#FIRESIDEFRIGHTS VOLUME 32 #WeirdDarkness
30 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
The House And Brain | #RetroRadio
A young London couple rent a room in a house that has stood unlivable for four hundred years, and the one woman who has ever managed to live there tells them the tenants who never left are already expecting them. 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, “Double-Take” (July 28, 1978) ***WD 00:45:31.411 = The Weird Circle, “The House And Brain” (July 15, 1943) 01:12:40.459 = The Whistler, “Accident According To Plans” (May 07, 1945) ***WD 01:42:34.731 = Strange Wills, “Miser’s Gold” (October 05, 1946) 02:12:18.216 = Witch’s Tale, “Power of Lucifer” (February 22, 1934) ***WD(LQ) 02:38:53.520 = X-Minus one, “Caretaker” (January 30, 1957) 03:00:31.427 = ABC Mystery Time, “Suicide Club” (June 07, 1956) ***WD(LQ) 03:22:14.023 = Appointment With Fear, “And The Deep Shuddered” (November 20, 1945) ***WD 03:47:57.688 = Arch Oboler’s Plays, “Johnny Got His Gun” (March 09, 1940) 04:17:48.094 = Barrie Craig, “The Paper Bullets” (December 05, 1951) 04:47:10.982 = Tales of the Frightened, “Deadly Dress” (1957-1963) 04:51:49.238 = Beyond The Green Door, “Morton Gale – Vacation In Maine” (1966) ***WD 04:55:21.249 = Tales From The Tomb, “Do You Know Where The Children Are” (1960s) 05:00:31.667 = 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/WDRR0757
5 hours 1 min
28 August Finished
Leah Roberts Vanished Chasing Kerouac Into The North Cascades
In March 2000, a 23-year-old from North Carolina left a note about Jack Kerouac, packed her Jeep, and drove west toward a mountain she'd only read about – and what searchers found in the woods nine days later still has no explanation. EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/LeahRoberts READ or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y6mnafrd FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: If you have information regarding Leah Roberts’s disappearance, contact the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office at 360-778-6600 or the Whatcom Communication Dispatch Center at 360-676-6711. A free-spirited young woman set off on a soul-searching road trip inspired by Jack Kerouac — but what she left behind in the wilderness was a wrecked Jeep, a haunting mystery, and no trace of herself. What happened to Leah Roberts? (Leah Roberts’ Last Road Trip) *** In the tropical beauty of Antigua, a chilling mystery unfolds as locals continue to vanish without a trace — leaving a trail of grief, fear, and dark speculation. (The Mystery of Antigua’s Missing People) *** Would you still eat a special love-attracting cake if you knew it was covered in someone's sweat from their armpits and... everywhere else? (The Horrifying History of Love Potions) *** As if death isn’t unnerving as it is, science is now suggesting that you might still be conscious after death — aware your body has failed, but powerless to escape the darkness. (We Might Know We’re Dead When We Die) *** Some believe doppelgängers are omens of death – and some found out personally. (Haunted By Your Own Ghost) *** Biblical legend, Cold War espionage, and decades of silence — the hunt for Noah’s Ark might be stranger than fiction… and it includes the CIA. (The CIA Searches For Noah’s Ark) *** What if a murderer didn’t act alone… but under orders from a mind-control program no one was supposed to know about? (Programmed To Kill: The MKUltra Murders) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding 00:00:59.741 = Show Open 00:03:16.502 = Leah Roberts’ Last Road Trip 00:13:30.991 = Programmed To Kill: The MKUltra Murders *** 00:22:12.690 = The Mystery of Antigua’s Missing People 00:26:30.224 = The Horrifying History of Love Potions 00:35:18.384 = We Might Know We’re Dead When We Die *** 00:39:41.170 = Haunted By Your Own Ghost 00:46:44.479 = The CIA Searches For Noah’s Ark 00:54:56.045 = 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: “Leah Roberts’ Last Road Trip”: https://www.ranker.com/list/what-happened-to-leah-roberts-disappearance/jenn-dzikowski, https://charleyproject.org/case/leah-toby-roberts, “The Mysterious Disappearance of Leah Roberts” (Investigation Discovery) “Programmed To Kill: The MKUltra Murders”: https://theintercept.com/2019/11/24/cia-mkultra-louis-jolyon-west/ “The Mystery of Antigua's Missing People”:
56 mins
27 August Finished
Siders Case: Indictment Identifies Gary Jr. As The Victim's Uncle | #WeirdDarkNEWS
The indictment read aloud in a Vinton County courtroom Wednesday names how Gary Siders Jr. is related to the child he is accused of abusing, his bond went up by a quarter of a million dollars in the same hearing, and two felony cases no news outlet has reported sit on a docket two counties away. SOURCES, LINKS, AND PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/SidersCase20260827 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 WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. LIKE WHAT YOU’RE HEARING? WEIRD DARKNESS posts episodes 7 DAYS A WEEK! Listen FREE wherever you get podcasts or visit https://weirddarkness.com/listen. • Paranormal • True Crime • Ghosts • UFOs • Cryptids • Unexplained • Want even more? Become an OFFICIAL WEIRDO for commercial-free episodes, bonus episodes, weeknight live chats, audiobooks & more at https://WeirdDarkness.com/OFFICIAL
20 mins
27 August Finished
CONTAINMENT FAILURE: Hunting Down Failed Experiments | #MidnightInTheMacabre
A government hunter tasked with tracking down escaped experiments begins to realize the monsters he captures may not be the only things he should fear. EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/mitm-containmentfailure SOURCES and RESOURCES: “I Hunt Down The Government’s Mistakes” by Devon Hoover: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/39m68p6w WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. Midnight In The Macabre (MITM), originally aired: August 27, 2026 LIKE WHAT YOU’RE HEARING? WEIRD DARKNESS posts episodes 7 DAYS A WEEK! Listen FREE wherever you get podcasts or visit https://weirddarkness.com/listen. • Paranormal • True Crime • Ghosts • UFOs • Cryptids • Unexplained • Want even more? Become an OFFICIAL WEIRDO for commercial-free episodes, bonus episodes, weeknight live chats, audiobooks & more at https://WeirdDarkness.com/OFFICIAL
49 mins
27 August Finished
A BODY WITH NO TICKET: Murder On The Manchester Express | #RetroRadio
A gentleman and a veiled lady took an empty first-class compartment on the Manchester Express out of London, and by the next station they'd vanished from the moving train, leaving behind a dead young man with no ticket, no labels in his clothing, and six American watches in his pockets. 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, “The Cabinet of the Unsolved” (July 27, 1978) ***WD 00:45:18.840 = Suspense, “Palmer Method” (April 20, 1944) 01:14:52.189 = Tales of Tomorrow, “The Old Die Rich” (March 26, 1953) ***WD 01:46:39.153 = The Creaking Door, “Anna” (December 21, 1964) ***WD 02:13:31.289 = The Saint, “Old Man’s Car” (August 14, 1949) 02:37:57.359 = Theater 1030, “The Sandman” (October 31, 1954) ***WD(LQ) 03:04:57.439 = Two Thousand Plus, “Brooklyn Brain” (June 21, 1950) ***WD 03:33:38.132 = The Unexpected, “Mercy Killing” (1947-1948) 03:48:21.926 = Nick Carter Master Detective, “Death After Dark” (February 19, 1944) ***WD 04:17:37.622 = Dark Venture, “Chase” (August 03, 1946) ***WD(LQ) 04:45:57.158 = Beyond The Green Door, “Eddie Fox – Hobo In Oakdale” (1966) 04:49:48.810 = Tales From The Tomb, “Comfort Lies In The Dark” (1960s) 04:54:06.864 = Incredible But True, “The Man Who Saw Everything” (1950-1951) 04:57:22.155 = Strange Adventure, “John Friday Talks Fast” (1945) ***WD 05:00:37.595 = 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/WDRR0756
5 hours 1 min
27 August Finished
Dickens, Seances, and Why Ghosts Still Wear Victorian Clothes
Nobody in the Victorian era who claimed to see a ghost described lace and corsets – that look came from the magazine trade that discovered ghost stories were cheap to print and easy to cut to length. EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/VictorianGhosts READ or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4p69wekw FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: Victorian-era ghosts… they seem to haunt not only our imaginations, but also our Halloween wardrobes. Why were people in the mid-to-late 1800s so obsessed with the supernatural? And why are we so fascinated by Victorian ghost stories still today? (What’s The Deal With Victorian Ghosts?) *** The story of Queen Esther is chilling – full of an Iroquois warrior woman’s quest for vengeance, brutal warfare, haunting legends, ghostly wails, and a curse that many believe still has power even today. (The Curse of Queen Esther) *** No one can remember exactly when the ghost story began, but records show it dates back to at least 1926. The tale centers around the Administration Offices of Rockford School District 205 on South Madison Street, formerly Rockford High School. Built in 1885, the school gained a spooky reputation due to eerie events reported in its underground tunnels. After a tragic accident in the school’s swimming pool claimed the life of a student named Gosta Anderson, strange sightings and sounds fueled the legend of his restless spirit, haunting the very site where he died. (Gosta’s Ghost) *** Plumas County, California, holds a chilling mystery that dates back to 1978. On a winter night with a half-moon, five friends left a basketball game at California State University, Chico, and drove away, never to be seen again. Their car was found abandoned on a remote mountain road, leading to a series of eerie discoveries, unanswered questions, and clues that still baffle investigators today. (The 5 Boys Who Never Came Back) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00.00.000 = Short fiction story “Lost Hearts” by M.R. James 00:24:29.734 = Show Open 00:27:12.649 = What’s The Deal With Victorian Ghosts? 00:36:13.257 = The Curse of Queen Esther *** 00:46:07.677 = The Five Boys Who Never Came Back 01:06:21.586 = Gosta’s Ghost 01:12:56.658 = 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: Free Audiobook: “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, narrated by Darren Marlar:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/AChristmasCarol Narration: “The Signalman” by Charles Dickens, narrated by Darren Marlar: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/TheSignalman “What’s The Deal With Victorian Ghosts?” source = Dan Nosowitz at Atlas Obscura: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p94894t “Lost Hearts” by M.R. James (public domain) “The Curse of Queen Esther” source = Creative History Stories: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3bn9kwe8 “Gosta’s Ghost”...
1 hour 14 mins
26 August Finished
