 Welcome, Weirdos! I'm Darren Marlar and this is Retro Radio, old time radio in the dark, presented by Weird Darkness. Each week I bring you a show from the golden age of radio, but still in the genre of Weird Darkness. I'll have stories of the macabre and horror, mysteries and crime, and even some dark science fiction. If you're new here, welcome to the show and be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast so you don't miss future episodes. And if you're already a member of this Weirdo family, please take a moment and invite someone else to listen in with you. Spreading the word about the show helps it to grow. If you're here because you're already a fan of nostalgic audio and print, you'll want to email WeirdDarkness at RadioArchives.com. When you do that, you'll get an instant reply with links to download full-length pulp audio books, pulp ebooks and old time radio shows for free. That's WeirdDarkness at RadioArchives.com. Coming up, it's an episode from Dark Fantasy. Broadcast long after the children went to bed, Dark Fantasy featured grim horror, menacing murder and science fiction. Dark Fantasy is an excellent old time radio show and mystery program that was initially broadcast out of WKY in Oklahoma City. Dark Fantasy had more emphasis on horror rather than mystery, but the show has also covered some science fiction and murder mysteries. The show was so scary that it was broadcast on Friday nights when the nation's children were in bed. Dark Fantasy was the brainchild of celebrated old time radio horror writer Scott Bishop. Bishop was also the creator of Mysterious Traveler and The Sealed Book, both excellent horror old time radio shows with lasting appeal. Dark Fantasy was syndicated around the nation after just eight weeks of local broadcasts. Scott Bishop continued to be the sole writer for Dark Fantasy creating every chilling episode. The announcer of Dark Fantasy was Keith Painton. The show was quite popular but sadly only remained on the air for one year. Tonight, it is a well written story about a strange forest with an even stranger tree. Now, bolt your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights and come with me into the weird darkness as we listen to Dark Fantasy from December 5th, 1941 and The Demon Tree. Oh, let's quit. I'm tired of losing. Oh, look here, old girl, could I loan you a few pounds? No, thank you, Crane. I have enough to get me back to London if we ever do get back. Now, why do you say that, Clara? It's only a matter of a stage getting through here to the resort and taking us out of this beastly place. Beastly place is right. Why people come here for a rest is more than I can determine. Honestly, I've never spent such an uncomfortable week in all my life. Well, think of me. I've been here three. So have you, Humperies. Oh, look here, you two. It's three o'clock. They're expecting the stage around eight tonight. What do you say the three of us go for a bit of a walk through the forest? I say, why not? Well, here comes Danvers. Perhaps he'll join us. Anything to get away from this place? Good afternoon, Danvers. Greetings, good people. I take it you're no happier than I left you a while ago. No, the place is as gloomy as a morgue. We've just agreed to take a walk in the forest back of the inn. Invited to come along if you like. Sounds like a good enough way to pass the time. Oh, good. We'll all go together. Besides, I'm quite interested in that forest out there. You remember, of course, the story the night clerk told us last evening? Yes, I don't like him. He talks through his nose. People should talk through their mouths. Oh, no, no. I mean what he told us, not the forest. What about the forest? I didn't hear it, hon, please. Well, the clerk said it was a gorgeous place. Lots of beautiful foliage. Good colors. Clear water lakes. But nobody goes there. So beautiful. That's just it, Clara. You see, people have gone there and never come back. Rubbish. It's a lot of nonsense. Why, the clerk is just superstitious, that's all. I'm inclined to agree with you, Danvers, why he even told us an absurd story about a tree out there in that forest that's supposed to strangle people. Strangle them? How? Oh, I don't know. With its branches, I suppose. Just some absurd legend the people around here like to believe. I believe it's more than just a legend crane. And what makes you say that, old man? Here, I talked to the clerk again later last night. He dug out this old newspaper clipping for me. Read it, Danvers, aloud. Old is right. How most illegible. Well, read it. It says, London, England, April 21st, 1857. It is reported that Sir Horace Wakefield, Earl of Dorsher, was found strangled last night in Barlow Forest. His body was discovered entangled in the branches of a huge oak tree. Ah. Go on, read the rest of it. Earl's death recalls to mind the weird tale of the witch of Barlow Forest, who is said to have lived in the 16th century. An evil old hag who, upon having a falling out of Sir Thomas Wakefield, cursed him and warned him that any of his descendants who entered Barlow Forest would surely perish. Charming old girl, wasn't she? No, no, no. Don't scoff until you've heard the rest of it. Go on, Danvers. She also added that any person or persons with the Wakefield descendant would also die. She is said to have planted an acorn smeared with her own blood. The acorn is supposed to have grown into a towering oak capable of moving about from place to place in Barlow Forest. Sir Horace is the sixth of the Wakefield line to have perished by strangulation in the forest. Thomas Hurley Wakefield. I wonder. You wonder what, Crane? My mother's name was Wakefield. I was just wondering if she was related to Sir Thomas. Oh, of course not, Crane. It's just a story. What an extraordinary story, wouldn't you say? Yes. Wouldn't do very well as a bedtime story, would it? Demon tree. I wonder if we could find it. Well, let's have a try. Shall we? I'm gay. Don't let anybody say I'm not. Then let's go. Humphries going along? I say, Humphries, are you daydreaming? No, I was just thinking. Wouldn't it be odd if the whole thing were true if we all went in there and didn't come back? Do you gentlemen see any way we can get into that forest? It's as dense as Father Time's beard. Doesn't seem to be an opening anywhere. I think we can get in over here. Oh, all right. Coming down first. There seems to be a footpath over here. Only one along this line of the forest. There seem... Yes, you're right. Come on, I'll lead. We'd better remember the way back. It'd be hard to get out of here if we didn't know where this opening is. Don't worry, I'll remember it. I'm good at landmarks. Go ahead, Clara. I'm right behind you. I say, do any of you feel that? Feel what, Danvers? The chill. I feel like, like it's 20 degrees colder in this place. I feel that way too. So do I. It's naturally cooler in the woods where the sun doesn't shine. But not this much cooler. I don't like this place. I'm going back to the inn. Oh, let's get on ahead a little ways. I say, it is pretty in here. Pretty or not, it gives me the creeps. It isn't the kind of cold caused by climatic changes. What was that, Danvers? I said, it's a different kind of cold. It's the kind that creeps up your spine when some, some evil comes over you. Oh, not Danvers. Just letting that newspaper story play on your mind. Wait a minute, eh? Look at tree there in front of us. Looks like a human giant. Joe, you're right, Danvers. I could swear it moved just a moment ago. It did move. I saw it too. That's the strangest looking tree I ever saw. Look at that bark. I wonder if. Hey, what's wrong, man? I, I just touched the bark of that tree and it, it didn't feel like bark at all. No, it felt like, like human skin. Yeah, let me feel it. It's true. It does feel like skin, warm, smooth and soft. It feels that way to me too. Here. Humphries, you touch it. No thanks. Go ahead, Humphries. Feel it. I have no desire to. You see, I'm sure you're right. What's that? I feel that this is the demon tree of Barlow Forest. Humphries. I think we've seen enough of this place, haven't we? Let's get back to the end. Yes, let's. All right. Come on. I say, wait a minute. Have you noticed how dark it is? All of a sudden. The sun's behind a cloud, probably. It's impossible to see the sky through this foliage. It is, Doctor. I can hardly see where I'm walking. Are you quite sure this is the right way? I don't remember this clearing. I don't either. Wait a minute. Why, Heaven, this isn't the way. Must be. We're on the path, aren't we? No, I don't think we are. So dark. Do any of you have a flash? I certainly don't remember this clearing. I think. What was that? What was what, Crane? You, you'll think this is foolish, but I swear I felt the brunt of a tree brush across my face and shoulder. That's, that's impossible. There's not a tree within 50 feet of that. I felt it, I tell you. It rustled like a branch covered with leaves and yet it, it felt warm and soft, like human flesh. Yes, look. We're lost here. It's dark, dark as night, right in the middle of the afternoon. And we've lost the path in that tree. Easy, Crane. I'll keep your head, man. I'm getting out of here. I'm not going to stay here and be murdered. Crane. Stay with us. No, no. I'm going to find the path and get out of here. Crane, stay here. We'll find the way back. I don't want to stay here and die. I want to get away from this. Crane, don't be a fool. Crane. Now he is in for it. We're better off by staying together. I don't know whether we are or not. It's Crane. Sounds like he's strangling. Come on. Oh, he couldn't have gotten far. Right over here, I think. Now take it easy now. Be careful. Yes. Stretched out on the ground like he was dead on his throat, like hands would make. That wasn't done by hands. See, stains on his skin. Green stain. Wakefield, Crane. Oh, what a horrible way for him to die. A tree. This is where we first saw it and now it's gone. Humphrey, you're right. This is where it was. I'm sure of it. Then what's happened to it? The important question is, what are we going to do with Crane? We'll have to leave him here, or we can find a way out of this place. It happened so quickly. One minute he was with us in the next. We warned him not to leave us. Now the three of us had better stay close together. Oh yes, for heaven's sakes, let's not get separated. And oh, come on. There's nothing we can do for Crane now. We've got to find our way out of here. It just doesn't seem right leaving him there. It's all we can do. Come on. How do we know which way to go? We don't. All we can do is keep moving and hope to find a path again. Oh, it's horrible. Something about like this, like nothing but a group of marionettes. Controlled by what strange puppeteer. What? What's that, Humphrey? I said controlled by what strange puppeteer. Humphrey, surely you don't think we've been purposely led into this? Who can say? Oh now, Humphrey, Crane without the deep end, we've got to keep our heads. We found a way in. Surely we'll find a way out. Yes. Yes, we did find a way in. But what about the chill? The darkness? There's some explanation. Perhaps a storm is coming up. Yes. That could be it. Couldn't it? Storms don't rise that quickly in this part of the country. And the darkness. It came down on this forest like a shroud. Yes. It came so quickly. Reminded me of how a corpse must feel in his coffin when the libbers put over him. Look here, Humphrey. I'm about third up with that sort of talk. Only a fool refuses to face the fact, Standworth. You know this isn't any ordinary situation with him. The chill of winter, the summertime, darkness and mid-afternoon, and a tree that strangles. It was probably just an accident, Crane's death. Why don't you stop trying to tell yourself that the tree was only an imaginary thing? We all know that it's real. Humphrey's. And as alive as any of us. The bark did feel like human flesh. Danvers. Humphrey's. Look. All right. What is it? A glow of light there ahead of us. It's the tree. There. Now what do you think, Danvers? Look. The tree moving along in a glow of phosphorescent light. Good heavens. It's the same tree. It looks like a human giant. It was nowhere near here. It was back there. Do you two see what the tree is carrying? It's carrying Crane. It's got him tucked up under that huge branch that looks like a human arm. It's fading now. Disappearing again. Fading away. Yes. Gone. It's gone. Now do you believe, Danvers? Now do you admit that the tree is alive? What else can I believe? I don't know. Danvers, look after him. He's fallen into a water pit. Help, Humphrey. It's Crane, sir. I'm really thinking. Help. I'm heading to my race. Get me out of here. Stand still, Danvers. You just sink deeper. Rick, help me out of here. Get something I can do. Here, Danvers. Danvers, grab the end of that pole and we'll let you help, Humphrey. Grab it, Danvers. Grab it. The pole, Danvers. Grab the end of it. There you go. There you are. There you go. That's three branch. It's fading me. Good Lord. Listen, Clare. A tree branch? But we can't see. I can't get near the pole. The branch keeps fading me back. Humphrey's do something. He's up to his shoulders now. I can't. I can't make it. I can't help. Save me. Save me. You go under the quicksand and try and go. Danvers, there's nothing I can do. The tree. The demon tree. There's no saving from it. Humphrey, we've got to get out of here. We're all doomed. It's the way to your curse. Clare, stop it. It is the curse. You're helpless. There's nothing we can do to save ourselves. Clare, stop it. Oh, please. Now we can't give up. We've got to find a way out of this place. Follow me. Be careful where you step. Whatever happens, keep your head, Clare, for heaven's sake. It's getting a little lighter. Clare, up ahead there. Isn't that a path? You're right, Humphrey. It's the path we came in on. And look. There's an opening through the tree. Yes, I remember the landmarks. Oh, thank God for the light. Come on, Clare. Out of this place. There's nothing we can do for Danvers or Crane now. I wonder if you feel as I do. I thought we'd be safe back here in the hotel. I don't know how to describe it, but I have a feeling that this whole business isn't over yet. I know. I've had the same feeling. A feeling that we're not finished with the demon tree. Or that it's not finished with us. Yes, exactly. Better go ahead and have a drink, Clare. Heaven knows we need one. Yes, I certainly do. What's worrying me is how we're going to explain what happened to Crane and Danvers. Yeah, wait a minute. I'll get the light. There. Humphrey, on the bed there. Good Lord. The branch of a tree about two feet long. Humphrey, don't touch it. Look at it. Look at it. A fresh, living branch. Put it down. Oh, Humphrey, I'm getting out of here. Where are you going? Down to the lobby and wait for the stage. Oh, hold on. I'll go with you. Wait, Clare. Wait. It's three flights down. Let's take the elevator. All right. We can get the thing up here. It's automatic. Just push the button. It'll come up. Humphrey, look. Someone left the steel gate open. I say, that's dangerous. It certainly is. Humphrey, that branch is pushing me. Drop it. Drop it. Drop it. That branch, it pushed her down the shaft. It's up to me. Get away. Get away. Help me somebody. It's a tree. Sir Thomas Hurley Wickfield, who enters Barlow Forest, is doomed to die. And all who enter the forest with him are likewise. You have just heard The Demon Tree, an original tale of dark fantasy by Scott Bishop. Tonight's cast included Eleanor Naylor-Coran as Clare, Ben Morris, who was Humphrey's. Garland Moss took the part of Danvers, and Murillo Schofield was heard as Crane. Next Friday night at this time, the national broadcasting company will bring you another unusual and fantastic adventure thriller, Men Call Me Mad, the story of another world and the people who inhabit it, an exciting and weird tale of dark fantasy created by Scott Bishop. Dark Fantasy originates in the studios of station WKY, Oklahoma City. Keith Paynton speaking, this is the national broadcasting company. If you want to hear even more, drop an email to WeirdDarkness at RadioArchives.com and get an instant reply with links to download full-length pulp audio books, pulp ebooks and old-time radio shows absolutely free. That's WeirdDarkness at RadioArchives.com. I'm Darren Marlar. I'll see you next time for Retro Radio, old-time radio in the dark.