#FIRESIDEFRIGHTS VOLUME 32 #WeirdDarkness
31 August 2024 - 2 hours 17 minsIN THIS EPISODE: This is a Fireside Frights episode where all of the stories are sent in by you, the listeners of Weird Darkness. Plus, in these episodes I strip away all of the music, sound effects, and other fancy audio production… it’s just you, me, this campfire, and your stories. Send in your own true stories at https://weirddarkness.com/submit
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(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links includ...
Series Episodes
“Electric Girl” by Dark Weirdness | Based On a Weird Darkness Story
A pop-punk track about a fourteen-year-old French weaver, the night her loom started flying across the room, and the scientists who couldn't quite figure out what they were looking at. GET THE SONG: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/darkweirdness/electric-girl EPISODE THAT INSPIRED THE SONG: https://weirddarkness.com/electricpoltergeistgirl/,https://weirddarkness.com/mcelheny/ MORE OF THE MUSIC: https://weirddarkness.com/music HEAR THE WEIRD DARKNESS PODCAST: https://weirddarkness.com/listen
11 mins
22 May Finished
ELECTRIC POLTERGEIST GIRL: The 14-Year-Old French Girl Who Hurled Furniture Without Touching It
In 1846, fourteen-year-old Angelique Cottin became known as the "Electric Girl" when she unleashed an unexplainable force that sent furniture flying, baffled scientists, and terrified priests, all while her family sought fortune from her mysterious powers. EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources and full transcript): https://weirddarkness.com/ElectricPoltergeistGirl FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: In 1846, a 14-year-old peasant girl from rural France caught the attention of the country and eventually the world because of a strange current of electricity running through her. Angelique Cottin, a girl of small stature, was suddenly and uncontrollably moving furniture weighing hundreds of pounds across the room. In the end, over 2,000 witnesses saw the unexplainable phenomenon. Of the few recorded cases of psychokinesis throughout history, even fewer are as bizarre as the story of Angelique Cottin, AKA the Poltergeist Girl. (The Poltergeist Girl) *** The Codex Gigas... a colossal manuscript steeped in mystery. Not just in it’s pages, but in its origin. Is it true that a monk penned the pages after striking a deal with the devil in order to complete it? (Codex Gigas: The Devil’s Bible) *** When you think of people living in medieval times, what do you see? People with bad teeth and breath? Witches being burned? Women had no rights or jobs? People tossed their urine and feces in the street? They thought the earth was flat? Hold up… are you sure about that last one? (The Dark Ages And The Flat Earth) *** In 1941, in the quiet town of Media, Pennsylvania, a horrific crime shocked the community. Two elderly sisters, Elizabeth Watson and Belle Geary, were brutally attacked, leading to Elizabeth's death and Belle's prolonged suffering. As authorities honed in on a suspect, 14-year-old John Leeds emerged as the prime candidate. Despite his confession, his mother staunchly defended him, sparking a legal battle that gripped the nation. (The Octogenarian Murders) *** Are whales dangerous? Most would note that, given from the danger associated with such a large animal, there is a certain risk in getting close to one. But most would also note that whales have a curious, gentle temperament and physical violence from one is very unlikely. Unless, that is, you consider those times when they literally explode. (Exploding Whales) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding 00:01:01.789 = Show Open 00:04:04.658 = Poltergeist Girl 00:17:15.982 = Codex Gigas: The Devil’s Bible *** 00:26:27.659 = The Dark Ages and the Flat Earth 00:37:39.247 = Octogenarian Murders *** 00:47:11.722 = Exploding Whales 00:54:00.406 = Show Close *** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break LISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps *No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast* SOURCES and RESOURCES: “The Poltergeist Girl” by Liv Pasquarelli for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ydvwhbsf “Codex Gigas: The Devil’s Bible” by Mark Miller for Historic Mysteries.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4csh764d “The Dark Ages And The Flat Earth” by Gemma Hollman for JustHistoryPosts.com:...
55 mins
22 May Finished
The Vial, the Hex, and the Missing Wife of Chula Vista | #WeirdDarkNEWS
A small glass vial of hemlock, hundreds of emails to online spellcasters, and a 39-year-old mother who walked out of her own home and never came back — the Maya Millete case is now in front of a San Diego jury. SOURCES, LINKS, AND PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/vial-and-hex/ Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://pod.link/1078714736 *No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast* WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. #WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS
21 mins
21 May Finished
Harvard Astrophysicist Warns Alien Contact Could Crash Markets | #WeirdDarkNEWS
A Harvard scientist says first contact won't look like the movies — it will look like an AI-guided machine on our doorstep, and humanity isn't ready. SOURCES, LINKS, AND PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/loebwarning Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://pod.link/1078714736 *No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast* WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. #WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS
14 mins
21 May Finished
Land of the Living Dead | #RetroRadio
Two scientists travel toward a remote village deep in Brazil. During the journey, they become stranded near an isolated settlement — often described in logs as a mysterious airport village populated by ancient people with strange customs and rituals. What begins as a scientific expedition turns increasingly unsettling as the travelers encounter a place that seems disconnected from ordinary reality. Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/OTR CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Show Open 00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “Land of the Living Dead” (November 03, 1977) ***WD 00:45:56.814 = BBC Ghosts From The Past, “A Warden For All Saints” (April 29, 1992) 01:29:37.398 = Barry Craig — Confidential Investigator, “Sneak Assassin” (November 21, 1945) 01:58:53.759 = Hall of Fantasy, “Markheim” (April 24, 1947) 02:24:56.192 = Harry Lime, “See Naples And Live” (August 10, 1951) 02:50:31.703 = BBC Haunted Tales of the Supernatural, “Channel Crossing” (July 14, 1984) ***WD 03:17:06.208 = The Haunting Hour, “A Corpse There Was” (April 21, 1945) 03:41:56.690 = Hermit’s Cave, “The Black Band” (1930s-1940s) ***WD 04:06:03.980 = Mystery Is My Hobby, “Buried Treasure” (1945-1950) 04:29:32.110 = Sherlock Holmes, “Singular Affair of the White Cockerel” (December 28, 1946) 04:58:52.931 = Show Close (ADU) = Air Date Unknown (LQ) = Low Quality ***WD = Remastered, edited, or cleaned up by Weird Darkness to make the episode more listenable. Audio may not be pristine, but it will be better than the original file which may have been unusable or more difficult to hear without editing. CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0665
4 hours 59 mins
21 May Finished
What Are The Politics of a Zombie Apocalypse?
Zombies might be relentless brain-munchers, but the real terror is how quickly bad ideas spread—rising from the dead, infecting minds, and shambling through our culture long after they should’ve been buried. EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources and full transcript): https://weirddarkness.com/ZombiePolitics FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: The one great thing about a zombie apocalypse, if one were to ever take place, is that we might finally be free from the stupidity of politicians. Or… would we? (The Politics of the Zombie Apocalypse) *** We’ve heard quite a bit about supply shortage during the Covid pandemic – but how bad could it get, really? I mean, we’re not talking famine, right? We’re not going to go armed to the teeth in the streets to steel food from others, that’d be un-American. Well, tell that to the people of Richmond, Virginia in 1863 who rioted when the final straw for them was the price of bread going too high. (The Richmond Bread Riot) *** After numerous twists and turns to get into position, the fighter pilot shot a total of 64 30mm shells at an extraterrestrial spacecraft to bring it down or destroy it altogether. Most all of his shots were direct hits – but his target continued on without a scratch. (Air to Air Combat With a Flying Saucer) *** What happened at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant will forever be burned into the hearts and minds of scientists and historians worldwide. Two people died instantly from the explosion – dozens more from radiation poisoning in the months to come. But not everyone is buying the story we’ve been told. They believe something more sinister took place and that it’s being covered up. (Chernobyl Conspiracies) *** In February 2008 a contract murder took place, but there seemed to be no reason behind it. Who would want Lindsay Buziak dead – and why? (Who Killed Lindsay Buziak?) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = “Apocalypse” (short story) 00:19:21.004 = Show Open 00:21:58.777 = Politics of the Zombie Apocalypse *** 00:30:57.458 = The Richmond Bread Riot 00:35:24.977 = Air to Air Combat With a Flying Saucer *** 00:40:51.546 = Who Killed Lindsay Buziak? 00:48:07.599 = Chernobyl Conspiracies *** 01:02:36.686 = Show Close *** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break LISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps *No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast* SOURCES and RESOURCES: Fictional short story at beginning of episode, “Apocalypse” by Regisatra: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/49n3kdkp “Air to Air Combat With a Flying Saucer” from Earth-Chronicles: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4z8k6ste “The Politics of the Zombie Apocalypse” from Esoterx.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y9ffywve “The Richmond Bread Riot” by Jenny Ashcraft for Fishwrap: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ysf8pnz6 “Chernobyl Conspiracies” by Colleen Conroy for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3p59u3ax “Who Killed Lindsay Buziak?” by Bipin Dimri for Historic Mysteries:
1 hour 3 mins
21 May Finished
