Shownotes
The Irving Woods swallowed all light.
A man named Ben ran through them, covered in blood that wasn't his.
Moments earlier, he watched his brother die.
Now something is following him through the darkness.
The Cabin serves as an introduction to the world of Red in the Dark.
Lost in the forests of Northern Maine, Ben stumbles across an isolated cabin occupied by a man who should be terrified by what he's hearing.
Instead, the stranger offers him a seat by the fire.
A bowl of stew.
And a story.
As the horrors outside close in, Ben discovers that some people survive darkness by running from it.
Others learn to live beside it.
The Cabin is a standalone entry point into the Red in the Dark universe and the first appearance of the man known only as The Archivist.
Support the show: share it with someone you think would love Red in the Dark.
Written, produced, sound engineered, and voice acted by Leonard Voss.
The man in the cabin and narrator voiced by Leonard Voss.
Ben voiced by AI (casting now)
Email "[email protected]" (mailto:[email protected]) if you're interested in participating in the project, from voice acting and production to editing and website support.
Transcripts
Red in the dark, the cabin, The Irving woods, swallowed all light.
Speaker A:A man named Ben ran through them, breathing hard, covered in blood.
Speaker A:He had not spilled himself.
Speaker A:This is his story.
Speaker B:He didn't even stop.
Speaker A:Jesus Christ.
Speaker B:The way he just kept chopping.
Speaker A:Calm, certain.
Speaker B:Like he was nothing.
Speaker B:Danny.
Speaker B:Oh, God.
Speaker B:Danny.
Speaker A:The blood had hit warm on Ben's face when the ax found Danny.
Speaker A:Copper and salt still sat at the back of his throat.
Speaker A:Swallowing didn't help.
Speaker A:Run.
Speaker A:His legs moved before the thought finished running.
Speaker B:Don't look back.
Speaker B:Don't you dare look back.
Speaker A:No trails.
Speaker A:No markers.
Speaker A:The dark had weight branches toward his arms.
Speaker A:Roots came up underfoot.
Speaker A:Twice he stumbled.
Speaker A:Once he hit the ground hard enough to see white.
Speaker B:Back up.
Speaker B:Keep moving.
Speaker B:I'm gonna fucking die out here, Danny.
Speaker A:A crack somewhere to the left sent Ben veering right on pure instinct, he.
Speaker B:Killed him right in front of run.
Speaker A:A clearing opened up around an old cabin that stood against a rise of stone, smoke climbing from the chimney into the black sky.
Speaker A:Both fists slammed against the door the moment Ben was on the porch.
Speaker B:Help.
Speaker B:Somebody, please.
Speaker A:Again.
Speaker A:Harder.
Speaker A:Wood rattled in the frame.
Speaker B:He killed my brother.
Speaker A:Another strike.
Speaker A:Please.
Speaker A:Footsteps, slow, unhurried, the door opened to a tall, lean man standing in the doorway with a dark beard touched with gray.
Speaker A:A flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled to the forearm.
Speaker A:He looked at the blood on the porch, looked at Ben, looked at the woods beyond.
Speaker A:Then back again.
Speaker A:Oh.
Speaker A:He went still for a moment.
Speaker A:A visitor.
Speaker A:He stepped aside and opened the door wider.
Speaker A:Come in.
Speaker A:The cabin hit all at once.
Speaker A:Wood smoke.
Speaker A:Something simmering on the stove, rich and heavy.
Speaker A:The smell dug into an empty stomach, hard enough to hurt.
Speaker A:Old paper pine.
Speaker A:The scent of a place that had been lived in for a very long time.
Speaker B:There's somebody out there.
Speaker A:The words came apart as they came out.
Speaker B:He killed my brother.
Speaker B:I need a phone.
Speaker B:I need to call somebody.
Speaker A:There's no phone.
Speaker B:What?
Speaker A:No phone.
Speaker A:Ben stared at him.
Speaker B:A radio?
Speaker B:Anything?
Speaker A:The man shook his head.
Speaker A:No, I have nothing of the sort.
Speaker A:He turned back to the pot and lifted the lid, letting a wave of aromatic steam roll into the room.
Speaker A:Ben just stood there, trying to understand how somebody could live out here with nothing.
Speaker A:No phone, no radio, nothing.
Speaker A:The man replaced the lid.
Speaker A:The smell coming off the pot was even stronger now.
Speaker A:Ben's stomach clenched painfully in response.
Speaker B:Did you hear what I said?
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:My brother is dead.
Speaker A:The man nodded.
Speaker A:I'm sorry.
Speaker B:He murdered him.
Speaker A:He nodded again.
Speaker A:I'm sorry about that, too, he said quietly.
Speaker A:Ben waited, waiting for shock, anger, fear, anything.
Speaker A:Nothing came the man calmly pulled out a chair, the fire crackling softly behind him and the woods pressing against the windows.
Speaker A:What's your name?
Speaker B:What?
Speaker A:Your name.
Speaker B:Ben.
Speaker A:The man nodded once.
Speaker B:How can you be so calm?
Speaker A:The man shrugged.
Speaker A:I guess I learned a long time ago that I could spend my days worrying about what might happen.
Speaker A:He looked toward the fire.
Speaker A:Or I can enjoy the days while they're still mine.
Speaker A:His eyes drifted briefly toward the dark window and back again.
Speaker A:When trouble arrives, I deal with it.
Speaker A:He gestured toward the chair.
Speaker A:Until then.
Speaker A:He smiled softly.
Speaker A:There's Stu.
Speaker A:A short laugh escaped Ben's mouth.
Speaker B:He killed my brother.
Speaker A:The man's expression softened.
Speaker A:I know.
Speaker A:You said that.
Speaker A:He pushed the bowl a little closer.
Speaker A:Which is why you should eat something.
Speaker A:Steam curled up between them.
Speaker A:You've been running.
Speaker A:As Ben looked down, he realized how badly his hands were shaking, the man following his gaze.
Speaker A:You need food, water, and sleep.
Speaker A:The dead will still be dead in an hour.
Speaker A:Ben.
Speaker A:The words should have sounded cruel.
Speaker A:The fire worked steadily in the hearth.
Speaker A:For the first time since Danny fell, Ben realized how exhausted he was.
Speaker A:He finally sat.
Speaker A:The question came out around a mouthful.
Speaker A:Mmm.
Speaker A:What is this?
Speaker A:What?
Speaker A:The stew.
Speaker A:Ben nodded.
Speaker B:It's good.
Speaker A:The smile widened.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker B:No, seriously.
Speaker A:Ben gestured with the spoon.
Speaker B:What is it?
Speaker A:The man thought for a moment, then shrugged.
Speaker A:Whatever the forest decides to provide.
Speaker A:The man stood and crossed to a shelf running along the wall, his hand settling on a thick book.
Speaker A:He pulled it free and brought it back to the table where he sat to open it.
Speaker A:I've been keeping these for a long time.
Speaker A:He ran a thumb along the edge of the page.
Speaker A:Stories.
Speaker A:Ben took another spoonful of stew before settling back into the chair.
Speaker A:And for the first time since Danny died, he wasn't running.
Speaker A:The man found his place in the book and spoke.
Speaker A:This one's called.
Speaker A:He glanced down.
Speaker A:Red in the Dark.
Speaker A:He began to read.
Speaker A:Welcome to Red in the Dark.
Speaker A:It's safe here.