Curse Of Mayfield Manor | Disturbing the Dead: A Paranormal Audio Drama

0:05 Speaker 1: It lies in wait amidst your dreams, where nothing is ever how it seems. It is a portal to a terrifying world beyond the doorway to nightmare. Nightmare. Come in. Welcome. I'm your host, Artemis Black. Of ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night, good Lord, deliver us. Well, so goes the prayer. It is the monsters that dwell in each of us that we should praise. For deliverance.

1:11 Speaker 2: I vote that we leave as quickly as possible. Like, right now.

1:16 Speaker 3: We can't. The storm blew the trees down, and the road is blocked.

1:21 Speaker 4: Can't we walk out?

1:22 Speaker 3: Seven miles through the woods, in this storm?

1:25 Speaker 2: Then we are trapped here. And if the legend holds true, we are all going to die here.

1:36 Speaker 1: Our mystery drama, The Curse of Mayfield Manor, was written especially for Doorway to Nightmare by Winslow Swan and edited by Crimson McKenzie. Our cast includes Mick Davis, Jonathan Rosignol, Peter Lugmeier, Crimson McKenzie, Gemma Mitchell, William Stafford, and Winslow Swan. I'll be back shortly with Act One. One of our strongest emotions is fear. Science has even come up with names for different kinds of fears. From the fear of closed spaces to even the fear of the number 13s. The emotion has made heroes out of few and cowards out of many.

2:42 Speaker 2: Gerald, over here.

2:43 Speaker 3: It's a great place you picked out for our meeting.

2:48 Speaker 1: You're late.

2:49 Speaker 3: If I didn't have to fight my way through a crowd at the bar, I might have been here on time. So, what's going on that we couldn't do this at the studio?

2:58 Speaker 2: You want something to drink?

3:00 Speaker 1: No thanks.

3:01 Speaker 2: Okay, here it is. Have you ever heard of the Mayfield House down in North Carolina?

3:07 Speaker 1: Should I have?

3:08 Speaker 2: The network thinks it would be a perfect place to do one of our horror specials.

3:13 Speaker 1: Come on, Hank.

3:14 Speaker 3: I'm sick to death of doing those things.

3:17 Speaker 2: I know. That's what I told them.

3:18 Speaker 3: Spend a night at some abandoned house and see what happens. Well, I've done seven specials, and every time, absolutely nothing happens. Oh, I catch a cold, but I never... catch anything on tape.

3:35 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, this time I think we got something. Take a look at these.

3:41 Speaker 1: Okay.

3:43 Speaker 3: So what am I looking at?

3:44 Speaker 2: These were taken by a hiker who came across the house.

3:47 Speaker 1: Yeah, so?

3:48 Speaker 2: Don't you see it up in the window?

3:51 Speaker 1: Oh, come on.

3:52 Speaker 3: A grainy photo of a shadow on a window and you want to do an entire special on it?

3:58 Speaker 1: It's ridiculous.

3:59 Speaker 2: Well, I admit that the photo was a little grainy. But the network is adamant. Now, if you don't want to do it.

4:07 Speaker 3: I didn't say that. Hank, I like working for the network. And I'll do your little ghost show one more time. Who else is going?

4:18 Speaker 2: You, me, Sherry Abrams will be working the cameras, Pamela Walker's doing the sound, and.

4:24 Speaker 4: Wait.

4:25 Speaker 1: Don't tell me. Let me guess.

4:28 Speaker 2: He's been on every special that we've had.

4:31 Speaker 3: Ricardo Amherst.

4:35 Speaker 1: How appropriate.

4:37 Speaker 2: Is there going to be a problem with you two?

4:39 Speaker 1: From me?

4:40 Speaker 5: No.

4:42 Speaker 1: From him. I know.

4:43 Speaker 2: It's a little... awkward.

4:46 Speaker 3: Sherry and I were only married for two months. If she decided to hook up with that fake medium, that's her business.

4:55 Speaker 2: I think everybody knows everybody. I'll just start the production meeting right now.

5:00 Speaker 4: So where are we off to this time, Hank?

5:02 Speaker 2: North Carolina, to an old mansion that was owned by one Terrence Mayfield.

5:06 Speaker 6: How large of an old mansion are we talking.

5:10 Speaker 1: About, Hank?

5:10 Speaker 2: Don't worry, Pam. We're going to be filming this using handhelds. There are plenty of places to put your mics.

5:16 Speaker 4: Handhelds? Really, Hank?

5:19 Speaker 7: Is this going to be one of your shaky found footage, oh, let's make the audience motion sick films?

5:26 Speaker 2: Hardly. This place is very large room, so your camera equipment will fit nicely.

5:31 Speaker 5: And what am I doing here?

5:33 Speaker 1: That's what I want to know.

5:34 Speaker 4: Don't be rude, Gerald.

5:36 Speaker 2: I'm getting to that. As our resident spiritualist, you'll be free to roam the house with a camera, of course, to pick up any vibrations.

5:44 Speaker 3: The only vibrations he's going to pick up are the ones Sherry makes.

5:48 Speaker 4: Can we discuss this later?

5:51 Speaker 2: All right, children. Now, do you want to hear about the house or not?

5:55 Speaker 6: Go ahead, Hank. We are all ears.

5:58 Speaker 1: Thank you.

5:59 Speaker 2: The place was built sometime in the early 1800s. It was supposed to be some sort of plantation, but it never got off the ground. Terrence Mayfield did not believe in the use of slaves. He thought that a man that worked should be paid, which did not sit too well with the general consensus of the times. But there was another reason why the place never became a working plantation.

6:20 Speaker 3: And here it comes.

6:21 Speaker 2: Terrence Mayfield, according to local reports, was a practitioner. In the dark arts. There was talk of blood sacrifices and sabbats being performed.

6:33 Speaker 4: Oh, this just gets better and better. I can see why the network was so interested.

6:40 Speaker 1: Dusty old house. Rumors.

6:43 Speaker 3: And I can feel a cold coming on even now.

6:45 Speaker 4: Wouldn't be the first time.

6:47 Speaker 2: It was August 13th, when the locals had had enough. Twelve young girls had disappeared. The townspeople marched up to the doors... grabbed Mayfield, and burned him alive in the front yard. Since then, no one has ventured near the place.

7:01 Speaker 5: Over a hundred years ago? The place must be falling down by now.

7:05 Speaker 2: You would think so. Believe it or not, the house looks brand new.

7:10 Speaker 4: Now how can that be?

7:12 Speaker 2: Perhaps it has to do with the curse that Mayfield screamed out from the flames.

7:17 Speaker 3: Isn't there always a curse?

7:19 Speaker 5: Well, come on. What was it?

7:21 Speaker 2: According to local legend, The first person to enter the house would be possessed and kill all the others who entered after. They would be cut in half and their entrails would be eaten.

7:33 Speaker 6: Oh, that's just sick.

7:36 Speaker 3: And the network approved this?

7:38 Speaker 5: Anything for ratings.

7:39 Speaker 2: Well, that's the story. We leave tomorrow, just in time for the anniversary of Mayfield's curse. What do you think?

7:53 Speaker 1: I have spent a fair amount of time in the study of curses and witchcraft. I find the subject rather fascinating. Practicing that ancient religion is something that has, well, never crossed my mind. It can be quite dangerous. I'll be back with Act 2 shortly. A film crew has arrived at an old mansion to investigate and document the anniversary of a curse. We find them now standing at the door to the Mayfield Mansion.

8:51 Speaker 4: Be careful with the equipment!

8:53 Speaker 5: I'm not the government.

8:55 Speaker 3: Hey, Hank, what about the crew?

8:57 Speaker 2: You are looking at it, old buddy.

8:59 Speaker 6: That's our illustrious producer. Always trying to save a penny when he can.

9:04 Speaker 4: Well, Gerald, don't just stand at the door.

9:07 Speaker 7: Open it.

9:10 Speaker 6: Come on.

9:11 Speaker 4: Just a house. Wood, brick, mortar, nothing more. Sure.

9:19 Speaker 1: Wood, brick, and mortar.

9:23 Speaker 3: Okay, here goes nothing.

9:31 Speaker 5: Aren't you going to go in, or are you afraid of the curse?

9:37 Speaker 2: Pam, why don't you and Sherry start setting things up? Give Ricky a handheld and let him start doing a basic walkthrough.

9:43 Speaker 5: I do wish that you would not call me that. After all, I have one of the highest rated shows on the network.

9:50 Speaker 3: Which only proves that the public will watch anything.

9:52 Speaker 2: Enough, children.

9:54 Speaker 1: Go on, Ricardo.

9:56 Speaker 2: Make your walkthrough.

9:57 Speaker 5: Gloomy old place. Dust everywhere. Not picking up anything yet. Feeling a slight sense of.

10:13 Speaker 1: Dread.

10:14 Speaker 2: Maybe.

10:15 Speaker 5: Something just doesn't feel right about the place. You're going to have to do better than that.

10:29 Speaker 3: It's really blowing out there.

10:33 Speaker 2: Storms get pretty bad up here. Sherry, did you get the cameras in place?

10:37 Speaker 4: Ready when you are, CB.

10:39 Speaker 2: How about the mics, Pamela?

10:40 Speaker 6: Just getting ready to go upstairs.

10:42 Speaker 5: Take one of the lanterns. Even in the daytime, it's dark up there.

10:45 Speaker 6: Don't worry. Back in a minute.

10:49 Speaker 3: Maybe I should go help her.

10:50 Speaker 4: I'm sure she can manage.

10:53 Speaker 2: That was close.

10:58 Speaker 1: Okay, that was weird.

11:21 Speaker 4: I've never seen a storm just stop like that.

11:28 Speaker 2: What is that?

11:30 Speaker 4: Sounds like something knocking against the wall.

11:34 Speaker 3: It's coming from upstairs.

11:36 Speaker 5: Pam's up there.

11:47 Speaker 2: Sounds like it's coming from in here.

11:55 Speaker 5: Ham? What the hell happened?

11:58 Speaker 2: She's... She's hanging from the rafter. A rope tied under her arms. Her.

12:05 Speaker 4: Oh, God.

12:06 Speaker 1: Her lower half is gone.

12:09 Speaker 3: Like it's cut away.

12:12 Speaker 2: But what if it were? It would be on the floor. Where is it?

12:22 Speaker 4: We need to get out of here.

12:23 Speaker 5: I'm going to start the van.

12:26 Speaker 2: We'll come back for the equipment.

12:34 Speaker 7: Richard?

12:37 Speaker 4: Richard!

12:38 Speaker 1: What the hell?

12:40 Speaker 2: He's been cut in half!

12:43 Speaker 5: Come on!

12:44 Speaker 2: Get in the van!

12:45 Speaker 1: Now!

12:46 Speaker 7: Look at the van!

12:47 Speaker 2: That tree!

12:49 Speaker 1: Storm must have blown it down.

12:50 Speaker 4: Maybe we can walk out.

12:52 Speaker 2: We are 15 miles out in the middle of nowhere. Cell phones aren't working, so we can't call anyone.

12:58 Speaker 3: What the hell is going on, Hank?

13:00 Speaker 2: I don't know. Oh, I admit we had some surprises cooked up.

13:05 Speaker 4: What sort of surprises?

13:08 Speaker 2: Just some sound effects that Pam cooked up to give the place a little atmosphere.

13:12 Speaker 1: But Pam is dead.

13:13 Speaker 7: Richard is dead. 15 miles or not, I'm getting the hell.

13:17 Speaker 4: Out of here.

13:19 Speaker 2: Better go after her.

13:20 Speaker 3: Sherry, hang on.

13:24 Speaker 1: Sherry. Harold, help me. Sherry? Oh, God, no.

13:36 Speaker 7: Help me.

13:42 Speaker 3: Your lower body, it's gone.

13:46 Speaker 1: Oh, God. Oh, God. What the hell? Gerald runs back towards the house, the maniac with the chainsaw close behind. You don't run away, as I will return with act three.

14:32 Speaker 1: Three human beings have been killed, and Gerald is running away from a... A what? A ghost? An apparition that is capable of wielding a chainsaw? Or could it be death itself? What the hell are you? What is going on? Best work I've ever done. Who the hell are you?

15:12 Speaker 2: I didn't think the chainsaw would ever start.

15:18 Speaker 1: Hank?

15:21 Speaker 2: Gerald, you were marvelous! Meet Dale Winfield, best special effects artist in Hollywood.

15:27 Speaker 1: How you doing, Gerald?

15:29 Speaker 3: Hank, you had better start explaining.

15:31 Speaker 2: Just go to the living room.

15:38 Speaker 4: And the look on his face! Oh, hiya, Gerald. Seen any half-corpses lately?

15:47 Speaker 5: Sharon?

15:48 Speaker 1: Pamela? Richard?

15:53 Speaker 3: What's going on?

15:54 Speaker 5: Just a bit of fun, old buddy.

15:58 Speaker 1: Fun?

16:00 Speaker 6: Fun?

16:01 Speaker 2: Now, calm down, Gerald. It was all the network's idea. A brand new show. Maybe not as extreme as this one.

16:09 Speaker 6: I would hope not. Having a cast of your body and face made by Dale was no picnic.

16:18 Speaker 1: Yeah.

16:19 Speaker 7: Brand new show try being buried in the ground.

16:23 Speaker 3: I still don't understand what what about the so-called curse.

16:28 Speaker 2: Oh that was real i didn't have to make that up okay let's get the equipment and get ready for the real group that's coming here next week.

16:37 Speaker 1: Haven't you forgotten the curse come off.

16:40 Speaker 2: It dale it's over pack up your gear.

16:43 Speaker 3: The first one who goes inside kills all who enter Cuts them in half.

16:50 Speaker 1: Eats their entrails. Dale?

16:55 Speaker 4: What's wrong?

16:56 Speaker 3: Yeah, come on, Dale. I was the first one inside, remember?

17:01 Speaker 2: Really?

17:02 Speaker 1: No! I was here first. I had to set up before you got here.

17:07 Speaker 3: Which means I was the first one inside.

17:15 Speaker 1: .

17:23 Speaker 7: Hey!

17:23 Speaker 2: Anybody here?

17:53 Speaker 6: Miss?

17:55 Speaker 1: Miss? Are you all right?

17:57 Speaker 4: I don't know. I don't know.

18:01 Speaker 5: Who are you?

18:03 Speaker 2: Oh, I'm Mitchell.

18:05 Speaker 3: Stanfield from the network. You guys were supposed to check in with us every day, and we haven't heard from you.

18:14 Speaker 7: No, that can't be. He's eaten everyone from the network.

18:21 Speaker 1: What? What? Miss, are you okay?

18:26 Speaker 4: He even gave me a taste. Said it was better when they were fresh. Won't you come inside?

18:45 Speaker 1: When someone finally came to investigate... They found Dale and Sherry surrounded by corpses, covered in blood, licking their fingers every bite they take, eating, sucking the meat off the bones. I'll be back with a final word. There have been cases reported of so-called curses against people. Scientists claim that it is more of a psychological occurrence than a supernatural one. But then, I wonder, can everything be explained with science?

19:55 Speaker 1: Our cast included Mick Davis, Jonathan Rosignol, Crimson McKenzie, Peter Lugmeier, Jim Mitchell, William Stafford, and Winslow Swann. The story was edited by Crimson McKenzie and the production was under the direction of Winslow Swan. And now, a preview of our next tale. This is your host, Artemis Black. inviting you to return with us through the doorway to nightmare for another adventure into the terrifying world of your imagination. Until next time, slumber peacefully. Epilogue. The butler did it.