The Pale Veil Chronicles: Episode 16 - "The Fossil Record"

Location: Hollow Pines Community Library

Event: Archivist Research Session

Date: September 10, 2025

Transcript of the Archivist’s Research [Recorded September 10, 2025]

[The recording begins with the faint rustling of papers and the solemn, steady breathing of the Archivist. The sound of a distant thunderstorm can be heard, giving the session an ominous ambiance.]

The Archivist: [Whispering] "Entry one, the study is based on a book once held in the Choir’s library, deemed lost since the great fire of Hollow Pines. However, fragments remain. These fragments refer to something known only as the 'Fossil Record.' More research needed."

[The sound of flipping pages.]

The Archivist: "Entry two, fossils, by standard definition, are the preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms from the remote past. Yet, these fragments hint at something deeper—a fossil not just of biological matter, but of time and reality itself."

[A pause, the distant rumble of thunder grows louder. A soft chime of wind chimes interlaces with the storm.]

The Archivist: "Entry three, within the fragments, a curious mention of a 'Veil Fossil,' not found in any conventional scientific texts. It suggests that certain fossils can act as thin places, veils between realms. Could the Choir have been involved with more than just religious fervor? What if their interest in fossils was not for historical preservation but for something far more... metaphysical?"

Exhibit A: Fragment of "The Ashen Gospel," Margin Note

[Discovered adhered to the back cover of a scorched hymnal.]

"In the breath of the earth, the bones of the lost chorus sing. Through these remnants, we glimpse the never-when. The Veil Fossil lies in wait, beneath Hollow Pines."

Archivist’s Notes: The term 'Veil Fossil' surfaces multiple times throughout Choir archives. Historical overlap suggests these fossils are central to understanding why the Choir insisted "We do not sleep. We wait." Perhaps, what lies beneath Hollow Pines is not just geological strata but layers of time and existence itself.

Transcript of Field Research: Hollow Pines Geological Site [Date: September 12, 2025]

[Ambient noise of wind and digging tools can be heard.]

The Archivist: "Today’s excavation at the supposed site beneath Hollow Pines, where Choir ledgers, despite missing page 13, hinted at a 'serenade of stones.' Ground-penetrating radar revealed anomalies consistent with fossilized remains but with unusual, almost geometrical patterns."

[Sound of brush bristles against stone.]

Field Assistant: "We've uncovered something... It isn't standard. The fossil—it's almost pulsating. Like it's breathing."

The Archivist: [Excitedly] "This must be what the Choir's gospel referred to. Notice how the fossil's formation resembles the glyphs ◬ we found carved on the oldest chapel's foundation?"

Exhibit B: Sketch of the Unearthed Fossil

[Drawn by the Field Assistant under the Archivist’s supervision.]

The sketch depicts a large, spiral fossil embedded with triangular glyphs. It appears eerily similar to the cultic glyph ◬ repeatedly mentioned in Choir texts.

Audio Log Addendum – Night of September 12, 2025

[The sound of heavy rain and intermittent thunder is present. The Archivist's voice is noticeably shaken.]

The Archivist: "Post-excavation report. Something happened when we removed the fossil from the earth. The air grew thick, and... voices, whispers of the Choir, filled the night. They spoke in unison, a forgotten verse echoed from the Hollow Pines: 'The hollow of worlds opens. We do not sleep. We wait.'"

The Archivist: "I've reburied the fossil. Its presence seemed to distort the very fabric of the place. Time felt... malleable. I fear what unlocking these Veil Fossils fully could mean for Hollow Pines and beyond."

Marginalia: Handwritten Note by The Archivist on Exhibit A's Document

"Must cross-reference with The Science of Citrus Colors—possible connection to natural preservation and the unnatural aspects of the Veil Fossil. Are we dealing with a preservation of time itself?"

Office of The Archivist: Current Day

Confidential Memo to Self

"Remember, the research into the Veil Fossil's effects on temporal occurrences around Hollow Pines is critical. The Choir's last recorded words and their vanished page hint at a cyclic event tied to the fossil. The question remains—if what lies beneath waits, what does it wait for, and what happens when it awakens?"

[End of Transcript]

[The recording stops, leaving a haunting silence. The sound of a soft, rhythmic knock as though from the walls of the room itself can be faintly heard, growing ever so slightly louder as the silence stretches on.]