WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.940 The Silent Directive is a horror podcast. There 00:00:03.940 --> 00:00:06.780 are many themes some users may find disturbing. 00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:10.119 Please check the description before listening. 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:19.879 Thank you. The Silent Directive Episode 5 The 00:00:19.879 --> 00:00:30.660 Visitor from the Chimney Someone is coming down 00:00:30.660 --> 00:00:33.740 your chimney. How do you feel when I say that? 00:00:34.219 --> 00:00:37.280 Does it remind you of someone? Someone jolly, 00:00:37.299 --> 00:00:41.320 kind, someone who carries gifts? It should. That's 00:00:41.320 --> 00:00:44.159 the modern connotation. Everyone thinks of Santa 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:47.600 Claus when a boot appears in the chimney. But 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:49.939 it wasn't always like that. Before the tales 00:00:49.939 --> 00:00:52.280 of the jolly visitor from the North Pole, thinking 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:54.539 of a visitor from down your chimney was a bad 00:00:54.539 --> 00:00:58.240 thing. It was an intruder. It was someone unknown. 00:00:58.729 --> 00:01:02.070 entering your place of living. It was only after 00:01:02.070 --> 00:01:05.290 Santa that you began to welcome the chimney visitor. 00:01:05.790 --> 00:01:10.590 No longer did you fear the idea. But, as the 00:01:10.590 --> 00:01:13.670 tales of Santa spread, a counter -myth began 00:01:13.670 --> 00:01:18.590 to emerge. What if someone, something else, came 00:01:18.590 --> 00:01:21.129 down the chimney? And what if this thing was 00:01:21.129 --> 00:01:30.269 not there to give, but rather to take? the night 00:01:30.269 --> 00:01:32.569 before Christmas when all through the house not 00:01:32.569 --> 00:01:35.829 a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The 00:01:35.829 --> 00:01:38.069 stockings were hung by the chimney with care, 00:01:38.230 --> 00:01:41.090 in hopes that St. Nicholas would soon be there. 00:01:41.230 --> 00:01:43.829 The children were nestled all snug in their beds. 00:01:44.090 --> 00:01:47.189 At least, that's how the original poem is read. 00:01:47.450 --> 00:01:50.549 The story I have today takes a different turn. 00:01:51.969 --> 00:01:54.890 Last night, children around the world anxiously 00:01:54.890 --> 00:01:57.069 awaited the famous visitor from the chimney. 00:01:57.780 --> 00:02:00.859 Siblings Lucy and Connor were no different. Their 00:02:00.859 --> 00:02:03.040 family was traveling for the winter, staying 00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:06.099 at a little cabin up in North Montana. It had 00:02:06.099 --> 00:02:08.479 been a wonderful visit. The ground was covered 00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:10.960 in a fresh powder of snow. The presents they 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:13.639 had opened so far had been amazing. The cabin 00:02:13.639 --> 00:02:15.780 was small, but the time with family had been 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:18.580 more than enough. At the time I was seeing them, 00:02:18.659 --> 00:02:21.500 it was well into the night, around one in the 00:02:21.500 --> 00:02:23.900 morning. Little Connor had thrown a fuss about 00:02:23.900 --> 00:02:26.280 having to go to bed, but he was fast asleep now. 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:29.460 Lucy was the older sibling. Only by three years, 00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:31.400 but to an eleven -year -old, that may have well 00:02:31.400 --> 00:02:36.520 been a decade. She found herself awake. Maybe 00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:39.340 by chance, maybe by the noise from the rooftop. 00:02:40.020 --> 00:02:43.060 I heard it. It sounded like the house settling. 00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:46.379 With the snow piling on top, it very well may 00:02:46.379 --> 00:02:50.419 have been. But Lucy thought otherwise. She thought 00:02:50.419 --> 00:02:54.490 she heard bells. She sat up. climbing down the 00:02:54.490 --> 00:02:57.169 bunk bed ladder and shaking Connor awake. He 00:02:57.169 --> 00:02:59.330 began to ask if it was morning, but Lucy shushed 00:02:59.330 --> 00:03:02.349 him. It's midnight, she said. I think he's here. 00:03:03.509 --> 00:03:06.030 Another creak sounded out. Both of them were 00:03:06.030 --> 00:03:09.330 convinced. I'll admit, even I wondered if it 00:03:09.330 --> 00:03:12.210 was truly the jolly man. In the world I've seen, 00:03:12.349 --> 00:03:15.210 anything's possible. As the siblings crept out 00:03:15.210 --> 00:03:16.509 of their room and made their way downstairs, 00:03:16.969 --> 00:03:20.879 I followed. Because I'm no corporeal being, I 00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:23.060 could see both the children and the roof at the 00:03:23.060 --> 00:03:27.759 same time. I saw what was making the noise, and 00:03:27.759 --> 00:03:30.139 a disturbing sense of dread settled deep within 00:03:30.139 --> 00:03:34.219 me. This was not a friendly visitor. But the 00:03:34.219 --> 00:03:36.419 children continued down the stairs, unaware. 00:03:36.939 --> 00:03:39.979 They ventured into the living room. The room 00:03:39.979 --> 00:03:42.099 was filled with neatly wrapped presents, surely 00:03:42.099 --> 00:03:44.500 exactly what they wrote letters about. Before 00:03:44.500 --> 00:03:47.500 they could begin to inspect, a noise came from 00:03:47.500 --> 00:03:50.939 the chimney. A quiet, shuffling, scraping noise. 00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:54.360 The children watched excitedly as I watched with 00:03:54.360 --> 00:03:57.780 fear. I don't usually fear for the subject of 00:03:57.780 --> 00:04:01.500 my stories. Experiences happen, and I, nor anyone, 00:04:01.699 --> 00:04:04.939 can do anything about them. But I feared for 00:04:04.939 --> 00:04:07.340 these children as the creature came down the 00:04:07.340 --> 00:04:11.319 chimney. That scraping noise? Lucy figured it 00:04:11.319 --> 00:04:13.360 might be a belt buckle or something of the sort. 00:04:13.719 --> 00:04:17.670 It wasn't. It was the horns of this thing. scraping 00:04:17.670 --> 00:04:20.949 along the brick chimney walls. As it descended, 00:04:21.149 --> 00:04:24.050 the faint sound of bells could be heard, making 00:04:24.050 --> 00:04:28.129 larger the excitement in the children. Lucy sat 00:04:28.129 --> 00:04:30.250 down in front of the tree, while little Connor 00:04:30.250 --> 00:04:32.290 took a seat directly in front of the fireplace. 00:04:32.930 --> 00:04:37.370 He watched in silent, joyous anticipation. This 00:04:37.370 --> 00:04:41.129 joy began to waver once a black, hairy hoof stepped 00:04:41.129 --> 00:04:44.910 onto the ash. Connor looked back to Lucy for 00:04:44.910 --> 00:04:48.120 confirmation. for some signal that all was normal. 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:52.579 But she did not give one. She only stared in 00:04:52.579 --> 00:04:55.040 slowly growing horror as the creature pulled 00:04:55.040 --> 00:04:58.420 itself from out of the chimney. It had four limbs, 00:04:58.699 --> 00:05:02.579 two hooves for legs, and long arms with two elbows 00:05:02.579 --> 00:05:06.180 in the front. Its body was covered in black fur 00:05:06.180 --> 00:05:09.500 or hair. On its back was an ancient -looking 00:05:09.500 --> 00:05:13.540 wicker basket. It stepped forward, walking on 00:05:13.540 --> 00:05:16.730 four limbs before standing upright. Its front 00:05:16.730 --> 00:05:18.930 arms were so long they almost reached the ground 00:05:18.930 --> 00:05:21.829 as it stood at full height. Connor pushed himself 00:05:21.829 --> 00:05:24.250 back, away from the creature, until his back 00:05:24.250 --> 00:05:26.889 pressed against the couch. The creature's face 00:05:26.889 --> 00:05:30.250 was equally as horrifying as its body. A tangled 00:05:30.250 --> 00:05:33.050 mess of hair and twigs hung from its chin, supposedly 00:05:33.050 --> 00:05:36.410 a beard. Its face only vaguely resembled that 00:05:36.410 --> 00:05:39.029 of a man, permanently bent in a painful sneer, 00:05:39.170 --> 00:05:41.129 like it were gritting its teeth through pain. 00:05:42.029 --> 00:05:44.449 Speaking of its teeth, they were crooked and 00:05:44.449 --> 00:05:47.240 huge. the top row jutting out to the right and 00:05:47.240 --> 00:05:50.399 the bottom row jutting out to the left. Its nose 00:05:50.399 --> 00:05:53.160 was like that of a donkey. Its eyes were hollow 00:05:53.160 --> 00:05:55.980 orbs of white light bulging outward from its 00:05:55.980 --> 00:05:59.519 long, thin skull. On top of its head were two 00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:02.540 thick horns like that of the great ellend antelope. 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:05.519 Rusted bells were tangled around those horns, 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:09.399 quietly jingling as it moved. It began to make 00:06:09.399 --> 00:06:12.160 a choked, sniffing noise, moving its head back 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:15.329 and forth. It took a step forward. leaning down 00:06:15.329 --> 00:06:18.089 on its front limbs, its face moving towards Connor. 00:06:18.509 --> 00:06:21.290 He closed his eyes as the creature took a long, 00:06:21.350 --> 00:06:25.930 deep inhale. Lucy stood up. Her heart was beating 00:06:25.930 --> 00:06:28.129 faster than her ribcage could handle, but she 00:06:28.129 --> 00:06:30.050 grabbed an ornament off the tree and threw it. 00:06:30.449 --> 00:06:32.569 She hadn't been quite sure of a plan, but she 00:06:32.569 --> 00:06:35.529 wanted this thing away from her brother. The 00:06:35.529 --> 00:06:37.470 circular ornament bounced off the creature and 00:06:37.470 --> 00:06:40.290 shattered on the floor. In a split -second moment, 00:06:40.329 --> 00:06:42.579 the creature's arm shot out toward Lucy. Its 00:06:42.579 --> 00:06:45.019 hand was long and deformed, its fingers were 00:06:45.019 --> 00:06:48.100 too long to curl into a fist. They reached Lucy 00:06:48.100 --> 00:06:50.420 before she blinked, and closed tightly around 00:06:50.420 --> 00:06:53.240 her. Its other hand wrapped around Connor and 00:06:53.240 --> 00:06:56.660 lifted him up, too. Both children were dangling 00:06:56.660 --> 00:06:58.680 above the floor as the thing raised them upward. 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:01.519 They would have screamed, but its grip was so 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:04.379 tight the air was forced from their lungs. It 00:07:04.379 --> 00:07:06.759 didn't look mad, it didn't look anything. Its 00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:09.930 face was still that unnatural smile it was. its 00:07:09.930 --> 00:07:12.149 teeth seemingly too big to allow its mouth to 00:07:12.149 --> 00:07:15.329 close. Being so close, they could now see its 00:07:15.329 --> 00:07:18.230 eyes had no pupils. It moved its head toward 00:07:18.230 --> 00:07:21.170 Lucy as she struggled and gasped. It took another 00:07:21.170 --> 00:07:26.350 long, deep inhale. After it was finished, it 00:07:26.350 --> 00:07:29.089 dropped her to the ground. She landed on her 00:07:29.089 --> 00:07:32.110 back and crawled away from it. Then it moved 00:07:32.110 --> 00:07:34.990 its head back to Connor. It took the same deep 00:07:34.990 --> 00:07:40.259 sniff, only it did not drop Connor. A low grumble 00:07:40.259 --> 00:07:43.699 came from the creature, sounding like a deep 00:07:43.699 --> 00:07:48.000 chuckle. With its other hand, it reached around 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:51.199 its back and unclasped the basket, opening the 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:54.620 top. Slime and ooze dripped from the lid of the 00:07:54.620 --> 00:07:57.779 basket. Lucy, too scared and stunned to move 00:07:57.779 --> 00:08:00.420 or speak, watched as the beast lifted Connor 00:08:00.420 --> 00:08:03.540 over its head. He and Lucy met eyes one last 00:08:03.540 --> 00:08:06.560 time before he was dropped into the basket. Lucy 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:08.959 screamed out, yelling as loud as she could. but 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:11.620 the creature had no reaction. It simply closed 00:08:11.620 --> 00:08:14.680 the basket lid. Lucy continued to scream, getting 00:08:14.680 --> 00:08:17.160 to her feet. She yelled at the creature, throwing 00:08:17.160 --> 00:08:19.560 more ornaments. It turned around, completely 00:08:19.560 --> 00:08:22.399 ignoring her. Lucy watched as it clambered back 00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:26.079 up through the chimney and disappeared. She cried 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:28.899 and screamed, unsure of what to do. Before too 00:08:28.899 --> 00:08:31.160 long, her parents rushed down the stairs, turning 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:38.629 on the lights and asking what happened. I wish 00:08:38.629 --> 00:08:41.370 something could have gone differently. I wish 00:08:41.370 --> 00:08:43.529 something could have gone differently. What a 00:08:43.529 --> 00:08:46.649 horrid, terrible creature. Based on my knowledge 00:08:46.649 --> 00:08:49.289 and what I saw, I believe it to be a Krampus. 00:08:50.029 --> 00:08:52.389 I don't know if there are multiple or just one 00:08:52.389 --> 00:08:56.129 Krampus. According to legend, it sniffs behavior 00:08:56.129 --> 00:08:58.750 in children and takes the ones who haven't been 00:08:58.750 --> 00:09:02.730 good. An unfair judgment, to say the least. I 00:09:02.730 --> 00:09:04.470 was hoping for a brighter story for the holiday 00:09:04.470 --> 00:09:08.029 season, but this is what I saw last night. I 00:09:08.029 --> 00:09:15.950 felt it unfair to poor Lucy to not share. I apologize 00:09:15.950 --> 00:09:19.490 for my late broadcast. My schedule must remain 00:09:19.490 --> 00:09:25.990 the same. It is very important. But, as is said, 00:09:26.169 --> 00:09:29.870 it is that time of year. I wanted to tell a story 00:09:29.870 --> 00:09:32.870 of relevance, so I had to wait. Sure enough, 00:09:32.970 --> 00:09:35.570 the night of the Christmas Eve holiday, I found 00:09:35.570 --> 00:09:38.309 myself there. I'm still not sure how to navigate 00:09:38.309 --> 00:09:40.929 myself, but I was seeking a holiday story when 00:09:40.929 --> 00:09:45.769 I found one. Interesting. Well, I hope you all 00:09:45.769 --> 00:09:48.710 have a nice holiday. Be careful. And remember, 00:09:48.929 --> 00:09:51.870 where there are folktales, there are experiences. 00:09:52.409 --> 00:09:56.289 Stories that survive for so long do so for a 00:09:56.289 --> 00:09:56.870 good reason.