As The Raven Dreams Podcast - "Six Feet" By Winslow Swan

Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome to aboard of Viarai. Embarked and profite. Embarked and relax. Cirotay. Bookiné. Oh, that also. And profite. Villaray, the voice that we love that we love.

Starting point is 00:00:15 Today's story is six feet by Winslow Swan. You were lucky to find me at home. Most of the time, I'm terribly busy working the grounds, so I'm not here. The best time to find me in this humble abode is at night, around midnight. Yes, I live right here on the grounds. The house is small by your standards, but it suits me fine. It's easy to clean, and since I'm alone, well, not exactly alone, but I find that it is quite comfortable.

Starting point is 00:01:04 I am surprised that you even found the place being so isolated. I'm trying to figure out exactly why you even came out to see me. The cemetery has been here since the 1700s, and I've been the groundskeeper for the past 40 years, so I don't understand why the council sent you. Yes, I know that there are some members who think that I may be too old for the job. I am in the best of health, according to my doctor. Why, last week, he told me that I not only look like I am,

Starting point is 00:01:39 I'm 50, but I have the health of a 20-year-old. Not bad for a man of 72, don't you think? You see, I have always lived simply. My parents were poor, and I slept on the floor because they could not afford a bed for me. Luckily, I was their only child. They worked hard, and were able to send me to school where I dropped out in the 10th grade. They were killed in a car accident, the day after. after I decided that education was overrated, and I was sent to a foster home.

Starting point is 00:02:15 The army did me a lot of good, and I was able to get a high school diploma. Sending me to the war garnered a piece of shrapnel in my head and a hefty check from the government. Why do I like working here? It's peaceful. I keep the grass mowed and make sure the gravestones look good, even the older ones from the Civil War. Did you know that there are some historical names buried here? I try to keep the dirt and the aging down to a minimum. Sometimes we get tourists that come out of the way to check out the ancient tombstones. I would not be at all surprised if George Washington slept in a tent on one of those graves.

Starting point is 00:02:57 I mean, before it was a grave. That was part of the job description when the council hired me for this position. Of course, I also had to dig the graves when I had to dig the graves when, never knew guests arrived. Even with a slight injury, I was able to use a shovel and a spade. I was the fastest digger that the council had ever seen. One time, I dug four graves in one day. Now, of course, that was some time ago, but I can still dig a grave.

Starting point is 00:03:29 I think it is downright sacrilegious to bring in that backhoe the council brought a few years ago. A grave is a very sacred thing. It is the final resting place for the guests. It should be dug by another human being, not some machine. Even the lowest human being deserves a little respect from a fellow human, not from some cold steel vehicle. I always tried to make my graves special for each guest. I made sure that the dirt would not fall in during a service.

Starting point is 00:04:03 I made sure that the placement was correct, and I always kept excellent records. I could tell you who was buried where without even looking up the file or checking the map. Oh yes, there is a map. I have it in the back room. It started quite small when I first started and has grown over the years.

Starting point is 00:04:25 That why you are here? You want to tear down the cottage and make room for more graves? No, that cannot be the reason that you showed up tonight. I do not believe that I have ever seen you. I know everyone in town and all the council members, but I don't recall ever seeing you. Strange. Oh, I see.

Starting point is 00:04:52 You are that reporter that came down from New York that everyone around has been talking about. They say that you've been asking a lot of questions about the missing people around here. I guess it is natural curiosity to ask about missing people, especially since there have been so many lately. You're not the first reporter to come out to the cemetery to speak to the lonely old caretaker. I am sure that you've heard all kinds of stories about me from the townspeople. Like I was telling you, I've been the caretaker here for 40 years. I have seen a lot of things in my time here,

Starting point is 00:05:35 but the night of July 29th sort of stands out in my mind. Now, I was digging a grave for a special guest that had passed away the day before. I wanted it to be perfect. After all, the mayor of the town is an important person. I was making sure that the sides were smooth and packed tight, so that they would not collapse when I heard a voice call my name. I looked up over the edge and saw Brad Wilkins wandering around, calling my name out every few seconds. You should have seen the look on his face when he saw me climbing out of that hole.

Starting point is 00:06:14 You scared the life out of me. Hey, I told him, don't make me dig another hole today. We both had a good laugh over the scare that I gave him. Why don't you come up to the house? I asked him. I've got some stew simmering on the stove. "'I thought she would never ask,' Brad said with a grin. "'Admit it, Brad,' I told him,

Starting point is 00:06:38 "'it's the only reason that you come all the way out here.' "'With a diner that cooks the best steak in the state right there in town?' "'Brad asked, with good-natured humor. "'Well, it has to be the cooking. "'Or the buck and a half I'm going to win from you over rummy tonight,' "'Brad said, finishing my sentence. "'Brad was also a veteran who made a decent living in the town as one of the city characters.

Starting point is 00:07:04 He rode a bike everywhere, wore second-hand clothing, kept his beard long, and always sat on the steps of the library. He was also the richest man in town. He once told me that he held four patents on some inventions that whatever industry the thing affected had bought all rights to, so it could never be produced. When I asked him what they were, he told me that he could not say,

Starting point is 00:07:32 but that it made him a multi-millionaire. Looking at him, you would not think so. And I often wondered if maybe he was a bit touched in the head until he took me out to his home one night and showed me. My mouth gaped open when I saw the safe where he kept almost a hundred grand in cash. He gave me the combination and said that if anything were to happen to him, It was all mine.

Starting point is 00:08:04 I made him put that in writing, and we had it notarized the next day. The notary knew both of us and only smiled when she stamped the paper. I guess in her eyes, we were just two old war horses that liked to tell stories. As we were walking away from the open grave, Brad stopped. I was just ahead of him talking about the warm weather that night, and how it seemed that there had been more services than usual that year. when I noticed that he was not beside me anymore. I turned, and I asked him what he was waiting for.

Starting point is 00:08:38 Didn't you hear that? He asked. I listened for a second. And then told him that I think that he just heard the wind blowing. No, he said, a slight quiver in his voice. No, it sounded like, uh, like, like, like what? I asked exasperated.

Starting point is 00:09:00 the stew's been simmering for at least an hour, and my stomach is telling me it is time to eat. Just give a minute, he told me, maybe it will happen again. We both stood there like statues, waiting for some mysterious sound to make itself known. I don't hear any. It was all I could get out when even I heard it.

Starting point is 00:09:27 I'm not sure how I can describe exactly, what the sound was. It was almost like a child, sighing behind a closed door, muffled, you know. It was soft, extremely high-pitched, and it sent a chill right up my spine.

Starting point is 00:09:43 Did you hear it? He asked me excitedly. It was probably just the wind, I said, but I did not believe it myself. It sounded like it came from over there, he said, pointing to the open grave. The moon was coming out, full and bright, and was casting eerie shadows over the tombstones.

Starting point is 00:10:07 The granite slabs that had been laid in the ground seemed to glow a dull white. The hole that I had just climbed out of, it looked ominous and foreboding. There isn't anything down there but dirt, I told him. Brad started walking back toward the hole. Naturally, I followed him, trying to get him to come back. to the house. Maybe... Maybe I should have tried harder.

Starting point is 00:10:36 I was standing about three feet from him when he walked up to that gaping hole in the ground. He was looking down into it, trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness. How deep have you gotten? He asked me. Six feet, I told him. Like I always do. Have you ever wondered what might be deeper than that? He asked, looking back at me.

Starting point is 00:11:03 I pondered the question before I answered. Never really crossed my mind. Think about it, he said, looking down into the hole. I mean, this place has been here for a long time, maybe even millions of years. Well, I don't think the cemetery is that old, I told him with a smirk. Not the cemetery, he said earnestly, but the ground itself. We just dig six feet down and plant the bodies, but haven't you ever wondered what might be even deeper? Do you stay up nights thinking of this stuff?

Starting point is 00:11:41 I asked him, trying to break the mood that was beginning to get, and you will pardon the expression, but rather spooky. They have found fossils in less ground than a grave, he told me. I think the stew is calling us, I said, beginning to turn away from him. the sighing came again. A little louder and stronger this time. It was coming from the open grave, and the chill that had run up my spine earlier was now invading my entire body.

Starting point is 00:12:16 I was starting to shake all over. Hey, Brad, I tried again. Why don't we? It was the last thing that I said to him before he disappeared. Now, I'm not talking like a magic act where the magician covers himself with a sheet and slides down a secret door. This was not anything that I had seen before, and I damn sure do not want to see it again. Brad screamed, and I saw him jerk forward into the dark abyss of the open grave.

Starting point is 00:12:50 It was as if an invisible hand had reached out and grabbed him, yanking him with such force. that his body bent backwards. I saw his head jerk backwards, and I could hear the bones in his neck break. I heard the thud of the body as it hit the solid ground below. Oh, I ran to the edge, yelling for him, telling him to hold on. I grabbed the small flashlight that I carried on my belt, and I shone that light down.

Starting point is 00:13:21 He wasn't there. I should have seen a crumbled body. in the bottom of the grave, but there was no sign of him. I grabbed the shovel that I had left in the mound of Earth, and I jumped down, thinking that maybe part of the wall had collapsed on top of him. I stabbed at the ground, pitching shovels of Earth to the side, trying not to hit him with the silver edge. I stabbed again and heard something that has haunted my dreams ever since.

Starting point is 00:13:53 It was a scream. A high-pitched, scream that did not sound like it belonged on this earth. It was as if someone had screamed into the recorder, ran the tape backwards at high speed, and then played it through a spinning fan. I froze with fear. That started in my stomach and it welled up into my chest. First, I thought that I had hit Brad with the shovel, but I knew that the scream was not human.

Starting point is 00:14:27 at least no human that I had ever heard. I fell to my knees and started scooping bits of dirt away, hoping to find Brad, but what I did find was even worse. I saw what looked like a tentacle, sort of like what you would see on an octopus covered in dirt. It was only about a foot long, but I could tell that it had been cut by the shuffle blade. I began to brush the dirt off. and my eyes refused to see what they were seeing. The thing, it was disappearing. No, I could still feel it, but the dirt that fell away,

Starting point is 00:15:11 there was nothing that the eye could see. I brushed my hand over the slimy thing, feeling the muscle, knowing that I was holding something in my hand that I could not see. There was another sigh from somewhere under my feet. I scrambled away from that open grave, dropping the tentacle or whatever it was as I climbed out. I ran back to the house. I grabbed a bottle of whiskey and I drank every drop. The funeral for the mayor was the next day, but I was too sick to attend.

Starting point is 00:15:43 I managed to cover the hole and said good riddance to whatever it was that was just under that six feet of crowned. Later that day, I had to dig another grave. It was to be on the other side of the same. cemetery, about a quarter mile away. All I really wanted to do was stay drunk, but I had a job to do, and I was damned, determined to do it. I was working up a good sweat, stabbing at the ground, and I was throwing the dirt into the pile beside the hole.

Starting point is 00:16:16 I was trying to get the memory of Brad and the invisible tentacle out of my mind. I stabbed at the ground harder. and harder, as if I was stabbing some monster that I could not see. I was about four feet deep when I heard it again, that same, sighing voice, only a little more muffled. I began to dig harder, trying to get deeper and deeper into the earth. I didn't care about the sides or the possible cave in. I just wanted to find out what sort of creature was down there.

Starting point is 00:16:53 I'm not sure what happened after. I hit six feet. You, you kind of get a feeling of how deep you go after you've dug enough holes. I bent down and started to scrape away the dirt, just a little at a time. And I heard that sighing coming from just below me. I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt that invisible tentacle come up from the ground. I saw the dirt explode upwards and it blinded me at first. I thought, this was a little.

Starting point is 00:17:26 it, that whatever had grabbed Brad was about to take me down as well, but that's not what happened. The thing, whatever it was, began to stroke my cheek. It was soft and gentle, like a dog licking your face because it was happy to see you. I felt that slimy thing wrap itself around my waist and gently hug me before it went back down into the ground. Let's talk groceries, specifically, your groceries. With Instacart, you want your groceries

Starting point is 00:18:02 just the way you like them, right? Well, the Instacard app lets you do just that. They have a new preference picker that lets you pick how ripe or unripe you want your bananas. Shoppers can see your preferences up front, helping guide their choices. Instacard, get groceries just how

Starting point is 00:18:18 you like. I started to laugh. Before I knew it, I guess I sounded like a maniac laughing and howling. I climbed out of that hole and went back to my humble home. Yes, sir, I have been digging graves for almost 40 years now. I forgot how many now, but it has sure been a lot of them. How long that thing has been under the earth, I could not hazard and guess. The way I figure it, whatever that thing is, wherever it came from,

Starting point is 00:18:53 It's quite large. And it has been under the ground way out here for maybe billions of years. Maybe it was sleeping or in some sort of hibernation. Maybe it was some alien that landed on this planet and it just curled up and slept. Maybe it's something that scientists and archaeologists have not even discovered yet. All I know is that I started thinking about the way it hugged me and it did not even try to hurt me. I could not, for the life of me,

Starting point is 00:19:29 think why I was spared. Then, it sort of hit me. I wasn't sure if I had the right answer, but I knew one way to find out. I went to the shed, grabbed the shovel. I followed the path to the closest grave that was new. I started to dig until I got down to where the coffin was.

Starting point is 00:19:51 My hands were sore from the work, and I could feel the sting of the sweat in my eyes. I took a crowbar, and I started to pry open the coffin. Not only was there no corpse inside, but the bottom of the coffin was missing. I dug up four more plots around the cemetery, from old graves to new, and I found the same things. No corpse, and a missing bottom of the coffin. The only thing I can think of is that when this place became a cemetery, that creature woke up. Maybe it could smell the bodies that were being buried here, and it found something on this planet that it could eat. Maybe when Brad went up to the open grave that night, it could smell something a whole lot fresher than a four- or five-day-old corpse.

Starting point is 00:20:44 Maybe it thinks that since I'm the one digging the... holes and lowering the caskets that I'm its owner or caregiver or feeder. And maybe you should sit. Very still, Mr. Reporter from New York. This gun I have in my pocket has been pointing right at your belly since you sat down. We've not had any burials in quite some time. You see, I know it can survive on corpses and that's fine. Ever since it got Brad, though, it's been wanting something a little fresher.

Starting point is 00:21:23 So, why don't you come outside with me? It's almost midnight. Feeding time. Epilogue. The Butler did it. That was once again six feet by Winslow Swan. This was an amazing story. This was beautifully written.

Starting point is 00:21:56 And this just screamed Lovecraft. So holy hell, men, thank you very much, Winslow, for writing this story and sending it my way. I absolutely loved it. I loved this story. I didn't know what to expect at first, and then as I'm reading it, I'm just like, wow, this is kind of weird. I kind of expected the gravetender to just be a murderer. And then you brought in the Lovecraftian-Cathelian-style monster thing under the ground with the tentacles, eating the bodies, and holy hell my man.

Starting point is 00:22:30 A plus plus, absolutely. 120%. Anyway. Thank you again, Winslow. I hope you all enjoyed this. If you did, let me know, let him know. And also subscribe to the channel by hitting that subscribe button, the bell icon next to it. You can also follow me on all the social media platforms like Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, etc. And you can support the channel via coffee, Patreon, channel memberships.

Starting point is 00:22:53 All of them, optional. All of them appreciated. every single one of them appreciated more than you ever know. Yeah. I don't really have much more to say. This story absolutely spoke for itself. Like, seriously. Damn good.

Starting point is 00:23:09 Damn appreciated. And just damn. So yeah, I'll see you all in the next video. Sleep well. Lazzang sur-gillet, puissance-moyant for 15 minutes. We'd say that's their dojo. Prey to play?

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As The Raven Dreams Podcast - "Six Feet" By Winslow Swan

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