Archive 81 · Dead Signals

We Made a New Podcast Called Conversations with Ghosts! You Can Listen NOW!

October 22, 2025·21 min·2 clips

A ghost describes beaver traps snapping on legs, screams in frigid water, and blood spreading for fashionable hats.

This episode is a preview of the new audio drama "Conversations with Ghosts," introduced by Dan and Mark from Archive 81. The show features mausoleum attendant Mal Fleming, played by Mark, who helps ghosts pass on from Greybriar Cemetery. The preview presents a full conversation between Mal and an unidentified, memory-fading spirit. Mal attempts to help the ghost recall details of its life, death, or identity to facilitate its passage. The ghost struggles with profound memory loss, comparing its recollections to holding water. It references Caldwell, a previous attendant whose notes warn against letting a ghost fade away into oblivion. The spirit describes its intended passage as an onyx door it cannot open without a key, possibly found in memory or a name. A surprising claim is the ghost's assertion that Caldwell, though deceased, is still present and refuses to speak to Mal. The ghost experiences its gender and language as fluid or forgotten aspects of its former self. It vividly recounts a detailed, possibly personal memory about trapping beavers in cold water for their pelts to make fashionable hats. The ghost and Mal debate the nature of history, using the example of Manhattan's sale for $24 as a story that becomes history through repetition. An interesting insight is the ghost's theory that if Mal believes its story about beaver trapping, that shared belief could forge a "skeleton key" for the onyx door. The ghost describes the sensation of fading, noting it has spent more time dead than alive and has lost even its smell, unlike other spirits that smell of petrichor. In a memorable moment, the ghost asks Mal to whisper a name for it, which the listener does not hear, leading the ghost to declare its passage completed. The tone is atmospheric, melancholic, and philosophical, blending horror with historical contemplation. The style is an intimate, scripted dialogue focused on character and theme over plot-driven action. Listeners who enjoy atmospheric horror, existential themes, and rich sound design will love this episode. Those seeking fast-paced narrative or the established Archive 81 storyline might prefer to skip this promotional preview.

As heard by us

A ghost story that uses New York City history and sound design to make memory feel alive.

The piece follows mausoleum attendant Mal Fleming as he sits with the dead and tries, name by name, to help them loosen their hold on this world.

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Why you'd press play

If you want ghosts with history, this one starts talking before the door fully opens.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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