The Dark Territory Presents: Black Tapes

This episode marks the unveiling of Black Tapes, a new weekly segment from Dark Territory. Black Tapes explores short-form horror through found recordings, folklore, and unsettling encounters where the truth is fragmented and explanations are scarce.

Alongside our regular discussion, we debut the first Black Tapes story—an introduction to the atmosphere, tone, and hidden corners this series will explore when new episodes begin dropping weekly in January.

Thanks for listening and we'll see you next week. 

Chapters

• 0:25 New Segments Announced
• 0:44 Black Tapes Premiere Setup
• 0:57 The Knock Begins
• 1:38 Night Two: Empty Clearing
• 2:41 Night Three: The Doppelganger

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:25

Welcome to the Dark Territory Podcast. I'm Sean. This week we're working on bringing you two new segments, Blood Trails, a true crime show that Brandon is currently hard at work creating, and my new segment, Black Tapes, weekly short ghost stories, narrated in the style of found footage horror, accompanied with immersive sound and music. Since it's almost Christmas, we thought we'd do something a little different this week, and instead of our usual deep dive, we'd give you a surprise gift with our first episode of Black Tapes. So dim the lights, sit back, and see what lurks in the dark. Today's episode is called The Knock.

SPEAKER_01: 1:12

Sam had been living alone in the cabin for six months when it first happened. The place sat in the middle of a clearing just a few miles west of the dark divide. Most nights were quiet, predictable, lonely. Until he woke at exactly two thirty seven AM. That's when he heard the sound for the first time. That's when he knew he wasn't alone. Not an animal, not the wind. He sat up in bed, frozen, and waited. After a few seconds, the sound stopped. He didn't sleep again that night. The second night, at the same time, 2 37 a.m., the noise returned. He grabbed his flashlight and approached the window. The sound stopped instantly. When he shined the beam through the glass, the clearing was empty. He locked the bedroom door that night, though it didn't make him feel any safer. On the third night, he got out of bed to get some water. Still unable to shake the uneasy feeling he had from the previous nights, he looked over at the clock. It read 2.37 a.m. Suddenly, there were three knocks at the front door. He lay still for a moment, listening. Another knock came, this time slower, more deliberate. He forced himself toward the dark hallway and stopped at the front door. Silence. He opened the door. No one was there. No prints in the snow. No light. Just the darkness in the trees. The only thing he could hear was his breath as he strained through the ghostly fog in search of any movement. Nothing. He closed the door, secured the bolt, and turned around. That's when he saw the most terrifying image of his life. It broke all logic, all reason. Standing across the room was a perfect copy of himself. Same face, same clothes, same height, but the expression was wrong. The doppelganger tilted its head in a way no human should. Then it stepped forward. Before he could move, the double grabbed his arm. The touch was freezing. It felt like the cold sank into his bones. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't scream. He couldn't move at all. The doppelganger leaned in close and opened its mouth. And then everything went dark.