Tower 4 - S1E8: The Bird

Episode Date: March 22, 2021

Mike wakes up in a cave, hurt and confused. He spots a strange man walking around, mumbling and shuffling through papers. Eventually they talk, but things don't become clearer. The man wants help, but Mike is ready to be rid of the woods and everything in it.Music:"Long Note Two" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I'm Detective Emily Rowland, and I'm on a mission. After a campground massacre that saw people gutted and hanging from trees, it was my goal to help a college kid clear his name. People believed the murders to be his doing, but I knew otherwise. All across the country, there have been similar murders, and after hearing witness accounts, I knew this wasn't one person. This wasn't a person at all. Something evil lurked out there, consuming and possessing innocent people.

Now it's my job to figure out how to stop it. Detective Roland is one of the many characters of Paralyzed, a horror audio drama produced by Seven Lamb Productions. The story centers around sleep paralysis and the demons that are conjured within, creating a world where dreams become reality. If you're interested in listening, go to Sevenlam.com or search for Paralyzed wherever you listen to podcasts. Seven Land Productions presents Tower 4

Season 1 Episode 8 The Bird Jim. What is it? He's in bed. Can I take a look at it? I'm fine.

You're hurt. I'm fine, Selina. Is that why you're bleeding all over my rug? Well, get me a towel then. Where are my records? What? My, my records! My... shit! What was that noise?

Jim? I'm fine. I'm fine. You're not fine. Look at you. Look at your arm. And your face. What happened? You can't even stand. No, we have to go to the hospital. No! I'm calling an ambulance. Don't you dare.

Oh Selina! Selina! Dad? Mike, you're supposed to be in bed, buddy. You and mom were yelling. Never mind. Go back to bed, son.

Dad. Are you her? I'm going to be okay. Where's your mom? It's his own phone. Damn it. You want that towel? No, no.

I need you to... To go back to bed, Mike. Dad, look at the lights. I know. I see them. Bed, Mike. Go to bed. Okay.

Now, son. Now! Jim, they're on their way. Jim, they're on their way. Jim? Jim? Jim! Where are you? What the hell was that?

What the hell was that? I woke up in a daze. My head was killing me. killing me. My mouth was dry, just kept blinking trying to regain my vision. Where was I? I was staring at a rock wall and my hands were tied behind my back. Hello? Hello? I craned in my neck to see another rock wall and ceiling. I was in a cave. seeped in through various cracks. Hello?

Hello? Who's there? Just then a shadow appeared on the wall next to me. A figure stood behind me. Hey, uh, what's going on? The figure stood motionless. I rolled onto my back to see the person staring down at me. His face completely in shadow. The mysterious man wore a gray sweatshirt with a hood up and baggy black pants.

He quickly looked me over and shuffled past and over to the radio making noise. He turned it off and inspected the thing. Hey! Hey, who are you? you what is this his head turned slightly face still in shadow long stringy hair and crooked nose was all I could make out who are you the man completed his turn a bit of light from outside hit his face allowing me to see his large bushy unkempt beard and crazy eyes he held up the radio there listening he walked past me and over

a small opening in the cave what are you doing he threw the radio out into the wilderness we are not safe okay uh are we now no no never safe never safe from them but now now now they cannot listen who are they but he didn't answer please i i don't know what you want nothing i can't there's nothing who want you don't want anything either no i don't but it doesn't matter what are you talking about they will come for you not now who they listen who listens and they watch who does i'm weak can't be too weak you dragged me here right not far you know amber in tower three she'll look for me artie does she looks but she cannot find where are we not far from where you were but a long time to drag i'm weak she won't find you what do you want from you want from me

me. The strange man came over and knelt right beside my head. He stared down at me giving a good view of his scarred face. What do you want from me? Help.

His breath was hot, rancid. Help. The man nodded slowly. He pulled a knife from his back pocket, which made me hold my breath momentarily until he reached over and cut my bonds.

Don't run. I won't. After he finished, I sat up as he went over to a pile of rocks and sat. I slowly got to my feet rubbing my wrists. They hide, but we must find them. Find who? Them. Buddy, you gotta help me out.

I have no idea what you're talking about. That's when he pointed to the right. It was a bunch of crates and smaller wooden boxes. Sheets of paper littered the boxes. All of them filled with notes and weird ramblings. That's when I realized. Oh shit. Are you?

Are you Jerry? But he didn't respond. He pushed past me and over to the several large water jugs. There was a sleeping bag past the crates and several sheets rolled up. Canned food, a flashlight, a small fire pit beside it. You're Jerry? I live here. Long time.

Very, very long time. Right, but were you in my tower? I warrant you. Yeah. Over the radio, I assume that was you. You went where you should not go. Not alone. Dangerous.

Very dangerous. Inos Lake? All of it. The woods. the tall trees that's where it lives where what lives the monster the monster you've seen it it mostly comes out at night i won't go there not yet no i understand that what do you think i have a bow and arrow which i'm guessing is yours by the way but he shook his head not enough it'll hurt you crush you.

It crushes them. When they come for it, it won't let them. But if they do, they come for you too. You keep saying that, but it means nothing to me. I'm a fire lookout, okay? I'm here to write and watch for fires. That's it. At least, that's supposed to be it.

But this, what is this stuff? No, don't touch. Don't touch. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Don't touch. This kind of stuff was in my time. tower? A journal. It's yours? I don't know. It looked like this. Did you, did you write this? I don't know. What do you mean you don't know?

They, they make you forget. They? The man nodded. They make you forget until they want you to know. I know. I know what they want me to know. So you speak in riddles? Great. I paced by all his supplies. He went to his little makeshift table and rearranged the papers. That's when I noticed his left hand. It was red, swollen, but more than that, it was deformed, crooked, claw-like.

He held it close to his stomach as he moved things around. You said you need my help. Yes. You need to go to the hospital? No. No. I need to be here. But you need help?

Yes. what kind of help here this we need to find this what he showed me was a drawing a rough sketch of some room full of long tables and stick figures lying across them what is this you need to find this

we yes I don't know what this is I'm from here from here then shouldn't you know where it is no they make you forget right well it looks like a hospital room an emergency room maybe no a morgue no what is it where we were where they poked us the needle the needle the man motioned to his arm as if injecting himself the needle shot the shot See?

He showed me another drawing, this one of a hallway with barrels and crates landing the walls. A man in what looked to be a lab coat, faceless. Is that you? No, one of them. That's when I noticed he had drawn a marking on the barrels, a familiar marking that I'd seen in the woods. The eye. This, this right here, you've seen this?

He nodded. I've seen this too, in the woods, carvings. What is it? I don't know. But you drew it, here, in the picture. I don't know. You don't know much, do you? What is this place?

Dangerous. That, you know. Very dangerous. I'm fully aware, but you said you're from here. It looks like a room, a building. Yes. Well, it can't be out here in the woods, right? No.

Then where? The man slowly pointed to the ground with his good hand. Underground? He nodded. Like a bunker? He didn't say anything. His eyes kept focus on me as I examined the drawing more closely.

A bunker, huh? I think so. What the fuck was going on? No time, no time. I need to find this place. Now. Listen, Jerry, I have no idea what's going on. A bunker?

A bunker? A bunker in the woods. How? Why? And what do you want with me? How can I help you? I don't know where this place is. And frankly, I don't care. Please. This is not what I signed up for when taking this job. I can't help you. You want help. You need to call the police. You need to talk to the Rangers or talk to Jean. No! No! His shout startled me. My body tensed up. He still held the knife and now he gripped it tightly, holding it closer to his chest. No, Jean?

Not them. Not them. No, no. Not them. Not them. The man went to his sleeping bag and his dirty sheets and sat. Hey, hey, you need help. That's obvious, but I can't help you.

I'm a fire lookout, a writer. That's all. You have to help. I don't know how. They'll come for you. They will. You're next. Next.

They'll come for you. They'll take you. They'll put you here. Hurt. A lot of pain. They'll make you forget. Forget what? Everything.

Jerry, at least I believed it to be him, sat on one of the crates sifting through papers. we'd remain silent for the last 20 minutes as he searched there was more he wanted to show me but everything I saw was just more incoherent ramblings and childlike drawings they'd come from me who I wanted to leave but I knew he wouldn't let me I had to figure something out I should contact Amber no why I'm sure she's worried. I broke it. What? The radio?

They follow. Inside, they can follow. You keep saying they. Who are they? Who wants me? I... I don't know them. Then how do you know anything? If you truly are in trouble, then you need to get out of here to a hospital, to the police. No, no, no. I can't leave. They found me. I had to come back. They found you where? In your home? In the tower? when you were fire watching? Out there.

In the woods, in the bunker? Where? I ran. They followed. And found you. Yes. They took me. But I got away.

I ran. I ran here. They took you? They kidnapped you? He nodded slowly. But you came back? Yes. There's nowhere to go.

I had to come back. I find that hard to believe. A kidnapped victim doesn't. return to the house they were held in unless they want more trouble i don't want that trouble i want to find this yes i know the bunker or whatever yes are you sure it's out here yes but underground yes why do you want to find it they do bad things i can help i can stop it really sounds like an issue for the police they don't believe me you talk to them no one please me.

What are you doing over there? Looking. For what? This. He held up a large drawing of just the eye. The eye with a line through it. Okay. Jesus. I mean, what the hell is this?

He looked at me with saddened eyes. I can't help you, okay? I have no idea what's going on. This whole thing, it's... It's insane. I think what I'm going to do is hurry back to my tower, pack my things, and use the other radio to tell Gene and Amber I quit.

Then leave first thing in the morning, back to the station. You won't make it. You threatening me? They won't let you leave. You left, Jerry. You left because they said you went crazy. It's why they were fucking quick to label me a nut. I'm not going to let this place get to me.

Shit. Maybe Gene and Amber were right. Maybe they're one. no creature. Maybe there were no numbers, no music. No. There is. He ran toward me. Knife up. Whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey. It's real. It's real. It's real. Lower the knife. He did and made his way back to the crate. I'm gonna leave. I won't say anything to anyone about you being here, okay? Look for whatever you're looking for, but I'm done with all the weird shit. I don't care of If I'm right, I don't care if Jean and Amber are right. I didn't sign up for this.

I'm done. I'd noticed my backpack sitting by the cave entrance. I slowly made my way over to it, but as I passed by jaring, my body tensed up. My back was to him now, which put me on edge. I was ready for him to come charging. Please. Don't, no kill him.

Don't kill him. it. Mike, I've been calling you. Mom, look. Is it hurt? I think it's a baby. It must have fallen out of a nest, but there's no trees around here. Can I keep it? No, you're not keeping a bird. But if we leave it out here,

a cat might get it, Mom. Mike, we have nowhere to put it. But you can't fly. Fine, fine, but we'll take it to the bird sanctuary first thing tomorrow. Why? I can take care of it. Mike, I don't need any more jobs right now. Things are hectic enough as it is. But I'll take care of it. No, you don't need any extra responsibilities right now either, especially about. baby bird like that. It needs special care. I can look for the nest every day after school. No, you need to do your homework and get caught up. Now come on, dinner's ready. We'll find it a box for now. Then I want you to wash your hands real good. Okay. There you go, buddy. I even poked holes in the top so you can breathe.

Good job, Mike. Come on, wash your hands. It's time to eat. Can we keep it just for a little while? What if its mom is looking for it? I said no. Mom? I said no.

Fine. Hey, I know you just want to help it, but things are tough right now, okay? Your dad didn't make things easy for us. It'll be best for the bird if we bring it to the bird sanctuary. They could take good care of it there, nurture it. That's what they do. And I told you, when things settle down, we'll go to the SPCA and adopt a pet. Okay, just nothing right now.

Okay, Mom. Okay. Hey, Mom, once Dad come in? back? I don't know, Mikey. I don't know. He's never been gone this long. No, he hasn't. And it might be longer still. I miss him. I know. So do I, kiddo. Now go wash up. He is your son. Tower 4. Written and edited by Robert M. Lamb and Dylan Whitehead.

Starring Jack Austin as Mike. Gina Coyle as Amber. Brian Messick as Gene. Co-starring, Ariel Hack, Brett Wilkins, and Robert M. Lamb. Music provided by Kevin McLeod of Incompetect.com and Brett Wilkins at Facebook.com slash Wilkins MusicFL. If you enjoy Tower 4, visit 7Lam.com for more audio dramas such as this. Also, don't forget to follow 7LAM on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, at 7LAMP podcasts.

This has been a seven-lamb production.