| "Put two and two together here, Sammy! It’s an entrance to the gates of hell! Many people went out looking for it – none have ever found it. Some never return." |
| — Ben Arnold in "Ringin' Hell's Doorbell" |
"After an unexpected listener call-in, the boys find a cassette tape in the mail and listen live as an adventure unfolds from one of King Falls less-friendly hiking trails."
Episode Audio[]
Official KFAM Audioboom release: [1]
Episode Summary[]
| Spoilers Ahead! |
|---|
| Ben suggests they do traffic and weather but that doesn’t last long as it’s four in the morning. They quickly switch gears and Ben tells Sammy he has an email response from the producers of Mission Apparition. He contacted them from Sammy’s station email, which he left open, and asked to have them on as guests. It sounds as though Ben’s message was fairly rude—the phrases “overly produced” and “not true to the nature of actual distressed spirits” as well as undisclosed name-calling are used. But they do say that they’re going to do an episode in King Falls. Both the library and the old slaughterhouse off Cottontail Hollow are suggested by Ben as locations. They also offered to let Ben come on set and interview the stars live. |
| They open the phone lines and a deep, slow, unidentified male voice asks them if they checked the mail. Sammy responds maybe once or twice in his lifetime and asks if he has a topic or if it’s just Ted Kazinsky calling from prison. The man hangs up. Ben runs to check the mail because “It’s a verbal triple dog dare.” Another unidentified male calls in pleading to speak to Sammy in private about the texts he’d sent regarding the electrolocaust in episode nine. He says it’s urgent and whispers that he turned the power back on. Ben comes back from checking the mail and identifies the caller as Mr. Thompson, his old science teacher. The man denies it and hangs up immediately. They’re quickly distracted by Ben showing Sammy what was in their mailbox: a cassette tape. There was no other note or letter, but it’s labeled “DD”. Sammy asks if they should listen to it themselves first, but Ben plays it anyway. It opens with an Australian man identifying himself as Lance McCord and says he’s checking in, he is about 5 kilometers from the Stealth Ridge trail. Sammy pauses to ask if Ben knows who it is. He doesn’t but insults the man for using that trail. They continue the recording and the man mentions a place called “the Devil’s Doorstep”, saying that while there isn’t anything particularly strange happening, although there is a confusing lack of a birds and other wildlife. Ben is shocked someone could stupid enough to head that way. Sammy is confused and Ben explains that it’s a place in the woods to the north of King Falls. He insists that nobody talks or jokes about it. |
| They go back to listening to Lance narrate his journey. He’d gotten turned around and his phone had lost signal, but he remains fairly calm. There is creepy singing, chanting, and whispers, in the background which Lance admits he hears, and the woods have gotten colder and darker, but he believes it’s merely his mind playing tricks on him. However, Sammy and Ben hear the voices in the background of the recording, too. Ben asks to stop and when Sammy asks for more information about the gate Lance mentions he cuts to commercial. A commercial plays for a Spanish sports show. |
| Ben doesn’t want to talk about the tape anymore and quickly takes a call. It’s Finn, who says he’s been horribly itchy the past few weeks. Growling can be heard and it turns out to be Finn after someone cut him off. He’s interested in the story because he’s never heard of the Devil’s Doorstep or anything like that before. He howls at one point. He says that he’s allergic to dogs and it turns out he can’t remember the incident where he hit the werewolf in episode four. |
| Sammy doesn’t like that Ben cut off their conversation and is now avoiding playing the tape after getting them interested, so he plays it against Ben’s wishes. Now Lance is convinced something is keeping him away from gate, his watch has stopped, and he can’t see the sun through the thick trees. His compass is going haywire. He gasps and stops talking. The chanting/singing in the background gets louder. Then a deep, breathy, unidentified voice is heard urging Lance to turn back. Lance, finally showing signs of distress, says “there is evil in the woods, you can feel it in the air, it’s palpable” (11:20). Ben stops the tape again, saying they shouldn’t be airing it, it isn’t a joke, and they should take it to the proper authorities as Lance is probably a missing person. Sammy tells him that if Ben explains what’s going on, he’ll stop playing the tape. |
| Ben gives in and says the path Lance is on is called Stealth Ridge, a 5 mile round trip hike in Perdition Woods. Legend has it that way off the beaten path there is a cave no one has actually seen called The Devil’s Doorstep. He insists it’s a gate to Hell and says many people have looked for it, none have found it, and a few never return. Sammy tried to argue that since the tape got to them, there’s no reason to worry and the guy is probably fine. Ben really wants to move on, but the tape starts again. Ben gets angry Sammy claims he didn’t touch the button. |
| The voice says “last warning, mortal” (12:55). They try to turn it off but it’s not working. Ben even says to unplug it, but it’s already unplugged. There is more chanting and shrieking on the tape. Lance is hiding in a cove of some sort. He says something is after him. He’s lost his phone, he doesn’t have his jacket anymore, and it’s cold/rainy. He begins to say “It’s just you and-” when another voice yells “Me!” Lance calls for help as the chanting and wailing continues in the background. |
Trivia[]
- The people on the phone lines this episode were: An unidentified male, Mr. Thompson, and Finn.
Episode Transcript[]
Unofficial episode transcript: [2]
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