I Don't Wanna Go Down to the Basement - There's Something Down There

Tonight's chilling tale comes from listener Masked Rider Chris, who weaves a story of forbidden curiosity, unlikely friendship, and cosmic terror that will haunt you long after the final word.

When an 18-year-old metalhead decides to defy his parents' strict rule about staying out of the basement, he discovers something imprisoned in the storage area below his apartment building. What begins as teenage rebellion evolves into an unexpected friendship with a tragic creature named Frank - but some friendships come with a price that extends far beyond the basement's concrete walls.

This Lovecraftian nightmare explores themes of inherited guilt, cosmic horror, and the dangerous knowledge that lurks just beneath the surface of our everyday world. From mysterious Men in Black to ancient entities that shouldn't exist, this story reminds us that some doors are better left unopened.

Content Warning: This episode contains themes of mental health crisis, family trauma, and implied self-harm. Listener discretion is advised.

Story by Masked Rider Chris. Adapted and narrated by Carman Carrion.

🎧 Connect with Carman's Crypt: Website: carman-carrion.com Submit your own stories or feedback through the website

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🎙️ **EXPLORE MORE SPINE-CHILLING CONTENT:**

🔮 Freaky Folklore: https://www.eeriecast.com/podcasts/freaky-folklore

💀 Carman's Crypt (Original Horror): https://carmanscrypt.buzzsprout.com

🔍 Deadly Intent (True Crime): https://carmancarrion.buzzsprout.com

🏚️ Destination Terror: https://www.eeriecast.com/podcasts/destination-terror

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🖤 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/CarmanCarrion

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🌐 Website: https://www.carman-carrion.com/

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**MUSIC CREDITS:**

Music and sound effects provided by: CO.AG, Myuu, Jinglepunks, Epidemic Sound, Kevin MacLeod, Dark Music, and Soundstripe.

The Family Business

Carman’s Crypt | Original Horror Fiction

What if the people who raised you… trained you?

When seventeen-year-old David returns home after college, he expects familiarity. A quiet house at the end of a gravel road. Parents who built a modest cleaning and restoration business through hard work and sacrifice. A family that never missed a school play or a birthday.

What he doesn’t expect is the truth hidden behind locked basement doors, mislabeled VHS tapes, and “late-night emergency calls” that always seem to follow another missing person report.

As David begins to uncover what his parents really do for a living, he realizes they aren’t just serial killers. They are products of something much older and far more insidious. A system of conditioning that values obedience, efficiency, and loyalty above morality. A program designed to turn ordinary people into quiet, dependable weapons.

And now, without realizing it, David is being evaluated.

This isn’t a story about monsters lurking in the dark.
It’s about inheritance.
About love used as leverage.
About how easily violence becomes “just business” when it keeps the lights on and pays the bills.

In this episode of Carman’s Crypt, we explore a slow-burn psychological horror tale steeped in analog dread, suburban normalcy, and generational trauma. A story that asks an uncomfortable question:

If evil raised you… would you recognize it?
Or would you justify it?

Themes Explored

• Psychological conditioning and moral erosion
• Family loyalty versus personal responsibility
• Analog horror and hidden documentation
• Suburban facades and private violence
• Generational trauma and inherited guilt

⚠️ Content Advisory

This episode contains themes of violence, psychological manipulation, coercion, and moral compromise. Listener discretion is advised.

🎧 About Carman’s Crypt

Carman’s Crypt is a horror fiction podcast featuring original stories, urban myths, and psychological nightmares that linger long after the episode ends. These are stories about the things we inherit, the secrets we protect, and the quiet horrors hiding behind ordinary lives.

🔔 Subscribe & Support

If you enjoy slow-burn horror, unsettling moral dilemmas, and stories that feel uncomfortably plausible, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review. It helps others discover the stories buried in the Crypt.

🌐 Explore more episodes and exclusive content:
https://carman-carrion.com

🏷️ Tags / Keywords

Carman’s Crypt, horror podcast, psychological horror, analog horror, VHS horror, family horror, suburban horror, generational trauma, cult horror, original horror fiction, dark fiction, creepy podcast, slow burn horror

Welcome back to another chilling tale from Carman's Crypt! As we approach the holiday season, I've got a Christmas story that might make you think twice about that perfect tree lot down the winding country road.

In "The Christmas Tree Farm," Shay Middleton just wants to give her daughter Ellie an authentic Christmas experience in their new North Carolina home. A helpful neighbor's recommendation leads them to Whitmore's Christmas Trees—a family farm that's been in business since 1847, where the trees are beautiful, the family is welcoming, and some traditions run deeper than roots.

But at Whitmore's farm, nestled in a hollow between wooded hills, the perfect tree has been waiting for years to be chosen. And as Shay discovers too late, some Christmas trees don't just grow from the soil—they grow from something far more precious, and far more hungry.

This is an original horror story that explores the dark side of holiday traditions, family grief, and the terrible lengths some will go to fill the empty spaces in their hearts. Perfect for your winter listening as the nights grow long and the shadows deepen.

So grab your hot cider, settle in by the fire, and remember—when you're picking out your Christmas tree this year, maybe stick to the commercial lots. Sometimes the most beautiful trees come with the highest price.

Sweet dreams, and welcome to Carman's Crypt.

Content warning: This episode contains themes of child endangerment, family loss, and supernatural horror.

carman-carrion.com

**EXPLORE MORE SPINE-CHILLING CONTENT:**

🔮 Freaky Folklore: https://www.eeriecast.com/podcasts/freaky-folklore

💀 Carman's Crypt (Original Horror): https://carmanscrypt.buzzsprout.com

🔍 Deadly Intent (True Crime): https://carmancarrion.buzzsprout.com

🏚️ Destination Terror: https://www.eeriecast.com/podcasts/destination-terror

☕ **SUPPORT THE SHOW:**

🖤 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/CarmanCarrion

☕ Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/carmancarrion

📱 **CONNECT WITH CARMAN:**

🌐 Website: https://www.carman-carrion.com/

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CarmanCarrion

🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/CarmanCarrion

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carmancarrion/

🔔 **SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW:**

🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0uiX155WEJnN7QVRfo3aQY

🍎 iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaky-folklore/id1550361184

Your support helps bring you more terrifying tales!

🌐 **DISCOVER MORE HORROR:** http://eeriecast.com/

https://www.carman-carrion.com/

**MUSIC CREDITS:**

Music and sound effects provided by: CO.AG, Myuu, Jinglepunks, Epidemic Sound, Kevin MacLeod, Dark Music, and Soundstripe.

#ChristmasHorror #HorrorPodcast #ChristmasTrees #SupernaturalHorror #CarmansCrypt #HorrorFiction #CreepyChristmas #FamilySecrets #SmallTownHorror #WinterTales #HorrorStory #PodcastFiction #SeasonalHorror #DarkChristmas #OriginalHorror