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The Storage Papers is a fiction horror podcast.
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WRITTEN BY JEREMY ENFINGER
Hi everyone. I just wanted to update you regarding some things I said to Brianne on the last episode of the podcast. The part about me wanting out of this whole thing. The podcast, the secrecy, the constant looking over my shoulder to see if I’m being followed, and the nightmares. I don’t know if it’s the growth inside my skull, or maybe the fact that I had been trying to figure out how to use these supposed abilities that all these medical documents say I may have, but the nightmares have been so vivid ever since we brought… well, let’s just say ever since my interaction with the Pyramidion.
What’s worse though, is my family seems to be becoming more and more paranoid. I can’t tell if they’re listening to the podcast (god, I hope not), or if they’re just feeding off the vibes I’m putting out lately.
For instance, last week, my son took a bus to the beach to meet a few friends. He claims he noticed someone get on the bus at the next stop and stared at him for the entire ride. Then apparently he got off the bus and trailed him for a while, keeping his distance. He seemed to lose track of him once his friends arrived, but thought it was important enough to mention to me.
My wife also said she felt like someone was “keeping an eye on her” at the grocery store last week. I think she intentionally tried to put it out of her mind until she saw the same person again yesterday at the post office.
Just to be safe, I’m going to let Detective Anderson know about these things and ask for some suggestions. My only concern is that I may be forced to prioritize my family over this podcast and the papers if this keeps up. Hopefully, it’s nothing, but I don’t think I can be too careful at the moment.
On another note, while I realize I just recently shared my conversation with Gerald Hubert on this podcast, I’ve actually had a few conversations with him since my initial meeting with him. We have an agreement to share information both ways, and so far, everything he’s told me has checked out with whatever corroboration I can find within the papers and Patel’s documents. I have kind of an elaborate method for contacting him, which takes a little bit of time, but has been consistently reliable. Of course, I can’t share that method here.
Gerald did tell me something in that meeting near El Campo that I forgot to tell Brianne at the moment. I’m not sure how much of a difference it makes, but he specifically said that the so-called demon that Malcolm decided to summon was actually no demon at all, at least in the traditional Judeo-Christian sense. He had a word for it that didn’t have an English language translation, and he admitted he didn’t know exactly what it was at all, but the ancient Sumerians described it as [radio interference distorts voice].
As a sidenote, I’ve noticed that every time this thing’s name is mentioned verbally, or whenever I try to mention specific things about it, I get audio interference. I’m beginning to believe it’s not a coincidence, and I’m guessing it just happened a moment ago, which I’ll notice later when I’m mixing this episode in post-production.
Either way, I’ve done a little research and have potentially found a source of information about it, and thanks to our Patreon supporters, I’ve been able to purchase it from an international resource that Gerald connected me with, and am waiting for some very old books to arrive in the mail. At the very least, it should make for some very interesting reading material. I’ll share more once I get my hands on them. I really hope I get them soon because after the disturbing phone call I received from Malcolm, I need to know what I’m getting into before he gets any crazy ideas.
SOUND: The phone rings.
JEREMY: Hello?
MALCOLM: Hey buddy. Just calling to see how you’re feeling.
JEREMY: Malcolm?
MALCOLM: What, you didn’t recognize my voice?
JEREMY: No, I did. I guess I’m just surprised that you’re calling me. I’m not about to go into my medical history with you.
MALCOLM: Aww. No offense, but I wasn’t referring to your medical problem. I wanted to know how you’re feeling since you’ve been to the pyramid. I’m just wondering if you’ve noticed a difference, is what I mean.
JEREMY: I know why you’re asking, and I’m afraid I can’t help you.
MALCOLM: Whatever happened to the “old college try”? I bet you’re capable of much more than you know.
JEREMY: Maybe I did feel different, at least for a few moments, but that passes pretty quickly.
[pause]MALCOLM: You didn’t go and do anything stupid did you? Please tell me you didn’t-
JEREMY: (Interrupting) I can assure you, I’m not able to fix Tabitha, and frankly, I’m not sure you understand what you’re toying around with.
MALCOLM: Oh, but I do. And I know you can help me… with or without your consent. Something tells me you’ll provide it though.
[awkward silence]MALCOLM: Are you still there?
JEREMY: Look, I don’t know what you’ve got planned, but you do realize I’m a Maker… at least that’s how the files have me labeled, which means I won’t be able to simply Shepherd Tabitha to you. Anything within my power would be created, and it wouldn’t be the same person that your sister once was.
MALCOLM: (Frustrated) You mean, “is”… the same person that my sister “is.”
MALCOLM: (Calm)Yes, I realize you can’t necessarily bring her to me, but we both know that you can help me.
JEREMY: How? You already screwed up by trying to create a version of her that, according to Brianne, sounds a little dysfunctional. Just a distortion of the real Tabitha that once existed. She’s gone, and the sooner you realize and accept that fact, the sooner you might be able to move on with your life.
MALCOLM: (Angry) You have no idea what I’ve accomplished already!
JEREMY: Okay, tell me.
MALCOLM: It was all going according to plan until those assholes killed her. Dr. Patel understood what I was trying to do, and she’s the only one of them that really gave a shit. It’s because of her that I’ve been able to do the things I can now.
JEREMY: So you’re just planning on stealing peoples’ abilities with some wonder-drug until you can figure out how to bring Tabitha back?
MALCOLM: Don’t be silly. I can’t possibly bring back the dead… without some help. There are more abilities than the ones Hydra has classified in their little labs, but I know a few things you don’t.
JEREMY: Such as?
MALCOLM: For starters, Hydra only had those classifications for abilities because they were the only ones that were reproducible. You have no idea what people like you, me and Brianne are capable of. We just need the right circumstances to bring them into the light.
JEREMY: What kind of circumstances?
MALCOLM: Strong emotions. The stronger, the better. Hydra was too stupid to recognize this… otherwise they would have opted for more… sinister types of testing. The only problem is we don’t yet know what a person can do until they’ve experienced those. That’s when the real fun begins.
JEREMY: So if you don’t know what people can do, then how do you know who can help you?
MALCOLM: I just figured I would take everyone’s abilities that I could find and sort it all out later. But all of that might not even be necessary if I could just get to the pyramid. But you already know that, don’t you?
JEREMY: If you have all of these abilities now, then why don’t you just go find it yourself?
MALCOLM: Oh, I will… but so far, I haven’t found the right combination of abilities to be able to do that, but that’s why I need your help. I’m working on somewhat of a loop-hole and I’m not sure I can do it alone.
JEREMY: My help? Let me get this straight. You want my help to get you to the Pyramidion so that you’ll have the power to summon some sort of ancient deity in an effort to bring your sister back from the dead? What makes you think I have that ability? It was your grandfather that brought me to it. I had nothing to do with it other than the fact that I went where he led me.
MALCOLM: I don’t think you’ve dug very deeply into your own medical files you gained access to. Perhaps you should do that and I’ll get back to you.
JEREMY: No, I’m quite certain I’ve looked at everything there. I have no idea what you’re talking about.
MALCOLM: Maybe you should dig a little more. I’m not going to do the work for you, but once you do, you’ll realize that these abilities are genetically inherited. Besides, your abilities are not the only ones I plan to leverage. Do you know who your father was?
JEREMY: No… do you know who my father… was?
MALCOLM: Of course, but that’s neither here nor there. I’ll give you a week to make a decision about helping me. After that, I’ll be forced to carry on without you. And trust me, this is an opportunity you aren’t going to want to pass on.
JEREMY: And if I don’t?
MALCOLM: Well, I have other options. No matter what you choose, you realize you’re still going to die, right?
JEREMY: You’ve previously informed me.
MALCOLM: (Mischevious) Don’t worry, there’s still time for us to have plenty of fun before that. I’ll see you soon.
(hangs up phone)
There’s obviously a lot to digest in that phone conversation. I have no idea why he wants or needs my help. What’s this loop-hole he’s talking about? And I’ve looked at all of the medical records, so I have no idea what he’s talking about regarding other abilities. I think it’s safe to say if that’s true, then Brianne likely has other abilities as well, and neither of us are safe at the moment. And is it possible for him to know who my father was? I can’t help but to be suspicious of any claims he is making.
I was initially planning on just sharing that phone call with you this week on the show. I had already recorded this episode up until this point, and was editing a few things when my books arrived in the mail, so I figured I’d do a little reading and extend the length of today’s episode a bit.
The package arrived, and I had to sign for it. When I took it into the house and opened it, I felt like a kid in a toy store. There was a smaller package wrapped tightly in plastic once I cleared away the styrofoam popcorn. Though it was clear plastic, it was thick enough to obscure the contents so that I couldn’t make out much detail until I opened it up.
As my box cutter punctured the thick plastic and slid carefully down, adjacent to the book on top, a very distinct odor permeated my living room. It smelled like a combination of rotten egg and lysol, like someone tried and failed to cover up an extremely foul smell.
There were three books inside, and the one on the very bottom was wrapped in a separate individual plastic bag, and was extremely old and brittle-looking. There was a thick 6” x 9” padded envelope on top with the words, “Open first” on the outside. Once opened, there was a short note, along with some new white gloves in another plastic bag. The note basically gave instructions for carefully handling the older book, ensuring that oily skin residue didn’t damage the pages, and outlining a very methodical sequence of steps to take before removing the book from its protective plastic and handling it.
I almost didn’t notice it, but there was also some writing on the back of the note that said, “Every time I have sold these, they have been returned to me. I’m happy to take them back if you choose to rid yourself of them, but please don’t destroy them. I’ll even pay postage if you contact me first.” There was a return address included. Additionally, there were three columns below that, each corresponding to the books included. Under their titles listed page numbers in the first two columns, and the third had numbers accompanied by symbols. Not the symbols I’m used to seeing in the papers – these were much different.
I opened the books to find the first two of them as academic interpretations of the third book. Basically, they’re translations with some supporting subtext and references to other resources. One was published in 1970 and the other in 1995. Together, they were nearly a thousand pages and just by doing a brief skim-through of them, contained two schools of thought, often with opposing views, about the translations found in the third book. The previous owner of these books thought it necessary to present both views, and I truly appreciated them outlining the relevant page numbers relating to the content about this deity that I had asked questions about.
So far, the opinions about the old book were that it contained both Egyptian and Sumerian writings, and in some places, a combination of the two, which made it extremely difficult for theologians and other academics to interpret. It talks about how both civilizations, though near one another geographically, were separated by hundreds of years, and how it is unknown how the book could have been written using a combination of languages. That, in itself, made it unique.
There are some similarities between the two civilizations as well, which include the beliefs in multiple deities and separation in each of their cultures of common people and what they considered royalty in blood lines. This book published in 1995, unlike our modern understanding of royalty that doesn’t necessarily include anything other than being born into privilege, speaks of “chosen” people, not necessarily “royalty” like the other book. It’s a variance in the languages that when approached in greater context has different meaning. In the subtext notes, it lists other possible translations as “special” or “gifted.” Could they mean people with abilities?
Once I flipped to some of the pages indicated on the note provided by the sender, there are some pictograms, not too different from hieroglyphics, but a bit more elaborate. One of them in particular caught my eye. It’s simplistic, and depicts a circle of people, like typical stick-men a child would draw, connected by the hands. They’re all faceless, and there appears to be eleven by my count. In the center of the circle, standing less than twice as tall as the people around it, is a pyramid.
Above the pyramid, there’s what appears to be a smoke cloud, and emanating from the top of the cloud is just a circle with a curved line taking up the lower half of it, simulating what resembles a large smile.
There are two similar pictures on that page. The next one looks nearly the same except all of the eleven people making a circle around the pyramid are no longer standing. They’re lying down, which signifies death according to the author. And then the final image no longer shows the head with the smile on it above the cloud and pyramid. But it does depict the eleven originally in a circle no longer on the ground. They’re all standing, and there are now eleven depictions of that smile.
I’d like to read a section of the translation of that portion of the book now:
And those with the purest of blood,
Descended from the god (static noise)
And under his protection and guidance
Shall not experience death, and will be bringers of life
For what lives never truly dies,
As death gives new life to the earth,
And so there is no end, and no beginning,
And beginning and end are one, never dying.
While the will of the god of corruption persists,
It can be neither created nor destroyed,
And it’s end will be the beginning,
And the sacred stone will create a house for his soul on high.
When the royal blood spills on the earth
The sacred stone is nourished,
And the ground is holy in that place
And great is the price for the payor
And the wrath of (static noise) will be known to the earth forever
I’m not really sure what any of this means, but I have a feeling that whatever Malcolm may be up to, it’s likely referenced in this book, which means he has likely read it. But this implies that the Pyramidion has been around for a very long time, and that only certain people have the ability to summon this deity. But from everything I’ve read about the Pyramidion, not everyone can even be in its presence.
My guess is Malcolm believes people with abilities fit the bill. I’m wondering if he’s thinking that by absorbing their abilities, he might be able to do it by himself, instead of requiring eleven people in total. Or if the Pyramidion will somehow enhance his abilities to do that. As I’m reading the subtext about the images here, the smile was believed to symbolize some kind of connection or bond. It wasn’t drawn with the intention of resembling a smile.
I decided to leave that book open and reference the older book written in the 70’s. The images are there, but there’s no subtext explaining the smiling appearance. In fact, there are other pictographs from other civilizations similar to it, but none with a smile. If I had to guess, perhaps Malcolm had a copy of this book in early childhood and read it for years believing it was a big smile. That would back up my suspicion that he created the Grinner based off of a very limited understanding of the being portrayed in these books.
I think… I’m pretty sure I recall Gerald and Joseph saying something about the places the Pyramidion shows up being special. Need to go look for it. Be right back.
[pause]I need to speak with Joseph and Gerald again.
I cross-referenced some information from the book from ‘95, and there are areas where the author expands upon information in the other book, but also areas where he disagrees completely. I wonder if this guy is still alive? Ezekiel Maldonado, Ph. D. from the University of San Diego. Wow, that’s convenient. I wonder if he goes by Zeke… that would be fun.
I did a very brief skim over some of the other sections in the book that were referenced on the note that came in the package. I found this part really interesting. It talks about belief systems that include various physical locations in the land that have strangeness about them. Places that have remnant effects of spiritual events going on there, often used for rituals and worship to the gods of old. I’m wondering if Gerald knows anything about these locations with his geological background.
Damn, it’s getting pretty late for me right now, and I worry I’m just rambling at this point. For the sake of being able to retain everything I’m reading, I’m going to need to settle down for the night. In the interest of transparency, I’ll tell you now that I’ve been undergoing treatment for my brain tumor. I’ll spare you the details for the time being, but I feel tired all the time, and my thoughts aren’t necessarily 100% clear when I’m fatigued.
For that reason, I’ve made a point to stop recording when I feel like I’m approaching that point. I’ll look into these books just a bit more before the next episode and get back to you with any parallels I manage to make between the books, the Pyramidion, and Malcolm’s plan.
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