, we could have- 

TANNER: What? 

JESS: I don’t know, I just… if you wanted… 

TANNER: I wanted to be alone. 

JESS: …I understand. I-... 

TANNER: I went to the river, just… picked some flowers and… talked to her. Thought… maybe I’d see her face on the water if I waited long enough… 

[SOFT PAUSE. TONE SHIFT]

JESS: I’m sure she heard you. 

TANNER: [LAUGHS SADLY] I hope so… we do what we can, right? With the distance. 

[BEAT]

JESS: I used to tell myself that if anything was gonna travel that far, it had to be sound. Like light, it sneaks in through all the cracks. Especially in the quiet, and especially when it hurts… because… because more than hope, you have to believe they’re listening, y’know? Otherwise, what do you do with it? [PAUSE] Sorry, I– you didn’t ask for my-

TANNER: Thanks. I- yeah, thanks. [PAUSE. CLEARING THROAT.] Oh, also, I, uh, found this picture? I’m guessing it’s yours.

JESS: What- where did you find this? 

TANNER: On the floor near your room. I just- wanted to make sure it was safe. 

JESS: Oh. Thanks… I didn’t realize that it was…

TANNER: No problem. [BEAT.] Who are they? You’re not in it. 

JESS: [SNIFFLES, SOFTLY] Um. Yeah. It’s not mine. I’m holding onto it for someone. 

TANNER: Who? 

JESS: It, uh, doesn’t matter… He’s dead, they’re all dead, so… 

TANNER: Matters even more then, doesn’t it? 

JESS: Thanks. For grabbing it. Don’t think I’d ever forgive myself if I lost it. 

TANNER: No problem. Make sure you eat. 

JESS: I will. [SOLID BEAT- GENUINE] Thanks, Tanner. 

TANNER: Don’t mention it. 

JESS: No, seriously, thanks. [INHALES] I know— I know I’ve been… none of this has been easy on anyone. It hasn’t been easy for you. How hard it was to leave, how much harder it was to come home… and I know I haven’t made it any easier, for a myriad of reasons. But– but I hope you know that I am grateful for you, and your friendship, and I really don’t know what I or any of us would have done without you here–

TANNER: Jess. okay, you promise you’re okay? All these thank yous are starting to feel a little bit like… goodbyes.

JESS: Just– trying not to take things for granted this time. [HURRIEDLY] I should probably eat some of this before this break ends, we’ve been- [BEAT, NOTICE, REACT] gosh, that’s like… four more moths at the window. Five! Why’s there so many all of a sudden? How did they get in here-?

[STATIC. BREAK MUSIC FINISHES]

Continuing on that last topic, ignoring the secret, third point on the note that is only for me, and speaking of missing people… uh, it's not rare for River to be absent for somewhat extended periods of time, but… none of us here have seen them in a few days, and we’re maybe hovering on the edge of concern. 

River if you’re out there and wanted to just give us a quick sign that you’re still around, we’d appreciate it. Or if any of you see them, can you let them know their absence has gone decently noticed here? Thanks. 

We also received a… message over that break. Via a delivery method we haven’t encountered in a while, which was… refreshing. 

Cute bird. I miss having our own carrier pigeons. 

Also– I kinda forgot you knew where we were. 

[PIGEON COOS] 

I gave him a little treat, I hope you don’t mind. 

But, um, assuming you’re listening, to answer your question: no. No, thank you. I, uh, formally decline your invitation. Sorry. I’ll send him back with a note just in case you aren’t but- yeah. I’m gonna pass. 

However, listeners, courtesy of this carrier pigeon from Town Council, working in tandem, I can only assume, with the faceless government faction who has also moved in, and who is different from the actual faceless faction that used to be guests among us, I do also have a community update for you. One I am having conflicting instincts about, and I wouldn’t blame you if you did as well. 

Apparently, according to Town Council, within the next hour, a meteorological event is going to take place that is not safe for human viewing. They urge everyone to stay indoors until tomorrow morning, and to cover all windows with a set of curtains- ones with sentimental value, preferably. 

Now, this is not the first time we’ve received these kinds of instructions from Town Council. I– honestly, considering the fog is still so thick we can’t even see the sky, I’m not sure how much viewing is a concern from a practical standpoint… but… 

Well, who am I to contradict Town Council? I do whole heartedly believe that this must be urgent to some extent, if they felt the need to uh, utilize us here. To speak to you through us, so, I guess we can assume they do want your attention, and further, I might speculate that they want you to hear it from a voice you trust… 

I am reminded of a broadcast from another life, listeners, aren’t you? An apparent cosmic danger, a voice, my voice, twofold through your speakers…  

And we all came out of that one a-okay, didn’t we? So far it doesn’t seem like there’s any vocal double of mine keeping us all on our toes, so… lets hope I haven’t jinxed anything there. 

[BIRD COOS AGAIN]

But to reiterate before we move on: there will imminently be a meteorological event that is not safe to witness. Please keep yourselves and your families safe by covering all windows or other visual access points to the sky, and perhaps whisper a quick thank you to The Fog for seemingly shielding us from any direct exposure to it. 

And, to assure you, this is me, Jess, talking to you. 

[BIRD COOS. MUSIC FADES] 

JESS: After my encounter with Braedon yesterday, that- feeling I have that there’s something in the journal, something the past still has to say to me, is even more present, but I- to be vulnerable for a moment here listeners, I’m nervous about…  happenings. Reality seeming… malleable. Sounds I have no control over. I don’t–  

I mean, I’m sure you don’t think otherwise, listeners, but I have no idea how any of this works. It doesn’t, it doesn’t work, but it does apparently, and– from the weirdest most inexplicable parts of this, from how I speak into this microphone and it reaches your ears, to the things you shouldn’t be able to hear, I don’t know how this works. 

And… that’s frustrating. So much of what I’ve been doing, what I’m doing here, now, I think maybe, boils down to knowing. Being in the know. I want to know what’s going on, I want you to know what’s going on, but the divide between knowing and understanding seems… vast in a place like Braedon, doesn’t it? Like acres and acres of earth, cracked open and split down the middle. 

I don’t know what’s happening anymore. If I ever did.  

I’m going to do my best to focus and… not let anything get away from me. Whatever that means. But- I’m gonna take a break from reading it. Just- briefly. Maybe when I feel a little less like my sanity is leaking out of my eyes, I’ll jump back in. 

[BEAT]

Gosh, that’s… 12 more moths for the unofficial moth tally I’m keeping in my head. I’ve never seen this many in one go… 

[JOKINGLY:]

Today’s show is brought to you by: moths. Moths. They're an insect. I think. They're… everywhere. Like butterflies, but worse. 

Maybe that was a little uncalled for. 

[SHOOING] And they’re like, flocking– shoo, shoo— stop swooping me– I’m sorry I said that– 

Shit. 

[BREAK MUSIC. STATIC CUTS OUT. BANDAGES UNWRAPPING. JESS WINCES.]

CLARK: Sorry. 

JESS: It's okay. Thanks for this- I didn’t mean to pull you away from what you were doing, I just… it unraveled, and we haven’t changed them today- I figured, hop to a quick break- 

CLARK: I wasn’t in the middle of anything important. And you know I’m happy to help. Gives me a sense of— normality. You have the radio… so… 

JESS: That makes sense. 

CLARK: Cause, y’know, I am what I am because I want to help. I came here to help. 

JESS: What were you doing, if you don’t mind my asking? 

CLARK: I’m just- writing things down. Feels too important not to. 

JESS: Same reason I said Todd could start recording our broadcasts. Same reason Martha and I started cork-boarding stuff in the first place. 

CLARK: Right, because when all this is over, having some concrete record of it will… I don’t know. At least insist that it happened. I-…

JESS: Sorry, moth in my hair– [PAUSE.] What’s that face for? 

CLARK: It’s just- this… looking at it now, it reminds me a lot of what I was treating the miners for, back when the mine was open. 

JESS: Oh. 

CLARK: They’re still getting worse.

JESS: Well, for what it's worth, the bandages are helping a little, with the pain at least. 

CLARK: I just don’t like the look of them. A lot of them had these burns before they started to get sick… Are you feeling any better?

JESS: Uh- [SHE LAUGHS SADLY] No. The opposite, I’m afraid. 

CLARK: [SIGHING] I just, I don’t understand why it's getting worse. If I had access to something more than a first aid kit… I’m sorry there’s not more I can do, I–

JESS: Don’t worry, what you’re doing is already… [SHE STUMBLES OVER THE LAST FEW WORDS, SLIGHT GIBBERISH]

CLARK: Sorry, what was that? 

JESS: Sorry, something- in my mouth– I think a tooth is loose…

[SHE PULLS OUT A TOOTH. SHE LAUGHS AGAIN]

CLARK: I don’t think its funny–

JESS: No, it's not. It's not funny at all, I have a limited amount of teeth, I just… aren’t you also getting serious deja vu? 

CLARK: Well, last time we were— [NOTICING] Are you broadcasting right now?

JESS: What?

CLARK: The light’s on. On the board. 

JESS: Shit, sorry, I don’t know why I’m even surprised anymore— there’s a freaking moth on the button- [LOWLY] dude, I could have killed you—

[DISTANT DOOR]

JESS: Oh, hey, Jordan, where– [BEAT, IMMEDIATE CONCERN] oh my god, are you oka-? 

[BREAK MUSIC CUTS BACK IN. STATIC.] 

JESS: [PULLED BACK FROM MIC] Clark- yeah, thanks, just make sure she’s okay? Thanks. 

Listeners, Jordan came home over that break um, seeming… pretty shaken, to put it plainly. She was able to fill us in on what happened, where she was, and uh, asked that I pass the story on. 

God. Uh, yeah. I’m sorry, I feel like I should take the initiative to say some listeners may find this next report disturbing, and listener discretion is advised. If you are Farmer Crawford, or any member of the Crawford family for that matter, I would encourage you perhaps to stop listening, if you ended up tuning in today. 

Jordan informed us that the eldest two of Farmer Crawford’s boys, Ethan and Tristan, made a break for it this morning, towards that empty space where there is no longer a mountain; in the hopes, I understand, of getting out of town and getting help. Which- fair enough. It was a very brave thing to do. 

Ethan and Tristan, if I’m remembering correctly, are the Crawford twins, and are also Jordan’s childhood friends. She said she was there this morning to see them off, and wish them luck. They had packed food, water, hiking gear, their father’s hunting knife… they had prepared for a journey. 

Jordan described how she lingered at the edge of the treeline, watching them go as far as she could in the cloud, traversing over the upheaved terrain of the sinkhole, before the two men dissolved into Fog and distance. She described how, as she stood there, looking out over the visible, lacerated landscape, she saw a faint, glowing light coming up from somewhere in the Earth. Almost too soft to see, except for the way it eased the cavernous shadows with a bright warmth, and feathered on the edges of the cloud, like the sun, like the dawn, when it's lingering just off the edge of the horizon.  

I asked her roughly what time this all took place, and she said she couldn’t be sure, as she thought it was mid-morning when the boys set off, but when she checked her watch soon after, it read 4 o’clock, though she had no sense that nearly six hours had passed in the interim. 

It was on her way home that… um, she passed one of these inky voids in the fog, several meters before her on the dirt road just out of the treeline, and… she noticed something emerging from it. 

It was a hand first, and the only thing she could really recognize, she said, then two more, all connected and with… with fingers pulled and stretched at odd intervals and dispersed at knuckles in all the wrong places… and that sense of wrongness worsened as the rest of it stepped out of the dark doorway and into view. 

It… I’m sorry, listeners, I don’t quite know how to put this, as Jordan’s own description was… [SIGH] to Jordan, it seemed like a thing that was once two bodies, made one, merged and mangled and fused with hiking gear and their father’s hunting knife in some kind of way to form a… creature, I guess. She was unable to offer too many big-picture details, understandably so, and I’m not sure I even wanted them. 

She, did, however, describe the feeling that rose up within her as being similar to the one she had upon seeing a moose for the first time, only amplified by its combination with the resurgence of the fear she experienced once as a child, getting lost in the woods, in the dark, on a camping trip. 

She could make out only one thing on this creature for certain: two familiar faces, though stretched and contorted and with eyes like a spider, too many, too dark. 

Her instinct was to try and compare it to some animal for reference, it possessing some other features that seemed to have been pulled from something familiar in nature, but as we spoke, every time she thought she’d pinned it down, she realized the comparison wasn’t quite right. 

By her own account, she froze in place, unable to approach, unable to run, and in some ways, unable to breathe, until it had lumbered into the trees and the mist and disappeared from her sight. 

Jordan then made her way to the Crawford residence to… break the news, where she spent the rest of the afternoon. 

However, just now, on her way home, taking that same route, she saw a van, with tinted windows and no license plate speed past her down that dirt road. She hid and watched as faceless- metaphorically, not literally- men in nondescript uniform, alongside hooded figures in cloaks, exited the vehicle, and followed its tracks into the woods, quickly disappearing themselves into the Fog that she thinks might be lifting, if only a little. 

Jordan said she was certain these hooded figures were Town Council members, further insisting she at least recognized Town Council member Bob. 

She waited, and listened, it was a while before anything happened, and dark had all but fallen when finally a cry, unlike anything she had ever heard, cut through the silence, and startled several birds into flight. 

A few minutes later, they dragged something out of the trees in a net, and lifted it into the back of the van, before speeding away, west, where there’s a shallow part of the river that often has tire tracks crossing over it. I’m sure if you followed them, they’d lead to a certain building. 

Thank you, Jordan, for sharing. I- [SIGHS] I don’t know what to do with this. I wish I had some words of comfort. I know what it is to see something that- that you shouldn’t have seen. Something that shouldn’t have even existed to be seen, but I– yeah. I- I don’t really know what to say. If there is anything to say. To the Crawfords, to all those who love Ethan and Tristan, I… I can’t imagine… where do you even begin? 

I- I’m sorry for the part I play in sharing things with you. I know bad comes with the good, and it's not always this… difficult, but… I’m sorry, listeners. For telling you things, perhaps, you’d rather not know, but… 

[BEAT]

Oh, gosh. I just made the mistake of looking up, listeners, and… 

The ceiling is crawling with moths. Like, if I just stare for more than a few seconds, it looks like it's moving, the way their shifting and shuffling and the light in here is catching on their wings…  There’s an absurd amount at the window too, almost more moths than glass at this point, just… fluttering. 

And all of this aside, there’s still plenty of them flying around. 

I don’t-  

Maybe if I ignore them, they’ll just- eventually fly away. 

Like that worked so well for that little patch of fog Tanner let in that’s still here. It hasn't even moved. Or at the very least, not enough to be noticeable or noteworthy. 

Gah, everytime my hair even shifts or my head slightly itches, I know it's one of them. Oh my- they’re on my arm now, they’re coming down from the ceiling and circling me like vultures… and then randomly deciding to- stop it, stop landing on me– 

[STRUGGLING]

Listeners- I’m sorry, but I’m being, albeit rather gently swarmed by moths— 

[JESS AUDIBLY REACTS AS ANOTHER MOTH FLIES AT HER, SPUTTERING]

JESS: Oh my gosh-! That almost got in my mouth– 

TANNER: [DISTANTLY CHUCKLING]

JESS: Tanner is now here and laughing at me– this is not funny. 

TANNER: It's a little funny. 

JESS: All of a sudden they won’t leave me alone! 

TANNER: [BEAT] Wow, they really like you huh? 

JESS: I’ve noticed. Can you open the window? 

TANNER: Why? To let more in? 

JESS: To let these ones out, obviously. There’s so many of them. You could, like– stand on the other side with a flashlight or something. 

TANNER: Yeah, sorry, but I’m not doing that. I don’t want them swarming me. 

JESS: I don’t want them swarming me! There’s like, a thousand in here.

TANNER: That’s a little dramatic. More like 900. 

JESS: Okay but why are they all landing on me? 

TANNER: What- [LOOKING CLOSER AND GETTING CLOSER TO THE MIC] I mean, I don’t know a lot about moths but I’ve never seen these ones before. They’re really pretty– look at the wings on this one– 

JESS: There are maybe more present concerns than how pretty the moths are. I can feel all their little feet and wings everywhere and I’m trying very hard not to hurt any of them but I am feeling incredibly ticklish-

TANNER: Where the hell did they all come from? 

JESS: Your guess is as good as mine, dude.  

TANNER: Huh. [BEAT] I think I have an idea. 

[TANNER GOES TOWARDS A NEARBY STORAGE CLOSET AND STARTS RUMMAGING THROUGH IT AS SHE SPEAKS]

JESS: I’m sorry listeners, I- I’m trying to move very slowly to switch us to a break, but– I don’t want to scare the moths into swarming again. Its- its not a nice feeling, having hundreds of bugs in your face like some frantic, living cloud of panic. 

Tanner was right though, they are quite… beautiful. They’ve got really colourful wings, I’ve never seen moths like this before… there’s one on my hand and it's got… these deep indigo wings with soft pink and orange spots of colour and… and all these dark spots that look like eyes, all over… 

TANNER: [WITH EFFORT, WHILE PULLING SOMETHING OUT OF THE CLOSET THAT IS MORE AWKWARD THAN HEAVY] I knew we had one somewhere. 

JESS: …A fan? 

TANNER: [WHILE MOVING, SETTING UP THE FAN] A big fan. I thought, maybe if I point it at the door, turn all the lights off in here, and put the outside one on, they’d go that way. 

JESS: I mean, it’s worth a shot. 

[FAN TURNS ON]

TANNER: Alright. And… lights. 

[TANNER SWITCHES THE LIGHTS OFF]

TANNER: Huh. 

JESS: What? 

TANNER: Is there still a lamp or something on in here? 

JESS: No, why? 

TANNER: It… I don’t know, nevermind. Maybe it's more foggy in here than I thought. 

JESS: Why?

TANNER: There’s… there’s a faint light coming from somewhere, but I can’t tell where…  

JESS: Huh. Weird. 

TANNER: Yeah. Weird. 

JESS: [BEAT] I- it seems to be working. 

A trail of moth-made smoke has formed, listeners, and is wafting its way to the door. All the other moths seem to have gotten the memo, and are joining this pilgrimage into the night, outside, away from me.

Well, once again, thank you, Tanner. We’re going to go to a quick break, listeners, now that I can move cause they’re mostly gone, except… except for one, on my hand, but… you can hang out for a while. I don’t think it's ready to go yet. 

We gotta give you a name little fella though, if you’re gonna stay. How about…

Motthew? [SNICKERS, QUIET] Matt would get a kick out of that. 

[BREAK MUSIC] 

Alright. Well. Sorry felt a little ansty and needed to do a quick, moth-free lap. Well, mostly moth-free. Motthew is still here. I- he seems to like one of the weird, tattoo symbol things on my arm, one that popped up a few years ago, and, well, I don’t mind the company. 

Um. It’s been an interesting one tonight, hasn’t it, folks? I mean, every night in Braedon’s an interesting night, but… yeah. 

That dangerous meteorological event Town Council warned us about is bound to happen soon, and as odd as it is to be relaying such messages from them again, we should probably all shut ourselves in until morning. Just to be safe. 

So… goodnight, listeners, wherever you may be. In the quiet comfort of your homes, hopefully, if the day and these times have been kind to you. I hope they have been. If not your own home, I hope some kind of home has opened itself up to you. Four sheltering walls wherein you can be free to rest, or grieve, or rage- whatever it is you need to do. 

Our hearts and prayers are with the Crawford family. I- don’t know how this nightmare ends, and I know no words to ease it, but we are all with you. 

To all those missing- whether you are missing someone, or you yourself are missing, we are with you spirit, and if you can hear me, in sound. 

And happy birthday, Becca. Wherever you may be. 

There is love here for you that I know will find you, somehow. 

Thanks for tuning in. 

[MUSIC. OUTSIDE SOUNDS:] 

I lied. Well, not lied, just- changed my mind. Hello, listeners. Everyone’s gone to bed, I think, and well, we received another carrier pigeon from Town Council saying that the aforementioned meteorological event is about to start and… well, I feel like…  

I’ve got a little theory as to what this could possibly be based on some of my own, uh, recent experiences while I was away… and once I had the sneaking suspicion, it nested its way into my mind like a burrowing owl and I’ve just gotta know, y’know? 

I’ve also had a recent revelation: the mic cord is actually long enough to reach to just outside the door so I thought it might be cool to give you a live update on this. So you don’t feel like you’re missing out. 

I know, given what I’ve been saying recently, this is a little hypocritical. So, again, I’m going to watch it while desperately encouraging all of you to remain in your homes. I will describe it for you, and hopefully my words shall suffice. 

I- I think Jordan’s right, the Fog seems to have lessened a little. Not much, but… I feel like I can see a little farther than I used to. There’s a light coming from somewhere, too, its hard to tell where, I can just see the faintest reflections of it in the cloud. 

Motthew’s still here, too- say hi Motthew- 

[SILENCE. SIGHS]

Fog at night is a unpleasant thing. It's difficult to shake the sort of vulnerability I feel right now. The dark is bad enough for obscuring what’s out there, but… there’s an extra layer of cover for anything lurking. 

There’s– just at the edge of what’s visible, there’s one of those… shadow void things, it- oh. Moths are… flying out of it. And what I assume are the ones we’d ushered outside are still here, lingering. Hundreds of them, and I’m confident I’m not exaggerating. A lot of them have settled on the outside walls. They’re decorating the trees like living ornaments. They’re—  they're noticing me. Come on, guys, can we not do this again? 

Something way more interesting is about to happening in the sky, so– 

Oh, it's… there’s a section of fog above me and it… seems to be parting… How thoughtful. Something wants me to have a good view, maybe? I can see what I’m assuming is the sky, like a drop of black paint on a canvas, starless but- 

[EVERYTHING GOES SILENT EXCEPT AN ODD, EERIE NOISE] 

I’m not sure what that sound is… it… where did the wind go? 

The moths are- all moving now, like a murmuration of tiny starlings, they’re flocking and writhing above my head, a dark, dancing cloud, spiralling up towards this space above, they…  

[QUIET. STATIC.]

What is that? 

[STATIC WORSENS. BASS. A MESS OF STATIC AND SOUNDS.]