Welcome to the world of Tales from Davidstown.
Episode Eight: Echoes
originally released on Patreon on November 26th, 2023.
Previously on Tales from Davidstown.
Jess: Okay, Emily, I'm really worried about you right now.
First that attack and now this??
Paul: I think all of this has got something to do with Emily's violent ex.
No sign of Emily. No...
No messages. Her phone is off.
I have no idea where she is. But this doesn't change anything.
Jason Priest is still the best lead that we have.
She's my best friend.
I brought it to this town so she could escape
that bastard.
**Strange crying and shouting**
**GROWLING**
Did I move to Davidstown
because it was a place to start over?
Or a place to hide?
Everywhere I look,
I still see Jason.
His eyes, his words.
They haunt me.
His voice still lingers in my ears.
Promising love but only delivering pain.
Can a town so small
really keep his shadow at bay?
Maybe I should have chosen a big city.
Rather than a country town.
It's easy to fade away in a city.
You just melt into the grey along with everyone else.
Oh. J.K.
Rowling's just confirmed that she'll be attending tomorrow night.
This is amazing.
Do you think she'll read my book?
I wish I could just melt away,
be invisible.
I thought Davidstown would be peaceful,
healing, even.
But the quiet has almost giving me too much time to think.
I've been living here for what, three weeks now?
Three and a half.
Feels longer somehow.
And there’s BBC news.
They want to arrange an interview for next week.
God Em!
Can you believe it?
No matter how hard I try.
I can't escape the memory of Jason.
It's like walking on a tightrope.
These notifications, I swear I'll need to hire a PA for my PA
at this rate.
I want to confide in Jess to lean on her.
But she’s soaring high and
I feel like I'm sinking.
I've invited Paul, by the way.
You did what? How?
You've not even met him.
I DM’d him on Instagram.
You know, I love a good insta-stalk, and you seem to like him,
so I thought it would be a nice surprise for you.
I get to grill him about his intentions with my friend.
Okay, thanks.
Oh, come on Em.
It's just a friendly invite.
You need to stop being so uptight about it all.
I'm not being uptight.
Okay, good.
Because I'm really excited to meet him.
You've been on what, two dates now?
There's obviously sparks between you two.
Or you wouldn't continue to see him.
Do Paul and I have sparks?
I guess we do.
But those sparks bring the memory of a past
that burned too bright.
Too hot.
How do I trust the warmth and not fear the fire?
Rumour has it the Graham Norton
has asked for a copy!
Can you imagine? Graham
Bloody Naughton.
Jess.
Maybe we shouldn't invite Paul to the book launch.
It's just
things are complicated right now, and I don't know
if Paul and I are going to go anywhere yet.
Emily, ugh...
you're overthinking it.
No one is asking you to marry the man.
It's a night out to celebrate my book launch.
It's supposed to be fun.
She doesn't understand.
How can she?
The thought of going on a date with Paul feels like a test
I’m bound to fail because of Jason.
Jess.
Not everyone moves on at the same pace.
I'm still...
I'm still healing.
It's been weeks Em.
You're in a new place.
New people.
You’ve got to relax at some point.
That's the thing, Jess.
To you... It's weeks.
For me, it's...
It's a daily struggle.
Every waking hour.
Oh, I just want what's best for you Em.
And sometimes...
I think you need a push.
I don't need push, Jess.
I need understanding.
I need space, and I need you, my friend, to be there for me.
Not pressuring me.
Not messaging people on Instagram for me.
I just thought, you know, with all this going on, the book launch,
the interviews, that
maybe it could be a distraction for you, you know, and an opportunity.
But I don't need distractions, Jess.
I need time to heal.
Can't you see that?
I'm sorry Em.
I just...
Well, this is a huge moment for me.
I want you to be part of it.
I just thought
that... I'm happy for you Jess. Truly.
But I need you to understand that while you're on this high, I'm
still trying to climb out of my own pit.
Don't pull me into the light before I'm ready.
Look.
I'm sorry.
I know things have been tough.
I just want to see...
I just want to see you be happy.
I can uninvite Paul, if that's what you prefer.
I'll tell him the venue is overcapacity or something.
No, don't do that.
It'll be fine. I'll...
I'll deal with it.
Okay.
Thank you, by the way, for coming with me today.
The venue wants me to confirm a few last minute changes.
We won't be long.
And it's nice to have the company. No worries.
It's good to get out the house
to be honest.
Okay, here we are.
Holy crap.
This is the Priory??
It's gorgeous.
I thought it was a church?
It is. Well, it was.
It's a nightclub now.
And the soon to be venue
for my book launch..!
Em?
Emily?
Are you with me?
Wait..?
When did we...
How did we get inside?
I, I don't remember walking in.
You've been so lost in thought today.
Come on.
I want to show you the main space while we wait for the owner to show up.
I feel disoriented, like I'm floating
every step,
every sound
feels out of sync.
This isn't just the weight of the past.
Something feels... off.
Isn't this space just beautiful?
It's grand. For sure.
Such high ceilings.
Feels both majestic and
eerie at the same time.
Exactly.
Perfect for the dramatic launch of my book.
Now, speaking of dramatics, I've been thinking.
Oh, should I be worried?
No no no, no, it's nothing bad.
I want you to be the official photographer for the event.
What? Me?
Who better?
I've seen your photos Em, they're good.
And you know it.
And this way you'll be involved.
Active.
Might even take your mind off things.
I don't know.
It's such a big deal for you and...
I mean, are you sure there's not someone else you'd rather have
take photos?
Look, if it's about the money, don't worry.
I'll pay you.
Plus, think of all the connections you're going to make.
Maybe she's right.
Maybe this is what I need to pull me back and come into the present.
Okay, I'll do it.
It could be... Fun?
That's the spirit.
**JESS’s PHONE RINGS**
Ugh, hang on a sec.
Who is this?
Why do you keep calling?
No, I won't stop my investigation.
You're making a big mistake.
What was that about?
Some anonymous caller.
I've been getting a few of those lately.
What,
like a scam call?
No, nothing like that.
It's this deep dive I've been doing on Carrista Company.
I had a tip off about them, so I start looking into their business practices.
Carrista? They're just a local company.
Why would you be investigating them?
I mean, your YouTube channel is about global journalism and deep dives.
Not small local businesses.
But that's just it.
I don't think Carrista is a small, local business.
You won't believe the stuff I found on them.
For one companies House,
she was the same director for the company for over a hundred years.
What?
That's...
I mean,
maybe it's just a family thing.
Grandpa. Then son.
Then grandson.
That's what I thought, too.
But no it's weirder than that.
There's no trail of family lineage.
It's like one person has been in charge forever.
So what?
We have a thousand year old man running a company here in Davidstown?
Laugh now, but the rabbit hole goes deeper.
There's this super weird forum I found online mentioned Carrista
in something called Nexus.
It's bizarre.
My gut says it's about offshore connections.
Or maybe some hidden parent company. Nexus?
Sounds like something out of a sci fi movie.
But Jess, if you getting threats, you should seriously consider informing the police.
And let them take all the credit for my investigation?
No way.
I got this Em. Jess.
Anonymous threatening calls aren't a joke.
You really should be careful.
Speaking of threatening calls, aren't you gonna answer that call from Jason?
What?
My phone isn’t ringing.
See? Nothing-
**HER PHONE VIBRATES**
How did you..?
How... er...
How did you know he was going to call?
Because this has already happened.
Don't you remember?
Hello?
Jason: You can't run, Emily.
I know you are.
You think Davidstown will protect you?
It's a pitiful place for a pitiful woman.
Remember those night, Em?
Those nights when I'd come home blind drunk?
And you'd been hiding from me.
Well, you can't hide any longer,
you pathetic little whore.
This phone call
is just the beginning.
Every corner you turn, every shadow you see.
Know that I'm always watching.
Davidstown won't save you.
Nobody will.
Jess?
Jess!
Jess!!
Em!
There you are.
I was wondering where you'd wandered
off to. Jason.
He just called me.
He threatened me Jess.
When? Literally a minute ago.
You were standing right in front of me when I answered em.
Em...
No, I wasn't.
This is the first time I've seen you all night.
You have been taking photos, right? What?
No, it just happened. I...
First...
We were in the car, and then suddenly inside the venue.
And now....
The book launch is now??
You're being really weird.
Can we just take photos, please?
The camera is suddenly in my hand.
Cold and heavy.
And familiar.
Have I taken any photos tonight?
I should check.
Every photo.
I see Jason in the background,
his eyes piercing through every shot.
It's as if he's haunting every frame.
He's here.
Oh, God.
Paul: **Garbled words**
**Garbled words**
Paul, hi.
I didn't hear what you said.
**Garbled words**
Sorry. What?
I asked if you wanted a drink.
You okay Em?
You seem a bit out of it.
Yeah.
I'm okay.
I just,
I just need some air.
Sorry.
Nothing makes sense.
The air is heavy, stifling,
As if the world is pressing down on me.
**DISTANT HOWLING**
I feel like I'm drowning.
And every time I come up for air,
the waves of fear pull me under again and again.
Was that phone call real?
I can still hear Jason's threats in my ears.
How did he find me?
Is he lurking in the shadows, watching me?
Even now?
The more I try to piece it together,
the more fragmented everything becomes.
Is this what losing your mind feels like?
Just breathe.
Emily...
Breathe.
Doorman: You alright there miss?
Yeah.
I just needed some air.
I can get someone for you if you need help.
No. It's fine. Really.
It was just a bit overwhelming in there, you know?
All the people and...
The wind has picked up.
Making the trees around me rustle and sway.
I feel as though I'm being watched.
Like a rabbit caught in the gaze of a predator.
There's something...
or someone out there.
And I'm the prey.
The shadowy outlines of the trees seem to dance in the wind.
Perhaps hiding something.
Jason?
It's Jason.
You know this is your dream, Emily?
What?
It's your memories of that night.
You've lived through it once.
Why torment yourself with them again?
Oh, God. You're right.
I've been here before.
I remember this feeling.
The inescapable fear.
The chill down my spine.
Every hair on my body standing on end.
That means I know what's coming next.
Oh, please don't make me relive it.
Please!
These are the shadows of the things that have been.
They can't be changed or altered.
You can try to run,
but the fear has a way of catching up with us.
I don't want to relive it.
Not again.
It's not like you have a choice.
I’m alone now.
The doorman left at some point.
I don't remember exactly when.
And now the night feels even denser.
Almost suffocating.
My heart races.
Each beat loud and urgent in my ears.
Like an alarm I can't switch off.
The shadows around me seem to grow longer, more menacing.
Each one capable of hiding a lurking terror.
Every rustle, every whisper
of the wind feels deliberate, calculated.
I feel so exposed out here.
I try to steady my breath,
to listen for any hint of danger.
But all I can hear is the rapid beat of my own heart.
Well, you can't hide any longer...
You pathetic little whore.
The memories of Jason's threats echo in my mind.
And there's another fear now.
An older, primal fear.
The kind that comes from being prey in an open field
with a predator lurking just beyond your vision.
I know it's coming.
The feeling of being hunted.
It's unmistakeable.
I can almost sense its’ hunger, its’ desire.
You can't run Emily!!
I know where you are!!
A chill runs
down my spine.
Colder than the night air.
Is it Jason out there?
Is he the monster lurking in the darkness?
Or is this something else out here with me?
Emily!
There's no point in trying to run!
I always find you.
Every instinct is screaming at me to run, to find shelter.
But my feet
feel glued to the spot.
Paralysed by an overwhelming mix
of terror and anticipation.
And then through the rustling of the leaves
and the distant hue of an owl...
I hear it.
A low growl, both guttural and haunting.
It's close
Too close.
And as the seconds drag on, each one
an eternity
I realise that there's no
escaping this nightmare.
No, no!
Is it..?
Is it you, Jason?
Or is it..?
**A HUGE WOLF GROWLS**
**EMILY SCREAMS**
**THE WOLF ROARS**
I see it.
The beast.
Its’ eyes gleaming
with an unnatural golden hue.
As it steps into view...
It's an ever shifting form,
toggling between the snarling, feral, maw of the wolf,
and the angry, contorted face of Jason.
Get back!
It's hot
breath is right upon me.
The stench of blood, decay and earthy musk assault my senses.
Desperation floods me.
I can feel the prickling sensation
of teeth inches from my skin.
No please!
**THE WOLF ROARS**
**THE WOLF JUMPS ON TOP OF EMILY**
It’s almost like...
Like wrestling with smoke.
Sometimes.
The firm hairy hide of a beast.
And at times the sweaty, angry grip of a man.
But those teeth so sharp, so real.
Always threatening!
As it lunges
I catch a fleeting glimpse of those eyes,
the yellow predatory eyes of the wolf
transitioning to Jason's rage filled glare.
Stop! Please Jason!!
Stop!!!
Each move I make, each attempt to break free.
Feels sluggish.
Like moving through treacle.
But the beast is relentless.
I could feel its saliva warm and sticky.
As it snaps at me, teeth grazing my arm.
Help! Someone please!!
Ahhhhhhh!!!!!
The ground slips from beneath me.
I'm falling,
falling.
As I brace for the impact.
I catch one last glimpse of those shifting features.
Man, beast, monster.
Lover.
All converging into one
nightmarish entity.
**EMILY IS TOSSED INTO A WALL**
**THE WOLF WALKS TOWARDS EMILY**
**A CAR SPEEDS AT THEM**
**THE CAR HITS THE WOLF**
What just happened?
The weight of the beast is suddenly gone,
replaced by a deafening silence.
Man: Hey. Are you okay?
Can you hear me? Who?
I saw that thing attacking you!
I had to... I had to do something.
Are you hurt?
The voice is unfamiliar, but it's kind.
I’m momentarily safe.
But Jess.
Where's Jess?
I feel strangely disconnected from myself.
I see my body lying in the car park,
broken and bloody.
Yet here I am,
standing upright without a scratch on me.
I hold my hand up
in front of my face and I am translucent.
The moon visible through my skin.
I should feel
afraid, but instead I feel peace.
There's a strange serenity
that envelops me as I look down at myself.
So vulnerable,
so mortal.
But where does that leave me?
A spectre caught between here and
elsewhere.
Jess: ...but not just stories...
Jess?
Jess, is that you?
The club entrance looms ahead.
The vibrations of laughter, music
and life just barely perceptible.
A step forward, a part of me expecting to collide with the door.
But instead I pass through it effortlessly.
Like a whisper through the wind.
Inside life
precedes in its vibrant, chaotic melody.
Yet I am removed from it.
Unseen,
unheard.
I walk among the living.
My form
unnoticed, untouched by the revelry around me.
It's as if a veil separates me from the rest of the world.
A pang of longing surges through me.
My feet carry me through the crowd.
Through friends, strangers.
Through laughter and shared stories
I am no longer part of.
Is this death?
A silent observer
to the life I once knew?
...Not just stories, but part of our identities.
Binding us together in our collective journey through the unknown.
There she is, standing at the podium.
Vibrant and alive.
Does she know what's happened to me?
Does she even care?
**The Audience Claps”
Thank you so much for joining me tonight.
It's been a dream come true to launch this book with all of you.
Your support on my YouTube channel and now with my book has been overwhelming.
We've built an incredible community together,
and I'm so grateful for each and every one of you.
Let's continue
this journey and keep sharing our passion for truth.
I hope you all enjoy tonight as much as I did.
Thank you truly.
Assistant: Jess!
Something’s happened to Emily!
She's outside.
Someone attacked her!
What?
Emily!
Emily??
Emily!!
So you do care about me?
A reason to keep on living.
Time to return to my body.
Emily!
I'm here.
Jess...
God, Emily.
What... what happened?
It was Jason.
He came at me from the bushes.
Driver: It wasn't a man.
It was some giant, rabid dog or something.
Never seen anything like it.
You must be in shock Em.
Jason's not here.
It's not your fault.
It was...
Someone call an ambulance. Now!
Where am I?
This doesn't feel
real.
Am I still dreaming or..?
Have I woken up?
She keeps saying his name over and over in her sleep.
Jason.
Could it really have been him?
Hobbs: I promise you that
we're looking into it thoroughly.
But you have to understand what Emily experienced.
It was traumatic.
The brain is likely playing tricks on her and confusing
what really happened at the Priory with the fears surrounding her ex.
She may well believe it was Jason who attacked her.
But right now, it doesn't look to be the case.
We've spoken to him and he appears to have a watertight alibi.
So then what attacked her then?
His talk around town about all these attacks.
Animals at the farms, pets in the neighbourhood and
they've been horrific.
Mauled, torn apart.
Some people think it's a creature or a big cat.
The way
Emily was attacked.
It's similar, isn't it?
There are similarities.
Yes, but we can't jump to conclusions.
Off the record.
The attacks
are unsettling.
There's something roaming out there.
Something vicious.
And we're trying to figure out
exactly what it is.
Jess... you’re here.
Emily?
Can you hear me?
Do you remember the stars?
The stars?
What are you talking about?
Emily, it's time.
You need to find the way back.
Wake up.
Yes. Em...
Wake up.
Come back to us.
What's going on?
Why does everything feel
distorted?
Wake up! Emily.
Find the light.
Remember, you are.
What? Where am I?
Am I awake?
Or still dreaming?
This isn't my room.
Why does my arm feel so heavy?
Bandages.
But I don't remember any injury.
Okay, okay.
Don't panic.
Let's work out where I am.
The room is pretty dark, but I can make out a door.
I can see light creeping in from underneath it.
Locked.
Shit.
Okay.
There's no windows and no other way out.
But I think I can make out a dresser or a table
in the corner.
It looks like a note but...
I can barely read it in here.
It looks like it says...
“I know what you are.”
Who wrote this?
Cold stone walls,
damp, musty air.
No way for light to get in.
Am I underground?
Is this
a basement?
Hello?
Is anyone there?
Hello?!
Thank you
for listening to this episode of Tales from Davidstown.
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