The Witch of En-Dor

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on The Chosen People. 00:00:05 Speaker 2: Samuel, please, I have sinned. I feared the people. I listened to them instead of God. But it was not my will. Please, pardon my sin. Return with me. Let me worship before the Lord. 00:00:26 Speaker 1: Saul's hands trembled. He lunged forward, grabbing Samuel's robe. The fabric tore. 00:00:33 Speaker 3: As you have torn my robe, so the Lord has torn the kingdom from you. 00:00:39 Speaker 2: He will give it to another. 00:00:41 Speaker 1: The Lord has already chosen him. He is a man that seeks after the heart of God more than the heart A wretched cry shattered the silence of the palace halls, a guttural wail of frustration and fury that sent the servants cowering behind doors and tapestries. There was something inside him, something dark, something clawing. He had known anger before, but this, this was different. This was like a living thing. A living thing that slithered through his mind, whispering venom into his ears, stoking the fires of his madness. 00:01:31 Speaker 3: You're no king. 00:01:35 Speaker 1: Samuel said so himself. 00:01:40 Speaker 3: The kingdom will be given to another. 00:01:45 Speaker 1: Your time is almost up. 00:01:50 Speaker 3: Your memory will fade. 00:01:55 Speaker 4: Your legacy will burn. 00:01:57 Speaker 2: Nobody will remember you. 00:02:08 Speaker 1: The heavens had forsaken him. Saul knelt in the dirt, his hands clawing at the empty air, his voice hoarse from screaming. The stars watched, cold and unfeeling. There was no answer, no whisper, no sign. Only silence. The campfires of his army flickered behind him, thousands of men stirring in uneasy sleep, waiting for his command. The Philistines had gathered beyond the valley, more numerous than he had ever faced. Tomorrow, he would march against them. Tomorrow, He would need the Lord. But the Lord was gone, silent, indifferent to Saul's pleas. Saul struck his chest with his fist. He had sought the priests, but the Urim and Thummim had given no answer. He had sought the prophets, but they had turned their faces from him. He had cast the lots, prayed, fasted, nothing. Yahweh had abandoned him. If it weren't for the curse of Samuel, you would still have the favor of God. 00:03:31 Speaker 4: It's his fault. 00:03:35 Speaker 3: He's laughing in his grave knowing that your kingdom is failing because of him. 00:03:46 Speaker 1: Saul's hands shook as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Cold wind slashed against his skin, but it was nothing compared to the storm raging in his chest. Fear coiled in his belly, an old and unwelcome serpent. His warriors would look to him for courage, but there was none left in him. He was hollow, a man in name only. The thoughts sickened him. 00:04:17 Speaker 2: If only I could speak to Samuel. Maybe this curse could be lifted. Maybe I could find favor again. Find wisdom. 00:04:31 Speaker 1: Saul turned sharply and called into the night. Her shadow moved beyond the firelight, stepping forward with cautious steps. 00:04:41 Speaker 2: Tarvey. 00:04:42 Speaker 1: His faithful servant wrapped a thick fur around his master's shoulders. 00:04:47 Speaker 2: My king. I need you to seek out a woman for me. A woman? At this hour, my lord? Not that kind of woman, Tabby. A woman of the world. A whisperer of spirits. 00:05:02 Speaker 1: Tarvey stiffened. Even in the dim firelight, Saul could see the horror on his face. My king. 00:05:08 Speaker 2: My king. 00:05:09 Speaker 1: You and Samuel cast out such creatures long ago. 00:05:12 Speaker 3: To seek out such a witch would be going. 00:05:16 Speaker 1: Against your own decree. 00:05:18 Speaker 2: If the Lord had not abandoned me, then perhaps I wouldn't need to seek such creatures of sorcery. I sacrifice at the altar, yet no favor is given. I shout to the stars, but no one speaks. I pray and I pray for the torment within me to cease, but God has not answered. 00:05:39 Speaker 1: Saul took his spear and swung it at a pot beside him. It shattered into thousands of pieces, flying upward to Saul's cheek. He recoiled and grabbed his face. The bottom of his eyes were stained crimson. 00:05:55 Speaker 2: What I desire. I am still the king. Bring me what I desire. 00:06:04 Speaker 1: Tavi hesitated, but he did not argue. He turned and disappeared into the dark. Saul stood motionless, listening to the wind tear through the trees. If the Lord would not answer him, then perhaps something else would. The city of Endor was a corpse at midnight, its streets empty but for wandering drunks and the flickering glow of brothels. The air reeked of sweat, burnt fat and rotting fruit. Saul moved through the shadows, his cloak drawn tight around him. Tavi followed close behind, hooded and wary. They did not belong here. The city felt wrong, too still, as if the very stones were holding their breath. At last they came to the alley. It was little more than a jagged gap between two crumbling buildings filled with refuse and the sickly stench of decay. At the far end, half hidden beneath torn drapery, stood a door of blackened wood. Tavi stepped forward first and gave two knocks, a pause. Then the door creaked open, revealing a room thick with smoke and shadow. The air carried the scent of burnt incense, cloying and bitter. Shapes hung from the rafters, dried herbs, bones strung together with twine and the shriveled bodies of dead ravens. And in the centre of it all, lounging upon a mound of pillows sewn from the skins of bobcats, was the witch. She was younger than Saul had expected, though there was nothing soft or innocent about her. Dark markings twisted up her arms and neck, coiling like serpents beneath the loose folds of her robe. Her hair was long and wild, falling in tangled knots over her pale shoulders. But it was her eyes that held sore still, black as ink, depthless and empty, yet seductive. Saul didn't know whether to fear her or long for her. He felt repulsed and drawn at the same time. She saw him before he spoke. 00:08:34 Speaker 4: Who comes to me in the hour of the wolf? 00:08:38 Speaker 1: She stretched like a cat, her limbs slow and deliberate as she crawled over the pillows and towards Saul. Her gown slipped off at the edges of her shoulders. revealing everything underneath as she leaned forward. Saul tensed. 00:08:56 Speaker 4: You're a man with shadowed hands. A man with blood on his soul. 00:09:03 Speaker 1: Saul kept his hood over him, hiding the fear and intoxication in his eyes. 00:09:08 Speaker 2: I need you to summon a spirit. 00:09:11 Speaker 1: The witch tilted her head, watching him with eerie amusement. She slid off her pillows and approached him. moving like smoke, her bare feet silent on the stone floor. 00:09:24 Speaker 4: And what makes you think I can help you? The king's eyes are everywhere. Such divination has been outlawed by Saul the Righteous. 00:09:36 Speaker 2: No, no, no punishment will come upon you, I swear it by the Lord. No. 00:09:51 Speaker 1: The witch drew closer to Saul, running her fingers up his stomach, past his chest, then to his head. She pressed her. thumb against the side of his temple. 00:10:05 Speaker 4: You are a man split in two. 00:10:09 Speaker 1: She drew her lips in close to Saul's ear, hissing as she spoke. 00:10:13 Speaker 4: I can hear the other one in there. He's screaming at you. Day and night he chit-chits away at your resolve. It's only a matter of time before he is the only one left. 00:10:34 Speaker 1: Saul flinched. 00:10:35 Speaker 4: Oh, don't worry. You are both welcome here tonight. 00:10:39 Speaker 1: The witch swayed backward toward the hearth. Her hips were like a pendulum back and forth as her hands trailed down her body. She reached behind her and took a small flask, its glass smeared with black residue. She pulled the stopper with her teeth and tipped it over the fire. The flames sputtered and flared. The smoke rose with a foul smell, rancid and cloying, thick as tar. 00:11:09 Speaker 4: Whom do you seek? 00:11:11 Speaker 1: Saw's throat was dry. 00:11:14 Speaker 2: Samuel, bring me the seer. The prophet of... of Israel. 00:11:23 Speaker 1: The witch drew a deep breath and blew into the smoke. For a moment, she said nothing. Then, without warning, she stepped back, her head lolling forward like a puppet whose strings had been cut. A whisper slid from her lips, a sound like wind through dead trees. Her shoulders trembled, her arms shuddering violently at her sides. The whispers grew louder, faster. Words in a language Saul did not know, guttural and wrong. Then she screamed. It was an awful, piercing sound, sharp enough to make Tavi stumble back and tip over some jars. The woman's body jerked and twisted, her fingers clawing at the air. Her head snapped up, her eyes were wide, bloodshot, rolling in their sockets. She bore her fangs at Saul, hissing with rage. 00:12:23 Speaker 4: You deceived me! 00:12:28 Speaker 2: You! 00:12:29 Speaker 4: Saul! 00:12:32 Speaker 1: She lurched forward, her hands reaching for his throat. Saul grabbed her hands to keep her at bay. I. 00:12:40 Speaker 4: I. 00:12:41 Speaker 2: I promise no judgment will come to you. Tell me what you see. 00:12:45 Speaker 1: The witch recoiled and looked around the room. Her breath came in ragged gasps. 00:12:50 Speaker 4: Someone is here. Someone powerful. A spirit. A man. Rising from the earth. He is old. Gloat in white. And he comes towards you. 00:13:13 Speaker 2: Samuel? Samuel? 00:13:15 Speaker 1: The fire flared once more, the shadows twisted. The witch keeled over in pain, her neck vibrating as her shrieks continued. Her eyes darted up and she pointed at Saul. Something was different in her voice, the presence of another. 00:13:33 Speaker 4: You are a judgment, Saul. 00:13:37 Speaker 1: Wind blew in from the single window in the witch's hovel, extinguishing the fire and every candle that lit the room. All went dark. Everything was black, silent, save for the ragged breaths of the witch. Her low groans fed the sense of dread in Saul's stomach. Tarvey desperately reached for a flint to reignite the hearth. When he did, they saw the witch, standing beside the flame with her shoulders backward and chin up. Her lips parted, and when she spoke, it was not her voice that left them. 00:14:18 Speaker 4: Why have you disturbed me? 00:14:22 Speaker 1: Saul recoiled, his pulse hammering in his skull. 00:14:26 Speaker 2: Sam? Samuel? Samuel? I am in great distress. The Philistines gather against me in numbers beyond counting. My army is afraid. My heart trembles, trembles within me. 00:14:44 Speaker 1: Saul bowed before the woman and whatever spirit possessed her. 00:14:49 Speaker 2: There is no prophet, no priest, no dream that will answer me. And so I have called upon you so that you might tell me what to do. 00:14:59 Speaker 1: Silence. 00:15:06 Speaker 3: Please, Samuel, do not leave me to my own thoughts. I need your words. I need your guidance. I have sought the Lord, but he's been silent. 00:15:24 Speaker 1: Then the spirit woke. and with each word, the room grew colder. 00:15:30 Speaker 4: The Lord's silence is his answer, Saul. 00:15:35 Speaker 1: Saul's hands trembled. 00:15:38 Speaker 4: Why do you call upon me? Everything I have prophesied to you has come and will come to pass. 00:15:48 Speaker 2: Who? 00:15:49 Speaker 1: You know who, Saul. 00:15:52 Speaker 4: The one that you've got, oh, aren't you? 00:15:57 Speaker 2: David.... 00:15:59 Speaker 1: Saul's face drained of all color. 00:16:02 Speaker 4: Do not fight it, Saul. The Lord is inevitable. 00:16:09 Speaker 2: No, no, no. I have not come to speak of David. I have come to seek wisdom on how to defeat my enemies. I. 00:16:18 Speaker 4: The Lord is your enemy, Saul. And his will is. 00:16:22 Speaker 3: Like a crossing river. 00:16:24 Speaker 4: You cannot watch what is to come. 00:16:37 Speaker 1: Saul's breath came fast and shallow. It was the woman's face who spoke, but Saul could hear the anguish in Samuel's voice. The fire gutted and spun with the wind. Then, Just as quickly as they had been snuffed by the wind, all the light from the candles returned. The chamber was silent. The witch blinked. Her body twitched once, then twice. A deep, shuddering breath rattled from her lips, and she sat up with a gasp, herself once more. Saul still lay upon the ground, motionless. 00:17:23 Speaker 4: These words exact a heavy toll. You should eat something warm. Find your strength to leave here and walk toward your fate. 00:17:35 Speaker 1: For a long moment, Saul did not respond. Then, finally, his voice rasped from the shadows. 00:17:43 Speaker 4: No. 00:17:46 Speaker 1: I won't eat. 00:17:49 Speaker 2: What's the point? 00:17:52 Speaker 1: Slowly, he forced himself upright. His limbs felt like lead, his body empty, as if his soul had already begun to leave it. He turned to Tavi, who had been silent in the corner, watching with wide, fearful eyes. 00:18:11 Speaker 2: We are leaving. 00:18:12 Speaker 1: The witch stepped back, though there was no triumph in her expression. 00:18:18 Speaker 4: If you are to fight tomorrow, then you should eat. You will need your strength. 00:18:26 Speaker 1: Saul did not look at her. Tavi hesitated, then placed a hand on his king's arm. My lord, please. Saul exhaled slowly. He did not want food. He did not want warmth. He wanted nothing at all. Yet still he sat. Still he ate. And as he stared into the dying fire, Samuel's words burned within him. 00:18:56 Speaker 4: Tomorrow, you and your sons shall be with me. 00:19:02 Speaker 1: There was no escaping it. Tomorrow, Saul would march. And tomorrow, Saul would die. Steve Gatina, Max Bard, Zach Schellebarger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Jr., Rosanna Pilcher and Mitch Lashinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by Aaron Salvato, Brie Rosely and Craig Baig. You can hear more Prey.com productions on the Prey.com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.