Burned by a Paper Sun |S1| Ep. 18

The following was scrawled into a diary found in a house located in New Hollow - one of the towns permanently quarantined since the closure of the Great Darkness of 1999. Often simply known as "weird towns," these places are cordoned off from the public due to their "dangerous conditions." While few concrete details are ever offered, there are often rumors about what strangeness lurks in the abandoned cities.After being closed in 2001, New Hollow was the subject of many such rumors. Some stated that time worked differently in the city, while others claimed consciousness interacted with the town in some bizarre way. In 2007, a group of brave (or stupid) urban explorers trespassed the city's borders. Exploring various places, the adventurers found a strange diary in one of the many houses in the city. While the house seemed to be the same one described in the diary, the small book was found in a child's bedroom full of toys, old clothing, and a small library of children's books. Curiously, all the books were face out except one - "The Hag in the Hut" - which, when flipped over, revealed a haggard looking witch on its cover. Additionally, and to the explorers' chagrin, they also reportedly found a pile of human bones living beneath the room's bed.After missing for a week, only 2 of the 5 trespassers came back from the town. Authorities took the individuals into custody, and the diary the individuals brought back with them was eventually given to researchers at Mistoric university, as few artifacts from the quarantined zones are available for research. As for the remaining explorers, it was never discovered, or at least revealed, what became of them.Follow us on Twitter at @maeltopiaWant to learn more about the world of Maeltopia? Check out our website!Want additional perks like extra lore, stories, art, and more? Check out our Patreon at: www.patreon.com/maeltopiaBe sure to like, comment, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform! We appreciate your support!--Written by Mark AnzaloneEdited by Walker KornfeldSound mastering by Steven J. Anzalone--Voiced by Gina Smith--Intro music by Steven Anzalone, Lou Suttcliffe, and Harper Tacent Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.