Weird Darkness: Stories of the Paranormal, Supernatural, Legends, Lore, Mysterious, Macabre, Unsolved

Darren Marlar

Award-winning podcast hosted by voice artist Darren Marlar who narrates true stories of crime, the unexplained, and paranormal.

  • 56 minutes 11 seconds
    The Haunting of Edge Hill | England's Most Documented Christmastime Ghost Sighting
    On Christmas Eve 1642, shepherds witnessed something impossible — two phantom armies fighting a brutal battle in the sky over Edge Hill. When investigators arrived, they saw it too, and testified under oath to the king.

    Episode 12 of 12 in the #12NightmaresOfXmas series!
    IN THIS EPISODE: “Christmas Carols in the Woods”, “St. Mary’s Church”, “The Lady In The Pantry”, “Mrs. Eustace Returns”, “The Phantoms of the Mamie R. Mine”, “The Wreck of the General Arnold”, “Up In Flames”, “The Battle of Edgehill”, “50 Berkeley Square”
    SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
    All stories in this episode are from the book, “The Spirits of Christmas: The Dark Side of the Holidays” by Sylvia Shults: https://amzn.to/3uT2vMA
    = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)
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    "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
    = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2023, Weird Darkness.

    https://weirddarkness.com/EdgeHill
    25 December 2025, 1:41 am
  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    The Babs Switch School Fire: The Oklahoma Schoolhouse Fire That Turned Christmas Into a Funeral
    When Santa's costume caught fire at a small-town Christmas program in 1924, the crowd rushed to the only door — but it opened inward, and they couldn't escape. One little girl vanished that night, and nearly a century later, two ghost children are still seen at the building where the bodies were taken.

    IN THIS EPISODE: “When The Show Didn’t Go On: The Iroquois Theater Fire” *** “A Deadly Christmas: Ghosts of the Babbs Switch School Fire” *** “Horror For The Holidays: Ghosts of the Ashtabula Bridge Disaster” *** “A Christmas Mystery: The Vanishing of the Sodder Children” *** (Originally aired December 23, 2016)
    SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
    “When The Show Didn’t Go On: The Iroquois Theater Fire” from the book “And Hell Followed With It” by Troy Taylor and Rene Kruse: https://amzn.to/3nNw0qJ
    “A Deadly Christmas: Ghosts of the Babbs Switch School Fire” used by permission from Troy Taylor: https://tinyurl.com/yav7oyye
    “Horror For The Holidays: Ghosts of the Ashtabula Bridge Disaster”, from the book “And Hell Followed With It” by Troy Taylor and Rene Kruse: https://amzn.to/3nNw0qJ
    “A Christmas Mystery: The Vanishing of the Sodder Children” used by permission from Troy Taylor: https://tinyurl.com/y7cy4h78
    Visit our Sponsors & Friends: https://weirddarkness.com/sponsors
    Join the Weird Darkness Syndicate: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate
    Advertise in the Weird Darkness podcast or syndicated radio show: https://weirddarkness.com/advertise
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    Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.
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    (Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)

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    "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46

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    WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2023, Weird Darkness.

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    https://weirddarkness.com/BabsSwitch
    #WeirdDarkness #ChristmasEveTragedy #HistoricDisaster #TrueCrime #HauntedOklahoma #GhostStory #ForgottenTragedy #SchoolFire #Paranormal #HolidayHorror
    25 December 2025, 1:09 am
  • 57 minutes 43 seconds
    Something Was Wrong With Mom's Christmas Nutcracker
    There's a reason that 100-year-old nutcracker was marked 80% off. And on Christmas Eve, my mom and I found out exactly what it was.

    STORY AND MUSIC CREDITS/SOURCES…
    The Grither”: https://tinyurl.com/qvkfdtg
    “Christmas Tree Decorations”: https://tinyurl.com/rapx4d7
    “Die Nutcracker, Die!” by Dax Varley: https://tinyurl.com/wkp7uu6
    “Machete Santa” by Medeia Sharif: https://tinyurl.com/wkp7uu6
    “Saturn Rising” by Ty Drago: https://tinyurl.com/wkp7uu6
    All music used with permission of the artists. Spooky Santa theme by Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ). All other music by Nicolas Gasparini (http://bit.ly/2LykK0g).
    I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use. If I somehow overlooked doing that for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I’ll rectify it the show notes as quickly as possible.***Spooky Santa™ and Weird Darkness® are creations and trademarks of Marlar House Productions and Weird Darkness, LLC. Copyright © Weird Darkness, 2023
    "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
    https://weirddarkness.com/MomsNutcracker
    #WeirdDarkness #ChristmasHorror #ScaryStory #Creepypasta #HauntedAntique #HorrorStory #PossessedToy #ScaryChristmas #TrueScaryStories #HolidayHorror
    24 December 2025, 8:27 pm
  • 37 minutes 5 seconds
    Portland 1973, A Mother's Final Christmas: The Neighbor Who Gave Five Orphans a Christmas
    On Christmas Eve 1973, a woman hiding from her ex-husband was found — and five children woke up without parents on Christmas morning.

    Episode 11 of 12 in the #12NightmaresOfXmas series!

    In this episode: “The Eternal Beatle”, “Home For The Holidays”, “The Kennedy Road Phantom”, “Santa Stuffs The Stockings”, “Santa And The Elf”, “The Ghost In The Living Room”, “That’s Not Santa!”, “Poe Finds His Inspiration”

    SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
    All stories in this episode are from the book, “The Spirits of Christmas: The Dark Side of the Holidays” by Sylvia Shults: https://amzn.to/3uT2vMA
    = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)
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    "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
    = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2023, Weird Darkness.

    https://weirddarkness.com/MothersFinalChristmas
    24 December 2025, 5:28 am
  • 1 hour 8 minutes
    The Christmas UFO Invasion Witnessed by the Military
    Over three nights in December 1980, during the Christmas weekend, dozens of military personnel at a British air base witnessed something in the woods that remains officially unexplained.

    IN THIS EPISODE: Imagine celebrating the holidays around your Christmas tree – and it begins shaking for no reason! (The Swaying Christmas Tree) *** What dark secret made Charlie Lawson slaughter his family on Christmas Day? (The Murder of the Lawson Family) *** A Weirdo family member tells of an odd yet heartwarming experience at Christmas. (Visits For The Holidays) *** A woman still mourning her husband’s passing is visited on Christmas by beautiful balls of light. (The Christmas Orbs) *** The holidays; a time for warmth, joy… sorcery, superstition, and darkness and… at least it is in Russia. (Christmas in Siberia) *** Did dozens of military personnel at RAF Bentwaters encounter an alien spacecraft over Christmas 1980? (The Christmas Invasion) *** (Originally aired December 12, 2018)
    SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
    “The Christmas Invasion” posted at The Unredacted: https://tinyurl.com/y6jolswm
    “Visits For The Holidays” by Weirdo family member, Ashley Ingraham
    “The Swaying Christmas Tree” from YourHauntedLifeToo.com: https://tinyurl.com/yyscz2xr
    “The Murder of the Lawson Family” by Orrin Grey for The Line Up: http://ow.ly/KeA130mXqwi
    “Christmas Orbs” by Jenine Fitterer for YourHauntedLifeToo.com: https://tinyurl.com/yyfg8bt8
    “Christmas in Siberia” by Dreyk for Your Ghost Stories: https://tinyurl.com/y4j3mp5a
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    Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.
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    (Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)

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    "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46

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    WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.

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    https://weirddarkness.com/ufochristmas

    #WeirdDarkness #RendleshamForest #UFO #BritainsRoswell #UFOSighting #MilitaryUFO #Unexplained #UFOEvidence #AlienEncounter #ChristmasUFO
    24 December 2025, 4:45 am
  • 34 minutes 14 seconds
    Krampus Chased Me: This European Tradition Would Be Illegal in America
    In Austria, naughty children don't get coal — they get beaten by a goat-horned demon who might drown them in a river.

    Ho ho ho, kids! If you like the stories Santa is telling, tell your friends and family about the Spooky Santa podcast so they can listen too! 

    STORY AND MUSIC CREDITS/SOURCES…
    
”The Tradition” by Andrea Stanet: https://tinyurl.com/wkp7uu6
    “Girls Night Out”: https://tinyurl.com/u4zjhwu
    “Krampus”: https://tinyurl.com/whz5qc8
    All music used with permission of the artists. Spooky Santa theme by Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ). All other music by Nicolas Gasparini (http://bit.ly/2LykK0g).
    ***Spooky Santa™ and Weird Darkness® are creations and trademarks of Marlar House Productions and Weird Darkness, LLC. Copyright © Weird Darkness, 2023
    "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
    https://weirddarkness.com/KrampusChasedMe
    #WeirdDarkness #Krampus #ChristmasHorror #DarkChristmas #Krampusnacht #ScaryChristmas #ChristmasDemon #AustrianFolklore #HolidayHorror #ChristmasLegends
    24 December 2025, 1:37 am
  • 31 minutes 47 seconds
    ADVENT OF EVIL: Tuesday, December 23 – Right Back To Where You Started
    Twenty-two days ago, a mysterious advent calendar arrived on Officer Matthew Klein's doorstep — no sender, no explanation, just twenty-four doors and a carved bearded face with hollow eyes. Since then, Marshport has become a graveyard. The entity behind it has a name now: Zurvan, an ancient demon whose mid-winter worship culminates on December 24th — the same demon that ten-year-old Matthew and his seven-year-old brother Steven accidentally summoned through a spirit board on Christmas Eve, 1995, the night their house burned to the ground. Zurvan has possessed Matthew's best friend, his own son, and a detective whose head he twisted completely around. On December 22nd, he proved the Bible verse about Legion true — the decomposing corpse of Wilbur Ward rose from the basement, levitated through the hallway, and snapped Pastor Hart's neck like kindling. Matthew's world went dark. The demon's final words echoed into oblivion: "Time's up." Two doors remain. Two days until Zurvan's celebration officially arrives.

    Get the print version of the novel: https://weirddarkness.com/AdventOfEvil

    #WeirdDarkness #ChristmasHorror #HolidayHorror #SupernaturalThriller #HauntedCalendar #DarkChristmas #HorrorStory #DemonicEvil #CreepyTales #YuletideTerror
    24 December 2025, 1:00 am
  • 29 minutes 55 seconds
    She Fulfilled Her Promise To Return As a Ghost – And Did So In a Completely Different State
    When the Kubis family moved into their Milwaukee home in 1913, they didn't know the previous owner had made a deathbed promise to return—and she was a woman of her word.

    Episode 10 of 12 in the #12NightmaresOfXmas series!

    In this episode: “Mrs Pickman’s Ghost”, “Haunts of Hartland”, “The Things We Do For Love”, “The Christmas Rosebush”, “Please Help”, “Footprints In The Snow”, “The Chicken Ghost”

    SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
    All stories in this episode are from the book, “The Spirits of Christmas: The Dark Side of the Holidays” by Sylvia Shults: https://amzn.to/3uT2vMA
    = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)
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    "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
    = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2023, Weird Darkness.

    https://weirddarkness.com/ShePromisedToReturn

    #WeirdDarkness #HauntedHouse #GhostStory #Paranormal #TrueGhostStory #ScaryStory #HorrorStory #Wisconsin #Haunting #Supernatural
    23 December 2025, 6:04 am
  • 49 minutes 22 seconds
    Six Serial Killers Woke Up at the North Pole at Christmastime
    When six of history's most infamous serial killers mysteriously wake up at the North Pole on Christmas Eve, Santa offers them one final chance at redemption—but the Holiday Spirit doesn't work on everyone.

    IN THIS EPISODE: It’s an original short holiday horror story from Jon Allen, called “Here Comes Santa’s Claws”. *** (Originally aired December 23, 2021)

    SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
    “Here Comes Santa’s Claws” by Jon Allen, https://twitter.com/writerjonallen
    Visit our Sponsors & Friends: https://weirddarkness.com/sponsors
    Join the Weird Darkness Syndicate: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate
    Advertise in the Weird Darkness podcast or syndicated radio show: https://weirddarkness.com/advertise
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    Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.
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    OTHER PODCASTS I HOST…
    Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/paranormalitymag
    Micro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/microterrors
    Retro Radio – Old Time Radio In The Dark: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/retroradio
    Church of the Undead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/churchoftheundead
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    (Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)

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    "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46

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    WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2023, Weird Darkness.

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    https://weirddarkness.com/SerialKillerChristmas

    #WeirdDarkness #ChristmasHorror #SerialKillers #SantaClaus #HolidayHorror #TrueCrime #ScaryStory #HorrorStory #CreepyChristmas #NorthPole
    23 December 2025, 4:53 am
  • 24 minutes 32 seconds
    I Was Forced to Shovel Snow Alone Next to an Abandoned House at Christmastime
    On Christmas Eve, a teenager shoveling snow beside an abandoned house with a deadly history becomes convinced that Death himself is watching from its darkened windows—and waiting to collect.

    Ho ho ho, kids! If you like the stories Santa is telling, tell your friends and family about the Spooky Santa podcast so they can listen too! 

    STORY AND MUSIC CREDITS/SOURCES…
    ”The Carol Singers”: https://tinyurl.com/s978sjj
    “The Sock Puppet”: https://tinyurl.com/wgrpaog
    “The Tell-Tale Scarf” by Judith Graves: https://tinyurl.com/wkp7uu6
    All music used with permission of the artists. Spooky Santa theme by Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ). All other music by Nicolas Gasparini (http://bit.ly/2LykK0g).

    I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use. If I somehow overlooked doing that for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I’ll rectify it the show notes as quickly as possible.***Spooky Santa™ and Weird Darkness® are creations and trademarks of Marlar House Productions and Weird Darkness, LLC. Copyright © Weird Darkness, 2023

    "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
    https://weirddarkness.com/ChristmasChores
    #WeirdDarkness #ChristmasHorror #HauntedHouse #GhostStory #HorrorStory #Creepypasta #ScaryStory #HolidayHorror #Paranormal #TrueScary
    23 December 2025, 3:26 am
  • 30 minutes 58 seconds
    ADVENT OF EVIL: Monday, December 22 – Death Rising
    The demon has a name — Zurvan. For thirty years it waited, dormant within the charred fragments of a spirit board, sealed inside an advent calendar built by hands it had already corrupted. Now Detective Davenport lies dead, his head twisted completely around as punishment for a door Matthew failed to open. Logan has been freed from the demon's grip, but Zurvan does not forgive, and it does not forget — Father Olsen warned that when a host is lost, it will seek another. Pastor Hart fled drenched in blood. Wilbur Ward's corpse was found in Mason's closet. Twenty-one doors have been opened, twenty-one horrors unleashed, and three days remain until Christmas Eve — the climax of Zurvan's ancient celebration, the anniversary of the night Matthew ran while his family burned. Logan is ten. Mason is seven. The parallel to Matthew and Steven is no coincidence. Matthew's allies are dead or scattered, both sons have been touched by an ancient evil, and the calendar continues its relentless countdown toward something even more terrible. Three doors remain. Will anyone be left alive to celebrate Christmas?
    Get the print version of the novel: https://weirddarkness.com/AdventOfEvil
    #WeirdDarkness #ChristmasHorror #HolidayHorror #SupernaturalThriller #HauntedCalendar #DarkChristmas #HorrorStory #DemonicEvil #CreepyTales #YuletideTerror
    23 December 2025, 1:00 am
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