“THE BIRDS” The Short Story That Inspired Hitchcock’s Hit Film, by Daphne du Maurier #WeirdDarkness

A young, adopted girl named Christine, lacking friends, invents an imaginary older brother named Harry. As the story unfolds, it becomes evident that Harry is more than just a figment of her imagination. Hear the tale in “Harry” from Beyond Midnight! CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Show Open 00:02:00.000 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “Ghost Powder” (October 29, 1975) ***WD 00:45:49.509 = The LineUp, “Stefano and Haddock” (February 27, 1951) 01:15:31.409 = Philip Marlowe, “Friend From Detroit” (March 05, 1949) ***WD 01:45:14.519 = The Black Mass, “The Feeder” (July 01, 1964) ***WD 01:58:00.269 = Beyond Midnight, “Harry” (December 13, 1968) 02:25:22.129 = MindWebs, “The Garden of Time” (1975-1984) 02:51:19.399 = Ellery Queen’s Minute Mysteries, “Deep Sea Murder” (1939-1948) ***WD 02:52:12.653= Molle Mystery Theater, “Alibi For Murder” (March 22, 1946) 03:22:04.509 = Mr. District Attorney, “Stolen Slot Machines” (February 14, 1945) 03:51:48.549 = Murder at Midnight, “April 13, 1947) ***WD 04:18:35.799 = The Black Museum, “The Straight Razor” (1952) 04:43:51.126 = Show Close (ADU) = Air Date Unknown (LQ) = Low Quality ***WD = Remastered, edited, or cleaned up by Weird Darkness to make the episode 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. Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library = = = = = "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 = = = = = WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness. = = = = = CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0346

A house built on a history of war, death, and dark magic—what lurks within the walls of 63 Maple Street may be more than just restless spirits. SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE… Book: “The Haunting of 63 Maple Street” by Jordan Quinn Farkas: https://amzn.to/3w2Ximy Blog post: “Our Humble Haunted Home” from ParanormalHauntings.blog: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/5x4y29w4 ===== Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV ===== (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 included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.) = = = = = "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 = = = = = WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness. ===== Originally aired: April 22, 2024 EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/63MapleStreet

Are dragons pure fantasy, or do real-world creatures—from dinosaurs to bombardier beetles—hold the secrets to their legendary traits? Or could actual dragons have actually existed? IN THIS EPISODE: Is it possible dragons are… or at least were… real? Science takes a look at the possibility. (Are Dragons Real?) *** In a thick, dark forest in Colorado is a foreboding house which is considered one of the most haunted places in the U.S. (Haunted House In The Black Forest) *** A woman has the gift of speaking with and interacting with those who have passed on… but what began as a gift, evolved into a curse. (The Man Is Back) *** Weirdo family member Ezra tells us of his personal encounter with a black-eyed child. (An Angel Saved Me From a Black Eyed Kid) *** Pukwudgies were known to Native Americans, who gave them a wide berth. And if you see one, it’s best to stay away. (What is a Pukwudgie?) *** What began as a practical joke soon became one of the greatest hoaxes in American history – it’s the true story of the Cardiff Giant. (The Petrified Man) *** Jody smiled at the children playing in her backyard. She didn’t know them, they were probably the neighbors’ kids. At least that’s what she thought at first until she began to notice something disturbing about those children. (Phantom Children of Guilford) *** Dealing with the paranormal is already unsettling. What if you were to learn that the supernatural has actually been feeding on you? (Supernatural Feedings) *** Newlywed couples planning a trip to Venice envision romantic walkways and Renaissance art. What they don’t expect to find is an island that is illegal to set foot on… and for good reason. (Black Plague Island) *** Weirdo family member Ber Bella shares an experience her grandmother had on an icy road. (Angel On Black Ice) *** Sometimes a prisoner is let free, with experts of the opinion he has been completely rehabilitated. Sometimes they are right. Often they are wrong. And in the case of Jack Unterweger – releasing him was the worst thing that could ever have been done. (Poet of Death) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and “The Dragon” (short fiction story) 00:07:48.800 = Show Open 00:10:31.593 = Are Dragons Real? 00:21:28.324 = Haunted House in Black Forest 00:35:16.637 = What Is a Pukwudgie? 00:42:37.156 = The Petrified Man 00:50:31.919 = The Man Is Back 00:55:06.157 = An Angel Saved Me From a Black-Eyed Kid 00:59:05.427 = The Phantom Children of Gilford 01:03:11.598 = Supernatural Feedings 01:11:31.079 = Black Plague Island 01:21:26.150 = Angel on Black Ice 01:25:01.397 = Poet of Death 01:31:31.196 = Show Close, Verse, and Final Thought SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE… The short fiction story “The Dragon” written by Ray Bradbury: http://bit.ly/2WHbtKp “Are Dragons Real?” by L.W. Martin: http://bit.ly/2IqEX5Q “An Angel Saved Me From a Black Eyed Kid” by Weirdo family member Ezra “What is a Pukwudgie?” by John Freund: http://bit.ly/319JD8R “The Petrified Man” by Troy Taylor: http://bit.ly/2MvPlif “The Man is Back” by E6bee: http://bit.ly/2IjyklT “Haunted House In The Black Forest” by Brent Swancer: http://bit.ly/2IeVZUo “The Phantom Children of Gilford” posted at FarShores (link no longer available) “Supernatural Feedings” by Nick Redfern:

HOUR ONE: In the 1960s, Brian Leathley-Andrew investigated and reported on numerous cases of strange objects in the sky, trying to get to the truth of what people were seeing. But when sinister events began happening to him, he knew he had to walk away from his career in Ufology – or the government might make him go away. (UFO Hunter Becomes The Hunted) *** Saying the disappearance of David Glenn Lewis is bizarre doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface. What started out as a strange missing person’s case would eventually be resolved. But the answer that would come would pose even more questions, proving the adage that “truth is stranger than fiction”. (The Disappearance of David Glenn Lewis) *** The idea of a person changing into a wolf, or shape-shifting into some type of animal or cryptid is mostly confined to the authors of fictional horror. But not all societies and cultures are so quick to label shape-shifting as make-believe. (Shapeshifters And Therianthropes) ========== HOUR TWO: “The Gadsden Hotel in Cochise County, Arizona” *** When you hear the name “Transylvania” the immediate image in your mind is probably that of Dracula. But this Romanian town has more creepiness than just the Count’s castle – it is also a hot spot for UFO activity and mysterious unexplained happenings. Some even think it could be the location of a portal to another dimension. (Is There A Dimensional Portal in Transylvania?) *** Sightings of unidentified flying objects might seem like a recent phenomena, with most reports occurring in the 20th and 21stcenturies. But UFO sightings go a lot further back in human history – and our ancient ancestors were just as shocked, confused and sometimes terrified, as we are today. (Ancient UFO Sightings) ========== SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME: A man goes off for supplies, leaving his wife behind to tend to the home in his absence – but not only did he never come home with the groceries, but a ghost story grew out of it. (The Ghosts of Hunger Valley) *** A UFO incident which we have covered before, but is worth looking at again, is an incident in 1952. This was one of the first admitted entity sightings and probably also one of the earliest close encounters of the third kind investigated officially at the time it took place. ========== SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM TONIGHT’S SHOW: “The Gadsden Hotel in Cochise County, Arizona” from Paranormality Magazine “Is There A Dimensional Portal in Transylvania?” by A. Sutherland for the Message to Eagle: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ghvx2jxy “Ancient UFO Sightings” by A. Sutherland for Message to Eagle https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/8y3dlh5c,https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/1rucr7et, https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3sxyfr93, https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/swo6sglh,https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/17o2c3i5 “UFO Hunter Becomes The Hunted“ by Mike Lockley for Anomalien.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/1fxu6h8y “The Ghosts of Hunger Valley” by Charles Skinner, edited by Kathy Weiser, posted at LegendsOfAmerica.com:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/111pegi3 “Shapeshifters And Therianthropes” by James Fenner for List Verse:

Two men become stranded in a remote area and seek shelter in an old house. There, they encounter a mysterious woman and uncover a chilling secret about a vampire’s thirst for blood! Hear the tale, “The Vampire’s Desire” in The Hermit’s Cave! CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Show Open 00:02:00.000 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “The Storm Breeder” (October 28, 1975) ***WD 00:47:34.319 = The Lives of Harry Lime, “Double Double Cross” (January 18, 1952) ***WD 01:13:06.769 = BBC, Haunted Tales of the Supernatural, “The Family” (July 05, 1980) 01:41:23.419 = The Haunting Hour, “Date In The Dark” (June 03, 1945) ***WD 02:06:34.509 = Have Gun Will Travel, “Maggie O’Banyon” (April 05, 1959) 02:30:02.029 = The Hermit’s Cave, “The Vampire’s Desire” (1937-1945) 02:54:56.459 = Mystery Is My Hobby, “Mink Coat” (late 1940s) ***WD (LQ) 03:18:53.279 = Sherlock Holmes, “The Speckled Band” (November 12, 1945) ***WD (LQ) 03:49:05.459 = Inner Sanctum, “Murder Prophet” (September 04, 1995) ***WD 04:19:01.199 = The Key, “Window Cleaner” (1956) ***WD 04:44:44.887 = Show Close (ADU) = Air Date Unknown (LQ) = Low Quality ***WD = Remastered, edited, or cleaned up by Weird Darkness to make the episode 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. Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library = = = = = "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 = = = = = WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness. = = = = = CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0345