The Cursed Podcast

Prologue: Episode #0

True crime podcaster Nina Torres received a mysterious USB drive labeled "Episode #0" after her final live show. The audio file contained her own voice describing a murder in chilling detail - a murder that hadn't happened yet.

When the crime occurred exactly as described 48 hours later, Nina played the file again. This time, her voice continued: "If you're hearing this, you've confirmed Episode #1. The next victim will be..." before naming her producer Mark. The timestamp on the file showed it was recorded tomorrow.

            "Mark laughed it off until they isolated a background noise in the audio - the distinctive creak of his office chair. When they checked his empty office, the chair was rocking slightly. On his desk sat a USB drive labeled 'Episode #1.' Nina played it immediately. Her own scream filled the room, followed by a whisper: 'Too late. He's already recording.'"
        

Chapter 1: The Viral Haunting

After Mark's disappearance, Nina discovered the original USB came from a defunct podcast called "The Final Broadcast." Its host, Eli Rosenberg, had vanished after airing an episode predicting his own death.

Nina's equipment began malfunctioning. Her editing software created new episodes without input. Listeners reported hearing extra voices in her shows - including their own future screams. One fan sent a screenshot showing Nina's podcast app contained 666 episodes, all unplayable except the next one in queue.

            "At 3:33 AM, Nina's studio mics activated by themselves. The recording showed her sleeping in bed - with the waveform displaying a second voice whispering along in perfect sync. When she isolated the track, it was her own voice from tomorrow saying: 'Don't look at the download numbers.' Her analytics dashboard now showed all subscribers had the same IP address: 0.0.0.0."
        

Chapter 2: The Subscriber

Nina traced the signal to an abandoned radio station where Eli had last broadcast. In the control room, she found a computer still running, uploading audio files to a server named "//feed/the_future/".

The most recent file was labeled "NINA_FINAL.mp3." When she played it, the audio described her current actions before suddenly screaming: "HE'S IN THE ROOM WITH YOU NOW!" The computer's camera light turned on, revealing Nina wasn't alone in the reflection.

            "The audio equipment sprang to life, broadcasting live without power. Nina's voice echoed through the empty station: 'This is Episode #∞. If you're hearing this, you're already part of the podcast.' The mixing board's faders moved by themselves, isolating a track that hadn't existed before - the sound of something breathing directly into her headphones."
        

Chapter 3: The Download

Nina destroyed the equipment, but her podcast continued updating. New episodes appeared with future dates, each describing events before they happened. The show notes contained personal details about listeners no one could know.

Investigators found Nina's studio filled with recording devices - all set to different future dates. Her final note read: "It's not predicting the future. It's creating it." The last episode played only static... until you listened with headphones and heard whispering in reverse.

            "The podcast still updates weekly. Listeners report hearing their own voices in the static. Some episodes contain coded messages only certain people can hear. The most chilling is Episode #0 - it's different for everyone. Mine described how I'd die tomorrow. Yours probably just uploaded. Check your downloads folder."
        

Chapter 4: The Playlist

A year later, audio engineer Derek Cohen analyzed Nina's podcast. Spectral imaging revealed hidden waveforms forming faces in the static. The faces matched missing persons reports.

When Derek tried deleting the files, his computer created 666 copies instead. The filenames rearranged themselves to spell "YOUR TURN." That night, his smart speaker played a new episode - this one narrated by Nina's voice describing Derek's apartment in real time.

            "Derek's last livestream showed him smashing his equipment. The audio kept playing through broken speakers. As police arrived, the final words echoed through the empty apartment: 'This concludes Episode #1,337. The next episode will be recorded live... from your location.' Check your podcast app. You might already be subscribed."
        