Come join me by the fireplace.

In this episode, we return to Camp Crystal Lake, right in the middle of winter, to revisit Friday the 13th and unravel why this date still gives us chills.

We start with a nostalgic slasher classic: summer camp counselors, bad decisions, and a mother’s revenge. We'll dig into why this simple film still works—and why campfire stories are so popular.

From there, we step off the screen and into the fear itself.

Why does Friday the 13th feel cursed? Is it myth, history, coincidence, or something darker? We explore the origins of the superstition, from Norse mythology and biblical symbolism to the Knights Templar and the psychology behind paraskevidekatriaphobia. We examine real-world crimes associated with the date, including the haunting murder of Kitty Genovese and the ripple effects that helped create 911. We even look at disasters, defiance of superstition, and the people who dared to mock bad luck itself.

We close out with a Final Fright rooted in summer camp folklore. Ghosts in the woods, phantom cabins, porcelain dolls (absolutely not), and the real-life tragedy that may have inspired one of horror’s most iconic stories.

Is Friday the 13th truly cursed…or do we just keep giving it reasons to be?

Join me at the Dark Academy clearing for a chilling journey through the origins of Halloween. From ancient Celtic rituals and headless horsemen to Victorian love charms and modern mischief, explore the eerie, fascinating, and sometimes deadly traditions that shaped our favorite spooky holiday. Along the way, encounter folklore, haunted histories, and strange customs that reveal how Halloween evolved into the celebration we know today. Gather ‘round the fire, grab a marshmallow, and beware… by listening, you are now an Inductee of Dark Academy.

Step into the newly discovered wing of Dark Academy where we’ll study the dark mind and murder spree of serial killer Edmond Kemper, or the Co-Ed Killer. Is he a soulless monster or a remorseful genius helping law enforcement hunt other murderers? Only he knows.

Not all invitations arrive by mail.
Some find you in the margins of a forgotten book, tucked inside an antique store and mysteries in whispered folklore.

In this special lore episode, I finally share how I found the Dark Academy—or how it found me? From the haunted legend of a local witch in Northeast Florida to the discovery of a mysterious note leading to a location no map dare mark.

Join me as I follow the trail that led through the portal and into the mountains surrounding the Academy’s long-abandoned halls. This is the beginning—not of its story, but of ours.
I wasn’t just invited.
I was summoned. WE were summoned.

Tonight, we gather beneath the shadowed arches of the Dark Academy Chapel to honor one of our own, Becca, on the eve of her wedding. But before she may pledge her vows to the world, the Academy demands a secret ceremony to avoid a fate darker than death itself.

Join me as we unearth chilling wedding lore — from jilted brides seeking revenge, to haunted bridal chambers, to corpse brides doomed to walk eternity alone. True crime tales of love turned lethal will serve as grim reminders of what happens when warnings go unheeded. And at the heart of it all, a spectral bride lingers... whispering to any Inductee brave enough to say "I do" without the Academy’s blessing.

Time is running out. Choose wisely... or be bound forever.

Welcome back to Dark Academy, Midnight Library Circle. Tonight, we descend into the shadowy caves where creatures linger, spirits stir, and explorers never return the same, if at all.

From haunted tunnels and restless souls to a chilling disappearance in the Arctic wilds of Northern Canada.

Join me in the Library as we discuss The Descent, cave creatures, feral men, Floyd Collins, haunts of Mammoth Cave, Anjikuni Lake, and more

Legends whisper of vast hidden worlds beneath our feet, lost civilizations, subterranean cities, and ancient beings that watch from the shadows. Could there be truth to the Hollow Earth Theory? In this episode, we open THE FORBIDDEN ARCHIVES to explore historical accounts, alleged government cover-ups, and eerie journal entries that hint at something lurking below. From Admiral Byrd’s mysterious expedition to the Nazi obsession with Agartha, we follow the trails of those who dared to seek the truth and uncover the chilling reasons why their discoveries may have been buried.

Join me as we descend into the unknown. But be warned… some doors, once opened, can never be closed.

In this episode of Dark Academy’ Midnight Library Circle, we journey into the eerie realms of both fiction and reality. First, I review Salem’s Lot (2024). I argue with myself for you. Then, we unravel three unsettling true stories. There's the case of Bobby Desmond, the young boy from Maine who disappeared without a trace. We explore the legend of Dudleytown, a so-called "cursed" ghost town in Connecticut where those who enter are said to never return the same, if at all. And finally, we travel to New Orleans to uncover the mystery of the Casquette Girls—virgin brides with a fangy secret-sent to the Ursuline Convent. We welcome you inside Dark Academy, but bewar, some stories have a way of following you home.

Chapters

00:00 Opening story

01:52 Warning

02:41.70 Announcements

04:41 Welcome Midnight Library Circle

05:41 Salem’s Lot Review

10:17 Missing Children

11:10 Robert “Bobby” Desmond

15:27 Abandoned Towns

16:11 Dudleytown Intro

17:19 Warning

17:52 Dudleytown

24:38 Final Fright

31:04 Closing Announcements and Farewell