Message Six - Hands of Time

September 27, 2022·24 min·2 clips

Lou admits she's lying about not remembering what happened to her ghost Pierrette.

The episode opens with Lou addressing her personal recorder after a period of isolation, admitting she has lost the trust of her companions and has been lying to herself about her knowledge of Pierrette, a ghost connected to her. She reflects on the group: Chess, her closest friend; Henrik, their vampire companion; and Tala, with whom she barely speaks. Lou recalls meeting Chess at the Academy's weekend market for liminal artifacts and notes the encounter may have saved her life. She ruminates on why the group is running and what set their flight in motion, circling back to questions about Henrik and a new entity. The group then reunites at the ruins for an expedition. They descend into the ruin site at night, noting ominous signs including slippery cobblestones and a strange smell. Inside they discover a large nest built from bodies, surrounded by Sylphidae carrion beetles and fungus — a scene Chess identifies as associated with corpses from his professional knowledge. The group debates whether something is still alive in the nest. A fight ensues involving what is called a Mananango, and Henrik uses a vial of blood in the struggle. The group debates whether a body inside could be Lou's brother Arnel. Chess and others attempt to hold off the creature while the group escapes. After the creature is defeated or repelled, a question arises about the peninsula — a space described as a fold in reality between perceived things. Henrik, though a vampire and technically dead, develops a high fever, which disturbs the others. Tala and Chess argue about who will give blood to help Henrik recover. The group retreats to safety and discusses whether they can remain in town given the fire and the sheriff's likely questions. A doppelganger is referenced as an ancient entity not seen for at least a century. Sheriff Kitt arrives and questions Lou about the burnt shrine and activities at the ruins, suggesting surveillance by town stalkers. After the sheriff leaves, Lou addresses her recorder privately and admits she may have led the group into danger out of her own desire to know if Arnel was in the nest and where the doppelgangers were building. She names herself as Llewelyn Goliath and connects the entities and infections to the Goliath Peninsula, her family's place of origin. She says she must leave and attempt to reach a friend by broadcast.

As heard by us

A haunted, uneasy episode where broken trust and supernatural pressure keep closing in.

Llewelyn's recorder gives the story a closed-in, uneasy feel. What starts as broken trust and hazy memory keeps tightening around the fact that no one really knows what happened, and that uncertainty does most of the damage.

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Why you'd press play

A recorder confession, a collapsing rescue, and a haunting that may be spreading.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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