SBR 1.18: Innocents

"'Sam addresses the case of a mysteriously missing Faithful Listener, and regales us of a white door which may no longer lead to nowhere...'"

Events of Note

 * Sam is tidying, and finds various magic books.
 * Sam drew a door that was slightly open, instead of completely closed as usual.
 * Jinghua has been found.
 * User Amzzzie747 shares their story regarding the Man in the Flat Cap

Summary
Sam begins the segment by talking about animals with a predisposition to the arcane, such as crows, corvids and cats. They talk about the various arcane tomes they have found whilst tidying the studio, including one that is always cold to the touch, and another that cannot be opened.

Sam mentions how he had never realised there were so many books around, apart from the notebooks Sam used to draw in whilst he was asleep. They remark that Madame Marie was always creeped out by their drawings of the white door, which they found ironic, given that she spent her days talking to spirits and the dearly departed.

He talks about how a few days before Marie's disappearance, she pointed one of the door sketches out to him. They didn't initially see what was so different about this sketch, but as Marie held the picture to the light, Sam saw that the door in that drawing was ajar, light spilling out from around the frame.

Sam reads the augury forecast, which they found on a piece of paper folded up underneath the leg of a table, and then moves onto the suggestions from listeners for what Sam could do after Madame Marie returns to Spirit Box Radio. Shelagh suggests that Sam discusses various forms of witchery, Mabel suggests that Sam talks about spells, and Regular Caller Beth suggests that Sam takes over Salim's previous slot where they spoke about the popular talking points on the forums.

This point segues into the update on Jinghua, who was found walking around the Yorkshire Moors with unexplained amnesia and the inability to say more than a few phrases. She repeats 'if you seek him, but do not search, you will find him' and 'beware the Heir Apparent', which Sam links to what was said in Mr Prakash's letter about the Man in the Flat Cap.

Sam then reads a message from Amzzzie747, who tells about their brother who was sick as a child. They were staying overnight in the hospital room, having been told that their brother was unlikely to make it through the night. Their father had been looking into arcanism as a way to possibly make Amzzzie747's brother's passing more peaceful, and during the night, Amzzzie awoke to the sound of dog paws tapping on the floor. They saw a man in a flat cap standing in the doorway, talking to their father. Their father seemed to accept the deal offered by the strange man, and the next morning their brother was able to get a new kidney, and is still alive and well.

Sam thanks them for telling their story, reminds listeners to check in with the forums before communing, and then bids everyone goodnight.

Characters Featured

 * Sam Enfield
 * Madame Marie (mentioned)
 * Salim the Weather Guy (mentioned)
 * The Flat Cap Man (mentioned)

Listeners writing in/mentioned:


 * Jinghua, updates on her health and whereabouts
 * Shelagh from the Isle of Wight, offering ideas for what radio segment Sam could do when Madame Marie returns
 * Mabel from Bath, offering ideas for what radio segment Sam could do when Madame Marie returns
 * Beth, offering ideas for what radio segment Sam could do when Madame Marie returns
 * Amzzzie747, regarding the Man in Shell Suit and Flat Cap, and their brother's illness

Augury Forecast
See all Augury Forecasts

''If you are an Aquarius, do not change your profile picture on social media this week. Doing so may invite a malevolent presence into your account.''

If you are aged sixty-four, seventy-two, eighty-six, or nine, do not chew gum for the next six weeks if you wish to retain your sense of self-worth.

The appearance of three birds in a bush local to Mrs. Keay’s home in West London suggests now is a bad time to finish your novel.

The coming weeks will provide you with an excellent opportunity to learn a new language, but opportunities to dry your laundry will be thin on the ground.

Trivia

 * The "Mrs Keay" mentioned in the augury forecast for this episode may be a reference to Mary Keay, a character from the Magnus Archives who owned a bookshop in London.