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1.07 - The Herald
6.8k Plays3 years ago
Things don’t go quite how Lara imagined.
A transcript for this episode is available here.
CONTENT NOTES Gaslighting/denial of reality Alcohol use Animal sounds
CAST
- Rose - Mara Herndandez
- Camille - Sara Gorsky
- Lara - Julie Saunders
- Jake - Jason Markoff
- Sodapop - Archie
Written, Directed, Sound Designed by Julie Saunders
MUSIC
- “Julie’s Melody (Believer Theme),” by Aaron Ferenc
- “Piercing Silence,” by Ethan Sloan
- “Death at First Sight,” by Edward Karl Hanson
- “No One Knows But Me,” by Torii Wolf
Sound Effects from Adobe Stock, Epidemic Sound, Soundsnap, and Freesound.org
Sponsored by Zencastr. Zencastr records high-quality audio for multiple participants, on different tracks for easy editing. You can also record video and even do all of your editing within Zencastr itself. Click this link or go to Zencastr.com and enter promo code "believer" for 30% off your pro plan.
Do you like the background music we use on Believer? Nearly all of it comes from Epidemic Sound. If you want to check it out yourself, use our referral link and we’ll get a free month of music when you subscribe.
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Transcript
Introduction and Sponsor Message
00:00:01
Speaker
This episode was made possible by Zencaster, which is a brand new sponsor for the show. Check out our discount link in the show notes and stay tuned at the end for more information.
Rose's Sudden Return
00:00:41
Speaker
Rose. Hello, Lara.
00:00:46
Speaker
Rose! Oh, Laura, I know you'd help us find her. You came to find me? Um, yeah. But I'm right here. I see that. Soda Pop found me. Is that why you came? No, I brought him. He missed you though. I missed him too. Good boy, baby. Oh, your hair is getting so long. Do you still go to that same groomer? What was her name? Annie?
00:01:16
Speaker
Um, no, we had to switch when we moved out of the Hawthorne district. We're up by St. John's now. I found this place. Excuse me, I'm sorry, I don't want to interrupt, but I'm so glad we found you, Rose. You know, the new moon is almost here. Camille, not now. It's all right. I know all about the new moon. Are you going back to my father's house? I'll walk with you. Yeah, let's do that.
00:01:44
Speaker
I can't tell you what it was like seeing her again. Actually it was, it was almost anticlimactic. Like we just walked into the woods and there she was. Not hurt, not scared, just fine. Rose, are you okay?
00:02:08
Speaker
Of course. Why? Well, do we need to go back and pick up your supplies or a campsite? Or I have everything I need. But where have you been? I've been right here. Rose, your father will be so excited to see you. We've all been so worried. But I'm fine.
00:02:29
Speaker
Rose, how long do you think you've been gone? Because it's been at least two weeks. Two weeks? No, that can't be right. You must feel so much more connected with the hand of God. I bet you know exactly how to call Oblivion now. I know everything I need to know. Do you remember calling me? Why would I call you? You said you needed help and that I should come see you. You said you wanted me to hear something? That doesn't sound like me. I know, that's why I came.
00:03:00
Speaker
Well, as long as I get to see this little fluffy face. There's still a lot to do before the new moon. We've been doing vision ceremonies every day, but we still haven't found all the materials yet. I'm sure you're doing fine, Camille. I didn't... I didn't know you knew my name. I know everything I need to know, Camille. Whoa. Rose, Lara, stop worrying. I'm fine.
00:03:27
Speaker
See? Soda pup knows. I guess. He still loves me, doesn't he? Yeah. God, she was so beautiful. Rose, I think we should hurry. Okay. Almost home, Miss Boone. Wait, Rose.
00:03:56
Speaker
Maybe you shouldn't go back yet. Why not? It's really been two weeks. I mean, that's plenty of time. Are you sure you don't want to see a doctor first? You could be dehydrated from all that time in the woods. I feel fine, Laura.
00:04:12
Speaker
Honestly, I'm really sorry. I didn't want to do this now, but I don't understand why you're here. You asked me to come. I really doubt that. You left me a message. She keeps saying her voicemails won't play. Camille! Sorry, I'm not involved. Look, I... Thank you for bringing Soda Pop. It's great to see him, but I really don't think there's anything for you to do here. If...
00:04:37
Speaker
If we could just talk. I don't think we need to do that, Laura. But... Laura, there's nothing to say. Okay? Go home. I'll call you. Okay? Okay. Soda pop! Oh, no. You can go with Rose too. That makes sense. Listen, I guess we don't really need you here after all. Yeah, I'm getting that.
00:05:08
Speaker
You should see my mom, though. The doctor, she really wants to see you. Yeah, okay. Camille, are you coming? Coming! Okay, um, goodnight. Wait, can I get her right back to my car? It's all the way back at the church. Okay, yeah, I can walk.
00:05:39
Speaker
I just kind of walked around for a while after that. I figured I'd eventually end up back at the cabin. For the record, Rose was the one who actually left in the end. She's the one who moved out. I mean, not that I was... There just came a point where I couldn't help her. I didn't know what to do. Though, I don't know, maybe that's not fair.
00:06:08
Speaker
See, something happened in that last year. I still don't really understand it. There was the thing with my brother and my mom's house and the water hammer, but then I started to notice other things too. I learned about cold reading and cognitive biases and illusory correlations. It was like everything I thought I knew about the world was coming apart.
00:06:38
Speaker
one after another. I started to see why I'd never been able to get conclusive evidence of the things I thought I saw. It was consuming. So I guess I was distracted because I didn't really notice what was going on with Rose until it was too late, I think.
Investigating Rose's Behavior
00:07:12
Speaker
Creepy road in the middle of the night, doo-dah, doo-dah Creepy road, no end in sight, oh, doo-dah day
00:07:25
Speaker
She started to get erratic, disconnected. She'd disappear for hours, sometimes overnight, and then come back like nothing happened. We started fighting over nothing, anything, just dumb things. She was distracted a lot, but wouldn't tell me why. And she had these nightmares. She claimed not to remember them, but sometimes in her sleep, she said things.
00:07:54
Speaker
And then during the day, she'd say them again, quietly, to herself. God, if I hadn't been so wrapped up in myself, I might've put it together earlier. Something wasn't right. Rose wasn't well. Gonna walk all day. Gonna walk all night on this creepy road. I sing this song. Oh, doo-dah.
00:08:25
Speaker
Hello? Is someone there? Why does anyone live in the woods? By the time I thought to tell her to see someone it just
00:08:45
Speaker
it came out wrong sounded like an attack it probably was an attack everything was an attack by then i was angry and hurting she was angry and confused we were in our own painful little worlds i guess and there was no way to communicate through that anymore anyway one day she was just gone
00:09:16
Speaker
Went to her parents' house. I thought it might be good for her. Okay, um, who's there? Hello? Right, so, um, anyway I was, uh, I was walking.
Laura's Disturbing Experience
00:09:39
Speaker
And it was dark. And then it got... really dark.
00:09:47
Speaker
Where did this fog come from? I can barely see the trees. There was a tree right here. There were a lot of trees and I'm on the road. I'm on the road, right?
00:10:11
Speaker
No way. I could see the road somewhere far behind me. Trees extended back the way I come, but ahead of me... Nothing. It's... It's nothing. Absolute absence. Just this void of darkness in every direction. But not peaceful. It was... I mean, I know it wasn't, but it...
00:10:44
Speaker
This can't be real. It felt like it was looking for something, like it was reaching for me. I didn't know what else to do or rain.
00:11:03
Speaker
It was like a dream. Maybe it was a dream. I ran and ran, but there was nowhere to go. I swear, I pushed until my lungs burned until I couldn't feel my feet until the road fell just as far away as it was before. Please, please, please, somebody help me!
00:11:39
Speaker
and just like that oh what is that smell oh god oh my god I don't
00:11:59
Speaker
I don't think we need to talk about what I saw next, actually. I mean, it wasn't really there anyway. I probably swallowed some of the hallucinogenic cult tea. I hadn't eaten or drunk anything for a long time. It was just a random trick of the imagination. It was only a couple seconds long. Bigfoot? Are you a Sasquatch?
00:12:32
Speaker
Wait, come back! Ugh! What's happening? So, really we should, we should just go. Okay. Okay. Oh. The cabin. I'm home!
00:13:19
Speaker
Laura, are you okay? We found Rose. Oh, good.
00:13:26
Speaker
Yeah, she's... She's good. Everything is so good. Okay, why don't you come inside? Okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. This day has been
Discussion on Rose and Relationships
00:13:52
Speaker
really weird.
00:13:55
Speaker
It's okay. Really. You want a drink? Please. Do you mind if I take off my shoes? They're pretty soaked. Of course. Make yourself at home. I've been out in the rain for hours after we found Rose. Wait. Rose was missing? Yes. Jake. Rose was missing. Is she okay? She was in the woods. Just like everyone said. And she was fine.
00:14:24
Speaker
Just like everyone said. That's good though, right? Here. What is this? Whiskey. Oh my god, this is awful. I can get you a beer if you want. Nobody likes beer, Jake. It's just the first thing we could afford, and now we all think it's what alcohol tastes like. Even papsed? Especially papsed. I'm sorry. I'm out of my mind.
00:14:51
Speaker
Mmm, it's growing on me. Come on. I've got a fire going you must be freezing. I am actually wait Rose was missing Come on
00:15:12
Speaker
I went out there with Camille. You know her? Anyway, the reasons don't really matter. You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Come on. I'm a great listener. Well, the point is that once we got back to the Boone house, Rose just told me to leave.
00:15:32
Speaker
She doesn't want to talk, she doesn't remember leaving me a message, and now she's safe, and has my dog, and she never wants to see me again.
00:15:47
Speaker
Mm. This whiskey is actually growing on me. Is it an acquired taste? I guess so. That sucks, Lara. Ain't about Rose. And soda pop! Are you gonna get him back or... I have no idea. Maybe I should just leave him there. He was always her baby anyway. Definitely rather be with her than me. Come on. I've seen you with that dog. He's your dog.
00:16:14
Speaker
You know, Rose and I broke up, like, a long time ago. I wondered. You know, she didn't even tell us you guys were lesbians. She's a lesbian. I'm... Oh? Uh... pansexual, I guess. I just... I like who I like. Like... women and men? Women, men, neither. Both. I just... like who I like. Okay.
00:16:44
Speaker
Drink more, so it's not just me. If you insist. I can't believe she didn't want to see me. I mean, I can, but I just feel so stupid. Listen, Laura, Rose, what's the nice way to say this? She's got problems. OK, well, that just makes me feel bad. OK, how about she's got problems if she can't see how great you are? I doubt that. Good save, though.
00:17:13
Speaker
Come on, you're the Lara Campbell. You solved the Brigantine Haunting. Banished the Corwin House Entity. With Rose. Okay, well, you kept it going on your own. I guess. Do you know how cool it was to take Lara Campbell on a Squatch walk? That was fun. Have you ever... Have you ever seen a Sasquatch? Not yet, but they're out there. I mean, you saw the tree markers.
00:17:40
Speaker
So you wouldn't know if they happened to look like, um... Like what? Did you say something? I, um... No. No. I was upset and it was dark and... But I think it was just a really mossy tree, actually. Did it smell like sulfur? Make a sound like an elephant mixed with a lion? Or a high-pitched chirping call?
00:18:02
Speaker
Uh, it, uh, no, no. It was nothing. Are you sure? Because I can get one of my lures, if you remember where it was. No, no, no, no. Let's just sit here and drink. Are you shivering? Are you cold? Oh, it's fine. Of course you are. You're still soaked from the rain. How long were you out there? I don't know. I had to walk back and... Yeah. Air, my mom keeps sending me these throw blankets. No idea what to do with them.
00:18:33
Speaker
They're thrill blankets, right? Pretty sure you thrill them. Well, let's just put this one around your shoulders. Don't want to spill the drink. Yeah. There. Thanks. I'll just put another log on fire. You can stay over here on the couch with me, if you want. No, that's...
00:19:02
Speaker
Okay. Oh, um, cheers. Cheers. Actually, it is warmer over here. Yeah. Jake? Yeah.
00:19:33
Speaker
Do you want to kiss me? Uh, yeah. Okay.
Health Concerns and Mold Issue
00:20:01
Speaker
So this is the bedroom. This is where the magic happens. Eww, that's not something you say to girls, is it? It's a saying. People say that. Okay, well, I'm gonna... Jake? What is that? What?
00:20:24
Speaker
Oh yeah, that's a joke. I don't actually like Justin Bieber. See, my little cousin wanted to see him live and she didn't have anyone to go with, so I said... No, these black streaks in your walls, all around the bed. What? Right here. It looks like some kind of mold, maybe? I really don't know what you're talking about.
00:20:49
Speaker
You don't see that. See what, Lara? You've been sleeping in this room, right here. Uh, yeah. That's my bed. Oh my God. Oh, oh my God. Okay. Um, I'm sorry if the room is kind of a mess, but I really wasn't, you know, expecting anybody. Jake, you have a serious mold problem. Do you know what that can do to you? Breathing that in night after night. Lara, there's nothing there. Is this why, is this why you're so... What?
00:21:19
Speaker
Did I do something wrong? No. I'm sorry. I don't think you're really in a mental state to do something like this right now. I feel fine. I mean, yeah, I've had a couple of drinks. Okay. Well, then I'm not in the right state for this. You know, it's a crazy day and I don't usually drink whiskey. I get it. Okay. I can't stay here. Yeah, it's fine. No.
00:21:47
Speaker
I don't think you should stay here either with the mold. I don't follow you Okay, I I'm scared. Okay, I just I'd feel better if you slept over in the cabin tonight You mean like like literally can you just sleep on my floor? You can sleep here on the couch if you want. No, it's
00:22:10
Speaker
I don't know, I had a weird day and I think I saw something in the woods maybe. And without soda pop here, I just... Please, please come over to the cabin with me. And sleep on the floor. Please. This is weird. Yeah. You sure you don't want to just sleep on the couch? Please, Jake. Okay, fine, I guess. Thank you. This is not how I saw this going.
00:22:40
Speaker
I know the feeling. Come on, let's- let's go. We- I need to get out of this house. Like, now. Lead the way. Laura Campbell.
Community Thanks and Call to Action
00:23:06
Speaker
Thank you so much for listening to Believer. This episode was written, directed, and sound designed by Julie Saunders with voice acting by Mara Hernandez, Sarah Gorsky, Jason Markoff, Julie Saunders, and Archie. Good boy, Archie.
00:23:21
Speaker
A special thank you to our Patreon supporters. Tamako, Vance Barnhill, Peter Larson, Christy Smith, Anna of Amsterdam, and Michael Armies have provided crucial support throughout the hiatus, covered the cost of audio hosting, and allowed us to expand our access to sound effects and other sound resources. So if you like the way the new episodes are sounding, thank them.
00:23:42
Speaker
Patreon supporters get each episode one week early, as well as access to behind-the-scenes information, updates, and commentary. They may also get to find out what Soda Pop has been up to during the interim, but that's a surprise to don't tell them. To find out more or join in yourself, go to patreon.com slash Believer Podcast. That's P-A-T-R-E-O-N dot com slash Believer Podcast.
00:24:07
Speaker
This episode was made possible by Zencaster. Not because they paid us anything, but because their services during quarantine basically are the only reason we were able to complete the episodes. So Zencaster allows you to record remotely while also taking its own backup audio of the entire session. It keeps everybody on separate tracks for easy editing.
00:24:29
Speaker
You can add video. If you have a chat style podcast, you can even do all of your editing within Zencaster. It's really easy to use and has really made a big difference for us.
00:24:41
Speaker
Additionally, all of the music and many of the sound effects for this episode came from Epidemic Sound. If you're interested in either Zencaster or Epidemic Sound, use our referral link to check them out. You can find those in the show notes or by going to BelieverPodcast.com slash support. We'll be back again in two weeks.
00:25:06
Speaker
Until next time, if you're standing outside and you sense a strange shadow cast on everything and you look up and the moon has turned a sickly blood red and you begin to feel something rising within you, something
00:25:22
Speaker
primal, and hungry. Check the date. If it's November 18th or 19th of this year, you are experiencing the last lunar eclipse of 2021. Maybe have a glass of red wine and remember that while you don't need astrology to validate your own intuition, it sometimes helps to know that Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, and the moon are all visible at once, and that probably means whatever you need it to mean.
00:25:51
Speaker
See you next time. Bye now.
Zencastr's Impact During the Pandemic
00:26:04
Speaker
This episode was sponsored by Zencaster. You may have heard me talk about Zencaster before. When we first started the show, we were recording in person in a studio about halfway through the season, a global pandemic hit, and made it impossible for us to meet in person. The only reason that we were able to come back from hiatus was Zencaster. Because we were recording in person, not everybody in the cast was even set up to record remotely.
00:26:28
Speaker
Nobody really knew what to do. I'd never done it before. Zencaster made it really easy. You just set up your session. You send everybody a link. It records everybody automatically on separate tracks, which for our show is crucial. It's set up for podcasts. So it has a lot of features that you won't get from trying to record on a Skype call or Zoom or something similar. And it's really been a lifesaver for us.
00:26:51
Speaker
If you're interested in trying Zencaster, you can use most of its tools for free. If you decide you want to upgrade from there, you can use our coupon code Believer for 30% off of a pro plan. Once again, that's zencaster.com. It's z-e-n-c-a-s-t-r.com. And use coupon code Believer for 30% off your plan.