The Trespasser

Episode 2 has a strange mix of criminals and love-seekers.  Two sociopaths intersect as the nightmare in Waverly hits harder.  Twelve-year-old boy, Mac Shelton, disappears without a trace.   And a revengeful, eighteen-year-old, Kenzie Pratt, trespasses into Michael Nubold’s world where she finds hard evidence in the missing boy's case.  Meet Kenzie – rich, war-like and dying.  Left alone in her family estate, she wears her cancer like an eviction notice tattooed on her forehead.  With a shortened life-span, Kenzie has nothing to lose, fights hard for justice despite her body’s protests.  And professor Michael Nubold is ready to take a chance with love. Question:  Can a sociopath experience romantic love?

Turn on and tune in to Darkside Thrillers Radio Drama, Season 1.  It’s all about KEPT by Gem Wodahl, an immersive, eight-week, serialized audio thriller that straps you into the trendy city of Waverly, gripped by unexplained disappearances, and a twelve-year-old boy who slips away without a trace.   The tunnel system under a cathedral is off limits, but when an eighteen-year old trespasser stumbles upon a hunter’s trophy, she falls into a psychological sink hole, recklessly starting a war against a sociopathic liar.  As she struggles to find truth, her own world is slowly crumbling with an estranged family, loneliness and medical alerts.  Kenzie Pratt wears her cancer like an eviction notice tattooed across her forehead.  With a shortened life-span, she’s volatile and dangerous.   KEPT swallows you into the lives of three sociopaths – one who hunts for pleasure, one who hunts for justice, and one who kills to stop her.  Oh, and I forgot to mention the two bloodhound detectives who won’t give up, and a steamy love arc that one of the sociopaths can’t live without.  Or can he?  Welcome listeners.  You are the magic!

Host Elijah Summerfield

Producer/Network   Darkside Thrillers Radio Drama

Author and Narrator Gem Wodahl

This is a Darkside Thrillers production.

Original lyrics and music by Grace Note Music Design

Special thanks to Pixabay artists.

Email: chatwithdarksidethrillers@gmail.com

KEPT by Gem  Wodahl , available June 18  in stores and your favourite podcast platform.

eBook:  ISBN:  978-0-9881651-3-7 

Print book:  ISBN:  978-0-9881651-4-4

Audible (the full radio drama)  ISBN: 978-0-9881651-8-2 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:08

This is Dark Side Thrillers, your weekly turn on and tune in to serialized fiction, taking you into those bone-chilling moments when humanity twists beyond the point of no return. Who hasn't taken a shortcut down a back alley you thought you'd survive? But then there's that noise of rustling leaves, and you just know. I am your host, Elijah Summerfield, welcoming you to Dark Side Thrillers. Season one. It begins with Kept, an eight-week serialized thriller by Jem Woodall. You get hooked into the lives of three sociopaths. One who kills, one who hunts for truth, and one who will kill to hide it. Among bones and trophies under a cathedral, there's a kept secret with an appetite to hunt. Adult content. Audience discretion advised.

SPEAKER_03 1:42

In episode one, you met Michael and his dangerous, tragic friend, hidden from a suffering town. And two detectives start an investigation of a serial kidnapper. Episode two, the trespasser. Trespassing is not only a crime, it can cause fatal connections. Family trauma was not restricted to Thossa and Ruby Preet this particular cool rainy Friday. It rippled further into another wooded area at Lake Trail, a suburb of Waverly with its own man-made lake surrounded by backyards. The Shelton property, which was larger than most, had an acre extension ending at a sandy shoreline at the lake, and a wooded area to the right of their yard, which was exclusively theirs. Kathy Shelton wanted to sell the entire property, but her son Mac protested in the aftermath of his dad's passing two years before. Kathy often found Mac sitting on his dad's favorite stump, retracing their footsteps to the lake, where his dad taught him how to fish and skate. Even though she found it difficult to maintain the land, she resolved to keep it for now. As soon as June arrived, Kathy's 12-year-old son Mac and his best friend, Fen Dodson, 13, camped out every Friday night. The downpour at the Preet residence emptied itself by 8 in the evening. It was cool but dry at Lake Trail. The boys had their usual cache of treats, comics, games, and stories. Mac had gone through their entire checklist and used his dad's wheelbarrow to bring everything down to the lake. This was a partial list: mews, cards, magic tricks, snacks, the lantern. The tent, which they had pitched two weeks ago, stayed up until October. When they had checked everything and stored supplies in the tent, they went down to the lake to skip stones before it got dark. Fenn always looked for the best ones to skip, while Mac didn't care what he threw. Mac noticed ripples spreading toward the shore from a source further out. Large ripples, making their way to his feet, made him curious. He drew close, looking beneath the surface. Fenn snuck up on him and pushed until Mac stumbled, almost falling in. You prick! He started splashing water at Fenn.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

Don't get so hyper.

SPEAKER_03 4:41

Mac whipped around toward the lake. Something's out there.

SPEAKER_00 4:45

It's causing the waves. Probably grass carp. Pierre caught one last week and showed me. Who's Pierre? Mom's new boyfriend.

SPEAKER_03 4:53

Mac took two steps in.

SPEAKER_01 4:55

Hey, don't go that close. They can bite. They have teeth in their throat.

SPEAKER_00 5:00

What happened to Rodney?

SPEAKER_01 5:02

Something ruptured.

SPEAKER_00 5:03

Or he went bankrupt or something.

SPEAKER_03 5:07

Let's go back. Mac hurried out and yawned. He turned from the lake as the ripples suddenly stopped. They relaxed, read, did magic, played games, and got into snacks.

SPEAKER_00 5:22

Hey, are you going to text Haley about the zip lining tomorrow? I already did. She's got a soccer game in Ottawa, so she's not coming.

SPEAKER_03 5:31

What about Kirby? Fenn almost stuttered, saying her name.

SPEAKER_00 5:35

No, she's not invited.

SPEAKER_03 5:38

What? Why not?

SPEAKER_00 5:40

That's not fair. Her mom and dad took the whole class to the zoo. She's too weird, Mac added. She's not weird. You're weird. She asked if she could paint a tattoo on my butt. That's weird. I'd let her paint one on mine. No, you wouldn't.

SPEAKER_03 5:59

Shut up! As it grew dark, the tent got warm with summer smells. Freshly cut grass, popcorn, root beer, boys' feet, bleached pillowcases. They stretched out, read part of King's latest horror trip that sent needle-sharp chills into their toes, then went over driving plans for Saturday's birthday party north to Collingwood.

SPEAKER_00 6:26

What are you bringing? Mom said she'd bring the dirt bikes. Both? Yep. That's really dope.

SPEAKER_03 6:31

Mac made his mom give his dirt bike away after his dad died, and it took him two years to get back on the trails with Fenn.

SPEAKER_00 6:40

Pass me your lantern. I gotta pee. Go behind the tent, not in the lake. You'll get bitten.

SPEAKER_03 6:45

Mac stepped outside and lit the path. The air was calm, bugs silent. Mac heard the water slapping on the shore and shone his lantern in that direction. Nothing was there. He turned towards the woods, walked into the darkness, and set it down beside a tree. He relieved himself, then looked upward when he heard leaves rustling. A soft spray of water fell on his face. He thought he saw something move and strained to look harder. He froze, couldn't call out. He turned quickly to run, but before he took another step, something from behind and above forced him back to the tree. Then he shot upward, out of sight, and disappeared into the branches. There were no other sounds after that. Fenn had fallen asleep and was still sleeping when Mac's mom called for them to get up. It was seven. She had told the boys they couldn't sleep in because they'd be traveling early to the birthday. Barely awake herself, she got dressed and started toward the lake to get them moving. She couldn't argue that this place in the early morning was paradise, with blood-red skies bleeding into dawn and orange mist off the lake.

SPEAKER_02 8:28

Boys, breakfast!

SPEAKER_03 8:30

She felt guilty that she had to yell. The tent was quiet.

SPEAKER_02 8:35

Come on, boys. Fenn, your mom will be here soon.

SPEAKER_03 8:39

She opened the flap, looked inside, and noticed Mac's empty sleeping bag, while Fenn started stretching into the weekend. Hey, where's Mac? Fenn panned the small space. Maybe he's already showering.

SPEAKER_02 8:55

No. He showered before dinner yesterday, and he's not in his room. I was just there getting his bather. Anyway, kiddo, start packing up.

SPEAKER_03 9:06

She stepped outside the tent. Mac! She went down to the shore. Fenn followed. Mac! Then remembered Mac left the tent to pee. Uh, maybe he slept behind the tent. What?

SPEAKER_01 9:20

Why would he do that?

SPEAKER_00 9:23

He had to pee. He he left and and I can't remember if he came back. Maybe he fell asleep there.

SPEAKER_02 9:33

I doubt it, but let's take a look.

SPEAKER_03 9:36

Kathy saw one of Mac's flip-flops at the base of the tree and spotted the lantern not far from the tree.

SPEAKER_02 9:43

I don't understand why the lantern and flops are here. Mac, this isn't funny! You're freaking out your mom. We have to go, Mac. I'm not impressed. You have to get all this food back into the house before we go. You can't leave it out here.

SPEAKER_03 10:01

They waited.

SPEAKER_02 10:03

Okay, Fen. You go check the house. I'll check around here. And stay in the house. Don't leave it. Wait there till I come back.

SPEAKER_03 10:12

She was frightened, and it scared him.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

Ms. Shelton, Mac isn't a jerk like me. Something's happened. I don't feel so good.

SPEAKER_02 10:23

You'll be okay. Go back to the house and wait for your mom.

SPEAKER_03 10:28

She left the path to search the woods. She called and waited. When Mac didn't answer, she headed home.

SPEAKER_01 10:37

He's not in his room. I called mom. She already left.

SPEAKER_03 10:41

You should call the police. I need to think. She paced, then turned the kitchen tap on, splashing cold water on her sweaty face.

SPEAKER_02 10:54

Last night, did he say he was maybe going for a swim?

SPEAKER_01 10:58

No. He wouldn't go swimming. Not in the dark.

SPEAKER_02 11:02

Okay, let me think. What was he wearing?

SPEAKER_03 11:06

Uh, his blue hoodie and and sweatpants. Kathy panicked, felt she was passing out, then steadied herself.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

Miss Shelton, I. I'm really scared. What should we do? Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_02 11:22

Let me think. Where the hell are you, Mac? I'm calling 911.

SPEAKER_03 11:30

She closed her eyes, hoping she could hear more clearly. She squeezed back tears. It was Saturday, early, and Jack arrived ahead of time with two marked cups, as the boss suggested. They let themselves into the Preet backyard. They walked deep into the orange-streaked wooded umbrella and examined the ground more carefully, the clumps of fallen leaves and small branches. Jack compared the quiet to his boyhood farm most mornings when he helped his dad with chores before the school bus came. His dad always knew Jack had an analytical mind, a mind wanting to solve puzzles or put puzzles together, like the 200-piece puzzle of the Sphinx of Giza his grandma bought him when he was six. He loved finding answers, making sure every letter fit across and down. His dad knew he wouldn't stay on the farm, but he didn't see police services as a good fit for Jack, who he thought was too sensitive to man up. They took out magnifying gadgets and inspected the area as they walked.

SPEAKER_07 12:54

Let's split up. I'll follow this path. Are you okay with going off of it?

SPEAKER_03 12:59

Meet you on the other side. He walked on until he came to a large maple tree that had a scattering of leaves and twigs at its base. He inspected the leaves and saw there was a dried residue on some of them. He bagged them, then took out micro binoculars and looked up the trunk into the foliage. He spotted something pink 20 feet up on a branch. He marked the tree and went for Ellie.

SPEAKER_07 13:29

Ellie? Ellie!

SPEAKER_01 13:32

Over here, 1:30 suntime.

SPEAKER_03 13:36

As she waited, a branch cracked and fell for no apparent reason. The end of it caught her forehead.

SPEAKER_00 13:44

Fuck!

SPEAKER_03 13:46

Ouch! Beads of blood already formed above her eyebrow when Jack found her.

SPEAKER_07 13:52

What the hell, Titus?

SPEAKER_01 13:53

This is a perfectly healthy tree, right? Why would a branch suddenly fall? Like it had been damaged and snapped.

SPEAKER_07 14:01

Because you were standing under it. I'm surprised you haven't been hit by lightning. Hey, I found something, but I need you to help me. Let's go. You okay?

SPEAKER_03 14:13

Jack found the tree and pointed at the pink thing.

SPEAKER_07 14:17

You can help me rope on and fasten my spurs.

SPEAKER_01 14:20

You actually did this in training?

SPEAKER_07 14:23

Of course not. I used to hunt. I used all this gear about 20 years ago.

SPEAKER_01 14:30

You hunted animals?

SPEAKER_07 14:33

Not really. I liked outsmarting them. It was a game of movement. I never took the shot. Not ever, not once. Then gave it up.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

You'd give a therapist something worth going to work for.

SPEAKER_03 14:46

She helped him fasten buckles and rope and tightened the spur sleeves around his legs.

SPEAKER_01 14:52

Okay, you're all set, but if you fall, I'm not catching you.

SPEAKER_07 14:57

Don't be so pessimistic, Titus. Is that what you said to Jim or Tim or whatever the fuck his name was? If you fall, I'll step out of the way.

SPEAKER_01 15:08

No, I said, if you fall for me, you have to give me all your dream miles.

SPEAKER_07 15:14

That guy chose well, kept his balance, didn't fall for you.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

I can't stand your fucking metaphors so early in the morning.

SPEAKER_03 15:23

Jack scaled the tree, staying close to the trunk so that the spurs could dig straight down into the bark. The pink thing was caught on a small branch near the trunk, close enough for Jack to reach over and knock it to the ground. When he scaled down and unrobed, Ellie was staring at a dusty pink designer doggy raincoat.

SPEAKER_07 15:48

Don't say it.

SPEAKER_01 15:49

What? That it's like a baby gap for dogs?

SPEAKER_07 15:52

How the hell did it get up there?

SPEAKER_03 15:54

They packed up, and as they left the woods, a call came in. Jack answered.

SPEAKER_07 16:01

You'll have to repeat that. We're on it.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

You gotta be kidding. Not another dog.

SPEAKER_07 16:09

Uh no. A young boy.

SPEAKER_03 16:14

Ellie paled. Her eyes fluttered shut. Jack held on to her until she handled the memory of her brother gone missing 15 years ago. The two detectives waited on the porch at the Shelton residence. Jack was quiet. He got this way when he felt threatened, and more so when a friend was hurting. He couldn't explain the feelings that were forming as the waverly disappearances took hold. But he felt the weight of something they weren't able to identify. A sinister thing. They rang the doorbell and waited.

SPEAKER_01 17:03

I know what you want to ask me, Jack, but I'm alright. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 17:08

A woman answered, carrying a tissue. She fought tears and a lump in her throat.

SPEAKER_07 17:15

I'm Detective Chisholm, and this is Detective Titus. Are you Miss Shelton?

SPEAKER_04 17:20

I'm Brianna Dodgson, Kathy's friend. This is my son Fenn. Kathy is waiting for you at the lake. Come in.

SPEAKER_03 17:32

The boys had a sleepover last night down there. Barely hearing his mother, Fenn looked up blankly, tears staining his face that pleaded for answers. Jack tried to smile, but couldn't. We'll take you.

SPEAKER_01 17:50

I'm I'm not going back there, Mom.

SPEAKER_03 17:53

Jack asked if Mr. Shelton was home. Mac's dad passed two years ago.

SPEAKER_07 18:00

Fenn, could you come with us?

SPEAKER_03 18:04

He shook his head, then buried it in his arms on the kitchen island. Ellie looked at Jack.

SPEAKER_01 18:12

It's okay, Fenn. We'll have a look. Then when we come back, Officer Chisholm will ask you a few questions. We need you to write down everything you know about last night, so we have an accurate record to help us find Mac. Will that be okay?

SPEAKER_03 18:28

He didn't answer.

SPEAKER_04 18:30

I'll be right back, hun.

SPEAKER_03 18:32

Brianna had never seen him so wounded. They found Kathy sitting on the sand, looking out over the lake. Once they made introductions, Brianna left them. Ellie spoke first.

SPEAKER_01 18:47

Miss Shelton, your son's disappearance is on red alert. There have been other reports.

SPEAKER_02 18:54

Of of missing boys? No. I've heard the news, but this is definitely different, right?

SPEAKER_01 19:02

You are right, Ms. Shelton. But there is a pattern of mysterious disappearances these past weeks.

SPEAKER_07 19:09

We need you to walk us through the events of last night as you know them. A team will be here soon.

SPEAKER_03 19:15

They listened quietly and took notes about the sleepover and what Fenn had told her about the ripples in the lake and warning Mac not to pee in the lake. Kathy walked them around the entire area to where she found his glasses fallen into the leaves. Jack marked them and left them for the team and looked up the trunk but didn't see anything. Kathy stood motionless, staring up, as if anchored to the ground. She never understood how Mac wanted to be by the lake. His dad had gone into this very lake to swim and never came out. The autopsy revealed a cerebral aneurysm that had ruptured. And now, her son had disappeared by this lake. She hated this place.

SPEAKER_07 20:12

Miss Shelton, I'll stay here and wait for forensics. And Officer Titus will take you back to the house to listen to Fenn's statement. To make sure he hasn't left anything out.

SPEAKER_03 20:23

Will they search the lake?

SPEAKER_07 20:24

Only if they find evidence that points them in that direction.

SPEAKER_01 20:27

Can we go back to the house, Miss Shelton? You should be there in case someone calls you with information. Or if Matt calls you. Why? Why would you say that?

SPEAKER_03 20:41

We both know he's not going to call. Kathy rushed ahead of Ellie to the house, opened the door, and let it bang after her. Fenn was pale and quiet, his eyes blank and unresponsive. Brianna sat next to him, her arm around his shoulders. He was like an older brother to Mac. And Junior father after Mac's dad passed. They were inseparable. Nothing could ever destroy Fenn's spirit like this was doing. Kathy stared out the kitchen door, expecting the unexpected. Her sleepy little boy, covered in water and sand, emerging from the evergreens. Ellie questioned Fenn gently.

SPEAKER_01 21:33

Fenn, we need to get everything correct. So you didn't see or speak to Mac after he left the tent?

SPEAKER_03 21:41

His words came weak.

SPEAKER_01 21:45

I fell asleep when he was gone. Maybe he screamed. I didn't hear him. I should have gone. Gone with him. Why? Why didn't I go with him? It was so dark and and uh he thought something was out there in the lake and maybe it it was watching him.

SPEAKER_03 22:12

He buried his head in his hands. It's not your fault, she said, and watched the boy's blank white face stiffen.

SPEAKER_01 22:21

You said Mac saw something in the lake? Did you see it too?

SPEAKER_03 22:25

He nodded.

SPEAKER_01 22:26

Waves, like they were moving towards us. I said it was carp. Were there noises or voices? Or or could friends have been playing a joke?

SPEAKER_00 22:37

No.

SPEAKER_01 22:38

Just Mac and me. If you remember anything, Fen, tell your mom to call us. She gave Brianna her card. You're free to go home. You've really helped us. I want to stay. I know Mac is coming home. He wouldn't miss the party.

SPEAKER_03 22:57

Ellie smiled.

SPEAKER_01 22:59

Mac is lucky to have you, Fen. Wherever he is right now, he's probably thinking of his best friend.

SPEAKER_03 23:07

She looked at Brianna.

SPEAKER_01 23:09

I'll wait for forensics and take them to Detective Chisholm. Please take Fen home and keep him comfortable. And if you can come back later. Yes.

SPEAKER_04 23:19

I'll be here later for Kathy.

SPEAKER_03 23:22

As the day unfolded, the woods and lake looked like an outdoor lab, with the team examining each area separately for biological evidence. Blood, body fluids, hair, and other tissues, latent print evidence, fingerprints, palm prints, footprints, footwear and tire track evidence, and trace evidence like fibers, soil, vegetation, glass fragments. The mist started to burn off as the day grew warmer. Kathy followed them around, inspecting their samples, trying unsuccessfully not to get in the way. When they finished, Ellie escorted Kathy back to the house to discuss next steps. This violin was sweet perfection with classical attitude on this mist-heavy Saturday morning. As the event director worked in her office, she caught herself closing her eyes and thinking about the French countryside, or maybe Italian or Polish, as the soloist in the cathedral continued her rehearsal. La Solette Cathedral was a historic Gothic revival in rural Ontario, famous for its striking arched vaults, fluted columns, and stained glass windows. Five years ago, it closed its doors to services and now was community-owned and operated as a venue for tours, concerts, theater, and of course, weddings, with a seating capacity of 500 in the nave and balcony. Kenzie Pratt, a young 18-year-old violinist, had scheduled rehearsal time at the cathedral. When she finished, she walked slowly down the aisle, leaving both her violin case and purse on the proscenium. She panned the area, stained glass windows with summer light cascading through the eyes of saints and sinners, through halos and thorns, bloody golden strands, penitent and unrepentant witnesses. She felt overwhelmed in the presence of this unfamiliar Christian history. Barbaric and mythical to her. In her dad's world of big business, religion was just a fairy tale to her wealthy CEO dad. She was never baptized or confirmed in the church. Kenzie's eyes traveled up the two-story columns to vaulted ceilings of white and blue plaster, embellished with iridescent gold accents. She walked onto the altar and turned around to study the area and the balcony beyond. She liked the idea of Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Paganini striking the glass windows, shaking their tragic histories with sounds of new gods. She worshipped music, and it was the only God she ever prayed to. Kenzie had organized a June concert as a fundraiser for the Waverly Children's Cancer Center, where she volunteered once a week. At 18, Kenzie was an accomplished international musician with masterclass awards. She was a teenager with one foot pointed toward the future, and the other nailed to diagnoses, procedures, and treatments for a rare cancer that was not going to let her win. She took lip balm from her purse and moistened her lips that were cracked from medication. Breathing always was difficult after rehearsals and concerts. Although she rehearsed her herself, two world-class musicians would join her for the performance, a cellist and bassist, with whom she had already rehearsed. She had played with a fury. Noticing the light had shifted through the windows, she checked the time, stretched, and decided to explore the altar and side rooms, used mostly as storage. She grabbed her phone from her purse to snap photos for her dad, who needed to know she was more than pills and tubes, and was actually becoming responsible in his absence. She approached a closed door and knocked, then called out.

SPEAKER_05 28:48

Hello? Are you here, Miss Everton? Miss Everton, it's Kenzie. I'm finished rehearsing. Are you here?

SPEAKER_03 28:58

No one answered. Slowly, she opened it and was startled at a cracked six-foot statue just inside the door. Kenzie entered the vestry, which had access to the basement. She lived with heightened chemosensory side effects from her medications. Odors were stronger, like the old floor polish, perfume, and and something else. Something off. Like lunch left too long in the bottom of a backpack. She grimaced when she breathed it in again and wondered where it was coming from. About to leave, she noticed a trap door underneath a wooden table and decided to investigate. Dragging the table away, she stared at the heavy, unlocked door in the wooden floor. A trap door. She bent down, wrapped her fingers around the iron handle, and with great effort hoisted the door up and back to position it against the brick wall. The wooden staircase into the sublevel was steep and uneven and led to a brick and dirt floor. At the bottom of the stairs was a window and door leading to a rear driveway at the basement level. She enabled her flashlight and descended. At the bottom of the stairs, she let her eyes adjust and saw various rooms and tunnels forming in different directions from the staircase. Ahead of her were wooden support columns with graffiti on them and etched initials of Sunday school kids. The nauseous smell was stronger down here. Moving from room to room, she noted how two rooms had bricks removed from the walls to make small interior windows. She wondered why they would need windows in storage rooms. At one point in the tunnel, there was a small adjoining bridge she walked over. Below it, to one side, was a structure she didn't know was an old cistern to supply water. She stopped to listen to faint water drops somewhere in the tunnels, then strained to hear a distant, soft noise, a low growl, but not like a dog's, like a gurgling in the throat.

SPEAKER_05 31:40

Hey, is anyone down here? If you're hiding and think you can scare me, try it. Don't fuck with me.

SPEAKER_03 31:50

She wondered what other creatures might make this sound, and thought it could be coming through an outside vent. Walking on, she shone her light on the uneven, dusty flooring and dark doorways. She stopped when the light caught something thrown on the floor, maybe left behind on a field trip. It was a blue hoodie, a fairly new one. A kid's. She could smell its sweaty armpits. It had mud and twigs on it. She ran her fingers inside the hood and found a tag. An ID label with the initials MS written on it. Thinking she'd bring it upstairs in case someone asked about it, she folded it, then changed her mind, letting it fall to the floor. She decided to take a photo and another one of the inside label. A sudden sound forced her back against the wall. A sound like gentle leaves swooshing in the wind. A gentle sound close by. She froze, felt watched, couldn't breathe, then backed away until she found the bridge and ran for the staircase. Suddenly, a key turned in the basement door lock as she started up the stairs. She froze at first as the door creaked open, then bolted upward and ran through the vestry, leaving the trapdoor opened. A man stepped into the basement and saw her reach the top step. For a brief second, he thought he'd check the basement first, then quickly shot up the stairs into the cathedral. She had trespassed. As Michael's heart pounded, he thought of the irony. Two women appeared in his life this Saturday morning. One in his course he was teaching at Thames University, a woman he knew would love him. And this second woman, this fucking intruder, scurrying away like a lab rat. He needed to know who she was. This ends episode two. In the next episode, Michael seriously underestimates Kenzie Pratt, the warrior trespas with a limited lifespan. Hooked on survival, she won't let evidence stop her and won't back down. Just when Michael meets a woman he knows will love him. Episode three. What to do with the evidence. Kept is a serialized audio drama produced by dark side thrillers. Ambient music by Richard Moore. Sound recording by Mike Donaldson. Based on the novel by Jem Woodall. Special thanks to sound and music artists at Pixabay. I'm bringing my novel Kept to you in ebook, print book, and audible formats July 3rd in your favorite online store. Join us on Patreon for so much more.