THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES
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- čas přidán 14. 10. 2018
- MAG107 - Case #0100102 - Howard Ewing
Statement regarding their interview with an unidentified member of the British Transport Police.
The Magnus Archives tells the tale of a night cleaner on the London Underground, whose account of a tunnel fire elicited some burning questions.
Content Notes: Axe/gun violence, burning alive, kidnapping, seizure disorder
Starring: The Archivist - Jonathan Sims; Julia Montauk - Francesca Renèe Reid; Trevor Herbert - Ian Hayles; Max Mustermann - Brock Winstead
Writer: Jonathan Sims
Director: Alexander J Newall
Editors: Alexander J Newall, Brock Winstead
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![A DISTORTION'S TRIAL [the magnus archives MV] (FLASHING WARNING)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/p1aRjjbrM_o/mqdefault.jpg)
Amazed by how Jon didn't just start crying as soon as he realised that he needed to *work* to prevent himself from keeling over.
The true horror of the series
That's just what capitalism is like
While to be fair end stage capitalism does that to a lot of people
Jon is a workaholic, I'm pretty sure for him that's nothing new. It's just that this time he actually benefits from it.
I dunno if you needed to work to feel good probably wouldn't think it so bad
It's so funny to me that they are three people in the car, but the one getting kidnapped is not the one in the trunk
lmao
I imagine Trevor saying over and over in his head "I'm the master of stealth. I am the master of stealth! Is my leg going numb?"
Lol
I imagine Trevor rising out of the car trunk just to shoot some random dude
Like he doesn’t think twice, first dude he sees is dead
Nicola: 5 out of ten for skincare and not using nails. Loses points for creepy setting and constant threat of death.
Daisy: 0 out of ten for terrifying violence. What the fuck.
Julia and Trevor: 8 out of ten. Generally light tone and very little physical violence. At least they had banter
Season 1: grumpy skeptic reads creepypastas while being under siege from worms
Season 2: grumpy believer reads creepypastas while going through a paranoia nervous breakdown
Season 3: grumpy monster reads creepypastas while getting kidnapped and/or beat up by other, scarier monsters
I feel so bad for Jon
Imagine all of a sudden no longer being human
Good summary
@@karenlinares7541it's not really all of a sudden. He realized he's becoming something other than human since Leitner told him he belongs to The Eye and realized he can compel people.
The fact that you can't physically see it, but you can hear Jon get better just by reading the statement is so neat. You can't see it, but you can see it, ya know?
That was so well made
@@Companion92 ikr!
I CAN'T GET OVER JON'S VOICE ACTING. It's just *so* good
What fascinates me is how this channel isn't a major multimedia giant producing the most amazing audiobooks television shows and movies
Over the course of one damn scentence
I think we can all agree that the real mystery in this story is the correct pronunciation of Gerard Keay's name.
There is no correct pronunciation. Any way the speaker pronounces it and the listener recognize it, it's still right.
I thought it was jared till season 2
I thought it was Calliope?
@@vivecthepoet36 That's what I've been hearing xD
J A R E D K E Y
Just pointing out that the policeman identified himself as officer Mustermann, which is the German John Doe.
The stranger then, right?
Wonder if he has any relation to the "Mustermann" from Anatomy Class
@@elliottgaylord6212 I think that name is what tipped Jon off.
So either stranger or make delsolsrioj
@@elliottgaylord6212 i thought so too... Bone apple teeth i guess
At this point Jon will be able to make a 'top 10 times i was kidnapped' list and it still wouldnt be the most surprising thing in this show
#10, Daisy. She was very rude and killed someone who was trying to help. She also continued to threaten to kill me. Would not endorse.
#7, Nicholi. Was going to skin me alive and use me to end the world, but also took care of my skin and fed me so they were at least dilligent and didn't beat me.
#4, Michael. Not sure it counts since they're now Helen but still, they at least helped me escape whatever they are....were....the Distortion is confused at its own existence and I hate it.
@@clayxros576 add to #7 I wasn't nailed down which surly is a plus point but I couldn't mind controll something by asking questions
#1 julia: I didn't have to run and didn't get beaten, I too was allowed to sit in an actual sit while driving 10/10 would recommend
I don't know how about the fact that I read this in the 'Burger King foot lettuce' voice instead of Jon's lmao
To be fair, this is the chillest kidnapping yet. Jon should start rating them.
daisy: 1/10, strangled me + slit my throat AND made me bury a body
the circus: 4/10, very rude but at least now i have nice skin
julia montauk: 8/10, extremely chill
Elias: 5/10, didn't even know I was kidnapped until I figured out I couldn't leave, very boring up til that point
8/8 would be kidnapped by them again.
I love every reply on this
Micheal/the spiral/Helen: 5/10 they let me leave at least but the not understanding who I'm talking to when was rather off putting, not to mention they made a week late for coffee with Georgia.
The daughter of a mass murderer, and homeless vamp killer, Jon getting better as soon as he reads a statement, getting kidnaps, traveling around, what an exciting episode. One of my favorites honestly.
Until now I thought the child of mass murderer was a guy. Weird lol.
I RECOGNIZED THE NAME OF THE GIRL FROM SOMEWHERE BUT I COULDN'T PICTURE HER UNTIL I READ THIS, THEN IT CLICKED
//SPOILERS FOR THIS EPISODE//
I never expected that the man who was forced to murder 40 people's daughter would gang up w/ Trevor the vampire hunter. I'm a huge fan of his work 😂😂😂
That's Her?! The girl from ,,Father's love"?
It is
Dream team crossover
Pretty sure they were the ones at the ivy meadows nursing home in Taken Ill too
@@jeremiahjoseph2413 Yeah, Jon said then and he was right!
Jon low key starstruck about meeting the people he's read about is so fucking funny
yeah! how the tables have turned! he's usually the one clueless of what's happening, and everybody around him are all like "what's up, _Archivist_", but finally! they didn't know who he was, but he had read ALL about them!
He starts fanboying on Trevor the homeless vampire hunter too loo
Jon be like: omg the blorbos from my statements
@@howdoichangename8773 i was about to reply with that before seeing you beat me to it
I would be too bro Trevor is a badass
If someone reacted to being kidnapped by grouching "not AGAIN" I'd really question if I'd still wanna kidnap them
if you guys kill trevor like you did leitner i probably will still continue listening but i'll never forgive you for it.
Mood
Spoilers
Trust me, by the end you'll be happy to see him go
I love how we dont get told anything but John suddenly just starts knowing things like who she was
It should have been easy to figure out. How many Julias have made statements.
I mean, when you have name retention as bad I do, it makes it a massive surprise 😂
Soon as I heard Julia I was thinking of her. Plus the whole went to the institute and spilling her guys about her dad etc. And yknow maybe the Eye helped a tiny bit
sounds like a typical police interaction
asfhjkl thsts EXACTLY what i was thinking the whole time
So Jon is addicted to reading statements now? Uh. And he just got kidnapped...again
its becoming a habit
"You have to feed it, or it feeds on you"
I'm pretty sure the gathering of information is somewhat a supply to his powers. It's like hunting in an RPG. You hunt to get meat to keep yourself alive, but you also gain XP towards a level up doing the same thing.
i mean.. are you addicted to food and water?
I know I've commented on it before, but the sound design of The Magnus Archives is what moves it from "that's a pretty good podcast" to " if they didnt say it's a podcast at the beginning and end I could believe this is real". the end of this episode was full on audio movie. I could picture the entire scene in my mind just from the sound effects. police siren, turn signal, footsteps on gravel. So good!
The way Jon's voice clearly stabilizes as he does the introduction for the statement... boy oh boy.
It’s so stressful that Jon keeps getting kidnapped every time he’s about to return home to Martin... I mean the institute *cough cough*
this exactly
JUST LET JON RETURN TO HIS MARTIN!, oh I mean to the institute 👀
I think my favorite part about getting deeper & deeper into this series is my increasing inability to remember anyone other than the archival team. Everytime a familiar name crops up, I'm like, "Ah, yes, so & so...who?"
that's why i made a google doc with all the names lmao
@@confused-as-ell oo, curious to see your doc! i didnt make one but am in the same boat of "i know that name...?"
@@SukiHayashiGaming unfortunately, my google doc contains spoilers for the whole show, as i finished tma a couple weeks ago lmao
@@confused-as-ell ahhhh ok, well one of these days ill finish this bad boi. And ill come back for your docs! XD
@@confused-as-ell can we still have the link? For after we complete the series?
Why does everybody call this goth kid a different name?!
Jared
Gerard
"Key"
"Kay"
Mackenzie Dillon Quirks of different British accents. It’s Gerard.
jared is a different character
@@mozarteanchaos I know, it's just that to my untrained Canadian ears the way that Jonny pronounces "Gerard" sounds exactly like how he pronounces "Jared" but it's really just quirks of accents from different regions. 🤍🤍
Gerard keay
If you look at transcripts from comments
when tim went on " holiday" he was feeling the same way. jon hasnt been at the institute in a while
The most terrifying bit of this episode: Greyhound Transportation
HONESTLY THO, i traveled with them once, never again holleyyy
I felt that, greyhound sucks ass bro
I was going to say the American accent, but you’re right Greyhound is way worse 😂😂😂
@@Dunedien
At least, the police officer isn't supposed to be American so maybe that could excuse the accent eh
@@macabrecitrus2127 I was actually trying to figure out if it was a purposefully incorrect accent or not, lol. I don't hold it against them either way. American actors have screwed up all kinds of accents.
inspector sans undertale...
So it WASN'T just me who heard it! And here I was thinking my Undertale-depenent brain was misinterpreting what I'm hearing...
Megalovania softly plays in the background
@@BlueCat201X what did you hear?
Glad I’m not the only one who thought that
i'll admit i got so used to british accents that hearing trevor talk took me a while to understand what he was saying lmao
His accent is from northern England, specifically Manchester.
But Trevor also has a British accent...
@@heresthadude1080 that's why it sounded to me like Breekon & Hope?
Just realized-The other forces have beings that follow them, like the vampires, the not!them, and the fake people from the anatomy class. I wonder if we’ll ever see nonhuman servants of The Beholding. Jon needs, like, a therapy unicorn.
Unfortunately, he has Elias instead.
Actually, wasn't there an episode where a woman looked in a cursed mirror and saw a giant eye, then couldn't stop feeling watched and tried to destroy the Archives? That thing probably counts.
@@b-blythe6763 I'm amazed and horrified at the implication that Elias is equivalent to a therapy unicorn.
the admiral [cat]
just a swarm of therapy cats
there was the thing in alexandria
@@b-blythe6763 Elias being a therapy unicorn made me laugh
you can hear Jon's voice getting stronger just in the "statement of " section
inspector... inspector sans..
MEGALOVANIA INTENSIFIES
Thank you
thank you dave strider from homestuck
dave homestuck are you friends with sans undertale?
@@bonniecornelius3836 yeah definitely
Season 1 episode setups... and a season 2 one...
MAG009 - A Father's Love... First time featuring Julia Montauk
MAG010 - Vampire Killer... First time featuring Trevor Herbert
MAG056 - Children of The Night... Second time featuring Trevor Herbet.
When I first heard the name Julia, I couldn't believe it.
Damn, a goodie stuff for "the Hunt"
and Officer Mustermann is one of the students from 'Anatomy Class'
Seal Don’t think so. It’s just a German name
@@tylerasw5103 he is tho.
@@tylerasw5103 He definitely is. Why would they the same german surname (especially the german version of "John Doe) twice for different characters?
and in the taken ill ep, an old man and a young woman were said to be at the ivy meadows care home and presumably set it on fire (i think jon even commented on it how the old man could've been trevor)
This is by far the most unrecognized horror podcast ive ever heard. It's also one of the most unique in its formula, the overarching narrative is such a great way to set up this kind of podcast. Everything from the writing to the characters is well executed and performed. Keep up the talent guys, I'm utterly blown away with every listen.
unrecognized? boy do I have some news for you!
@@nishatlamisaathoi9076 it wasn't this popular 2 years ago. I think
@@hillsophie334 It’s still niche, most popularity comes from tumblr
@@adarkertriad I was surprised to find that my therapist of all people is a fan of it, lol
"So...kidnapped. Again."
Oh Jon
Fuck's sake, that's why the statements Elias was sending didn't have anything to do with what Gertrude was doing. That wasn't the point of them. If it wasn't to get Jon addicted it was to keep him going after he already had been.
What a caring boss
i'm pretty sure he was sending the statements gertrude was readin.
@tmaxgo6696 It was both. He was sending Jon the statements Gertrude collected in relation to her research on the rituals; but also, Jon needed to continue reading statements while in hiding, or he'd go into 'withdrawal' and realize what was happening to him.
Max Mustermann is the german version of "that dude who buys 50 Watermelons in the math exam" so I laughted in terror, for not knowing what unholy large amounds of semingly random items he might have in store for and/or against us
This episode gave me the notion of a Supernatural crossover and I've never had such a cursed idea in my life.
same
I mean, I saw a tumblr post a while back talking abt a supernatural crossover with tma, cursed idea, but I'd still love to see it, just out of morbid curiosity
My man Trevor the vampire slayer! Not dead and still killing it, literally XD
"unless he was somehow able to lie to me" power using KING
i absolutely love how much more supernatural he gets, its p clear hes not just getting superpowers out of it but that hes also changing in other ways and thats soo much better than "he has evil superpowers but hes a Good Guy so he uses them only for Good" thing that happens so often
i love this podcast so much
getting a weird feeling from the daughter of a serial killer saying that giving her statement helped her "put the pieces together"
Obviously super late and you almost certainly already know but I’m a first timer. My theory is that Gertrude put information into her mind like Elias did Melanie
poor jon. the way he'd like 'i'm getting kidnapped again. great.'
thinking about the hunt addiction trevor talked about in the second part of his statement,,,, can't help to think maybe he's serving a power in the same way jon does??
This episode has confirmed my mental canon of Trevor Herbert being a wild racoon man. Nothing will change that truth. Poor Jon's resignation that he's changing, no longer something to be feared, nothing he can protect his employees from, he's not resisting anymore.
god that change in his voice as he does his statement intro is delicious, hes so spacey and feeble at the begining and by the time he gets to "London" its back to full, strong Archivist mode its not subtle i know but i just love it
So, last thing i expected this episode was the daughter of Robert Montauk and The Heroin Addicted Vampire Killer to appear
julia reminds me of a chiller version of daisy
I Wasn't expecting that last voice. Omg I can belive he is here
Jon: Welcome to watch mojo and today we're rating my top 10 kidnappings, starting from number one: Julia Montauk. Because hey, at least she let me walk out without a gun in her hand
What I wouldn’t give to hear that convo between the apartment landlord and Jon where the guy calls the circus music a “cally-ope” and Jon’s eye twitches and he goes “Yes. One of Those.”
As a Chicagoan, hearing Jon saying “I’ve just touched down in O’Hare airport” gave me whiplash for a second
Just got to work. My office is next to the hospital where Gerard Keay supposedly died. Offered a bit of unnerving reality to this episode.
Imagine what It's like if you're a Londoner listening. All this horror set just down the street or around the corner.
As an American, I’ve never heard an American accent quite like this one lmao. Big “European affecting an American accent” vibes, like I really felt like him using the “pop the trunk” American idiom was deliberate lol
If I remember correctly he is the one friend they knew with an American accent and that’s why they cast him
@@malmorose
The character is also one of the student from "Anatomy Class"... So not American... nor human
@@macabrecitrus2127 So it may actually be like Breekon & Hope, a NotThem that was began its ... life ... in the UK, doesn't have many US accents around to copy except from TV/films, aaaaand hams it up a bit, like Breekon & Hope's fake Cockney accents?
sounds minnesotan, mid east united states. jonny did say they got their only american friend to voice musterman, i think you should travel more
@@boobertthefoolish3309 I think more Canadian borderish. I hear that along the border both east and west.
"Kidnapped by vampire hunters" was definitely not on my bingo card XD
I had a theory since the interview with the fire lady on avatars. I think it is a bit of "feed or be fed on".
And that is coherent with John's need to read statement and his sentiment of being watch when he doesn't.
No one:
The comment section hearing "Inspector Sands": SANS UNDERTALE
"I'm going to bed" Finally. I'm so proud of him
Think of it less of a _kidnapping_ , and,,, _more_ of a forced roadtrip ❤
Officer Musterman......? Lmao, the way they keep incorporating placeholder names from other languages for Monsters because ofc they wouldn‘t know any better is hilarious
It's probably an intentional reference to the Anatomy Class episode.
Ohhh the voice acting as John slowly gets better as he reads the statement was so good,,,,,, and Julia/Trevor team up????? And they seem awfully suspicious of my boy???? Y’all all my boy does is do funky empathetic voice acting with his statements come on he’s not evil 😭🥺😩
We don’t talk about how unsettling “to tide you over” actually is. Realizing he had to feed off of statements to live would have been so horrific. It truly is the sharp turn into no longer being human or monster, but something else entirely.
Oh. Well that was unexpected.
I'm awful at piecing those sounds together, not really sure what happened with the police officer, and who screamed.
And why did Jon not have a passport???
I think he did have his passport, but he also recognized the cop as the same one that was following him earlier? Or was alert to him not being exactly human otherwise
That makes sense. Thanks!
The cops last name was Mustermann, the john doe name in german is Max Mustermann
I think he was suspicious as well because of that
I got confused at first too but with the plot twist that the guy's actually probably a vampire you have many possible explanations :
1) he recognised the dude who was following him earlier (most likely tbh)
2) He noticed the guy wasn't moving his mouth while talking and got suspicious
3) freaky Eye powers goes "Alert danger"?
Edit : ah also apparently the dude has the same name as one of the 7 students from season 1 who were most likely shapeshifters learning human body sooo maybe he felt that too
@@itstictac2825 Yeah, I'm awful at remembering names, he was one of the shapeshifters. (the hearts episode was so funny to be honest, I just laughed uncontrollably)
I cannot tell you how loud I screamed when I heard Vihan Prasad. I cannot. Casual representation gives me so much life, but I don't exactly expect this much representation. It's glorious. AAAAAHAHHAHAHHA
Oooh, Jon's voice strengthened as he began the statement.
He was feeding.
The way his voice clearly gets stronger when he starts reading the statement is just wow. Jonathan Sims' voice acting is just 10/10.
Edit: I'M SORRY TREVOR SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE HOW I IMAGINED HIM TO SOUND
Jon's not well and I'm getting really worried now, he sounds so ill!!! :(
Hell yeah! Knew Trevor was still in the game. Absolute god tier reveal, especially teamed up with Julie Montorque?? Amazing!
Jonny boi really out here like "if you're gonna kidnap me at least know who I am first"
"oh and also let me tell you where I work"
is it just me or did the cop's american accent sound kinda weird? like so average american it almost sounded fake
The cop’s last name was Mustermann, the same name as one of the Anatomy Students back in Season 1 (Episode 34 I think). He might be one of those fake people. They serve the Stranger I think so makes sense that he’d be the cop thats been following Jon all episode as well.
Blake Richardson
They were said to have no real accent. Not sure what that means to a British person though...
@@koromoro6682 American, apparently-
@@PrincessDerpy Weird american
@@koromoro6682 I think the fact they didn't have any accents in that other ep only supports this theory. They don't have the concept of different accents, they just shapeshift into whatever is considered the norm round here. So, an English accent for UK, an American accent for US.
[CLICK]
[BACKGROUND NOISE OF CROWDED AIRPORT]
ARCHIVIST
I’ve, uh, just touched her in O’Hare International Airport, following up on the address I received from Xiaoling.
Apparently they were staying in West Pullman, Chicago. At least, they were when Gertrude requested the statements forwarded on to them. I’m going to get a hotel and follow up the address tomorrow.
I wouldn’t normally bother recording here, but I think… I thought I was being followed.
(sigh) I might just be jumpy. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.
[CLICK]
[CLICK]
The address didn’t really pan out. The place deals in short-term rentals, and a dozen people must have gone through that apartment since Gertrude and Gerard stayed there.
The owner did remember her - “that old Brit and her son” - but he said anything they left behind was either sold or thrown out. They did leave a forwarding address, of sorts: anything that came was to be sent on to the Usher Foundation in Washington, DC. Who, I assume, would send it on to the Magnus Institute.
I asked him about circuses around at the time, and he said he didn’t remember there being one, but a few nights while Gertrude was there, he had heard music - “like one of those little organs” - coming from West Pullman Park.
I’m planning to make the journey down to Washington in the hopes that Gertrude might have visited the Usher Foundation. According to our earlier emails, they don’t have any record of it on file, but… (sigh)
I did notice however the one of the Greyhound routes there goes through Pittsburgh. Now, according to the details Melanie retrieved a few months back, Pittsburgh is where Gerard Keay allegedly died. He was admitted to UPMC Presbyterian emergency department having suffered a massive seizure, and died less than a day later. I think I might have to pay a visit and ask around.
…
(sigh) Also, I’m definitely being followed.
There’s a police officer, I saw him at the airport as well, he stood out a bit because he wasn’t immigration, or TSA or anything like that. He just, he just looked like a Chicago beat cop.
Well, I saw him again today. And I’m pretty sure he was watching me.
[CLICK]
[CLICK]
(hoarsely, wheezing intermittently) The, the hospital was, the hospital was interesting. It’s all very well being able to get people to answer your questions, but if they genuinely don’t remember something, it’s not always as useful as it seems.
I only found one person, Louis Brown, a nurse, who recalls working the night Gerard Keay was admitted. His “mother” was with him - and I almost feel like Gertrude took a perverse joy in the pretense - she explained his condition to the doctor, though could apparently offer no good reason he wasn’t in full-time treatment, as his cancer was by this point… very advanced. (sigh) They did everything they could to save him, but he had a second seizure shortly after he was admitted, and there was nothing they could do.
Unless he was somehow able to lie to me this nurse, Louis, honestly believes Gerard Keay is dead. (sigh) Maybe I came all this way for nothing.
…
There’s one thing I very much do need to follow up on, though. Apparently Gertrude was arrested shortly afterwards. Louis only heard about this secondhand, but she was… apparently… caught breaking into the morgue… where Gerard’s body was being kept…
I need some sleep.
I haven’t seen a cop since I left Chicago, so maybe I was wrong.
…
I’m not feeling so good.
[CLICK]
[CLICK]
(hoarse, sluggish- and vague-sounding) I’ve been looking into Gertrude’s arrest. I couldn’t get through to Melanie, but Martin managed to find a few details online.
Gertrude was arrested for trespassing, but released shortly afterwards without being charged. I managed to track down the arresting officer, one Jay Rebecks, who said that she’d been found over the body of Gerard Keay reading from a large, strangely-shaped book.
They’d been unable to determine if the mutilations on Gerard’s body had been done by her, and in the end she somehow managed to talk them out of pressing charges.
Officer Rebecks didn’t remember what she’d said, but he did recall that she’d never returned for the book. It was sitting in evidence for almost a year before, as far as Rebecks was aware, it simply vanished.
I, I don’t really know what to make of any of this. I’m, uh, I’m confused, I’m, I’m dizzy, I, I think I saw the police officer from Chicago again, in the station where I was talking to Rebecks.
I…
I’m not… feeling well…
[CLICK]
[CLICK]
(very hoarse) Elias has, um…
I, I, got a letter, well, an envelope… it’s, it’s a statement. There’s, there’s a note, “to tide you over,” and, uh…
…
Statement of Howard Ewing, regarding his interview with an unidentified member of British Transport Police. Original statement given February 1st, 2010. Audio recording by Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London.
Statement begins.
ARCHIVIST (STATEMENT)
The room is hot. It’s small and there are no windows, and the table is sheet metal. It shouldn’t be so hot in January, but I think maybe they’ve just got the heating turned up too high. When I rest my arm on the table too long, I can see the patches of sweat on the smooth surface as I lift them up again. I’ve asked for water so many times, and he always says it’s coming, but it hasn’t come yet.
He just sits there. He’s wearing the uniform of the British Transport Police. Three pips on his shoulder, but he won’t show me his badge, he won’t show me any ID.
Why are they doing this? I didn’t do anything. The officers that brought me here were friendly, kind. It was only after they left and it got so hot and he started sitting across from me.
He’s smiling, asking me questions again and again.
“What were you doing earlier tonight?”
My job, I was doing my job. Cleaning Moorgate Station. Me and Kelly and Vihan were the night cleaners and that’s what we were doing. We’d done the ticket office and the corridors and the entrances and we were getting started on the platforms. Why is that so hard for him to understand?
He laughs, and I wince as sweat drops into my eye.
“When did you first notice something was wrong?”
We had just started work on the platform itself when we heard the tannoy come on. I don’t know how. As far as I kne, it wasn’t even powered. But there was that slight crackle and then: “this is a security announcement”
We all waited, confused, but what came out next sounded muffled, like it was coming up through five feet of water. I couldn’t make out any of the words, and from the looks on their faces, neither could my colleagues. We strained to listen, but after a few seconds it was silent again.
We all looked at each other and Vihan started to shrug when there came an incredible shrieking noise from the speakers. It felt like needles through my eardrums, and it was all I could do to stay upright. I saw Kelly fall to the floor clutching her head.
Then it stopped completely, and we all looked at each other again, catching our breath, trying to figure out who to report this to, and how.
“How did you become aware of the train?”
The first thing I noticed was the smell. Even before the noise or the heat, there was a sticky greasy smell in the air, like burning chemicals and spoiled bacon. I tried to figure out where it was coming from, and I realized it got stronger the closer to the tunnel mouth I moved. By the time I reached the end of the platform I was almost gagging.
The others looked like they had mostly recovered from the screeching tannoy, and were noticing my odd movements and came over to investigate themselves.
I saw Vihan pull a face as he approached, and I pointed weakly to the opening of the tunnel. I carefully climbed down onto the tracks and looked out into the dark that led to Old Street. That’s when I saw it.
“What did the carriage look like?”
It was hard to tell through the flames. They were all over it, curling and writhing and crawling through the crevices in the wreckage. It wasn’t intact, though. Parts of it were clearly crumpled and broken, and I saw shards of steel and glass embedded in the wall. It was lit by the dim red flames.
“What did it look like?”
There were people still inside. I could see them, arms and heads reaching out of broken windows and split metal, blackened and rendered almost unrecognizable by the fire and the heat, but they still moved and twitched and cried out in pain and terror, scratching at the edge of their burning metal tomb. But everything was choked and surrounded by a thick acrid black smoke that stunned my eyes and lungs, so nothing seemed the same from one moment to the next.
“What did it look like?”
It looked like hell.
“What did you hear?”
Everything. The tunnel echoed and funneled the sounds until I could hear every agonized cry, every pop and crackle of the fire, the groaning of metal that matched the groaning of the wounded and the dying, it all hit me at once, like the tunnel was pushing the tidal wave of sound out just for me. The shape was perfect for a terrible screaming oven.
From behind me I heard the shouts of Kelly and Rehan, though I don’t know if it was because they saw it, too, or because they saw me fall to my knees in horror.
I could hear the tannoy again, now clearly speaking: “Will Inspector Sands please report, will Inspector Sands please report,” over and over again.
He smiles, and the tiny room gets hotter.
“Who is Inspector Sands?”
It’s a code, one of the codes we use to alert staff to situations of disaster or fire. It usually means there’s a fire. It’s to keep people calm. It’s meant to not cause any panic, keep them safe, even if there’s an emergency.
He laughs, and I wish I could go home.
“How many people were on the train?”
I don’t know.
“What sort of train carriage was it?”
I don’t know.
“Where did it come from?”
I don’t know.
“Did you scream?”
Yes.
At least I think so. The back of my throat was dry and hot and painful, so my mouth must have been open. I think I was screaming.
“What were your colleagues doing?”
Vihan was gripping me by the shoulders, shaking me, yelling at me to wake up. But I was awake, I was wide awake, and I think in some ways he was talking to himself. Kelly was walking past me, trying to battle through the choking rancid smoke.
I hope she was planning to try and rescue those trapped in the wreckage, but maybe she was simply trying to join them.
I couldn’t do anything to help either of them, and I knew that if I touched them I would burn them.
He inhales as if in triumph.
“And where are they now?”
They’re dead.
At least that’s what I was told when the officers brought me here.
They found no wreckage, nothing in the tunnels, no corpses wailing through an underground inferno, just the dead and burnt bodies of Kelly Dwyer and Vihan Prasad.
“What do you love most in the world?”
The question sends a shock through my whole body. I know this is what he wants, all he truly cares about. I want to lie, to say that I love nothing and nobody, that I am alone in the world, and he’ll have to look elsewhere. My tongue burns in my mouth as I try to keep it still.
“What do you love most in the world?”
My father. I love my father more than anything.
“Who am I?”
I don’t answer, and he lets me leave.
My father is dead a week later.
A heart attack at the age of 63. Everyone is surprised and saddened, but not shocked. I try to tell myself it’s a coincidence, that a heart attack is the most natural death in the world, but at the funeral, despite arranging it myself, despite selecting the burial plot and the headstone, I watch as they take my father off for cremation, and nobody can tell me why. They simply say how sorry they are for my loss, and hand me my father’s ashes. I don’t want his ashes.
I know he’ll be back, the policeman with three bright pips on his shoulder.
And he’ll ask me what else I love. And I’ll tell him.
Then he’ll ask me who he is, and I won’t say.
I don’t want to cause any panic.
ARCHIVIST
Statement ends.
…
(sigh) I’m going to bed.
[CLICK]
[CLICK]
I feel… a lot better.
I’d love to rattle off a list of potential other reasons for this - nice rational causes of recovery - but… I think we’re past the point of transparent rationalizations. It looks like the recording of statements has now passed over from psychological compulsion into a more physical dependence.
I don’t know whether this is some sort of classical addiction, or something a bit deeper. But either way, this is not the time for experimentation. I am on a deadline, and if I need to be reading statements to stay well enough, then I suppose that’s what I shall do.
What irritates me most is that Elias was clearly aware of this, hence his sending me this, which seems to serve no other purpose but as a restorative. But, as usual, he chose to keep this very useful information to himself.
I think I’ve reached another dead end here. I’ve decided it’s the last one. The Institute needs me there, not jetting around the world following a cold trail that may well not have led to anything useful the first time.
(sigh) I’ve a Greyhound booked down to Washington DC tomorrow. I’m going to stop in at the Usher Foundation, just in case they have anything that might help, and then I’m flying home.
[CLICK]
[CLICK]
ARCHIVIST
I’m at a rest stop. The, uh, the buses, they’re, they’re giving us a comfort break, but there’s, there’s a woman here in the cafe, the diner, whatever. I’ve seen her car, I think she’s following the bus. She’s early 30s, I think, dressed nondescript: hard-wearing denim, old leather.
And she is… definitely watching me. She doesn’t look like - she’s coming over, I think -
Hello? Uhh, can I… help you?
WOMAN
Sure. Whatever you’re reaching for, don’t.
ARCHIVIST
I… what?
WOMAN
Keep your hands on the table, and we can all walk away from this.
ARCHIVIST
You, you’re English.
WOMAN
So are you. Ah-ah! Hands on the table.
ARCHIVIST
Who are you?
WOMAN
Julia. Who are you?
ARCHIVIST
Uh… uh, you don’t know me?
JULIA
Should I?
ARCHIVIST
No, I-I guess! Just, uh, I mean everyone normally seems to.
JULIA
Hm. Good for you.
ARCHIVIST
N-not really.
JULIA
So, who are you?
ARCHIVIST
Oh, uh, uh, Jonathan! - uh, John. Sims. Uh, I’m the Head Archivist for the Magnus Institute. London.
JULIA
Oh, you don’t say. So what brings you down to the I-70. Pennsylvania.
ARCHIVIST
Uh, look, I mean… you’re the one following me.
JULIA
We were told you were asking some interesting questions around a few places back in Pittsburgh. And you seem to have attracted the attention of something we’ve been watching for a while.
ARCHIVIST
…uh… my, my bus is leaving…
JULIA
Let it. You’re riding with me.
ARCHIVIST
I don’t think so.
JULIA
Then try to run.
Go on.
ARCHIVIST
So… kidnapped. Again.
JULIA
Think of it like… an escort. Personal bodyguard.
You’re heading to DC, right? Come on, we can chat in the car. I’m sure you’ve got a ton of librarian stories. The miles will just fly by.
ARCHIVIST
Do I have any choice?
JULIA
If you did you’d only make a mistake.
[ARCHIVIST SIGHS]
Come on.
[CLICK]
[CLICK]
[SOUNDS OF INSIDE OF MOVING CAR]
ARCHIVIST
…are you alright? You seem, uh…
JULIA
Sure. Just keeping an eye out. Waiting, you know.
…
So you’re from the Magnus Institute?
ARCHIVIST
Uh, yes. You, you know the Institute…?
JULIA
Oh, yeah. Checked myself in there a while back. Ended up spilling my guts to this old woman about my dad. Just, letting it all out.
ARCHIVIST
Oh, uh, that would be Gertrude. My, my predecessor.
JULIA
Didn’t catch her name.
Weirdest thing, really. Didn’t mean to spill half of it, but… really helped me put the pieces together. You know?
ARCHIVIST
Uh, I’m starting to.
JULIA
Hm.
You still haven’t told me what you’re doing this side of the pond. Or why you’re asking around about Gerard Keay.
ARCHIVIST
Uh (nervous laugh)… would you… believe me if I said I was trying to save the world?
JULIA
Probably not.
ARCHIVIST
…
What about you?
What brings the daughter of Robert Montauk all the way out here? And why, exactly are you -
[SIRENS AS POLICE CAR APPROACHES]
[JULIA PULLS OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD]
JULIA
(quietly) Hunting.
[FOOTSTEPS AS POLICE OFFICER APPROACHES]
[TAP ON WINDOW; JULIA ROLLS IT DOWN]
POLICE OFFICER
License and registration.
JULIA
Can I see some ID, please?
POLICE OFFICER
Of course… you British?
JULIA
I have my green card, Officer… Mustermann.
MUSTERMANN
And your friend?
JULIA
Visiting from home!
ARCHIVIST
Julia…
MUSTERMANN
Does he have his passport on him?
ARCHIVIST
Julia.
JULIA
I assume so. Can’t say I asked him - John.
ARCHIVIST
J-J-Julia, I-I don’t, I don’t think - ah…
MUSTERMANN
Step out of the car, please, sir.
JULIA
Now, hang on a second.
MUSTERMANN
Step out. Of the car.
[TWO METALLIC CLUNKING SOUNDS]
MUSTERMANN
Pop the trunk, ma’am.
JULIA
I mean, there’s nothing in there.
MUSTERMANN
I’m not gonna ask you again.
JULIA
…
Fine.
MUSTERMANN
Don’t move. Either one of you.
[FOOTSTEPS]
[SOUND OF TRUNK BEING OPENED]
MUSTERMANN
HOLY SH -
[A GUNSHOT]
[JULIA LAUGHS AS MUSTERMANN SWEARS AND SHOUTS]
[ANOTHER GUNSHOT]
[GRUNTING]
[FOOTSTEPS]
MAN
Oh, bloody hell, Jule. You said he’d stop after a couple of miles. Been near on an hour.
Ohhh, look at my neck, it don’t feel right…
JULIA
Oh, you knew it might take a while.
MAN
This him, then?
JULIA
It is. John, Trevor.
ARCHIVIST
Uh - T-Trevor Herbert, the, the Vampire Killer!
TREVOR
Julia…
JULIA
He works for the Magnus Institute. He’s read all about us.
TREVOR
Oh. Well, isn’t that something.
JULIA
My thoughts exactly.
TREVOR
Time for that later. You two help me now, this one needs its head off.
JULIA
You didn’t kill it?!
TREVOR
We don’t know what it is yet, do we?
JULIA
Ugh!
ARCHIVIST
What, the, the, the police officer? I think I have an idea.
TREVOR
Oh-ho! Do you now. Then you get the axe. It’s in the boot.
ARCHIVIST
I-I-I, I don’t…
JULIA
Come on.
ARCHIVIST
…right. Uh…
[CLICK]
@@petraivan6778 thank you ㅇㅅㅇ
@@islaridland you're welcome! :)
i like the cops voice, also i think the nervousness of john is absolutely hilarious
Kidnapped. Again. *rolls eyes*
The way he goes from tired to normal simply by talking about the basic information of the statement was very well done
I heard the guy start talking and I was like
Woah. That is the most AMERICAN accent I have ever heard. It's like white bread and unsalted butter.
I'm American. I live in the most accent neutral region and even I thought that accent was really american
I think its cuz we havent heard any american voices it's all been Brits so this guy is just really jarring
Something slightly off about that "American" accent. Which, given that it's an imitation by the Stranger, is perfect.
this is my third time through and of everything that happened in this episode, Gerard dying in Pittsburgh is the biggest loop this series ever threw me through like that’s truly awful
That ep was *chef's kiss*
1. "Kidnapped. Again."
2. Julia Mountalk & Trevor Herbert;!!!!!!
Ughhh I still so love that transition when Jon begins to read the statement. I already loved it when listening to this ep for the first time, but it's still so good!!!!
I just remembered, what ever happened to that Calliope organ?
last time we heard of it it was missing from the artifact storage and we could hear it during one of the statements jon read at georgie's. i'm guessing not!them are stashing it somewhere for now so they can play it at the unknowing.
It grew little legs and decided to walk out there and live its best life. In my opinion.
The officer who pulled them over was "Officer Mustermann," which is the same last name of Erika Mustermann, one of the strange students of the Anatomy professor, Lionel Elliot from episode 34.
[applause]
I haven't listened to the episode yet but there's a max Mustermann in the cast and all i can think of are the bone-apple-teeth aliens of whatever they were
the montauk family giving even more winchester vibes, damn
"Came like it was under 5 feet of water"
Oh, perhaps like Asag talking from beneath the filthy waves...
HE’S BACK AWE YEAH TREVOR YEEEEEE
Hearing an American voice was the most jarring thing about this episode tbh
john finally gets sleep asmr
My theory from this episode and what we know so far:
The policeman the witness is talking about, it was a manifestation of the Desolation, and I believe the reason why it appeared as a policeman was because the code name for fire in the station was "Inspector Sands", which is why when the policeman asks the witness who he is the witness doesn't respond 'cause "he doesn't want to cause any panic". Very interesting writing that one. We've seen in previous statements that the Desolation sometimes likes to play with its victims by killing the people they love the most instead, and this is what happens here too. Nothing else that seems to pop out from the statement itself.
John has become more part of the Eye, and now he needs to be "fed" statements in order to not get "burned out" (as it was mentioned in a previous episode by a lady from the Desolation's cult "either you feed it and it gets stronger or you don't and it burns you down").
Trevor, who is the homeless vampire hunter, is working with Julia, the daughter of that serial killer who was killing for the Dark in order for the Dark to spare his daughter, and since Trevor was mentioned in a previous statement been seen working together with a young woman (in the care home episode with the doctor that was of the Filth), we can, for now at least, assume that that woman was Julia all along. I don't understand why Trevor had to stay inside the trunk though, maybe because that way of baiting and trapping the policeman was their plan from the start?
I liked that John was fast on picking who is who and also for what reason, as well as his hint about the policeman, I believe it is that the policeman is part of the Stranger. I mean, John started having his suspicion once Julia read the policeman's name, and as I read in the comments, his name in German is like the "John Doe" or "John Smith" in english. Also, that name was also used in the episode about the anatomy students who, by now we already know, were most probably parts of the Stranger.
Also, the thing Gertrude did with Gerard's body, it resembles the process that Mary, Gerard's mother, was talking about in her statement, so I believe that Gertrude either used that same Leitner book that Mary was using for years and she was talking about its final secret which, most likely, led to her death, but it wasn't really the end of her 'cause she is seen alive and kicking after her death, so I believed then and still believe now that the final secret of the book was a ritual to become immortal and tied to the book (something like how if Elias dies then all personnel of the archives dies, same logic but with the book), so Gertrude also used it on Gerard to bring him back, or she used another Leitner book to bring him back. So, just like how many other people in this series' universe normally died but are still in this world working under different identities or just by hiding in the shadows, I think the same thing is now the case about Gerard too.
I vert much agree with you
It's a perfect summary and I go along with all your theoriea
The person at the beginning just remembering hearing circus music a couple years ago shows how powerful Jon is
I always find it hilarious when British people try to do American accents
Many can manage it better than the opposite. Americans relax and usually talk louder (at least Southern wise).
well that's certainly an unlikely pair isn't it
The creepiness of officer musterman is so underrated, they get him to sound spooky and not quite normal
I love how Jon checks out as soon as the statement is done. He is OVER this shit
bro this episode said ACAB and also brought in perhaps my favs so far from past statements i'm so happy! maybe jon will actually have some fun on this kidnapping!
the way i went !!!!! when i heard she was mantauk's daughter AND THEN TREVOR SHOWED UP
ok ok is no one else gonna talk about 12:14 "will inspector *sans* (sands? idk it sounded like sans) please report" because i damn near had a stroke when i heard that combination of words in a mangus archives episode of all places
riley michael sans undertale
It's Sands, as it is part of a, uh, joke, about using sand to cover up spillages.
HAHAHHAHAHAHA I LOVE THIS HELP ITS BEEN A WEEK SINCE I BEGAN LISTENING I-
THIS IS SO BADASS I LOVE THIS BUT WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING IM SO INTRIGUED AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
julia: can i see some id?
mustermann: of course-
me, incredulously: no! that's not how that goes???
anyway, acab.
My boi Trevor is back at it again. He'll probably "die", but he'll always be my fave.
When I recognised the accent as Mancunian I started to get so excited, I never dreamed he'd show up in person!
Julia and Trevor forming a team together has gotta be the corniest and most badass thing to have happened so far
Ngl I love how jons voice in moments where he’s not calm and collected his actual voice is like a soft high putch
“So, kidnapped.. again?”