In our new series, we are introduced to Tracy Chng, who is heavily pregnant and due anytime soon. Recently however, she’s been having weird dreams and hearing strange noises... enough for her to suspect that perhaps there’s something coming after her and her unborn child.
This episode stars Lauren Sim, Bright Ong, Mehr Dudeja, Serene Chen, and Tan Rui Shan. Production and direction by Danny Koordi, screenplay by Karl Gan, editing, sound design and mixing by David Chew, with assistance by Gareth Fernandez, Gabby Peng, and Nadarajah Bhairavan.
The overall story takes influence from “Shroud: Jinn”, as written by "Dina Damanhudi" and first published on Wattpad.com.
Finally, the After Dark podcast is an original Mediacorp production developed in partnership with Wattpad Studios, and recorded at IMDA Pixel. Your executive producers are Barry Toa and Sapna Angural from Mediacorp, and Aron Levitz, Eric Lehrman, and Dexter Ong from Wattpad. Reproduction of any material associated with the podcast is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of Mediacorp.
If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts. And if you would like to get in touch with us, you can send us a message through the email podcasts@melisten.sg.
Podcast artwork by Paul Hendricks, you can reach him on Instagram @PAUL_JOEL_HENDRICKS
the following audio presentation features mention of prenatal depression and miscarriage, listener discretion is advised.
They say that pregnancy is a blessing,
a gift,
a miracle of life even
they say that you should cherish those nine months
despite all of the changes to your body,
your hormones, your lifestyle
and your career.
Not because it's easy or comfortable. No. Far from that,
but rather because you are bearing one of the most primal things that a woman can bear
life itself
during your pregnancy. You what and feel life growing inside of you
while you yourself are changing and evolving. This after all is the journey that you're supposed to cherish.
But not all journeys wind down the same road.
Some are relatively smooth
while others well they tend to be more difficult. My own journey is of the latter and this is the story of how it changed my life.
Welcome to After Dark. A brand new horror audio drama podcast brought to you by Mediacorp
in our new series. We are introduced to Tracy chung who is heavily pregnant and due any time soon recently however he's been having weird dreams and hearing strange noises enough for her to suspect that perhaps there's something coming after her
and her unborn child.
Yeah.
Mhm.
Yeah. Yeah, I'm on the way. Give me 10:10 minutes.
Hey kev
Yeah, make sure all the files in order. All right. Yeah, I know.
I know. Yes, I'll be there soon. Okay. Okay bye bye.
Hey morning babe,
you're right,
you had a nightmare again last night.
Oh God, not again,
I didn't wake you up, did I?
Yeah it's fine.
The usual I guess screaming kicking, muttering something like don't touch me, don't touch me,
sorry.
Mhm.
You know
that's the third time this week. Tracy.
Yeah. I
I don't know what's going on.
I keep having this
rare dream like a
uh you know what?
Never mind forget it.
Well the doctor did say is just prenatal stress so
you gotta take it easy you know?
Yeah.
Okay.
Okay gotta go
wait.
Aren't you supposed to be on leave today?
Uh Yeah I was but the client is really really demanding. He wants that last minute changes the proposal. Uh You know I just got to go into the office and get it sorted out. Alright.
I thought we were going to see Madame him together.
Oh damn it. What's that today?
Uh Sorry babe can you do this one alone? Uh Maybe ask her for something strong? Oh goodness. I'm so bloody later. Ready? What
time are you coming back
late. Bye
love you.
The close area was giving birth
The more I started to realize how lonely this journey could be. 35 weeks
heavily pregnant. And my husband leaves me at home by myself. Not gonna lie. I was seething least of all because I had to go see madam pin alone.
You see
Madame Hien is a TCM practitioner.
Traditional chinese medicine and she runs this tiny shop below a flat called Hidden medicine hall.
Now
to be clear I'm not that big of a believer in TCM
What with all the herbs and roots and special tonics.
I generally don't like bitter things.
Never did
ever since I was a kid.
But
the dreams were getting worse
and I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.
Ah
Is that yours out? Some Oh, madam. Hidden.
Hi, good morning. Despite being well known in the local community, no one really knows that much about madam him.
She's always wearing the same few sets of chunks arms, always keeping to herself just minding her own business and running her shop.
Are you what happened to you? You don't look so good.
Is everything okay with your baby? Your daughter? Yeah. My daughter, she's fine. The doctor says everything's okay.
It's just that I was wondering
if there was anything to help me sleep better. Sleep better. Yeah.
Because lately I've been having a lot of nightmares.
What kind of nightmares? I must admit though,
she does have a reputation for being knowledgeable.
I mean her shop has been around for many years and most of the women in our area, my mother and grandmother included
have all visited her when they themselves were pregnant. Oh,
it's uh
I don't know how to describe it.
Um Some slimy tentacle thing
don't go.
Yeah, but I can't say for sure what it is exactly.
It's just been really bothering me. That's all,
mm hmm.
That is indeed a very weird dream. Yeah. Right.
It's probably just prenatal stress
at least. That's what dr King told me. Perhaps. I mean, she said it was normal so she didn't prescribe me anything.
Just told me to take it easy.
But it's been getting worse and worse. So
I was hoping you could give me something to maybe reduce these nightmares. Well,
nightmares usually mean that your body is in a state of imbalance. Something is making you upset, angry trouble.
This makes your body heat e
and the heat is expressing itself in your sleep.
Mm hmm.
I
I think I've got something for you.
Give me a moment. Ah really?
That's great. Thank you so much.
Hello? Hello. Money, money Tracy. So and then there's Mrs go the loud mouth neighborhood gossip.
Kind of a direct opposite to Madam him. When you think about it,
you tell her secrets. And within the next three days everyone and their mother would know about it. Good
morning. Mrs go. You wouldn't believe what I just heard. Can keep secret or not.
I think the limbs are getting a divorce poncy. I say one.
That's
not good. Can you imagine only three years, You know, you thought they were going to make such wonderful baby's your baby's house. You're doing uh
uhh just your your belly so big already and you're still walking around. Why are you here?
Okay sal tongue? I think this should help you with
your joints. Oh, I see. I see. Carrie, baby, Very heavy haul. Good idea. Good idea. Yeah,
it really is.
Thanks madam, hen.
Bye. Mrs Go by. Send me a cute baby photos. Okay. Wait you go with them.
That's where I said
it was hot when I got home. I felt like the whole flat was a greenhouse or something. I prepared the medicine that madam him had given me earlier. It actually wasn't too bitter,
surprisingly tasted a little bit like chrysanthemum. So I finished it in one go then laid down on the count and after a couple of minutes
the combination of the drink and the heat made me a bit drowsy
and I fell asleep.
Mhm.
Mhm.
Yeah.
You know how sometimes when you sleep and you dream of something and it's a frightening dream. You you want to wake up but you can't
and you try to make sense of your surroundings.
You turn your head
wriggle your toes,
but you still can't move.
They call it sleep paralysis. All you can do is move your eyes.
I bore left.
I'm all right.
And as I lay there on the couch,
what I saw at the window
outside the frosted glass
tapping
trying to get in
was no woman's head
a single no head
by itself outside the window with nobody
and not attached to anything. She raised her eyes up at me
as if she will know I was aware,
through the frosted window she was staring right in my direction.
That was great. That means we really went above and on this time. Oh
gosh! Why is it so dark babe?
What I said about her death,
Babe.
Tracy
it.
Yeah,
definitely. I'll call you back. Okay. Tracy Tracy. Tracy Tracy. Where are you? Tracy?
Captain
Gas,
babe, babe. What's going on?
There's somebody,
there's somebody
outside the house.
Outside. What do you mean like a delivery guy? No, no, no, no.
Outside the window.
Huh?
There's someone outside our window babe. What
are you talking about? We live on the third floor.
I swear. I saw it.
It was a woman. She she had long hair. She didn't have a body. There were these intestines. What are
you talking about?
It was a disembodied head. Gavin. Uh
Babe, were you asleep? Did you have another nightmare or something? No,
I thought it was a dream too.
I went to madame him stop and I got some herbs to help me sleep better. But I woke up.
I saw the way the head was still there. I ran into the room. Way
you stayed in here the whole afternoon.
I swear Gavin. There was nothing on the window outside in the living room. I moved to the bedroom and I swear it followed
to the bedroom. I swear I
swear. And I tried calling you like a million times. Where were you?
Hey, I was in the middle of an important meeting. Okay, client was grilling us about the project and okay. Look, never mind. I believe you. All right
floating hit outside the window. I'll,
I'll check it out. Okay. Be
careful.
Uh huh.
Hello.
Anyone out here?
Floating head?
Are you disturbing my wife?
I don't see anything out here, babe.
Yeah.
Okay.
Okay.
Anyway,
don't move around so much. All right. It's bad for the baby,
You know, it really is a lot of stress that you're putting on yourself.
I'm thinking since tomorrow I'm making up for today's leave. Let's just stay in bed and watching tv. Okay.
Okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Thanks babe.
Sounds good
that night.
I made sure the bedroom windows were firmly shut. And Gavin was there to double check.
Yeah,
we drew all the curtains in the house,
turned off all the lights shut. Anything that would make a sound.
But still I couldn't get a good night's sleep.
The image of that thing kept coming to me,
The tendrils extending out from the woman's neck.
It's slithering across the room, the side of the bed.
No, my love. No, no, no, no,
mm hmm,
mm.
Hey babe, we really need to talk about this.
Yeah.
Morning Gavin.
These nightmares are getting worse and worse. I only got three hours of sleep last night. Hold
on,
I need to show you something, babe,
can you take this seriously? We can't keep living like this. Look what?
Right here.
It wasn't there before.
You mean that red sore. It's nothing. It's probably just a rash or something. It's not
just a rash. They're all over my legs.
I have them on my ankle, my thigh and my hip. Who?
I didn't have them before last night.
Did you wash the sheets properly? Maybe your clothes are dirty or something?
I don't think this is something to do with that Gavin.
It's something else.
Um What? What do you mean?
It's that thing? The woman's head,
whatever it is I'm seeing in my nightmares. It's real Gavin.
It hovers around our flat at night when I'm alone in the house.
Like it's watching me
like it's targeting me.
Tracy. Come on, listen to yourself.
This is just your prenatal hormones acting up. Okay.
Don't you think people who have seen a floating head moving in the air?
But people aren't that observant dab.
Not at night.
And why you
why are you so special that she's only coming after
you.
I don't know
because she's just the product of your imagination.
Mm hmm.
Your nightmares. These swords are normal. Okay. There's nothing to worry about.
You. Just stay at home, wash the sheets again and I'll I'll have my assistant get some ointment for you. Okay.
Yeah.
Okay.
Mhm.
Mhm.
Uh Yes.
The assistance
Gavin's junior work named Stephanie.
Pretty girl actually.
Long black hair
dresses nicely.
Beautiful smile.
Just enough to make you wonder.
Mhm.
Hey kevin.
My wife's pressing right now.
Well, that was fast. Yeah, there's a pharmacy right below my. Hold on.
Not here. Not here
The first time she came over I was lying on the sofa in the living room.
I could see them talking outside
and within your shot. I
thought we'd meet downstairs.
You shouldn't be here.
I mean it's more convenient. Right?
If you need me to do anything else, report back to johnson.
No it's fine. It's fine. It's fine. Everything's under control for
now. She had this eagerness about her you know
perky cherry youthful.
And it brought something out of Gavin that
I hadn't seen in a long time.
I can bring you more food.
Help
other things.
Just just cover the client's requests. Make sure that records are updated
the way they spoke to each other. The way that Gavin was looking at her.
It just
made me wonder.
Yeah
babe. Look at what my assistant got us your favorite herbal chicken Sue.
Who smells so good. Oh and this appointment to that should help the sauce I think
is she knew what
I don't think I've seen her before. Uh
Yeah. Yeah. She she knew we hired her just last month.
She is pretty
Yeah. Yeah.
You think so? I mean yeah she's all right I guess.
Anyway. Here's your soup. I'm not hungry. Come on babe. This is your favorite.
So you were with her last night.
Excuse me. You
got home late yesterday
and you reeked of alcohol?
Oh yeah. Yeah I mean
right. Yeah. So our presentation. When to go? Well the heck
are you doing Gavin?
You're going to be a father soon.
Hey. Nothing happened. All right. We just had a small work gathering. That's all I thought you were only
going to be working in the morning yesterday.
Yeah, but the client was really pushing us and there was a lot to do.
I was at home Gavin
I was alone
and there was something at
the window babe. That's just your imagination. That means you can go out partying
with your pretty little
colleague. Oh my
We were just drinking. All right. There were there was a bunch of us there James Daniel Paille, one Gavin,
10 ping red.
Your wife is pregnant. How can you be so stupid?
Look,
I'm not doing this with you here. Okay,
finish your soup and I'll take you to see madame him.
No,
we go there. Mrs Gault will see us and she'll spread rumors.
Mrs go why do you care about some gossipy anti?
I just don't want to deal with any unnecessary stress. I don't need stress period from anyone
and I agree. So let's go see madam him. Get some more tonic. And what is
it? Oh my God, there's hair in my soup.
What? Hey, your
hair. No, no, it was a clump of thick hair right there on my spoon. I drank it.
Uh huh.
Hey, this is just dancing.
It was black hair. I swear there was black hair in my soup
Tracy.
There's nothing else in
here. No
but I
but
there was her.
Gavin had this look on his face.
A mixture of something like pity, worry fear
the look you have when someone you love seems to be slowly losing their mind
Tracy bet against so sooner.
Good morning Soltan.
Hi mrs go good morning madam, hen.
I
I think I need something stronger, mm stronger wow. The baby must be very heavy. Easy. Oh no it's not that
is it because you're having a daughter you know? I heard sometimes girls can be very troublesome one. There
my daughter is fine. Mrs Go. I know. Must because you never sleep properly. Right. I'll tell you a lot of people's husbands know like nobody's business. It affected her sleep so much. She had a miss. I said I'm fine.
Oh.
Oh my God I am so sorry
Yo I'm only concerned ma. I don't need to be so right I'm sorry. Mrs go I didn't mean to
it's not you.
I'm just under a lot of stress right now.
I need something stronger to calm my nerves. It's okay your tongue.
Uh No need to apologize. We've all been there before. Right Mrs Gold
Tracy. Yeah we're all neighbors here.
If you need help with something Aslan. It's okay one. Don't keep everything to yourself. They lash out like this. Don't go for you. You know
and especially not good for the baby heart. Thanks for your concern. Mrs go okay here
they should do it. I've increased the dosage of those hubs.
You boil more of it,
drink it before you sleep.
Turn off all those computers, your phone your tv. Make sure you are not disturbed. Okay
but it's
not my phone that's disturbing me.
Oh
then
what is
I
uh
it's just that
have you seen anything weird lately
like just around the neighborhood?
Oh like what anything weird at all
strange
something out of the ordinary
like anyone loitering or wandering outside our block.
Mm. No
not really. If you think someone is talking you call the police lot these days for so many bubbles out there you know. Are you I
it's okay.
Forget about it.
Thanks for the medicine madam in.
Bye. Mrs go
you're welcome to take care of yourself. Okay
idiot you think is the husband I have no here here.
Mhm.
Mhm.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mhm.
When I got home
I prepared the medicine just like last time.
Except that this new batch that she gave me wasn't just powder.
Yeah
and it
honestly tasted a little weird
but just when I was about to drink it
the sound of knocking came back this time not from the window
but from the door
I stood there frozen. Not sure what to do but I knew one thing for sure
was that I couldn't hide here forever. And so I walked
over to the door and I pulled it open
mm.
thank you for listening to this episode of After dark new episodes will be released every other friday at 10 p.m. And you can follow the podcast on the me listen app, Spotify, apple podcasts or google podcast. Episode seven anytime soon was produced and directed by Danny Cordy. Screenplay was written by Carl Gone,
editing, sound design and mixing from David chiu with assistance by Garrett, Fernandez, gaby paying and Nadarajah by Robin.
The overall story is inspired by Shroud Jinn has written by Dinah domine hoodie and first published on what Pet dot com. The cost for episode seven features Lauren Sim as Tracy bright on as Gavin Mayor Deuda as Daphne,
serene Chen as madame, Hyun
and Tan ration as anti go. Finally the after dark podcast is an original media core production, developed in partnership with what Pet studios and recorded at I. M. D. A pixel. Your executive producers are buried toe and Sabrina Angara from media corp
and Aaron Levitz eric Letterman and dexter wrong from what pad
reproduction of any material associated with the podcast is strictly prohibited without the express written content of media corp we hope to see you again as we continue the story in the next episode of After dark