Episode 9: A Message From Tyler (Part 1)

Published May 10, 2023, 7:01 AM

Fincher is offered a deal. Julien discovers a haunting message left for him by Tyler; is it the rant of a madman or a key to the truth? 

The Miniwauk Caves is intended for mature audiences. It contained strong language and depictions of bullying, violence, and sexual assault that some may find disturbing. Listener discretion is advised. Also, this is an extremely immersive experience and headphones are recommended. You're listening to The.

Maniwauk Caves, a production of iHeartRadio, Blumhouse Television, and Psycopia Pictures.

I borrowed Jimmy's bike so I could ride back to the Fowler State to get my car. The breeze was cool and the air smells sweet like the cane apple. Stark shadows cut across the road, and I felt like a teenager again, racing with the moon across Maniwauc County. When I got to the driveway, it was taped off. The house was still smoldering up at the top to the driveway. It was completely good about fire, but my car was still there parts in the yard halfway up. I popped up in my laptop and then I saw amongst the floody emails, there was one from Tyler. The subject just said good luck, and there was one file attached with the label play me, So I did.

It's August six, twenty twenty one. My name is Tyler Wilson. I'm recording this so that there'll be a record. I was going to leave the letter, but that's not how it works. How it works is you have to listen. I need you to hear this, all right, especially you, Julian, not just my voice. I got the idea from you. So when I took you back to the caves last week, you were recording everything on that micro cassette, because of course you were, because the devil's into details. That's what they say. Ry the noise and all the noises I've been hearing, they're all from the caves, from the evil one that inhabits the caves. He fears the light of the world, so he hides inside the caves or in the fog. If you ever stood at the mouth of the caves and hollered, you hear your voice bounce back. It's a natural echo chamber, and so one second to lay I've timed it, and when your voice bounced back to you, it's different. It's like it's been processed or replaced. No, it ain't your voice that bounces back. It's his, the devil calling from inside the caves, calling your name. The caves run deep, they go for centuries. They operate with their own logic, dream logic, and infinite kind of clockwork of invisible gears, driven by a mainspring that stretches across dimensions, wound up by forces unseen. I'm only human sea, I mean flesh and blood, pretty good brain and a nervous system hardwired to pick up data points collected through five senses, observable phenomenas, signs. But I've been studying it, this clockwork, charting mechanics, formulating proofs.

I figured out a few things.

I know that.

There were rules, and if you break them, that's when he comes for you.

I feel like it's all here somehow in this recording I made at Tyler's place, Maybe Tyler himself holds the key to unlocked.

The truth, the piece of tim.

The true good blood, like the suit.

To leave behid.

Sure if I want to follow a missing persons support for Tyler Wilson.

AHw People disappear all the time, Julian, what makes you think Tyler is missing?

Side of the struggle at his house? And what were you doing in his house?

Like me from all will be?

What's broken?

Wouldn't Julian Tyler was seen on Friday, Good Morning after you went to his place where Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville apparently paid a visit to James.

I'm remembering things, moving images, just like impressions. At first, like from a dream or maybe one of those old horror movies they put out on public access in the middle of night. Thought maybe I passed out in my chair to the sound of screams and butcher knives. But these images would repeat my mind over and over and over and over and over, like a fever dream. Then one morning, I'm in the shower and the hot water did suddenly like it was ice cold on my back, kind of like shock therapy, And just like that, an image locked into focus, like I found it again after it had been lost and the recesses of my brain for like fifteen years a memory Deacon Hadley screaming his final words. But the image was low resolution, of grainy and interlaced like a home movie. And there was blood, blood on the lens and that right there, that's when I remembered.

The camera. I remembered the camera.

I remember the weight of it in my hands and how it made my shoulder hurting after an hour, pulling it out in front of me. And that's how I was able to confirm that it wasn't a dream because I found it. I found the fucking camera, and now now I know what happened. I know, but I ain't supposed to say. That's rule number one. Never speak about it. Never talk about what you saw in the caves or think you saw or ever fucking dreamed, And never.

Ever talk about him, because he knows.

Sometimes he uses spies, other people and animals, uses their eyes and ears. And if you tell that's when it comes for you, That's that's when he comes, just like he's coming for me. Now. I didn't used to know when he was close, lurking in the shadows, working working well, I slept, But now I know. I know when he's coming, and I can feel him moving through the fog, closer and closer to me. I used to freeze and try and stay still and not call any attention to myself. It don't matter, don't help, nothing helps. Eventually he finds me. I tried everything everything I could think of to elude or repel him. I've covered my tracks, I've tried to mask my sin tried everything from garlic to God, damn Roman therapy, Jews, cleansing to Jesus. Nothing helps. Can't hide, can't run. He always hunts me. Now, So under normal circumstances, as best I just keep myself out here in the woods. But these ain't normal circumstances, all right, observable phenomenon. The temperature drops to exactly fifty eight grades when he's coming. It's sixty eight now and dropping was seventy one before. When I hit record, the woods get quiet too, wind stops, the mosquitoes vanish. It's like all of God's creatures simultaneously get the fuck out of his way. Then the fox sets in heavy like it is now. It rolled in thick the day you came home, Julian.

Fuck.

But in a few minutes, I I'm not gonna be able to see three feet unnatural forces working on the physical world disguised as natural phenomena. Am I scared?

Hell?

Yes, I'm scared.

I can't soft shaken.

But at least I finally know what to do, what has to be done.

So here we go. I'm starting to clock for the record.

It is one eleven am.

It's only a matter of time.

Before it comes for me, before he gets in and raises my head again, or worse, he's already on his way. I'm praying you get this message to land, and I hope to hell that you listen.

Good.

All right, best get started. I know it won't be long now, I know. I know because I know the signs. I know your rules, your son of a bitch, fuck it.

I've never been much one for rules anyway.

Lock time time, Hey finch, what's it like? What waiting to die?

Know?

And you only have one week left?

M All of a sudden, they're serving decent food, French toast and shit. I got no appetite though, knowing there's only so many heart beats living.

You know, of all the people who have ever been alive, only in tiny fraction of them ever knew the exact minute they were gonna die.

I guess that's true.

Schedule. Death is not a thing our brains are wired to work with. So what happens next?

They'll move me off the road to when isolated sales. Soon they don't let you out at all.

The last couple of.

Days they let you read.

Depends on what custodian is for now, I got a radio, some paper, no shop objects.

So they gave me crayns.

What you're listening to?

Mostly, I just listened to the stuff between static. Guess who comes to see me? Fucking Reverend Perkins.

Can you believe that he's been in here every day this week? Now?

Shit, hell's he wont.

It's not to save my soul, that's for damn sure.

Yeah, fucker.

He wants a confession, something shining to take back to his flock. Maybe my repentance too, but only so he can be right. He asked me to pray with him every time.

What do you say?

I tell him he's not the one that gets to right the end of my story.

What did he say to that?

Who is the author?

James?

Your life may be in the hands of the state, but God is in charge of your salvation. It's not too late to accept Jesus.

Accept Jesus as your.

Lord and savior, and you can free your soul. I told him it was best for me to stay. The monster told him he had his part to.

Play, and I got mine. Then he says his part is to offer me salvation.

His parts keep fair alive.

He'll be back too tomorrow and the next day and the day after that till.

There ain't nothing to come back to anymore.

I almost killed somebody last night.

Wait what Yeah?

I woke up to the sounds fourth entry, someone breaking up. Oh the fuck out of bed. Peeked out of the bedroom door and saw this male figure moving in the dark. I mean, I thought it was Julian Julie. I was about to say something when the guy took a seat in my recliner and pulled out a gun. And then some bit just started firing, blank, playing, playing, bland playing, just shooting up the place, blew the glass, coffee table to beds, my back to held away from the bedroom door, and I slipped into the closet where I keep my shotgun.

I grabbed it, waited then he started tearing the.

Place, part ripped the bookshelves down, shattered glass everywhere. Once he settled down bed, I heard the fridge open. Fucks. Then he came in my room, opened the door.

And just stood there.

Breathing, slowly, real calm like. I told him I had a gun and to back the fuck out because I didn't want to have to kill anyone.

You don't get out of here, right, fucking airfucker just laughed.

You hear me? And uh, it surprised me that laugh. It was high, like a teenager's laugh. Reminded me of Thomas Hadley's laugh. Anyway, I lost my nerve. I ain't shooting no kid. But he he retreated, backed up into the moonlight, and then I saw him, and what the fuck? You wouldn't believe that the fuck?

It was Finch, my nephew, Jimmy.

Yeah, that's right, little Jimmy. Well he ain't so little no more. He's got a lot bigger than when I last seen him. It's head shaped too, all that red hair gone. Yeah, fucking Jimmy. I think he's in danger. Maybe he's just a misguided youth, or maybe he's spent spending too much time in the caves. So tell me, Finch, how do you know? How'd you know it was him?

I was talking about Dennis said he's been sneaking out at night. But I already knew him. I dreamed it, dreamed it.

Well, I'll be goddamned. You always were special, like that.

Crazy shit.

Anyway, I know Tom is precious for both of us. So why do you ask me here, Finch?

Just that my dreams?

What about you're in them, and.

And that ain't usually a good sign. Tie. The thing is my dreams they don't lie.

Okay, then what'd you dream.

That you was in the caves? Well, some of you was in the cave and some of you was outside.

Sounds about right.

Hey, Look, whatever you're trying to do right now, you can't win.

Maybe it ain't about winning. And what about you? Huh think you have a chance?

I mean it depends.

They're working on the last appeal, all right, Dina and miss Campbell. They got this attorney named LeBlanc and they are working on the last minute of appeal, the appeal. Mister Hadley, he may be asking for clemency for me himself, all right, So yeah, that that is something that's not And Julie.

Is gonna take back what he said his testimony. You're gonna say it was recording.

Julie's not the fucking point, man.

It says that sentences have been commuted for far less than that.

Not talking about that.

Man, Wait the fuck is wrong with two? I'm trying to stand around the fucking subject here.

Okay, you can't just see that.

What it's the wool time He's keep your trap shot.

We never speak about it, Okay, we never.

Talk about the caves, right because you don't like it we talk about the caves.

I am well aware.

I haven't all right.

I haven't said a word. Man. I couldn't be right here, locked inside of me all these years, all these fucking years.

Man.

So yeah, I think I've got a fucking chance here.

And a week out before my execution ain't exactly the best goddamn time to try to tell me otherwise.

Going up against the state is one thing. Finch, going up against the cave against him, that's something else.

So I'm afraid, and.

I'm just afraid it's too late if we.

Don't tell right. God right, I don't know.

I don't know.

Feels an awful hot like it don't matter regardless of what we do or what we don't. I know you feel it too, man, And Julian. I mean, that's why I come home Julian, and he's losing his ship right now. It's only a matter of time.

It's a bribe.

What is.

Reverend Perkins my confession said if I did it, if I confess to the murders, he would make sure Diana and Jimmy were well cared for.

Said the church would become a.

Beacon a lot and he'd see to it himself, personally, see to it that Jimmy had.

A proper Baptist.

He'd also have the church set up in five to nine investment fund for Jimmy's education. He wants to make Dina and Jimmy an example of how the Lord's goodness is mightier than the devil's eve.

I see. So if you confess the thing you didn't do, your dead and your name would be associated forever with evil, and Perkins gets what he wanted all along, proof that the Almighty is more powerful than the devil. You just give him his wins save your family from what the clutches of poverty, right, Okay? Well, on the other hand, if instead of confessing to a crime that you didn't commit, if instead you tell the truth, truth about what you saw in the cave, saying I wel you, you might walk away free man, maybe, but you be breaking.

The rule.

His rules.

It's something like that.

That's a hell of a predicament. Finch your life for your soul state may let you off the think of the truth, but the devil never will. That's damn interesting. Though, what is only a timey fraction of all the people who ever lived knew the exact minute that they were gonna die. And that's something you and I have in common.

What are you saying?

What I'm saying is I'm done. I'm done playing by his rules. Maybe you should stop too, Finch, because there's no way to win here and the game is almost over. But at least you can write your own into man.

It's the less time of the Moe.

Who knows, maybe you'll see me in your dreams.

The Ghost The Man Walk Caves stars Jonathan Tucker as Julian Sallace, Eddie Gatheggy as James Fincher, Clark Peters as Detective Solomon Smith, Nick Cercy as Sheriff Kirby Hooper, Justin Welborn as Tyler Wilson, Jill Jane Clements as Jill Campbell, Brad Carter as Dooleye Tappert, Scott Poethrus as Reverend Perkins, Samantha Ashley as Dina Fincher, Justin Matthew Smith as Paul Sawace, Tara Oaks says Laura Sawas, Jonathan Horn as Deacon Hadley, Alden Karanovich as Thomas Hadley, Mike w Anderson as Griff Washington, Body, Walter Off as Jimmy Fincher, Brian McClure as Ian Spinks, Larry Clark as Bobby Hadley, Paydon Fallis as ed leablanc Vic Palisis as William Fowler, Nick Takosky as Richard Rydell, and Aileen Loyd as The Darkness, with additional performances by Clint McGowan, Dina Dill, Edward Howard, Henry Foster Brown, Jamie Joseph, Juan Monsalvez, Christopher Curry, Bailey Hineman, David Mitchell, and Bernard Sataro Clark. Created by Connell Byrne and Dan Bush. Written by Dan Bush, Zoe Cooper and Nicholas Dakosky, featuring our theme song Killer Inside, written produced and performed by Lera Lynn. Our executive producers are Matt Frederick, Alexander Williams, Michael Monty, and Courtney du Frees. Our executive producers at Blumhouse Televis are Jeremy Gold, Chris Dickey, and Noah Feinberg. Produced by Dan Bush, music by Ben Lovett, Additional music by Alexander Rodriguez, edited by Dan Bush, Chris Childs, Stephen Perez, and David Chen. Sound design by Benjamin Malcolm. Additional sound design by Alexander Rodriguez. Dialogue editing and sound mixing by Jan Campos. Recorded at Studio Awesome in Los Angeles, Sound by Studio in Atlanta and Echo Mountain in Ashville. Casting by Sunday Bowling, Kennedy and Meg Mormon. Our dialect coach is Linda Bessesti, Assistant director Michael Monty, second Assistant director, script supervisor and production coordinator Sarah Klein. Supervising producer Josh Thain. Special thanks to Mary Ellen and Jason Davis, Jonathan Dieter, and Joe Rickman. The Manowalk Caves is a production of iHeart Radio, Blumhouse Television and Psycopia Pictures.

And Turn Out of Blood. That's All Chemical.

Soup.

The Wall said Memory Bad

Sai

The Mantawauk Caves

Winner: Best Fiction Podcast, iHeart Podcast Awards.  On the night of May 10, 2007, three boys ente 
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