Soodapod is extruded into this universe from a dimension of purest fear.

It's beautiful in its own alien way, but what's the calm will unsettle you?

Soodapod Episode 744 February 12, 2021.

This week's story, this wet red by Mariska Pichette.

Hello everyone. Welcome to Soodapod, the weekly horror podcast. I'm Alistair, your host,

and this week's story is an early contender for my favourite piece of 2021.

It's a Soodapod original, which comes to us from Mariska Pichette,

and is read by Autumn Ivy. Mariska writes poetry, YA, nonfiction and horror,

and you can find all of those things at mariskapichette.com.

Autumn Ivy is an actor, narrator, jack-able trades, and possible actual act of service superhuman.

Their social media presence is a constant source of grounded, smart positivity,

shot through with right humour and excellent fitness tips.

We'll drop their link tree in the show notes. Now, get ready.

Because we have a story for you, and we promise you, it's true.

This wet red by Mariska Pichette, red by Autumn Ivy.

I lie listening to a mouse in the wall. It's tiny feet scrambling across worn boards.

It's tiny heart beating, and beating, and beating. It's not so tiny pursuer winds through the dark,

a soft caress of scales over pine. I track the path of the monster unseen from one end of the room

to another, steady in pursuit. It knows the mouse cannot escape.

It knows there are only so many empty spaces in the house.

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

The mouse erupts from the corner and runs down to the floor.

...