Episode 12: "This Dark Sojourn" – The Sheridan Tapes
CONTENT WARNING: Aquaphobia, near-drowning, descriptions of self-mutilation, death, and shipwrecks, some strong language
Tape 1-7-1-2-8: Hiking the PCT with Maria Sol, Anna Sheridan takes a detour to visit Lake Tahoe and investigate the supposed haunting of Fannette Island by one Captain Dick Barter.
Starring Airen Neeley Chaconas as Anna Sheridan, Amitola Lomas as Maria Sol, Michael Dostrow as the mysterious voice, and Trevor Van Winkle as Sam Bailey, with original music by Jesse Haugen. Additional music from Internet Archive (archive.org/audio). Written and produced by Trevor Van Winkle, and made possible by our supporters at patreon.com/homesteadcorner
For more information and additional content, visit thesheridantapes.com
Script
Transcript
CONTENT WARNINGS: Aquaphobia, near-drowning, descriptions of self-mutilation, death, and shipwrecks, some strong language
Cold Open
[A quiet hospital ward late in the evening]
[Heart rate monitor beeping]
[Fabric rustling]
Mysterious Voice
It’s remarkably lucky that you’re alive right now. I do hope you know that, in whatever way you can. That you know just how fortunate it is that you survived your little… encounter. For both of us.
[Sighs]
I do wonder how much of it you’ll remember, though. Really remember, that is. Experiences like this… They tend to recede into the realm of the half-remembered. Of dreams and nightmares. And if the doctors are right about the extent of your injuries… Then it might be gone completely.
I do hope it’s only the memory that’s lost. We need the rest of you here: your abilities, your obsession, your drive. If any of this is going to work, then we need all that you have to offer us.
[Chuckles]
I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we. Yes… Wait and see what comes out of all this.
[Footsteps]
[He leans closer]
Make it a good one, yes? For your sake, if no one else’s.
[Cassette player motor whirs, stops]
[Click]
[Main Theme]
Recording Begins
[Cassette player whirring]
[Keyboard clicking]
[Beep]
Sam Bailey
[Sighs]
I’ve been staring at this thing for hours now, trying to make some sense of it. “The Last Will and Testament of Anna Sheridan.” Found, supposedly, in the glovebox of her camper van, just outside Oslow. And it just says one word: “Listen.”
[He picks up a cassette from the pile]
Maybe I’m being too literal, but… She says listen, and that’s all I can really do. At least until I get more information on De Witt. If that ever happens.
[He feeds the tape into the player]
Okay. Detective Samuel Bailey, Oslow County Police Department Homicide division, recording tape number 1-7-1-2-8 on April 16th, 2019 at 9:01pm.
[Click]
Tape 1-7-1-2-8
[Hiss of static, then fades]
[Two sets of boots crunching along a rocky trail]
Anna Sheridan
Alright… Today is May 25th, 2016. PCT Through Hike, Day 75. It’s been tough going the last few days, but thankfully Maria was kind enough to allow me a very self-indulgent turnoff down the Granite Lake trail. Granted, we just passed the lake, but she hasn’t asked where we’re going yet, so I figured now would be as good a time as any to…
Maria Sol
Hey, are you recording?
Anna Sheridan
That I am.
Maria Sol
What for?
Anna Sheridan
Because… We’re here.
[Anna’s footsteps stop, and Maria’s get closer until she’s next to Anna]
Maria Sol
Whoah.
Anna Sheridan
How’s that for a view?
Maria Sol
Eh… I’ve seen better.
Anna Sheridan
Where?
Maria Sol
Um… Hold on, give me a second to think of one.
Anna Sheridan
Well in the meantime, don’t say I never take you anywhere nice.
Maria Sol
Besides the crumbling ruins and haunted houses, you mean? Yeah — this is a nice change of pace.
Anna Sheridan
Don’t be so sure. Check it out.
Maria Sol
Where?
Anna Sheridan
Down there in the inlet. That, Maria Sol, is Emerald Bay, and that little rock in the middle of it is Fannette Island.
Maria Sol
Please tell me that’s not what I think it is.
Anna Sheridan
That it is. You’re looking at the mortal remains of Lora Josephine Knight’s tea house. She had it built about the same time as her summer home… Right over there, on the opposite shore.
Maria Sol
Jeez, that’s a summer home?
Anna Sheridan
Vikingsholm. Built 1929. 38 Rooms, Scandinavian construction, American Craftsman style.
Maria Sol
Haunted?
Anna Sheridan
Unfortunately not. At least not that I can tell.
Maria Sol
Darn, that’s a shame. Guess we’d better get going back, then…
Anna Sheridan
The island’s haunted, though.
Maria Sol
What?
Anna Sheridan
Or maybe the whole bay, come to think of it. Harried by the soul of one Captain Dick Barter.
Maria Sol
Okay, are you pulling my leg now, or…
Anna Sheridan
[Chuckling]
Hand on my heart, that’s his real name. Also known as “them’s my toes” Barter.
Maria Sol
Come on Anna, I’m not an idiot…
Anna Sheridan
He was an undertaker for the Overland Stage Company in the mid-19th century. Lived on the bay from about, mmm… 1860 to 1870, I think. He owned a little sailing boat called the Nancy, which he sailed up and down the lake to visit bars, drink everyone under the table, and tell stories… Mostly about himself. One night, he got caught in a bad storm, and the ship capsized in the lake. He managed to float back to Emerald Bay, crawl into his little boat house, and then pass out for several days.
When he woke up, two of his toes had gone gangrenous, so he had to cut them off himself to stop the infection from killing him.
[Soft bird whistles]
Maria Sol
That’s… a bit extreme.
Anna Sheridan
Who am I to judge? Of course, it did nothing to make him any more bearable… If anything, it seems like it made him worse. Whenever he had guests over, he’d tell the story, go into the other room, and come back with an old cigar box.
He’d hold it up to their faces, open it, and proudly say: “them’s
my toes!”
Maria Sol
Jesus Anna, there’s no way that’s true.
Anna Sheridan
All true. Except for the cigar box… I have no idea what kind of box he kept them in.
Maria Sol
Yeah. Sure. So… Haunted?
Anna Sheridan
Oh yes. Barter, for all his… eccentricities, was an undertaker by trade. He knew just how much preparation it took to ensure a proper burial this far out into the wild. So after his — toe-cutting incident, he built his own crypt on the summit of Fannette Island and told everyone at the bars and saloons that if he died, they should bury him there. Earned it the nickname “Dead Man’s Island” for a while.
Maria Sol
So, what, he’s buried down there? Not worth the hike down, I think.
Anna Sheridan
Not quite.
Maria Sol
What? Well where’s he buried, then?
Anna Sheridan
He isn’t.
Maria Sol
What’s that supposed to mean?
Anna Sheridan
About three years later, he was caught in another storm, and this time, he wasn’t so lucky. His ship ran into the rocks and disintegrated on impact. As far as anyone can tell, he was pulled below water and drowned… But they never found his body. Only a bit of wreckage, and one of the oars.
Maria Sol
What happened to the other one?
Anna Sheridan
They found it four months later, floating in the middle of the lake, completely undamaged. Stories began to spread after that, of course.
That Barter had carried it with him into the depths, and only let go of it months later. That he was still alive at the bottom of the lake, somehow. That on evenings when the air is cold and sun is down, he rises out of the fog and climbs to the summit of the island, trying to return to his tomb and find peace.
[After a moment’s silence — a slow clap from Maria]
Maria Sol
Bravo, Anna. You’ve creeped me out yet again.
Anna Sheridan
I do my best. Want to see it?
Maria Sol
Do we have to hike down?
Anna Sheridan
Unfortunately yes.
Maria Sol
[Sighs]
Alright. But it better be worth it.
Anna Sheridan
Trust me: it will be.
[Footsteps]
[Click]
[Silence]
[Click]
[Waves lap gently on the rocks. A small fire crackles]
Anna Sheridan
Alright, all set up for the night, so I can finally record again. It took a while to get out here to the island — the owner of the marina didn’t want to rent us a boat after hours, but I talked her ‘round. Had to pay for two full days to do it, but still, we made it here before dark. Unfortunately we’re not allowed to camp out here, but we can stay for a few hours after sundown and see what we can see. I found a couple of dry branches on the way up to the crest, and managed to get the fire going pretty quickly. We’re definitely going to need it. It’s already dropped below 40, and it’s just going to keep getting colder. A freezing, foggy night — just what I…
[Footsteps clamber over the ridge]
[Maria drops a heavy bunch of branches on the ground]
Maria Sol
Next time — You get the wood, and I’ll start the fire.
Anna Sheridan
No way. I’ve seen you try to light one. Not a pretty picture.
Maria Sol
Well maybe if you’d share the lighter fluid, I’d have better luck.
Anna Sheridan
Nope. Sheridan family recipe. Can’t share it with a living soul.
Maria Sol
Oh come on, I can literally see that bottle, it’s just…
Anna Sheridan
Ah-ah-ah — Trade secret.
Maria Sol
Fine. Keep your secrets, and I’ll keep mine.
Anna Sheridan
[Chuckles]
What secrets? I think you’ve blogged them all away at this point.
Maria Sol
Oh. Right.
Anna Sheridan
Pro-tip, Maria… Always have a few secrets in reserve. That way conversations never get boring.
Maria Sol
Well then how do you keep from running out, huh?
Anna Sheridan
Simple. Keep making up new ones.
[Maria laughs. So does Anna]
Maria Sol
Looks like the sun’s down now. How long do you think it’ll take your ghost captain to turn up?
Anna Sheridan
The fog’s already getting pretty thick down there. Shouldn’t be more than an hour or so now, I guess.
Maria Sol
Good. You have the scanner ready?
Anna Sheridan
No — I thought you had it.
Maria Sol
What? No I don’t.
Anna Sheridan
Yes, you do. It was in your backpack when we left.
Maria Sol
I gave it back to you to charge, remember? You told me you’d plug it into the solar panels this morning.
Anna Sheridan
Shit.
[Anna unzips her pack, pulls out scanner, and flicks it on]
[One pitiful beep, then it dies]
Anna Sheridan
Oh — wonderful.
Maria Sol
So — how screwed are we?
Anna Sheridan
Submarine without a sonar screwed. We need to get back to the boat.
Maria Sol
Can’t we stay for just a little while? See if he even turns up?
Anna Sheridan
Well… Maybe, but…
No, we have no idea what we’re really dealing with out here, and I’d prefer not to have some eldritch monstrosity come slithering out of the dark without any warning. You?
Maria Sol
No, I’m with you on that, it’s just…
Anna Sheridan
I can’t risk both of us on a hunch. Douse the fire, we’ve got to go.
[Shuffling clothes, Maria kicking dirt over the fire]
[Footsteps rushing down the side of the island]
Anna Sheridan
Watch that drop …
Maria Sol
I see it, I see it… Where’s the boat?
Anna Sheridan
Over there, just past the trees.
Maria Sol
You sure?
Anna Sheridan
Yes, just go!
[They move through the trees. The sound of waves gets louder]
[Anna pushes the boat into the water]
[A pair of oars rise and fall in the water]
Maria Sol
Figure that’s far enough?
Anna Sheridan
That should be fine — the stories are all about the island, so we should be safe out here on the water. Hopefully.
Maria Sol
That’s reassuring.
Anna Sheridan
I’d think you’d be used to should be’s and possibly’s by now. Certainty’s the price of admission out here.
Maria Sol
Are you still recording?
Anna Sheridan
Always.
Maria Sol
Why?
Anna Sheridan
What?
Maria Sol
Well, I meant to ask you on the trail… I mean, you pull that thing out at the drop of a hat… Sometimes even when you’re not talking to it. I was just wondering why.
Anna Sheridan
Well — to keep track of things, for one. That’s probably the main reason. Getting a firsthand account of what I see and hear. These things tend to blur together a bit if you let them… I think it’s the brain’s way of protecting itself from impossibilities when it can’t just forget them.
Seeing what kinds of distortions show up on the tape helps me classify them too. That was an unexpected bonus when I stopped using digital recordings. And, well… maybe it’s… that I’m afraid.
Maria Sol
You? Afraid? Of what?
Anna Sheridan
I don’t know… Being forgotten, I guess? Lost without a trace? No, that’s not it. I guess it’s being… misremembered.
Maria Sol
So you put everything on tape… What, so that people know that you really were the crazy ghost hunter everyone already thinks you are?
Anna Sheridan
No, that’s not… Look!
[Static rises on tape]
Maria Sol
What? Where?
Anna Sheridan
On the island, down by the shoreline. Can you see him?
Maria Sol
I can’t see anything with this fog.
Anna Sheridan
It’s him, I know it’s him. He’s at the water’s edge… He just walked right out of the lake!
[Wooden knocking noises start up]
Maria Sol
I don’t see anything… Are you pulling my leg again, or are you…
Anna Sheridan
Whoa, watch the boat, you’re going to tip us over…
Maria Sol
No I’m not…
Anna Sheridan
Maria, stop, I — Ah!
[Splash]
[Faint swimming noises]
Maria Sol
Anna! Come on, grab my hand, I’ll pull you back in..
[Anna surfaces, coughing up water]
Maria Sol
Come on Anna, grab hold…
Anna Sheridan
I can’t, something’s got me…
[Loud splash as Anna goes under]
Maria Sol
Anna!
[Shuffling as Maria pulls off her coat and dives in after Anna]
[The boat rocks, knocking over the recorder]
[Click]
[Silence]
[Click]
[Another campfire burning nearby]
[Anna shivers slightly as she speaks]
Anna Sheridan
Okay — I can finally move my fingers enough to start the recorder… Thankfully I dropped it in the boat right before I went in. Doubt it would survive the swim any better than I did…
[Maria’s footsteps approach from nearby]
Maria Sol
Here: these are all the blankets they had at the marina. And a hot water bottle too, but I had to buy it from the store and pay for…
Anna Sheridan
It’s fine, Maria. Sit down, take a load off. It’s been a long night, for both of us.
Maria Sol
I’m not tired, I just… Okay. Yes I am.
[She shifts to sit next to Anna by the fire]
Anna Sheridan
Don’t feel bad about this. Trust me, it could have ended much worse.
Maria Sol
I still wish I’d been faster.
Anna Sheridan
You saved my life, Maria. Don’t forget that.
Maria Sol
You still haven’t told me what actually happened.
Anna Sheridan
What’s there to talk about? I fell in, you jumped in after me, and then you rowed my half-frozen carcass back to shore.
Maria Sol
No, I mean… When you came out of the water, you had a… A weird look on your face. I mean, you almost looked…
Anna Sheridan
Looked what?
Maria Sol
…Haunted. Like you saw something down there.
[The fire crackles]
Anna Sheridan
No.
Maria Sol
No?
Anna Sheridan
I didn’t see anything down there. I… I heard something. Something in the water.
Maria Sol
What was it?
Anna Sheridan
I don’t know… It sounded like a human voice, but you know how much that’s worth with these things.
Maria Sol
Well… What did it say, then?
Anna Sheridan
It asked me something. I couldn’t hear it very clearly — you were already hauling me out of the water by then. But I think it was something like…
“What would you do to save yourself?”
Maria Sol
Did you… say anything back?
Anna Sheridan
Of course I didn’t. The boat was right there. I didn’t need any supernatural help to get out of the water — just you.
Maria Sol
And… if I hadn’t been there?
[Silence]
Anna Sheridan
You asked me why I record everything. What I’m afraid of.
Maria Sol
Yeah, and you didn’t really answer.
Anna Sheridan
That’s because I didn’t know. Not really. But I think I figured it out.
Maria Sol
So?
Anna Sheridan
You remember what I told you about the captain? How he knew that death would come for him sooner or later, so he made preparations for it?
Maria Sol
Dug his own grave, you mean?
Anna Sheridan
Told people what to do with his body. Turned it into a story. Made it memorable, unmistakable…so powerful we’re still talking about it, almost a century and a half later.
Maria Sol
So you think he did all that — what, to make sure he had a legacy?
Anna Sheridan
Neither of us are going to be here forever, Maria. And I’ve spent enough time dealing with ghosts to know that the marks of our passage last far longer than we do. I just want to make sure that I leave a good one.
[Clack and clatter as tape ejects]
Tape Ends
Sam Bailey
[Sighs]
Marks of our passage… Huh. Well, I’ve got yours here, Sheridan: a hundred cassette tapes and one sheet of paper, just telling me to listen. What story are you trying to tell me here, huh?
[Chuckles]
“It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying…”
No… wait. There is something here. It’s frail, but… there are connections. That phrase, that… question she heard in the water. I know I’ve heard it somewhere else. She’s talked about water before too — on the Donner Pass tape, and the one about the well, and…
There’s somewhere else, but… I can’t remember right now. Maybe I — Maria Sol.
She’s on two of those tapes, at least. And it seems like she knew Anna better than I thought. I don’t think anyone on the original investigation team interviewed her, but… Maybe she has some answers for me.
[Sam reaches over and picks up the phone, dialing]
[Beep]
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