1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,960
Prologue, it was pitch black with only the full moon illuminating the night.

2
00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:11,400
It was late autumn, the winter's cold creeping in.

3
00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:17,560
Decaying leaves and skeleton trees with massive trunks encased a man digging.

4
00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:24,040
As he dug viciously, the sound of muddy soil crunched as it was unearthed.

5
00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:28,140
He could hear wolves howling in the distance.

6
00:00:28,140 --> 00:00:30,720
He chuckled and gave a howl.

7
00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,720
His breath was visible in the cold air.

8
00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:39,640
The smell of the decaying leaves and earth filled the man with joy.

9
00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:44,320
As the hole grew, it reached an appropriate size for a human.

10
00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,640
He walked back to his truck bed and lifted the tarp.

11
00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,840
A corpse with a hole scorched through its stomach emerged.

12
00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,280
The man grabbed the corpse by the legs.

13
00:00:54,280 --> 00:01:01,000
Blood spread across the truck bed as he pulled the body until it thumped into the hole.

14
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:08,360
He filled the hole diligently, making sure not a single piece of flesh could be seen.

15
00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:14,040
Once finished, a single dead flower was placed upon the grave.

16
00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:19,360
The engine of the truck roared as the man vanished into the darkness.

17
00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:23,240
As the roars faded, so did the howls.

18
00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:28,880
What remained was silence, followed by the flower lifting.

19
00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:36,840
It swayed back and forth as if a gust of wind had lifted it, giving life to the dead of

20
00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:39,480
the night.

21
00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:40,680
Chapter One

22
00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:43,920
I rose from my bed like a corpse from a grave.

23
00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,920
Another night of agony and sleeplessness.

24
00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:51,200
Sweat soaked the bed, leaving an imprint like a chalk outline.

25
00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:53,680
My room was a mess as always.

26
00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:55,480
Weed acted as decor.

27
00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,400
Bong stood as flower vases.

28
00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:01,480
And half-smoked joints crowded the ashtray.

29
00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,640
A hole the size of a baseball burned in the foot of the bed.

30
00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:10,640
A nice match for the vintage oak baseball bat laid against the wall.

31
00:02:10,640 --> 00:02:15,200
The extra large cigarette hole from a night of too much weed and alcohol.

32
00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:20,240
I can only assume as I don't really remember how it got there.

33
00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:25,000
The only motivation I had to get up from my lackluster night's rest was the aroma of

34
00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,480
coffee brewing in the kitchen.

35
00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:32,760
I went to the kitchen wearing nothing but my underwear, which seemed to help somewhat

36
00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:34,800
with the night sweats.

37
00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:40,000
I grabbed the lonely coffee cup from the oak cupboard and thought to myself, you and me

38
00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:41,400
both bud.

39
00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:44,240
The cup read, number one dad.

40
00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:48,960
A cruel joke by my buddy Steven, as I can't have kids.

41
00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:54,240
I know you might be thinking, Steven is an asshole, which is sometimes true.

42
00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,160
But we have a dark sense of humor.

43
00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,360
I found the gifted mug pretty damn funny at the time.

44
00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:04,240
I returned the favor with a mug that said, number one dickhead, with a little body and

45
00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:05,960
a dick for a head.

46
00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:09,400
Yeah, we're pretty immature for some thirty-somethings.

47
00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:12,420
Steven has been my best friend since we were children.

48
00:03:12,420 --> 00:03:16,400
His mom was friends with mine and we continued the family tradition.

49
00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,680
I moved to this town after I lost my last job.

50
00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,520
Steven got me a job and helped me settle in.

51
00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:27,240
I felt like we were kids again, as we were hanging out a lot and reminiscing about old

52
00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:32,960
memories, like the time we started an investigation agency at twelve years old.

53
00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:36,480
We had just finished watching some old Sherlock Holmes movies.

54
00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:40,060
I of course was Sherlock and he was Watson.

55
00:03:40,060 --> 00:03:43,760
If you asked him today though, he would probably say he was Sherlock.

56
00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:49,080
The smell of black, oil-thick coffee brought me back to reality as I poured it into the

57
00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:50,520
mug.

58
00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:54,300
I went to the bathroom, as one does after drinking coffee.

59
00:03:54,300 --> 00:03:55,620
You know what I'm talking about.

60
00:03:55,620 --> 00:04:00,360
As I finished dropping the kids off at the pool, I bent slightly to look in the mirror.

61
00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:02,560
God, you look like shit.

62
00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:09,000
I told myself out loud, I wasn't the worst looking guy, but I had gray hair sprouting

63
00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:13,280
and blending with my dark brown thinning hair.

64
00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,400
Things underlined my droopy, lifeless eyes.

65
00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:22,880
My forehead ached with pain, as if I was being burned with a circular branding iron.

66
00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:25,280
The mental fog overwhelming.

67
00:04:25,280 --> 00:04:28,360
A faint shimmer gathered clockwise.

68
00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,760
A strange mental manifestation of the pain.

69
00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:39,600
The doctors say it's some kind of psychosomatic manifestation or even a somatic hallucination.

70
00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:44,040
The image is often too vivid to be all in my head.

71
00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,120
As if I could reach out and touch it.

72
00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:53,840
I've tried touching it, thinking I would feel the charred ridges on the ends of my fingers.

73
00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:57,200
Each time there was nothing to feel.

74
00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:03,920
As I stood looking in the mirror, I closed my eyes, forcing the pain back.

75
00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:09,280
Focusing on the poorly designed bathroom carpet beneath my feet.

76
00:05:09,280 --> 00:05:11,840
The mirror doubled as a medicine cabinet.

77
00:05:11,840 --> 00:05:16,040
I moved the stash jars and grabbed some generic painkillers.

78
00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:22,120
I did the old sniff test to a wrinkled up graphic t-shirt and it passed the test.

79
00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:26,400
I put it on with a pair of jeans and my muddy boots.

80
00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:30,880
My phone's notifications showed I had some missed calls.

81
00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:35,080
One was from work, trying to get me to work the night shift again.

82
00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:37,040
The other was from Steven.

83
00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:39,420
He was checking in on me.

84
00:05:39,420 --> 00:05:42,280
My forehead pain had been worse the last few days.

85
00:05:42,280 --> 00:05:47,320
I downed the cup of coffee and left my rundown apartment that looks like it's still in the

86
00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:48,320
90s.

87
00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:53,320
As I passed the threshold a feeling of unease crept up, mixed with the pain on my forehead.

88
00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:58,120
Today's gonna be shit, I thought to myself.

89
00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:00,820
The day was young as I trudged to my car.

90
00:06:00,820 --> 00:06:05,060
It was late autumn, the decaying leaves crunched under my boots.

91
00:06:05,060 --> 00:06:10,880
The smell of winter just around the corner beat against my nostrils.

92
00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:17,700
Despite the pain, which was nothing new, I hopped into my Saturn, also from the 90s.

93
00:06:17,700 --> 00:06:21,400
If you don't know what a Saturn is, you are too young to read this.

94
00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:27,040
I cranked the ignition, which started on the second try, a new record.

95
00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:29,440
Usually the third time's a charm.

96
00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:34,840
I scraped a small clearing on my frosted windshield, battling the morning chill.

97
00:06:34,840 --> 00:06:41,400
My car's radio clock read 7.35, which meant I still had time to stop at the cafe for another

98
00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:42,840
cup of life.

99
00:06:42,840 --> 00:06:49,240
I drove past the bare trees and the zombies and their cars, going to their 9 to 5.

100
00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:52,720
I stopped on the street when I reached Doug's cafe.

101
00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:56,080
I helped Doug get out of a jam a few years back.

102
00:06:56,080 --> 00:07:01,000
Doug's then girlfriend went missing and the local cops were doing shit.

103
00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:06,640
Doug knew I had done a brief stint in police work and an even shorter stint as a P.I.

104
00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:11,800
The girl had drug problems and the cops bet she was playing dead at some drug house.

105
00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:18,080
I was able to find this girl for Doug, and ever since I got free coffee and God knows

106
00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:20,640
I need it.

107
00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:25,360
The bell hanging on the door rang as I entered Doug's.

108
00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:30,360
Doug's looked like a modern coffee shop mixed with a classic diner and pizzeria.

109
00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,520
As I entered the shop, she was there.

110
00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:37,600
I didn't just like coming to this place for the free coffee.

111
00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,360
Music played in the background coming from an old radio.

112
00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:45,920
If it isn't Mr. Jack the Ripper, Susan the barista joked, you know I don't like it when

113
00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:50,880
you call me that, just because I might smoke a lot of pot.

114
00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:55,680
The weed helped with the pain, but Susan didn't know that.

115
00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:58,960
The music on the radio faded into the background.

116
00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:02,240
We're listening to 103.5 FM.

117
00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:06,080
Another body has been found, this time 20 miles north of town.

118
00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:10,720
It's reported that the body had a hole blasted through it, like someone used a fire torch

119
00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:12,540
on the poor soul.

120
00:08:12,540 --> 00:08:16,600
The police have yet to release the name of the victim or any other information.

121
00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:21,000
We'll keep you updated on this and the other killings.

122
00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:25,600
Next break we're taking a look at the gloomy weather forecast, but first, let's get you

123
00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:29,200
to work with some music to wake you up.

124
00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:33,520
Susan glanced at me, her smile turning into a frown.

125
00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,440
These killings are starting to really scare me.

126
00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:39,240
This is the fifth one since the beginning of October.

127
00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:43,480
Yeah, you'd think the cops would have some suspects or something.

128
00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:45,560
It's not like this town is that big.

129
00:08:45,560 --> 00:08:47,680
Why does Doug even keep that thing on?

130
00:08:47,680 --> 00:08:49,760
I pointed to the old radio.

131
00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:53,120
He knows it's 2024, right?

132
00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:56,360
You know Doug, Susan responded.

133
00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:59,240
He's a boomer and a bit of a kook.

134
00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,560
He thinks modern technology is the devil or some BS.

135
00:09:02,560 --> 00:09:04,920
Anyways, here's your normal.

136
00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:08,440
I grabbed a steaming hot cup of black coffee with a little sugar.

137
00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:11,360
You know me so well, Susan, I said.

138
00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:13,280
Susan's face turned red.

139
00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:17,780
Well, you do come in here almost every day for the coffee.

140
00:09:17,780 --> 00:09:22,760
She said coffee in a way that made me think she knew I didn't just come here for that.

141
00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:27,600
I stuttered a little as I said thanks for the coffee and began my journey back to my

142
00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:28,600
car.

143
00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:31,680
You idiot, I thought to myself.

144
00:09:31,680 --> 00:09:37,440
I've never been much of a ladies man and Susan was a lady if there ever was one.

145
00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:43,280
She had long blonde hair, green eyes, and was way too smart to be a barista, especially

146
00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:44,280
at Doug's.

147
00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:47,500
Doug's was like the opposite of Starbucks.

148
00:09:47,500 --> 00:09:51,760
As I picked up my self-esteem, I began my quest to purgatory.

149
00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:57,600
I hated working a nine to five, but as the great Dolly Parton said, what a way to make

150
00:09:57,600 --> 00:09:59,360
a living.

151
00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:03,720
A loud noise radiated from my car as I drove to work.

152
00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:06,300
It was a foggy morning, which I hated.

153
00:10:06,300 --> 00:10:10,560
Ever since I was a kid, I correlated fog with a bad day.

154
00:10:10,560 --> 00:10:15,820
It didn't help that my carousel heater worked as well as me talking to women.

155
00:10:15,820 --> 00:10:19,200
Steam rose from my coffee as I held it in one hand.

156
00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:21,560
This provided some warmth.

157
00:10:21,560 --> 00:10:24,600
I worked about thirty miles past town.

158
00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,440
It's a factory that supports the town through jobs, but the smell is too much for it to

159
00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:31,480
be closer to town.

160
00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:36,880
As I exited town, I saw cop cars pass me, one after another.

161
00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:42,360
I passed the crime scene, avoiding eye contact with anyone or anything.

162
00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:44,440
I've never been one for murder.

163
00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:47,800
That's probably why I'm not a cop anymore.

164
00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:53,160
I can't say the same for Janet, the nosy neighbor no one liked.

165
00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:58,440
Janet parked her soccer mom, Van, as close to the scene as the cops allowed.

166
00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:01,480
She had a microphone and a recording device.

167
00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:04,200
The nerve of some people, I thought.

168
00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:10,480
Someone was killed in a horrific way, and here's this lady recording a true crime podcast.

169
00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:14,960
Who listens to podcasts anyways, right?

170
00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:19,000
If I was the murderer, Janet would be my next victim.

171
00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:24,920
Janet was a middle-aged mom of teenagers who were just as annoying as she was.

172
00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:28,120
If her name wasn't Janet, it would be Karen.

173
00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:32,880
I waved politely at Karen, I mean Janet, and drove by.

174
00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:37,040
The pain on my forehead worsened as I passed the scene.

175
00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:39,160
I eventually arrived at work.

176
00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:45,720
The smell, somewhere between dead animals and chemicals, ruminated.

177
00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:47,400
Steven was yet to arrive.

178
00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:51,400
He usually parked his fancy Lexus next to my car.

179
00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:54,120
I think he did it to make his car look even better.

180
00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:59,300
It could also be because we're friends, but I choose to believe the latter.

181
00:11:59,300 --> 00:12:01,720
Work began as boring as any other day.

182
00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:07,960
I stood at my station, pushing buttons and pretending to be a good worker bee.

183
00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:11,920
Hey, Jack, my supervisor screamed over the machines.

184
00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:14,120
Have you heard from Steven?

185
00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:16,320
He didn't call in or show up yet.

186
00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:20,300
He called me on Saturday, but I missed the call.

187
00:12:20,300 --> 00:12:24,200
He walked away, angry as he was short-staffed.

188
00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:28,920
I survived the work day, and my car only took four times to start.

189
00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:31,360
I guess my luck ran out.

190
00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:37,680
I never do a whole lot on work days, especially when my pain is so bad.

191
00:12:37,680 --> 00:12:39,840
This day was no different.

192
00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:45,080
I decided to sit in the dark, smoke a bowl, and listen to some music.

193
00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:48,680
I was listening to my favorite song by the Misfits.

194
00:12:48,680 --> 00:12:51,200
When a knock came to my door, it was Doug.

195
00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:52,600
Doug, what are you doing here?

196
00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,320
It's a little late for coffee or pizza, man.

197
00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:59,000
It's the Steven, Doug said, his voice cracking.

198
00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:03,600
The pain on my forehead disappeared as my heart dropped in my chest.

199
00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:07,400
I was cleaning up the cafe and listening to the radio.

200
00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:10,760
Doug said Steven was the lady's victim.

201
00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:14,160
I dropped to my knees, hitting the floor.

202
00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:15,600
I'm sorry, Jack.

203
00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:17,600
I don't know what to say.

204
00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:19,960
I wanted you to hear from a friend.

205
00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:22,800
The pain overwhelmed me.

206
00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:24,440
I didn't want to talk.

207
00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:27,520
I muttered a thank you and shut the door.

208
00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:31,440
As the door swung closed, I turned to see my coffee cup.

209
00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:33,680
I picked it up and threw it at the wall.

210
00:13:33,680 --> 00:13:35,640
It shattered into pieces.

211
00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:40,120
Regret instantly hit me and I tried picking up the cup.

212
00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:43,800
As I sporadically tried picking up the pieces, I cut myself.

213
00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:47,320
Some blood stained my face as I wiped away tears.

214
00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:49,760
The sadness turned into anger.

215
00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:54,800
As I thought about how brutally Steven was murdered, how can someone burn a large hole

216
00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:56,400
in someone like that?

217
00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:58,720
It's not natural.

218
00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:01,400
Steven was a father and a husband.

219
00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:05,200
His family had become mine since moving here.

220
00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:09,320
I looked at the bed with its hole burned into its fabric.

221
00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:14,280
I thought about how the cops can't do anything around here and it fueled me.

222
00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:18,800
It started a fire of its own in my body.

223
00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:22,120
I'm gonna find this motherfucker and he's gonna pay.

224
00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:25,120
Hey you.

225
00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:34,440
Yeah, you listening right there.

226
00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:39,120
Thanks for tuning into this pilot episode, Chapter 1 of Jack's Chronicles.

227
00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:45,060
This is my first time diving into any kind of writing whatsoever, so please take it easy

228
00:14:45,060 --> 00:14:46,060
on me.

229
00:14:46,060 --> 00:14:51,680
I started this project because I love audiobook narration, podcasting and storytelling and

230
00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:54,360
I wanted to bring all those passions together.

231
00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:59,840
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow for more chapters as the story unfolds.

232
00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:05,520
I don't know what happens next, but hopefully Jack stays out of trouble, or actually hopefully,

233
00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:09,520
Jack gets into a lot of trouble and we have some fun here.

234
00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:30,560
Until next time, we will see you for Chapter 2, coming out sometime in December.