Original subtitles

(WOMAN HUMMING BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP)

(LABORIOUS BREATHING)

(HUMMING CONTINUES)

(DOOR CREAKS, THUDS)

(HUMMING CONTINUES)

(LABORIOUS BREATHING)

WOMAN: ♪ Baa, baa, black sheep ♪

♪ Have you any wool? ♪

(SHALLOW, RUGGED BREATHING)

♪ Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full ♪

♪ One for the master, one for the dame ♪

♪ One for the little boy who lives down the lane ♪

♪ Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool? ♪

♪ Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full ♪

(WOMAN 2 BREATHING SOFTLY)

(SOFT SURREAL MUSIC PLAYING)

(KETTLE WHISTLING)

(WHISTLING CONTINUES)

(SWITCH CLICKS)

(SWITCH CLICKS)

(INDISTINCT TV CHATTER)

(WHISTLING STOPS)

(LIQUID POURING)

(SWITCH CLICKS)

(MUSIC PLAYS ON TV)

(CLOCK TICKING)

(HEADPHONES RUSTLE)

(NOISE CANCELLED OUT)

(SIGHS)

(LINE RINGING)

-(LINE CONNECTS) -JUSTIN: (ON PHONE) Oh, hello?

Hey.

(SLOWLY) Hello?

-Hello? -H-H-Hello?

-(CHUCKLES SOFTLY) -Hello?

(IN WOMAN'S VOICE) "Hello?" (NORMALLY) Okay, wait a sec.

Just a sec. Hold on. Sorry. Sorry. One sec.

Um, how's your mom?

Uh, same.

Yeah. She hasn't eaten in two days, and...

-I'm sorry, Evy. -Yeah.

How are you holding up?

(SIGHING) Um...

I don't know. I kinda just, um,

want it to be over.

Is that bad to say?

No, no.

That's...

Yeah, I understand it. Yeah.

Just wanna get out of here, too, to be honest.

What about Darren?

Like, where is he at?

Is he helping out at all?

-Uh, no. Not really. -(SIGHS) Okay.

What's his number? Like, can you text it to me?

'Cause I need to call this guy.

He needs to step up.

He can barely take care of himself. I don't even...

Well, at least drop off some food, you know?

If he answers his phone.

I should have listened to you a year ago. I know.

You know, I hate to say "I told you so,"

but... I told you so.

How's you and Deb?

Uh, good. Yeah.

We're good. We're thinking of

-getting a cat, actually. -Wow.

-Look at you. - Yeah. (CHUCKLES)

Wait, I know what you need.

A lobotomy.

-(CHUCKLES) No. -(LAUGHS)

A Waterloo

-meatball sub. -Oh, my God.

That's the seventh...

I think you've said that every day this week.

I guess I just miss it.

Then visit.

It's been, what, ten years?

Uh, five, first of all,

and you're out of town, remember?

You're going sicko mode in Punta Cana.

It's a wedding. Everyone drinks at a wedding.

I told you that.

Okay, well, you can visit too, you know.

Goes both ways.

I don't know.

I don't really have any interest in London.

I'd mostly be going to see you.

(SOFTLY) Yeah.

You know, I could take some time off.

Come help you out for a week.

No. No, no, no. Thank you.

Really?

-You sure? -No, I'm fine. I...

I don't mind, 'cause I could...

-Yeah, no, totally. - Okay.

-I'm fine. I really am. -Okay.

We could also skip this week if you want.

Are you kidding?

This is the only thing keeping me sane right now.

Okay, 'cause that is so funny.

I was actually thinking the exact opposite for me.

-(BOTH CHUCKLE) -Like,

some of these stories, man,

frickin' crazy.

If they were true.

You believed in some. I could tell, okay?

-Like that one caller who... -This week...

Hold on. That one caller who was addicted

to playing Ouija board by herself.

That's because that was true. You saw the news clip.

A ghost didn't put her in that water tank.

The poor girl was depressed.

Who knows?

All right? Who knows?

EVY: So, what are we talking about this episode?

You're gonna love this. I got something juicy for you.

Ooh, do tell.

Uh, let's wait until we start recording.

'Cause I want to get your authentic reaction to this.

-Can't wait. -Okay.

Oh, by the way, there's, like, new intro and outro music.

I'm gonna use it for this episode.

Is that... That's cool? You wanna hear it?

-No, I'll hear it in the edit. -I'm gonna play it anyway.

Okay. Uh, I'm ready to start recording when you are.

(PODCAST INTRO MUSIC PLAYING)

Welcome to another episode of The Undertone podcast,

where we talk about all things creepy.

I'm your in-house skeptic, Evy Babic,

and I'm joined by my co-host

and Santa Claus believer, Justin Manuel.

JUSTIN: New episodes every Friday,

anywhere you get your podcasts.

EVY: So, without further ado,

Justin says he has a real treat for us today.

Tell us what it is, kiddo.

Uh, yeah, sure, "kiddo."

And for the record,

I never believed in Santa Claus.

Not even when I was six-years-old, okay?

All my gifts said "Made in China."

Everyone outsources, even Santa.

Okay, well, my house didn't even have a chimney.

So how do you explain that?

Oh, that's easy.

He, um... He crawled in through your mom's window.

-(JUSTIN EXCLAIMS) -(LAUGHS)

Wait a second.

That explains why I never saw Dad and Santa together

at those Christmas parties.

(LAUGHS)

Okay. So, in our last episode,

we talked about the mysterious I Feel Wonderful blog video

that allegedly caused

92 of its viewers to kill themselves

after watching it,

but not before slicing off their ears

and mailing them to the blog website's headquarters

in Palo Alto.

Wait, stop. (CHUCKLES)

-Oh, my God. Evy. -(GIGGLES)

(LOW UNEASY MUSIC PLAYING)

-What? It's fake. It's been... -Stop.

Can you please just stop it, please?

No, Justin, it's been debunked.

-Please. -Okay, fine.

-You're no fun. -(MUSIC STOPS)

Did you stop it? I'm plugging my ears.

-No, it stopped. It stopped. -Okay, good.

Anyways, as I was saying, after the last episode,

I was checking our podcast emails

and got a weird one from an address I didn't recognize.

Their email was just a bunch of random letters.

The subject line was "LOL" in caps,

and get this, ten audio files attached.

What did the message say?

Okay, it was just descending letters

and an upside-down smiley face.

-Send it to me. -Uh, please?

-Please. -Okay.

Thanks. (CHUCKLES) All right, here you go.

Sent.

"Atonement at tenet"?

What does that mean?

Yeah, that... Beats me.

Hmm, weird. Looks like a kid sent this.

I know, right?

Bet it's a virus.

Okay, that's what I thought, too,

but then I said, "Screw it,"

and I actually clicked the first file.

Brave.

What happened?

It was a phone recording from a young couple,

and I listened for a bit.

And then I decided, you know, save it for the podcast,

and we can play all ten of them together

-and listen live. -Done.

Yeah, save it for the pod.

But first, let me put on my logic and sanity hat.

Ooh, right. The one I got you?

All right.

So, from what I gather,

the girlfriend's name is Jessa,

and I haven't heard the boyfriend's name yet.

But let's have a listen to the whole file.

Okay? You ready?

-Ready. -File number one.

Here we go.

(PLAYER BEEPS)

(RUSTLING)

BOYFRIEND: (ON RECORDING) Um, so, Jessa

has been talking in her sleep...

(SIGHS) pretty much every night.

Um, but she doesn't believe me.

So I'm going to record her.

JESSA: I do not talk in my sleep.

BOYFRIEND: You are talking right now...

-(JESSA LAUGHS) -...when you should be

going to sleep.

JESSA: I... I can't sleep with that thing on.

(BED CREAKS)

BOYFRIEND: There.

JESSA: Let me see.

-It's still recording! -BOYFRIEND: No, it's not.

JESSA: (LAUGHS) You're such a liar.

BOYFRIEND: Babe, come on. I have an early morning.

-Let's... -(JESSA WHINES)

Let's get some sleep.

- Good night, baba. -JESSA: Good night, ba.

(BOTH KISS)

-(BED CREAKS) -(SHEETS RUSTLE)

(BOYFRIEND BREATHES DEEPLY)

JESSA: Can you just...

(GRUNTS) Can you tickle my head a little?

BOYFRIEND: (SOFTLY) Sure.

(BOYFRIEND BREATHES DEEPLY)

JUSTIN: You know, I see a little bump of sound

about four hours in.

Let's skip to that part.

JESSA: ♪ London Bridge is falling down ♪

♪ Falling down, falling down ♪

♪ London Bridge is falling down ♪

♪ My fair lady ♪

JUSTIN: Well, I guess that proves it.

She's not only talking in her sleep,

but singing in it, too.

The file goes on for a couple more hours,

but there's no big bumps.

So let's play file number two.

(PLAYER BEEPS)

BOYFRIEND: So... (CHUCKLES)

Jessa believes me now, and...

JESSA: Babe, can you charge my phone?

-BOYFRIEND: Oh, sure. -(JESSA GROANS SOFTLY)

(RUSTLING, OBJECTS CLATTERING)

(BOYFRIEND SIGHS)

JESSA: Good night. BOYFRIEND: Good night, baba.

JUSTIN: Okay, I'm gonna skip to the bump

in the waveform again.

(BED RUSTLING)

(BED CREAKS)

(BED RUSTLING)

(BOYFRIEND SNORTS)

BOYFRIEND: Jessa?

(DISTANT SINGING)

(BOYFRIEND GROANS SOFTLY)

(RUSTLING, OBJECTS CLATTERING)

(BOYFRIEND SIGHS)

(BOYFRIEND GRUNTS)

(OBJECTS CLATTERING)

(DISTANT SINGING CONTINUES)

(SOFT THUDDING)

(CHILDREN SINGING INDISTINCTLY)

BOYFRIEND: Jessa?

(SIGHS) What are you doing?

(MUSIC VOLUME INCREASES)

(MUSIC WINDS DOWN, STOPS)

BOYFRIEND: (SIGHS) Come back to bed.

-(BUTTON CLACKS) -JUSTIN: That's it?

Sleepwalking?

Yeah. Sounds like it.

What was she listening to?

It sounded like London Bridge, but in reverse.

(CHUCKLES) Yeah, I thought so, too.

Okay.

Hold on, I think I heard something else.

-Let's play it back. -(BUTTON CLACKS)

(CHILDREN SINGING INDISTINCTLY)

BOYFRIEND: What are you doing?

(MUSIC WINDS DOWN, STOPS)

BOYFRIEND: (SIGHS) Come back to bed.

(BUTTON CLACKS)

Uh, I couldn't hear anything.

What did you hear?

JUSTIN: Uh, "the killer is out..."

-(LAUGHS) What? -"Mike kill..."

♪ Mike kill all Mike kill all ♪

Listen, I'm gonna play it again.

(BUTTON CLACKS)

(CHILDREN SINGING INDISTINCTLY)

-BOYFRIEND: Jessa. -(JUSTIN HUMS ALONG)

-(SIGHS) What are you doing? -JUSTIN: ♪ Mike kill all ♪

♪ Mike kill all ♪

(MUSIC WINDS DOWN, STOPS)

-(LOUD STATIC) -(JUSTIN GROANS)

EVY: Ah, fuck. Justin! JUSTIN: Jesus.

-Sorry. -(SIGHS)

(GROANS SOFTLY)

-It's fine. -Well, let's...

Let's get back into character.

-(CLEARS THROAT) -Okay.

So, did you hear it?

Hear what?

"Mike kill all."

No. I didn't hear it.

Are you kidding? It's right there, Evy.

I don't doubt that you heard it,

but I would just chalk it up to audio apophenia.

Uh, small words, please, Evy.

You're creating meaning from random sounds.

Okay, I can clearly hear the words,

"Mike kill all."

It's a super-old song.

Are you implying there was hidden messages in it?

Oh, 'cause that's never happened before.

Let me just search something up really quick.

Hold on.

Okay. Yeah, see? Look, found something already.

Eleanor of Provence,

Queen Consort of England in the Middle Ages.

She financed the construction of the London Bridge,

and all nine of her children died in childhood.

She feared that the bridge would collapse

if she didn't sacrifice children to it.

So she ordered the builders to bury orphaned children

alive in the bridge's foundation.

EVY: You really believe that happened?

Well, she was the Queen Consort, Evy.

People would have to obey her

if they wanted to keep their heads.

Justin, any old children's song

can be interpreted in messed up ways.

Like "rock-a-bye baby on the treetop"?

The baby literally falls to its death in that song.

You know what?

Do me a favor and search up Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.

My mom used to sing that to me when I was a kid.

(KEYBOARD CLACKING)

And found something.

Why am I not surprised?

Okay, so people have heard a hidden message here too.

So let's test this out ourselves,

see if we can hear it.

I'm downloading the song right now,

and I'm gonna play it in reverse.

Ready?

(BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP PLAYING IN REVERSE)

(PLAYER BEEPS)

Come on. You're telling me you didn't hear that?

Not at all.

All right. Well...

Look, I found an article on this song.

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.

Okay. Spill it.

So it's apparently about a sheep farmer

whose sheep all turned out black,

but black wool was useless at the time

because it couldn't be dyed other colors.

So this farmer had nothing to sell come winter,

and him and his family starved to death,

until the villagers found his sheep

eating their bodies.

EVY: So all children's songs are about children dying,

and fucked up things happening to kids?

Not even that. I think it's about kids

suffering for the things adults do.

But what's the point of it all?

Maybe to warn kids that adults do messed up things

and, uh, they should beware of them.

They're cautionary tales, right?

(SIGHS) I don't know.

Okay, agree to disagree there.

Let's listen to the next one. All right?

File number three.

(PLAYER BEEPS)

(BOYFRIEND SNORING)

JESSA: Mike?

Mike?

-(BOYFRIEND GROANS) -Do you... Do you hear that?

(BOYFRIEND GROANS)

(BED CREAKS)

(WATER TRICKLING)

(SOFT THUD)

(BED CREAKING)

(HIGH-PITCHED RINGING)

BOYFRIEND: Did you leave the water on?

(UNEASY MUSIC PLAYING)

-(PLAYER BEEPS) -JUSTIN: His name is Mike!

Uh, Evy.

"Mike kill all."

Um... Yeah, can we take a break?

What? Yeah, sure. I mean... yeah, no.

What time is it? Should we call it a night?

Um, continue tomorrow?

-Are you good? -Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm fine.

Oh, wait. Actually, I can't do tomorrow.

Uh, what about Tuesday?

Yeah. Yeah, that works.

Um, I'm sorry, can you, uh...

Can you send me the Baa, Baa, Black Sheep song?

Sure, yeah. You really didn't hear anything?

No, no. I didn't.

Weird. All right, I'm gonna email it to you.

You should try slowing it down,

and you'll hear it, I'm sure.

Yeah, okay. We'll see.

-Okay. Night, Justin. -Good night.

(LINE DISCONNECTS)

(UNEASY MUSIC CONTINUES)

-(HEADPHONES RUSTLE) -(MUSIC STOPS)

(CLOCK TICKING)

(SWITCH CLICKS)

(DISTANT BREATHING)

(LOW DISQUIETING MUSIC PLAYING)

(DOOR CREAKING SOFTLY)

(SOFTLY) Hi, Mama.

Good night, Mama.

-(SWITCH CLICKS) -(MUSIC STOPS)

MAMA: (ON VOICEMAIL) Hi, Evy. It's your mama.

Just calling to say hi.

I'm wondering if you're coming to mass tomorrow.

I haven't seen you in a while.

Anyway, um, I'm just calling you to remind you

you're mama's little girl.

I'm praying for you.

Um...

Okay. Talk soon.

(EVY RETCHING)

(EVY COUGHING)

(TOILET FLUSHING)

(FAUCET RUNNING)

EVY: Hi, this is Evangeline Babic.

I'd like...

No. No, she's fine.

Um, thanks for asking.

No, I'd like to, um,

make an appointment for myself, actually.

Pregnancy test.

Yeah.

Yeah, I can come in tomorrow morning.

Thank you.

NURSE: Has she eaten or drank anything today?

Yeah.

I mean, no.

Um, no, she... (INHALES)

she hasn't eaten for a few days now.

NURSE: So as I explained before,

she was at a 50 for a month,

then at a 40 for weeks, then at a 30 for days.

She's at a 20 now.

That's typically a sign that it should be any day now.

Um...

So how will I know...

when it's time?

You will hear a rattling in her breath.

(UNSETTLING MUSIC PLAYING)

Death rattle?

NURSE: (SIGHS) Yes.

I don't like to call it that, but...

that's the term.

Can she hear me?

In this state?

No one can know for sure.

Because there's no way to ask them.

But...

I like to believe they can.

(UNSETTLING MUSIC CONTINUES)

-(OBJECT CLACKS) -(FOOTSTEPS LEAVING)

(CELL PHONE VIBRATING)

(LOW UNEASY MUSIC PLAYING)

(LINE CONNECTS)

-Hey. -DARREN: Hey.

Babe, uh... uh, yeah.

I'm having a party at our place,

and I really think you should be there.

Why?

You've been stuck in that house for weeks.

Your mom's not going anywhere. She'll be fine.

She... She's just gonna sleep all night.

EVY: That's not it.

DARREN: I'm just trying to do something for you,

and I don't really know where we're at right now,

-but... -All right.

Oh. Oh, okay. Great.

-Can you be here at 8:30? -Sure.

Okay. Awesome.

Well, don't worry about anything.

I've got everything covered.

Mm-hmm.

Okay. Great. Well, I'll see you soon.

-I love you. -Okay.

-Bye. -(LINE DISCONNECTS)

-Yes. -(HAIR DRYER WHIRRING)

Well, tell them they can wait for me.

I waited for them.

(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)

I don't give a shit.

I'm a 40-minute drive away.

Fuck.

I'll call you back.

(WATER TRICKLING)

(CELL PHONE VIBRATING)

(EVY SIGHS)

-(WATER SLOSHES) -(BOWL CLATTERS)

-(EVY SIGHS) -(VIBRATING CONTINUES)

God!

(SOFT AND SHALLOW BREATHING)

(WHISPERING) Mama.

I'm going out for a few hours.

-I won't be long, okay? -(CELL PHONE VIBRATING)

Jesus.

I'll be back, Mama.

Real quick.

(SWITCH CLICKS)

(DOOR OPENS, CLOSES)

(KEYS CLATTERING)

(DROPS KEYS)

(CRUNCHING)

(LOW UNEASY MUSIC PLAYING)

(GASPS) Mama?

(BREATHING SHAKILY)

Mama.

Come on.

(KETTLE WHISTLING)

You scared me.

(EVY GRUNTS)

(EVY GRUNTS, PANTING)

(WHISTLING CONTINUES)

(SIGHS HEAVILY)

Sorry, Mama.

(PANTING)

(UNEASY MUSIC BUILDING)

(WHISTLING AND MUSIC STOP)

(MAMA BREATHING SOFTLY)

(LOW SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

(MUFFLED RHYTHMIC THUMPING)

(CLOCK TICKING)

(SWITCH CLICKS)

(CHAIR SCRAPES)

(NOISE CANCELLED OUT)

(BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP PLAYING IN REVERSE)

(SONG ENDS)

(BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP PLAYING IN REVERSE)

(SONG ENDS)

(LOW UNEASY MUSIC PLAYING)

(BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP PLAYING IN REVERSE)

-(RINGTONE PLAYING) -(GASPS, SIGHS)

-(LINE CONNECTS) -Hello?

MAN: Oh, Evangeline, it's Doctor Ram.

Um, sorry for the hour. I was gonna leave a voicemail.

Uh, no, it's okay. I'm up.

Well, the results are in.

They've come back positive.

You're about six weeks.

I... I see.

I can refer you to an OBGYN if you like.

No, um... I'd like to...

I'd like some time to think about my options.

Sure.

Yes, I understand. Take your time.

Call the office whenever you're ready.

Thank you.

(LINE DISCONNECTS)

(LOW UNEASY MUSIC PLAYING)

(WATER TRICKLING)

(UTENSILS CLACKING)

(TURNS OFF FAUCET)

(SOFT BANG)

(WATER RUNNING)

(WATER CONTINUES RUNNING)

(DOOR CREAKING)

(UNSETTLING MUSIC PLAYING)

(MAMA BREATHING SOFTLY)

Mama?

(UNSETTLING MUSIC INTENSIFIES)

(SWITCH CLICKS)

(SWITCH CLICKS)

(DOOR SLAMS)

-(MUSIC FADES) -(MAMA BREATHING SOFTLY)

(SOFT EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

(CELL PHONE VIBRATING)

(VIBRATING STOPS)

(EXHALES)

(CLEARS THROAT)

(NOISE CANCELLED OUT)

MAMA: (ON RECORDING) Hi, Evy. It's your mama.

Just calling to say hi.

I'm wondering if you're coming to mass tomorrow.

I haven't seen you in a while.

Anyway, um, I'm just calling you to remind you

you're mama's little girl.

I'm praying for you.

Um...

Okay. Talk soon.

(LOW UNEASY MUSIC PLAYING)

I'm praying for you.

I'm praying for you.

I'm praying for you.

I'm praying for you.

I'm praying for you.

I'm pray...

(SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

I'm praying for you.

I'm praying for you.

I'm praying for you.

-I'm pray... -(RINGTONE PLAYING)

-Hello? - JUSTIN: Hello?

-Hey. -Hey.

Uh, how's your mom?

Same. (SIGHS)

(SIGHS) I'm so sorry, Evy.

It's okay.

Is it?

I don't know. I'm not, um...

not really sleeping, so...

You're not drinking again, are you?

No.

Evy.

I'm not.

Okay, good.

Good, 'cause...

I don't want you going backwards, you know?

-Yeah. Well, I'm not, so... -Okay.

Um, what are your plans after?

Are you back to Darren's?

Thinking of getting my own place, actually.

-Oh, really? -Yeah.

What about the house?

Can we just start?

-Let's start. -Sure. Yeah, we can start.

Okay, let's do it.

So, where did we leave off, the third recording?

Yes, and we heard the sink filling up with water.

Right. Yeah.

How did it end?

Um, Mike cut it short, the boyfriend.

What do you think happened there?

Let's just... Let's save that for the episode.

All right, all right, all right.

Well, I'm recording on my end.

Record.

Jesus. The faucet turned on by itself.

It's just an old house with plumbing issues.

Could be. But let's keep an open mind, Evy,

if that is possible for you.

Hey, I am open-minded.

I'm open to logic. I'm open to reason.

Okay. Easy, easy. All right.

Let's play the next file, maybe, uh, get some answers?

File number four.

Four of ten.

-Let's do it. -Here we go.

(PLAYER BEEPS)

(METALLIC CREAK)

SPOOKY CHILD VOICE: (WHISPERING) Listen.

Do you hear something?

MIKE: What are you doing?

(METALLIC CREAK)

SPOOKY CHILD VOICE: I like it here in the dark.

MIKE: Put that back in the baby room.

JESSA: Why?

(METALLIC CREAK)

SPOOKY CHILD VOICE: I know something you don't.

MIKE: Oh! JESSA: (LAUGHING) What?

MIKE: I just... I don't know

how you could sleep with that thing.

JESSA: It's a Baby Sleep-time doll.

We all had one growing up.

MIKE: Put it back.

JESSA: No. She's sleeping with us tonight.

MIKE: No. Fuck that. I...

Listen, if she's in here,

I'm gonna throw her out when you're not looking.

(MIKE CHUCKLES)

(DOLL WINDING)

DOLL: Is everyone else asleep?

MIKE: (CHUCKLES) Okay. Okay. Let's go to sleep.

(JESSA CHUCKLES)

JESSA: Okay, can you pass that bag?

MIKE: This plastic bag?

-JESSA: No... -Hold on. Pause it.

JUSTIN: Hmm? What's that?

I just emailed you something.

Oh, okay.

EVY: Play it.

JUSTIN: Oh, my God. What?

-That's the doll? - (DOLL WINDING)

DOLL: I like it here in the dark.

(CHUCKLING) I know, right?

-Oh, my God. -What kind of demented child

wants to sleep with that thing in their bed?

Yeah, I am shaking my head right now.

Anyway, they mentioned a baby room.

But there's no baby.

Yeah, I'm guessing they're expecting.

And, uh... I mean, you think the baby's room

is where Jessa sleepwalks to?

That's my guess.

Yeah. Hmm.

-Let's keep listening. -(BUTTON CLACKS)

JESSA: It keeps moisture out

so Baby Sleep-time stays nice and new.

Isn't that right, Baby Sleep-time?

MIKE: Mm-hmm.

(RUSTLING)

Hmm.

(MIKE SIGHS SLEEPILY)

Good night, baba.

JUSTIN: Skipping to the bump.

(BANG)

(INDISTINCT WHISPERING)

(MIKE SNORING)

(BANG)

-JESSA: Mike. -(MIKE GRUNTS)

- Do you hear that? - (BANG)

-(BANG) -MIKE: (SIGHING) What is that?

(BANG)

-(LOUD BANG) -(PLAYER BEEPS)

JUSTIN: That's the end of the file.

He stops it there.

-That explains it. -That explains what?

The banging.

The water running?

It's faulty plumbing. It's an old house.

There's probably a blockage in the pipes or something.

Hold on. Hold on. Just before the banging, you...

did you hear something? 'Cause I heard something.

-What? -It... It was pretty faint.

It's like a voice.

I didn't hear anything.

Let me play it back louder.

(BUTTON CLACKS)

(INDISTINCT WHISPERING)

JUSTIN: Yeah, there. Did you... Did you hear that?

I did.

-What was that? -I don't know.

-I'm gonna play it louder. -(BUTTON CLACKS)

(INDISTINCT WHISPERING)

JUSTIN: Oh, my... You... You heard that, right?

Tell me you heard that.

-Yes. -Good. (CHUCKLES)

What's it saying?

Yeah, I can't really make it out.

I mean, it could be an artifact,

an overlap of a previous recording.

Hmm.

I don't know.

I wonder if they noticed it when they played it back.

Play the next one. Let's find out.

-Right. Okay. Here we go. - (PLAYER BEEPS)

(BANG)

(JESSA MUMBLING)

(BANG)

MIKE: Jessa?

JESSA: Uozyba-ni-emoc.

(BANG)

-(BANG) -Uozyba-ni-emoc.

-(BANG) -Uozyba-ni-emoc.

-Uozyba-ni-emoc. - (BANG)

MIKE: Jessa? JESSA: Uozyba-ni-emoc!

-MIKE: Jessa? - (BANG)

JESSA: Uozyba-ni-emoc! MIKE: Jessa, what's wrong?

-(BANG) -JESSA: Uozyba-ni-emoc!

Uozyba-ni-emoc!

-(BANG) -MIKE: Jessa.

-Jessa! Jessa! -JESSA: (SOBS) Uozyba...

MIKE: Babe, are you all right?

JESSA: Why are you looking at me like that?

-(PLAYER BEEPS) -JUSTIN: What is happening?

(HIGH-PITCHED RINGING)

Evy?

-Um... -Hello?

I... I think I need sleep.

I'm getting kinda loopy.

Oh, yeah. What time is it there?

Oh, shoot. I gotta go to work anyway.

Yeah, let's, uh... let's record in a couple of days

like last time?

Okay. Yeah. Yeah, sounds good.

-Are you good? -Mm-hmm.

What? What are you thinking?

Um... the artifact.

I'm gonna try and figure it out.

Okay. Um...

Yeah, all right. Well, uh, rest up.

-Night, Justin. -Yeah. Night, Evy.

(LINE DISCONNECTS)

(LOW UNEASY MUSIC PLAYING)

-(HEADPHONES RUSTLE) -(MUSIC STOPS)

(CLOCK TICKING)

(ELECTRICAL BUZZING)

(LOW EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

(BUZZING CONTINUES)

(EERIE MUSIC INTENSIFIES)

(INDISTINCT WHISPERING)

(BUZZING CONTINUES)

(EERIE MUSIC CONTINUES)

(BREATHING SOFTLY)

(BUZZING CONTINUES)

(BULB SCREW SQUEAKING)

(BUZZING STOPS)

(MAMA BREATHING SOFTLY)

(BREATHING SOFTLY)

Good night, Mama.

-(SWITCH CLICKS) -(MAMA BREATHING SOFTLY)

(UTENSILS CLACKING)

(WATER TRICKLING)

(BREATHING SOFTLY)

(WATER TRICKLING)

(SOFTLY) Drink, Mama.

(PILLS RATTLING)

(SOFT SCRAPE)

(SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC INTENSIFYING)

-(MUSIC STOPS) -(NOISE CANCELLED OUT)

(MIKE SNORING)

(INDISTINCT WHISPERING)

(RECORDING STOPS PLAYING)

(MIKE SNORING)

(INDISTINCT WHISPERING)

(RECORDING STOPS PLAYING)

(STATIC)

DISTORTED VOICES: Uozyba-ni-emoc.

Uozyba-ni-emoc.

Uozyba-ni-emoc.

DISTORTED VOICES: Come in, Abyzou.

-Come in, Abyzou. -(MOUTHING)

Come in, Abyzou.

-Come in, Abyzou. -(MOUTHING)

Come in, Abyzou. Come in, Abyzou.

Come in, Abyzou. Come in, Abyzou.

-Come in, Abyzou. -(DISQUIETING MUSIC PLAYING)

Come in, Abyzou.

Come in, Abyzou. Come in, Abyzou.

Come in, Abyzou. Come in, Abyzou.

-(CLOCK TICKING) -Come in, Abyzou.

-Come in, Abyzou. -(CLOCK CLANGS)

-(PLAYER BEEPS) -(CHANTING STOPS)

(ELECTRICITY CRACKLING)

-(SOFT CLATTER) -(GASPS)

(BREATH SHUDDERING)

(WATER TRICKLING)

(WHEEZING)

(WHEEZING AND CLICKING)

-(LOUD WHEEZE) -(GASPS DEEPLY)

(GASPING)

(PANTING)

(CLOCK TICKING)

(UNSETTLING MUSIC PLAYING)

(LOUD TICKING)

(CLOCK CLANGS)

(DISTANT THUD)

(THUD)

-JESSA: Uozyba-ni-emoc. -(BANG)

(BANGING CONTINUES INTERMITTENTLY)

MIKE: Jessa?

JESSA: Uozyba-ni-emoc.

Uozyba-ni-emoc.

(BANGING CONTINUES)

Uozyba-ni-emoc.

Uozyba-ni-emoc!

MIKE: Jessa? JESSE: Uozyba-ni-emoc!

MIKE: Jessa? JESSE: Uozyba-ni-emoc!

-Uozyba-ni-emoc! -MIKE: Jessa, what's wrong?

JESSA: (QUICKER) Uozyba-ni-emoc!

Uozyba-ni-emoc!

Uozyba-ni-emoc! Uozyba-ni-emoc!

MIKE: Jessa. Jessa! Jessa! JESSA: Uozyba... (SOBS)

JESSA: Why are you looking at me like that?

(PLAYER BEEPS)

JUSTIN: Did you hear it?

No.

JUSTIN: Are you serious? It says...

"Come in, Abyzou" in reverse.

-Abyzou? -The taker of children.

(CHUCKLING) Excuse me?

I looked up the name "Abyzou."

It's the name of a demon

from Middle Eastern and European folklore.

She even appears in Christian text

from the first century AD in The Testament of Solomon.

Abyzou suffered from infertility,

making her envious of women who could bear children.

She would sneak into the homes of mothers

and kill their newborn babies, strangling them to death.

King Solomon had her hung

in front of the Temple of Jerusalem

as punishment.

But her envy survived into the afterlife,

twisting her into a demon who wandered the world

and caused miscarriages and stillborn babies.

The most recent thing I could find on Abyzou

came from the locals of Siquijor

who believe that Abyzou entered a statue

of Saint Rita of Cascia,

the patron saint of cursed mothers.

Locals claimed that a woman who worshiped the statue

killed her husband for cheating,

and then killed their baby,

and placed the baby's skull

with an inverted crucifix in the statue's hands

where they still are today.

-According to tourists... -Okay, okay. That's enough.

(INHALES DEEPLY) Let's just play the next one.

Are you okay, Evy?

Yeah. I'm fine.

Just play it.

-You sure? -Yes. (CHUCKLES LIGHTLY)

This is good stuff. Let's get back into character.

(BOTH CLEAR THROAT)

"Come in, Abyzou."

I heard it. All of you listening heard it.

Now let's get some answers.

-Playing the sixth file now. - (PLAYER BEEPS)

MIKE: (SIGHING) Um...

I just woke up and Jessa's still sleeping.

(JESSA YAWNING)

(MIKE SIGHING)

JESSA: Good morning.

MIKE: How'd you sleep?

JESSA: Slept like a baby.

(JESSA CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

MIKE: Did you dream anything?

JESSA: Nope.

Why?

MIKE: You woke up from a nightmare.

JESSA: I don't remember.

MIKE: You were yelling in your sleep.

JESSA: Really?

What... What was I saying?

MIKE: I don't know. Nonsense.

JESSA: Nonsense?

MIKE: Yeah, I...

I have it all recorded.

JESSA: Let me hear it.

-(PLAYER BEEPS) -JUSTIN: That's it.

Wow. So she doesn't remember anything at all.

Interesting.

Speaking in reverse, not remembering it,

that's eerily consistent with--

Before you say it, let me guess.

(IN DEEP VOICE) Demonic possession.

-Okay. It's not a joke, Evy. -(LAUGHS)

There are church documented cases of possessions

dating back centuries.

Not just in Roman Catholic doctrines,

-but in Islam, Judaism... -Yeah... Yeah, of course.

They were documented centuries ago.

This is before people knew about mental illnesses

like psychosis, schizophrenia.

So you think psychosis

can cause someone to speak in reverse?

-Unconsciously, yeah. -Okay, that's a stretch.

Something she read before stuck in her subconscious.

-Wait. Oh, my God. What? -What?

Okay, I'm just looking at this waveform on the file.

When she's saying it, there's, like, a parallel pattern.

What are you talking about?

There's like two different voices overlapping

-when she's saying it. -(SCOFFING) Oh, come on.

No, it's right in front of me, graphically, I can see it.

Well, I'm no engineer, and neither are you.

Okay, well, let's just keep listening

and get some answers.

-Playing the file now. - (PLAYER BEEPS)

MIKE: Okay, so it's 9:02 p.m.

JESSA: Mike, did you see my bags for my dolls?

MIKE: No. Why?

JESSA: Baby is out of her bag. I don't know where the bag is.

MIKE: (SIGHING) She'll survive one night.

(BED RUSTLING)

Good night, baba.

JESSA: Good night, ba.

(BOTH KISS)

JUSTIN: Okay, I'm skipping to the bump.

-(MIKE SNORING) -(RUSTLING)

(MIKE CONTINUES SNORING)

(BABY WHIMPERING)

(MIKE GASPS)

MIKE: Jessa? (GROANS SOFTLY)

(BABY WHINING)

What the fuck?

(BED CREAKING)

(FOOTSTEPS)

-(JESSA SCREAMS) - Jessa!

-(MIKE PANTING) -(FOOTSTEPS RUNNING)

Jessa? What? What is it?

JESSA: (SOBBING) In the sink.

MIKE: What is it? There's nothing in here.

JESSA: (CRYING) There was a baby.

MIKE: What?

(JESSA SOBBING)

(PLAYER BEEPS)

(GASPS SOFTLY)

JUSTIN: A baby crying?

The neighbor's baby.

All right, I promised myself I wasn't gonna email this guy.

You're replying to the email?

Yeah, I just did.

What'd you say?

Uh, I just asked, "Who are you?"

- (CELL PHONE CHIMES) -And, um...

-What happened? -Oh, no, it...

It just bounced back.

"Mail delivery subsystem. Address not found."

Deleted his account, I guess.

Wait, hold on a sec.

-What? -The... The e-mail address,

the random letters, they're, um...

It's actually...

It's "come in, Abyzou" spelled backwards.

(SCOFFS) Clever.

Snap out of it, Justin. There's just three files left.

Play the next one.

-Come on, let's hear it. -Jesus. Yeah.

We're almost at the end.

(SIGHS) Okay.

-Okay. -Yeah. Okay. All right. Um...

(CLEARS THROAT) This is audio file number eight.

(PLAYER BEEPS)

(BED RUSTLES)

(BANG)

JESSA: Mike?

-(TEARFULLY) Mike? -(BANG)

(MIKE BREATHING HEAVILY)

(BANG)

MIKE: Stay here.

(BANG)

JESSA: Mike. Mike. No, don't leave me here.

-(BANG) -(MIKE BREATHING HEAVILY)

(LOUD BANG)

CHILDREN: ♪ Baa, baa, black sheep Have you any wool? ♪

♪ Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full ♪

♪ One for my master, one for the dame ♪

♪ One for the little boy who lives down the lane ♪

♪ Baa, baa, black sheep Have you any wool? ♪

♪ Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full ♪

♪ Baa, baa, black sheep Have you any wool? ♪

♪ Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full ♪

♪ One for my master and one for my dame ♪

♪ One for the little boy who-- ♪

(STATIC RUMBLES, SCRATCHING RHYTHMICALLY)

(STATIC STOPS)

(BABY COOING)

MIKE: (SOFTLY) Fuck.

Where the fuck is that coming from?

-(JESSA SCREAMS) - Jessa!

-(MIKE PANTING) -(JESSA WAILING)

Jessa! Jessa!

(SOFTLY) Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey.

(MIKE PANTING)

(JESSA SOBBING)

JESSA: I saw her! (WAILING)

MIKE: Who? Who?

JUSTIN: Evy? JESSA: (SOBBING) I saw...

-JUSTIN: Evy? -(PLAYER BEEPS)

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep?

(SIGHS) It was a coincidence.

Evy, it was the same version.

Coincidences happen. I mean...

they're rare, but that's why

we get so surprised when they happen.

I just feel... This feels different to me.

Hold on.

What?

I'm searching

"come in, Abyzou" spelled backwards.

Why?

Justin?

Yeah, I'm still here.

-Jesus. -What?

There's a study...

a psychologist treated two separate patients

who were fixated on

"come in, Abyzou" spelled backwards.

One spent days texting it to random numbers

before drowning her nine-month-old daughter

in the kitchen sink.

(UNDER HIS BREATH) What the...

The other was a ceramic artist.

She was admitted to the hospital

after making hundreds of figurines of dead children,

giving them away to young women

around her neighborhood

before committing suicide in the hospital.

She was five months pregnant.

(SOFT EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

You there?

Yeah.

What do we do? I... I think we should stop listening.

Just trash this episode.

-What? -Skip this week.

Why would we trash it? We're onto something good.

I just feel like we're playing with fire or...

We have to keep listening.

No, people are gonna eat this shit up.

It's really good.

We just, um...

stop it here,

make this episode two parts,

publish on Friday, record part two next week.

(JUSTIN SIGHS WEARILY)

Okay.

Okay, yeah.

Okay.

Let's record the outro.

Okay.

Ready?

Yeah. Let's, uh, get back into character.

(JUSTIN CLEARS THROAT)

Join us next week where we continue listening

to the last two audio files.

Jessa speaking backwards in her sleep,

faucets turning on by themselves,

loud banging, baby crying.

Can all of this be explained

or is there something more sinister underneath it all?

(CHUCKLES) You'd love that, wouldn't you?

(JUSTIN SIGHS)

So join us next Friday.

A conclusion to the mystery...

Or just more questions.

Uh, no. Every story has an ending.

This is it. I feel it.

It ends next episode.

(HIGH-PITCHED RINGING)

Uh, if anyone out there listening

has any idea what's going on

or might have some idea who Mike and Jessa might be,

please call us during our live recording

this Monday from 2:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

Until then, this is Justin.

EVY: And this is Evy.

JUSTIN: And remember, don't be afraid of the dark.

Be afraid of the silence.

(SILENCE FALLS)

(BREATHING SOFTLY)

(SOFTLY) Mama.

Can you hear me?

Your little girl's pregnant.

I wanted to name her Mary.

Remember how you used to pray those Hail Marys

for me every night?

Mama...

Only...

I don't think I'm fit to be a mama, Mama.

(SWITCH CLICKS)

(LOW UNSETTLING MUSIC PLAYING)

-(DOOR THUDS) -(LOCK CLICKS)

(BREATHING SOFTLY)

(SOFT EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

(PILLS RATTLE)

-(GULPS) -(WATER RUNNING)

(FAUCET TURNS OFF)

(EERIE MUSIC CONTINUES)

(SWITCH CLICKS)

(EERIE MUSIC CONTINUES)

(DOOR OPENS)

(DOOR CLOSES)

(EERIE MUSIC CONTINUES)

(SIGHS)

(NOISE CANCELLED OUT)

(BELLS CHIME SOFTLY)

WOMAN: Welcome to this guided sleep meditation.

(WATER SLOSHING)

I'd like you to imagine

that you're standing at the edge of a quiet lake.

The moonlight glitters on its surface.

Barefoot, you step into the shallow water.

The water feels warm on your skin.

Looking down, you see something

floating up from the water's depths.

A little tiny thing, bloated and pale,

rising to the surface.

What is it?

The bobbling twirl and the stain.

(BUZZING)

Whirling toddlers down the spin.

Tickle there, girl.

Wretched wheezing.

(WITH DISTORTED VOICE) The choking children.

Dancing penance.

Weeping here.

Bleeding whore.

Wobble out.

DISTORTED VOICE: Cupboard the muck.

-(INAUDIBLE) -(DISTORTED STATIC)

(SCREAMS)

(GASPS)

WOMAN: A gentle breeze pushes more ripples

across the still water.

(WATER BUBBLING)

And rustles the leaves around you.

-So peaceful. -(BIRDS CHIRPING)

So...

(SOFT INDISTINCT TALKING)

MAMA: (SOFTLY) Holy Mary, Mother of God...

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

-(SWITCH CLICKS) -(MAMA BREATHING SOFTLY)

Mama?

What did you say?

Mama, I know you said something.

I know you were talking.

(RAISES VOICE) Mama, answer me.

Why won't you answer me?

I'm sorry, Mama.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Hi, this is Evangeline Babic calling.

Um, if you can give me a call back, please?

I was hoping to get a referral to the women's clinic,

if you can.

Um...

Thank you. Please give me a call back.

(SWITCH CLICKS)

(BREATHING RASPILY)

(BREATHING STOPS)

(VOCAL CLICK)

EVY: Welcome to another episode

of The Undertone podcast.

I'm your host, Evy Babic,

and I'm joined by my co-host, Justin Manuel.

New episodes every Friday,

anywhere you get your podcasts.

JUSTIN: And if you missed our last episode,

you should really go back and have a listen.

All right, so we have heard eight out of ten of these

mysterious audio recordings from an anonymous email.

There's only two left, and before we dive in,

I just wanna give a heads-up.

Since we started this journey,

we've heard some deeply unsettling stuff.

There have been voices, babies crying,

even what sounds like a real demonic possession.

All of it leading back to one name...

Abyzou.

So if you're still listening,

maybe think twice,

because there might not be any turning back

after this week's episode.

(CHUCKLING)

-What? -(LAUGHS)

No turning back?

Yeah. I mean, that last recording...

-Justin, please. -... we heard,

-what the hell was that? -Are you serious?

Uh...

Were we not listening to the same thing?

Uh, yeah, we were. (SCOFFS)

There was obviously only one explanation.

Which is?

It was a hoax.

What?

"A hoax"?

-They're attention seekers. - Huh, yeah.

They obviously staged the whole thing

and then sent it to us.

They probably changed their names.

There's no way this is fake.

No way. No way.

Whatever.

Last episode, I invited listeners

to call us with any information

they might have on Mike and Jessa.

So some calls might be coming in live during this recording.

Are you ready, Evy?

I've been ready all week.

Same. So, file number nine.

After this, there's only one file left.

Here we go.

(PLAYER BEEPS)

(JESSA SNIFFLES)

JESSA: I don't feel good.

(JESSA WHIMPERS)

MIKE: What's wrong?

JESSA: (TEARFULLY) I remember last night...

I woke up, I couldn't move. (SNIFFLES)

You weren't beside me, it was someone else.

A shadow. (CRYING)

And so I prayed...

Hail Mary.

But then the shadow...

The shadow started praying too.

(JESSA LAUGHS)

It was mine. (LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY)

MIKE: (PANTING) Okay. Okay.

(JESSA CONTINUES LAUGHING)

(PLAYER BEEPS)

JUSTIN: Sorry about that, folks.

That... That wasn't a playback error.

The, uh, audio file is corrupted,

so it just ends there.

That was short.

Wait, what's... what is going on?

What?

The time on my laptop,

it's showing 20 to 3:00, but it should be 20 to 9:00.

A glitch in the matrix?

(RINGTONE PLAYING)

Oh, we got our first caller, ladies and gents.

Um, oh, the caller's from your area code, Evy.

Hello, this is The Undertone podcast.

You're being recorded live.

Hello? Hello?

BOY: Oh. Yeah. Hey.

-Is this The Undertone? -JUSTIN: Yes.

Uh, where are you calling from?

BOY: Oh, I'm calling from Westerland.

JUSTIN: Ooh. Do you know an Evy?

Yeah, Justin, everyone from Westerland knows each other.

JUSTIN: (CHUCKLES) So what do you got for us, caller?

BOY: Mike and Jessa. They were my neighbors.

They lived just down the street from me.

JUSTIN: You... You know them?

BOY: Not well. But I recognize their voices

and their names, and it makes sense now

what happened to them.

JUSTIN: "What happened to them"?

BOY: They died.

The police found them at the bottom of the stairs

with plastic bags on their heads.

Had dead babies drawn all over the walls.

JUSTIN: And you're... And you're sure

this is the same Mike and Jessa

-we're talking about? -BOY: Yeah. It's them.

Jessa, she was five months pregnant.

Hey, what street did you live on?

-(VOICE BREAKS) -JUSTIN: Wait, hello?

-Hello? -JUSTIN: You're cutting out.

-Wait, wait, wait. Hello? -(LINE DISCONNECTS)

(WHISPERS) They died.

That's awful.

(RINGTONE PLAYING)

Hi. Sorry. You cut out.

You were... You were saying?

WOMAN: What? JUSTIN: Oh, nothing.

WOMAN: This is Undertone, right?

JUSTIN: Uh, yes. Yes. Where are you calling from?

WOMAN: San Diego.

JUSTIN: Okay. And do you have any information

about Mike and Jessa?

WOMAN: No, not them, but a lady...

crazy lady that used to rent our basement.

JUSTIN: Okay. Go on.

WOMAN: She would play music every night, in reverse.

JUSTIN: In... In reverse? WOMAN: Yes.

JUSTIN: Really? What... What song?

WOMAN: I don't know.

Sounded like kids singing backwards.

JUSTIN: And what, uh... what happened to the...

to the lady?

WOMAN: She was arrested.

Last I heard, she was in prison.

It was fucked up.

JUSTIN: Arrested for... for what?

WOMAN: Killing her baby.

We all heard this loud, hollow banging coming from the vents

over and over.

And my dad, he went down to check,

and the lady, she was swinging a garbage bag

against the furnace.

My daddy stopped her, and he looked inside the bag,

and then at the bottom, it was her baby.

(CRAYON SNAPS)

JUSTIN: That's awful.

What... What was... What was the woman's name?

WOMAN: I don't remember.

I was just a kid when it happened.

It's messed up. I'm sorry.

I hope it helps.

JUSTIN: No. No, this is, um...

this is good info. Yeah.

No, definitely. Thank you.

WOMAN: Will I be in the next episode?

JUSTIN: Absolutely.

-Yeah. Thanks for calling. -WOMAN: Thank you, man.

JUSTIN: Um...

(SKETCHING)

(LAUGHS)

What are you laughing at?

You believe that?

Yeah. Why... Why wouldn't I?

People love hearing the sound of their own voice,

especially on a podcast. (SNIFFLES)

-Okay, but the email... -What about the email?

I don't know. What if it...

What if tenet...

-means... -What?

Ten... The tenth file. I don't know...

What if it was a warning?

Well, then let's play it.

There's only one way to find out.

I don't... I don't want to.

Justin, it's too late.

Play it.

All right. Okay. Yeah.

You know what? I'm just gonna...

I'm gonna click play before I change my mind.

Good.

File number ten. Here we go.

-(PLAYER BEEPS) -(STATIC)

JESSA: She's listening. MIKE: Hmm?

Baba?

JESSA: She's listening.

MIKE: Jessa,

you're burning up.

JESSA: She's listening. MIKE: Hey.

Hey, get up, I'm gonna have to take you to a hospital.

JESSA: No. No, I need to warn her.

MIKE: What... What are you saying?

JESSA: She's listening. (WHIMPERS)

She's listening.

MIKE: Jessa, we have to go... JESSA: I have to warn her!

-(BANG) -MIKE: No. Jessa, wait.

-(STRUGGLING) -(CONTINUOUS BANGING)

(GRUNTS) Jessa, where are you going?

Jessa!

-(BANGING CONTINUES) -(MIKE PANTING)

-(LOUD BANGING) -(RASPY BREATHING)

Jessa?

-(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING) -(VOCAL CLICKS)

JESSA: Look and lick all the blood off now.

(PLAYER BEEPS)

(VOCAL CLICK)

(BREATHES SHAKILY)

Wait, there should be more. Did you touch something?

JUSTIN: No. No, no, no.

It... It stopped. It stopped by itself.

I'm pressing play. It won't play.

(TICKING)

(SOFTLY) We should stop listening.

-(STATIC BLASTS) -Justin!

JUSTIN: I didn't touch anything. I didn't.

(SONG PLAYING IN REVERSE)

-(BREATH SHUDDERING) -(MUFFLED BANGING)

MIKE: Jessa?

(BANGING)

- Jessa! -(RASPY BREATH)

-(JESSA SCREAMS) -MIKE: Jessa! (PANTING)

-(JESSA WAILING) -Jessa. Jessa.

Jessa.

CHILDREN: ♪ Baa, baa, black sheep Have you any wool? ♪

-♪ Yes, sir... ♪ -(BULB POPS)

-(SONG STOPS) -(MIKE PANTING)

JESSA: Something's wrong.

-Justin, I'm so cold. -(BABY COOING)

(SHUDDERING)

MIKE: Where the fuck is that coming from?

(BABY CRYING)

(BUTTON CLACKS)

JUSTIN: (SOFTLY) She said my name.

(PANTING)

She said Justin.

It was you.

No. Evy, no. What?

You're behind this, aren't you?

I wouldn't do that. Evy...

Is this funny to you?

(RINGTONE PLAYING)

Wait. Hello?

WOMAN 2: I'd like to speak with Mary.

JUSTIN: There's no Mary here. I--

WOMAN 2: I'd like to speak with Mary.

JUSTIN: I...

WOMAN 2: I'd like to speak with Mary.

(LOUD THUD)

JUSTIN: Who is this?

WOMAN 2: I'd like to speak with Mary.

JUSTIN: Who is this?

WOMAN 2: I'd like to speak with Mary.

-I'd like to speak with Mary. -JUSTIN: Evy...

WOMAN 2: I'd like to speak with Mary.

I'd like to speak with Mary.

-I'd like to speak with Mary. -Justin, hang up.

DISTORTED VOICE: I'd like to speak with Mary.

-(CALL ENDS) -JUSTIN: Oh, no. I feel...

(RINGTONE PLAYS)

WOMAN 3: (GIGGLING) The Undertone?

JUSTIN: Yes.

WOMAN 3: You shouldn't have called out to her.

JUSTIN: (QUIVERING) Who? Who?

WOMAN 3: Abyzou.

She waits in the tenth file,

at the witching hour.

You shouldn't have listened to all of them.

JUSTIN: Listened... Listened to...

DISTORTED VOICES: What were you thinking?

-(WOMAN 3 GIGGLING) -JUSTIN: Wait.

Wait. Wait.

WOMAN 3: (BREAKING UP) She-- to-- lick

all the blood off her fingers.

-(STATIC) -(PLAYER BEEPS)

JUSTIN: (SHAKILY) She's gone. She's gone.

(SHUDDERING) Evy...

(RINGTONE PLAYS)

-(CALL CONNECTS) -JUSTIN: Hello... Hello?

(BABY CRYING FAINTLY)

WOMAN 4: I don't know what to do.

JUSTIN: Okay...

WOMAN 4: I'm no good. JUSTIN: What...

WOMAN 4: I don't know what I'm doing.

JUSTIN: What are you... What are you doing?

What are you doing?

WOMAN 4: Can you help me? JUSTIN: Yeah...

Okay. Evy... Evy, I don't...

WOMAN 4: He won't stop crying.

(BABY CONTINUES CRYING)

My poor baby.

JUSTIN: Who... Who am I speaking with?

WOMAN 4: Abby.

Can you help me?

JUSTIN: Of course we can... we can help you.

Right? Right, Evy?

ABBY: How do I stop him from crying?

JUSTIN: Abby... ABBY: Don't worry, baby.

JUSTIN: Where are you calling us from?

ABBY: I'll make it stop.

-(BABY CRIES LOUDER) -(PLASTIC RUSTLING)

JUSTIN: What are you doing, Abby?

ABBY: It'll all be better soon, my little one.

-Abby, stop! -JUSTIN: Abby... Abby.

(BABY CONTINUES CRYING)

ABBY: She's safe now. JUSTIN: Abby, call...

ABBY: Everything's gonna be okay.

JUSTIN: Call 911 right now.

Abby, hang up and call 911 right now.

No, no, no. Abby, we can help you.

-JUSTIN: Evy! -What's your address?

Can you tell me your address?

(BABY CONTINUES CRYING)

ABBY: (CRYING) I'm no good.

I'm saving her...

Abby?

-(RUSTLING) -ABBY: I'm no good.

I'm no good.

You are good, Abby.

You're good.

(ABBY CRYING)

Do you hear me?

(ABBY AND BABY CONTINUE CRYING)

Abby...

Talk to me.

I killed my mother.

(CRYING STOPS)

My mommy.

ABBY: What?

When I was young, she used to...

pray by my bedside every night.

Every single night.

And when she got really sick,

she asked me to pray with her every single night.

And I said I couldn't because I was too busy.

Tired.

But it wasn't true.

She stopped eating

and she stopped talking.

It was too late.

I killed my mother.

(ABBY CRYING)

You are good, Abby.

You're good.

ABBY: How do you know?

Because I believe it.

I believe it, Abby.

(ABBY CRYING)

(BABY CRYING)

Abby?

(ABBY LAUGHING WICKEDLY)

(RUSTLING)

DISTORTED VOICES: It's too late.

-(LOUD BANG) -JUSTIN: Oh, my fucking God!

-(LAUGHTER) - Oh, my fucking God!

Trace the call, Justin!

JUSTIN: Oh, my fucking God! Oh, my God!

-(BANG) -Where's my phone? Where's...

-(CRACKLING) -(SWITCH CLICKS)

-I don't... I... -(BANGING CONTINUES)

(BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP PLAYING IN REVERSE)

- Jesus Christ! -(DISTORTED VOICE LAUGHING)

Evy, I... Hello?

-(BANGING CONTINUES) -Evy, can you hear me?

Evy? Hello?

Wait, Evy, I can't... I...

I can't hear you. I can't... Hello?

-Hello? -(SONG STOPS)

-(BANGING CONTINUES) -Evy, where are you?

Oh, my God!

Evy!

Evy!

(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)

(BANG)

(BANG)

CHILD'S VOICE: I wanna listen to Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.

(ELECTRICITY CRACKLING)

(BANG)

(BANG)

(TV THUDDING)

(BREATHING SHAKILY)

(LAUGHTER ON RECORDING)

(BANG)

(BANG)

(SLAPPING)

(RUSTLING)

(MUFFLED LAUGHTER)

-(FAINT CHANTING) -JUSTIN: Get out of the house.

(PLAYER BEEPS)

EVY: I killed my mother. JUSTIN: Get out of the house.

DISTORTED VOICE: I'd like to speak with Mary.

JUSTIN: Get out of the house. EVY: I killed my mother.

DISTORTED VOICE: I'd like to speak with Mary.

EVY: I killed my mother.

MAMA: I'm praying for you.

EVY: My mommy.

JESSA: (LAUGHING) It was mocking me.

(BANG)

(BANG)

(WATER HISSING)

(CABINET DOOR BANGS)

-(KETTLE WHISTLING) -(LAUGHTER STOPS)

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

DOLL: Listen... Do you hear something?

(VOICES WHISPERING)

EVY: Your little girl is pregnant.

I wanted to name her Mary.

Remember how you used to pray those Hail Marys

for me every night?

Only I don't think I'm fit to be a mama...

(BULBS POPPING)

(CHANDELIER CREAKING)

(BULB POPS)

EVY: Justin!

Justin!

-(PLAYER BEEPS) -(VOICE SCREAMS)

JUSTIN: Evy, Evy! I'm here. I'm here.

(BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP PLAYS IN REVERSE, DISTORTED)

What is this?

VOICE: (CHANTING) Uozyba-ni-emoc.

-Uozyba-ni-emoc. -(GASPING)

-Uozyba-ni-emoc. -What the fuck is this?

JUSTIN: I'm gonna help.

I'm gonna go... I'm gonna go help.

No, no, no! Don't leave me!

JUSTIN: I don't know what to do. I can't help.

VOICE: (CONTINUES CHANTING) Uozyba-ni-emoc!

Uozyba-ni-emoc! Uozyba-ni-emoc!

Uozyba-ni-emoc! Uozyba-ni-emoc!

Uozyba-ni-emoc!

-(PENCIL SCRIBBLING) -Uozyba-ni-emoc!

Uozyba-ni-emoc! Uozyba-ni-emoc!

(CHANTING STOPS)

(SCRATCHING)

(GRUNTING AND PANTING)

-(PLAYER BEEPS) -(NOISES STOP)

(LOW UNEASY MUSIC PLAYING)

(CHOKES)

(CHOKES)

(ELECTRICAL BUZZING)

(MUSIC BUILDING)

-(BULB POPS) -(MUSIC STOPS)

(EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

(EERIE MUSIC BUILDING)

-Mama! -(BULB POPS)

-(NOISES STOP) -(FOOTSTEPS)

-(BODY THUDDING) -(EVY SCREAMS)

Mama!

Mama!

-No! No! No! -(VOCAL CLICKING)

Mama!

-Mama! (SOBBING) -(VOCAL CLICKING CONTINUES)

(FOOTSTEPS)

Justin!

-Justin! (WHIMPERING) -(CLICKING CONTINUES)

Justin!

(BABY CRYING)

(EVY GASPS, SOBS)

(THUD)

-(BABIES CRYING) -(FOOTSTEPS)

(EVY GASPING)

(WHISPERING) Something's wrong, Justin.

EVY AND DISTORTED VOICE: I'm so cold.

(CHANTING) Uozyba-ni-emoc.

Uozyba-ni-emoc. Uozyba-ni-emoc.

Uozyba-ni-emoc.

(BABIES CONTINUE CRYING)

Uozyba-ni-emoc. Uozyba-ni-emoc.

DISTORTED VOICE: Uozyba-ni-emoc.

Come in, Abyzou.

(PLAYER BEEPS)

(CHANTING AND CRYING STOP)

(LONDON BRIDGE IS FALLING DOWN INSTRUMENTAL PLAYING)

(SONG SLOWING AND DISTORTING)

(SONG ENDS)

(SOFT SURREAL MUSIC PLAYING)