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Observers of the strange, paranormal, cult, unwelcome, spiritual, horrifying, mystical, secret, transcendent, repulsive, captivating, unwelcome, appalling, gruesome, unseen, magic, weird, revolting, horrifying, unseen.

Welcome to the Mayfair Watchers Society. This is City Inspector John Phillips. I'm here at the... You gonna do that the whole time? Yes, it's how I make my notes. It's a lot easier than carrying a notepad. Jesus Christ. I'd rather listen to Phillips here droning on than put up with you bitching the whole time.

That's Bridger Morris and Gretchen Stanek, city sanitation engineers. They're accompanying me on this inspection. You can ignore Bridger. He gets off on making everyone else's day as miserable as his. By my ass, you swamp hag.

Following a maintenance inspection of Mayfair's sewage system, it was noted an apparent outlet structure was not part of any of the plans kept by the town council. The purpose of this inspection is to ascertain the nature of this outlet and determine if it can be left in place or if it poses a danger or environmental threat. The outlet empties into the old canal on the south side of Mayfair city limits.

It's a brick arch, a little under two meters tall, with a barred gate. It's overgrown and crumbling. No one's maintained it in a long time. The canal water is a lot lower than it was 20 years ago. It's about 30 centimeters deep. And it's filthy. I better not get a brain-eating amoeba or some shit. Is it a sewer? Storm drain? Whatever it is, it's not on the city plans.

It was one of the factories. Those assholes pumped all kinds of heavy metal toxic stuff into the river. They must have built this to put it into the canal, too. Could they do that? Pay off the right people and you can do anything. Can you get that gate open? Sure. I got my skeleton key right here. Oh, God! Freaking damn it, Christ on a goddamn hot dog. You okay?

Yeah, I cut my hand. This thing's rusted all to hell. Have a fun tetanus shot. Do you have anything for us? Got some first aid stuff. I'll patch it up. It's not bad. The outlet leads to a tunnel with a circular cross section two meters high with a turn about six meters in. This was a huge project to do illicitly, if that's what this is. So, we going in? We are.

Great. Where do you think this thing goes? Looks old. Maybe left over from the logging days? It's brickwork, not poured concrete. Nobody builds like that anymore. What did loggers need with their own sewer? Damn. It just keeps going. Keep the lights steady. Can you see the far end? The tunnel continues for a distance.

I'll have to measure it properly later. It curves to the... left. Up ahead. Hope nobody's claustrophobic. Or afraid of the dark. Watch your step. So, it looks like this is a more significant installation than we expected. It's... it's huge. How far down are we? This junction must be two stories high. There's what? Three waterways coming in here? And where's all that water coming from?

Not like there's another town to supply. Must be one of those factories. These are the lower floors. A factory making what? This ain't no car plant. It's all brick, too. Looks pre-war. And there should be a hell of a lot of handrails that aren't here. There's a sign. Hey, stay here. I'll take a look. This looks fit to fall apart, John. Don't end up in the drink. Christ knows what's in it. There's a sign mounted over one of the archways. It's...

I can't read it. What's the matter? Forgot your reading glasses? It's not in English. Let me have a look. Come on. Come on. Okay. There. Alright. Hold on. Yeah. Okay. Alright. Got it. What is that? Russian? It's not Cyrillic. I don't recognize the alphabet.

I can't even tell which way it's supposed to read. So, where are we? Guys, we're maybe three floors down, right? A few hundred meters north of where we started out? That sounds about right. So there's an old quarry, just out of town. I grew up here. My folks always said to stay away from it. But I used to go down there all the time. There's a surprise. So I knew it pretty well, is what I was going to say. And, uh...

We should be there. Like in the middle of the quarry, halfway down. But we ain't. Which means what? It means we should head back. We need a proper survey team in here. Or at least go back to the city plants to find out what used to be here. This place is real complicated. I'm not even sure which way is back. You're kidding me. Hey, we just need to think about... What was that? Better not be rats.

You got a problem with rats? I hate to break it to you, but you're in the wrong job, lady. It's on the ceiling! No! This isn't an inspection anymore. There's something down here. More than one somethings.

They ran along the ceiling. Four or five of them. I guess they must live down here. Homeless folks, maybe. Squatting here where they'll be left alone. People. They weren't people. They had those long arms and legs and too many joints. We didn't get a good look at them. I sure did. You see their faces? Goddamn, like, no-nose, potato-looking things.

We've lost them, I think. We're at a major waterway where a channel emerges from what looks like a huge brick cistern. There's a bridge across it, but it doesn't look very stable. It's wrought iron. Victorian-era engineering, maybe. He's still talking into that thing? This has to be documented. I still have a job to do. What we have to do is find a way out. I can't even tell which way we came from.

Shit! You guys were gonna leave me behind? We have to stick together. None of us can risk getting lost down here. One of those bastards went for me. Had to smack it around with my flashlight. You... you seen those ones before? Those ones? Yeah, those... creatures, or whatever. Not like that. When I was a kid, there were these... these kind of bird things by the quarry. They had big wings, kind of like torn paper. Only it was skin.

And they didn't fly. Saw them when we went down there to smoke and start a bonfire. Got a couple of pictures one time, but not like these spider guys. There was one in the woods out back of the school. More like a Sasquatch kind of thing. One kid says he got close to it, but I don't know if he was telling the truth. You know about these things? So they're things now? Not weird looking hobos?

Some see them, some don't. Around Mayfair, it's more like most do. Then again, there's always some people they just don't like. I've heard people talk about things like that, but I've never seen anything. You have now. Places, though. Whole places that shouldn't be there, like this one. That's new. Or it's not new, and the people who found them just never got out to tell about it. That's not the kind of talk we need right now.

He's right, Bridger, can it? So let's hear the right kind of talk. This waterway. It's damn near a river. We follow it, we'll get somewhere. We're not in the freaking Amazon. We'll reach an outlet or a control room. A pumping station. Somewhere significant. Maybe with people. Maybe a sign we can read. A way out. Unless you prefer headless chickening around in the dark on your own again. Lead the way, boss.

The waterways lead to a sharp downwards turn. We've been in here for two hours now. All of us are trying to get a phone signal, but there's no connection. Not surprising, considering we're probably well below ground level. We can't go any further this way. It looks like we're doubling back. What's this for? Does it matter? It looks like a macerator down there, but this isn't a sewer. Can you get another light on the tunnel? Here. Here.

What you thinking? Trying to get a better idea of this facility's function. There are no pumps or filters. And if it's for drainage, it's the strangest design I've ever seen. It just seems to be moving water around for no reason. Can you see anything? Not really. There's a structure under the surface, maybe part of a lock. It's moving. What? It's a tongue. Oh, God, he's right.

Guys?

Guys... They're here. Wait a sec. We don't have a sec. Look around. Don't just run. Choose a way.

There! There's a ladder! Looks like a rusted-ass death trap. You got a better idea? I do not. It's got me! Son of a bitch! Like that dickwad? Bon voyage! That's a ladder. Don't fall behind. Trevor Henderson here with an ad break.

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We've reached another level of the structure. It looks like we're in a maintenance area. There's a workbench, tools, and notices on the walls. Looks like warning signs, diagrams, and calendars. But there's no source of light. It's pitch dark aside from our flashlight. No bulbs or fluorescent strips. Whoever uses this place can see in the dark.

There's a single metal door with a wheel lock, like a bulkhead door on a ship. You seen this calendar thing? It's in that same other language. First place we've seen with a purpose. At least all this stuff does something. This is the weirdest ass wrench I've ever seen. Like you need four hands to use it. They got 40 days a month here.

Whatever followed us was different this time. It was bigger. It was upside down, walking on its hands with its legs above it, its head hung down underneath. The face was the right way up, though. Huge, open mouth, like a black hole. It made this sucking sound as it came up the ladder after us. I think we left it behind.

I hope we did. You reckon they want anything? Other than to turn us into pulled pork? They don't want us here. We're intruders. It's just like we'd treat them if they invaded us. They do. All the time. Most folks who see them are terrified.

They're scared of us. Yeah, feeling's mutual. Not gonna stop me putting one of those weird ass tools through its head. Think this is a nail gun? Don't wave it around, whatever it is. We have three choices. We can head back and try to find a way through the side tunnels we saw on the way. We can barricade ourselves in here and wait for us to be missed. You really think anyone's gonna find us?

Even if anybody gives a shit and knows where we've gone, this place is huge. They could send in the Marines through here and it'd take days to search it all. You see that picture of the girl who got lost in those catacombs in Russia or China or whatever it was? They found her. Like, six months later. She was all rotted. We don't need the spooky campfire story right now, Bridger. I'm saying that's what's gonna happen if we don't do something.

They'll find our bones in a pool of black goo. If you're lost somewhere, the principle is to stay put. Searchers have less to do to track you. We're not kids lost in the woods, John. I know. What's the third choice? We keep going. We open the door. Not like it can be much worse than where we are. It sure as hell can. It can't hurt to look. Again, it sure as hell can. Any of that stuff work as a weapon?

Sure. It's all pretty nasty. You want big and heavy or small and stabby? Tool up in case something comes through. I'll open it. Sound good? Not really. Sure. I'll take this. Ready? Damn it! My hand's still killing me. One sec. Jeez, that better only be dust. Anything in there?

Is that light? Down the end there. Is that a way out? Can't tell. Are we too far down to be at street level? I don't know. We got turned around a lot. We could be anywhere. Yeah, I see it. At the end of the tunnel, I guess? Looks weird. It looks spongy. Guys, I don't think you should go down there.

I'll test it out. Keep the lights on me. I can definitely see it ahead. That glow. I think there's a bend further on. The floor is spongy. The walls, too. It feels wet. I'm right behind you, John. What are you doing? Stay here! You see that? The ceiling. It's moving. And the walls. I can see the light. It's dim, but it's there. It's closing in. Get out of here! I'm stuck. I'm stuck.

You want some coffee? Put a slug of whiskey in it and we'll talk. This might be hard to believe, but we don't keep much hard liquor around the station.

You've been talking a while. I'll get you some water. No, I'm good. You think we're gonna put something in it? Or get your DNA and prints off of it? This isn't TV. We don't have the budget for any of that crap. I said I'm good. I want to talk to my mom. Once we've got things straight, you can talk to whoever you want. You gotta give me my phone call. You got that off TV too, huh? We're on the same side, Bridger. We just have to make sure we know what happened.

If you run off to the nearest bar and start telling everyone your tale, it'll change each time you tell it. And soon, we won't know the truth from the bullshit. I haven't done anything wrong. Good. Then we'll be done soon. We're resuming the interview with Bridger Morse again. I'm Sergeant Austin Kelleher with Officer Munoz present. I'm checked up on the work schedules and it pans out. You...

John Phillips and Gretchen Stanek were slated to investigate the mystery outlet yesterday morning. Your story matches up. Of course it does. I came to you guys, remember? Same side, Bridger. Does he have to be here? It's procedure. So, are you good to go? Yeah. You had just watched Gretchen and John go down the tunnel. It wasn't a tunnel.

Just like the thing with the tongue wasn't a sluice or dam or whatever John said it was. It closed in around them. I heard it. I heard them go. And then? I just sat there. Sat down on the floor. It was the weirdest thing. Just thinking. Okay. So now I die. Not panicking or nothing like that. Not like you'd expect. Just kinda... So this is it.

Thinking, could have been worse, could have been better. Wondering how my mom would take it. Like, would she think I'd been kidnapped, or that I'd got my dumb ass lost or fallen down a hole somewhere? She's a tough lady, I thought. She'd deal with it. I thought I'd starve. You need water before you need food. But there was plenty of water down there. Just no food. Maybe the creatures would get me, or maybe I'd use one of those tools, whatever they were.

To, you know, speed it on a little. Not the kind of thought you have every day, but back then, in that weird workroom, it seemed real normal. Then I remembered the flashlight battery would only last so long. I think I'd have done it before the light went out. I didn't want to go out in the dark. How long were you there? I don't know. You said it's a day after we went there? Sure is. Just gone six in the evening. A few hours then.

More than a few. I'd closed the door up. Had to force it shut with all that stuff inside. Took a lot of effort. I was catching my breath, looking down at the floor, and I saw this little drop of blood. Then I saw what a goddamn idiot I'd been. You were bleeding? It wasn't mine. It was Gretchen's. She'd cut her hand on the gate getting in. There was a drop of her blood right there on the floor. She'd been bleeding the whole time we were wandering around down there.

She left a blood trail. Drops of blood all the way back through the whole place. All along the path we'd taken. That's why I was so stupid. The moment we realized we'd gotten lost, we could have followed the drops of blood right back to the outlet. But we got scared and ran around like blue-ass flies the moment those creatures showed up. It was there. All along. Like a trail of goddamn breadcrumbs right under our feet. The golden thread in the labyrinth.

The what? The what? So you followed the trail? Yeah. It led back to the ladder, then down to the waterway, and all back to where we met the creatures first. I lost it sometimes. It's easy to miss a single drop of blood in all that grime. My flashlight was starting to dim, but I picked it up each time. That's it? You got back to the outlet? No. That's not it.

You seemed in a hurry a few minutes ago. Suddenly you want to draw this out? I'm getting there. Just kind of hits me all at once, you know? Not just being in that place, but realizing what it means. All the stuff we don't know. How everything we're so certain about ain't worth shit the moment you run into something that don't fit. Yesterday morning I was part of the dominant species. Top of the pile. Now, I don't know what we are. Any of us.

I don't know what the world is anymore. We're more resilient than we realize, Bridger. Us humans have a wonderful knack for seeing things that shake us to our core and then getting on with our lives. It's pretty much a life skill for cops. We're evolved to just deal with it, especially growing up in Mayfair, am I right? Yeah, there's that. Of course I've seen stuff and heard stories. But actually being there, face to face with the things living there...

You can't pretend that it's a trick of the light or some kid pulling a prank. You were following the blood trail. Yeah. Yeah, I was thinking maybe there was a chance. Just allowing for myself to think that for the first time. And then I turn a corner and I see the shadows besides me from the flashlight. These shadows, like spiders' legs coming down from the ceiling. I spin around, and it's right above me. One of the creatures, right?

Yeah, one of the big spidery type ones. Not the big upside down thing. This daddy long legs looking guy. Like the ones that chased us in a pack. We just freeze and look at each other. I think it's smiling at me for a second. That's just the way its face is. Like a skull. No lips. Got this hole for a nose. Like a fish's gill. I set real deep. Just like a little glint of water in there.

Its arms and legs are way too long, and they split apart at the ends, so there's eight little hands, or feet or whatever. It leaves a stringy stuff behind it. I think that's how it sticks to the ceiling. It backs off a little, just a couple of steps. I do the same. I get this feeling that we're in the same boat. Neither of us want to be there. I don't want to get picked up and spun into a cocoon or whatever these things do.

And it doesn't want me to wail on it with the flashlight like I did its buddies. And I get it. I'm lost in there. I don't know where I am or how the hell this place can exist. Or what it's for or anything. And this thing, it's the same. It's lost in here too. Maybe when one of us gets through this place, we turn up in wherever these creatures come from. Not just the spidery guys. The other ones. The ones we all see.

It was alone?

I guess so. Maybe it got separated the way I did. Trying to find the others. Or trying to find a way through. Same as me. I picked up the trail again. Gretchen had left smears of blood on the walls too. They were easier to see. I saw the sign in that weird language. Looked like a warning sign, but I couldn't tell what it was warning me about. Might have all ended differently if we could have read it. Bunch more turns and I could smell the canal.

Quite the story.

That you don't believe. I didn't say that. Officer Munoz, do you have the evidence? Right here. Where did you get that? Imagine our surprise when we found it still works. This is City Inspector John Phillips. I'm here at the... You gonna do that the whole time? Yes, it's how I make my notes. It's a lot easier than carrying a notepad. Jesus Christ. I'd rather listen to Phillips here droning on than put up with you bitching...

I think you'd be surprised just what we believe. Where did you get it? Are they alive? Where are they? We're not able to discuss that until our investigation is finished. Are they alive? Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down, Mr. Morris. Did you send people down there? Or was it in the quarry? That's where it is, right? The quarry and that place are in the same place somehow. Same answer, Bridger. We're not able to discuss that.

So what now? So now you go home. Home? I'm free to go. You always were, right officer? The interviewee gave a statement of his own accord, Sarge. Mighty civic-minded of him. But first, Mr. Morse, you have to call your mom. Thank you for listening, neighbor. Mayfair Watchers Society is based on the works of Trevor Henderson. Underground was written by Ben Counter. John was played by Anver Mamet.

Richard was played by Jimmy Ferrer. Gretchen was played by Janine Bauer. Officer Muniz was played by Pacific Obadiah. And Sergeant Keller was played by Russ Moore. The dialogue editor was Daisy McNamara. Sound design by Brad Colebrook. Music by Matt Royberger. The showrunner is Pacific S. Obadiah. And the creative director is me, Trevor Henderson. Produced by Tom Owen and Brad Miska. A Bloody FM Show.