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This show, along with hundreds of others from Caloroga Shark Media,
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is available commercial free on any player. Just look for
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the link in the episode or show notes.
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Caloroga Shark Media.
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Hello and welcome to Romance Weekly. This episode is titled
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Haunted Hearts, Part two Ghostly Gala Jitters.
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Emma stared at the mountain of Halloween decorations, threatening to
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engulf her dining room table. Fake cobwebs, plastic skeletons, and
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an assortment of eerily realistic rubber bats spilled onto the floor.
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She sighed, wondering for the hundredth time why she'd agreed
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to co chair Mystic Fall's annual Ghostly Gala. Mom, have
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you seen my witch's hat? Zoe's voice rang out from upstairs.
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Check under your bed, Emma called back, pushing aside a
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tangle of orange lights. Her fingers brushed against something smooth,
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an envelope she didn't recognize. Curious, she pulled it out.
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Inside was an invitation, embossed with silver spider webs. You
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are cordially invited to Mystic Falls Ghostly Gala, where the
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veil between worlds grows thin and magic fills the air.
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October twenty eighth, eight pm. Town Hall Costumes mandatory, bring
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a guest if you dare. Emma's stomach fluttered as she
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remembered the conversation that had led to this chaos two
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weeks earlier, at the PTA meeting following the Halloween Carnival.
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We need two volunteers to organize this year's ghostly gala,
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Principal Hawthorne announced, his bushy eyebrows raised expectantly. The room
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fell silent. Emma slouched in her chair, hoping to become invisible.
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I'll do it, a familiar voice rang out. Emma's head
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snapped up to see Jack Cooper, looking annoyingly handsome in
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a flannel shirt. His hand raised, Principal Hawthorne beamed excellent.
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Now we just need one more. Before Emma could stop herself,
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her hands shot up. I'll help, she blurted out, immediately
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wondering what possessed her to volunteer for yet another Halloween event.
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Jack caught her eye across the room, flashing that infectious
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grin that made her heart skip a beat. Looks like
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we make a good team, Miss Johnson. And that's how
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Emma found herself drowning in Halloween paraphernalia. With Jack Cooper
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due to arrive any minute to finalize their gala plans.
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The doorbell rang, sending Emma into a panic. She scrambled
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to shove decorations aside, creating a small clear space on
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the table. I'll get it, so, he thundered down the stairs,
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her witch's hat askew. Emma heard the door open, followed
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by excited chatter. She smoothed her hair, took a deep breath,
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and stepped into the hallway. Jack stood in the entryway,
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his dark hair tousled by the autumn wind. Next to
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him was Max, clutching a familiar looking pumpkin. Hi, Emma,
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Jack said, his warm brown eyes crinkling at the corners.
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Hope you don't mind, but Max insisted on coming along.
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He's got a surprise for Zoe. Max stepped forward, holding
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out the pumpkin. Remember the one that exploded at the carnival. Well,
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Dad and I fixed it up for you, guys. Zoe
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squealed with delight, taking the pumpkin carefully. It's perfect. Come on, Max,
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let's go put it on the porch. As the kids
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dashed off, Emma found herself alone with Jack. She gestured
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toward the dining room. Shall we tackle this Halloween hurricane.
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For the next hour, they sorted through decorations, trading ideas
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for the gala. Emma was surprised at how easily conversation
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flowed between them. Jack's enthusiasm for all things spooky was infectious,
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and she found herself getting caught up in his elaborate
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plans for a haunted photo booth and a midnight masquerade dance. So,
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Jack said casually, as they untangled a string of ghostly lights,
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Have you thought about your costume for the gala? Emma froze.
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In the whirlwind of planning, she had completely forgotten about
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her own outfit. I am not really, she admitted. I'm
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not big on dressing up. Jack's eyebrows shot up in
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mock horror. Not big on dressing up at the ghostly gala.
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That's practically sacrilege and mystic falls. Emma felt her cheeks
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grow warm. I just I guess I've never found the
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right costume, something that feels like me, you know. Jack's
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expression softened. He set down the lights and turned to
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face her fully. What if we brainstorm together, There's got
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to be a perfect Halloween alter ego for Emma Johnson
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out there. As they tossed around ideas, everything from literary
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heroines to infamous historical figures. Emma found herself relaxing. Jack
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had a knack for making her laugh, for seeing possibilities
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where she saw obstacles. What about you, she asked, eventually,
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what's your go to Halloween costume? A shadow passed over
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Jack's face. Ah, well, I usually go as a classic monster, Dracula,
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Frankenstein's Monster, that sort of thing. It was kind of
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a tradition. With he trailed off, his eyes growing distant,
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Emma's heart clenched, remembering what Zoe had told her about
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Jack's late wife. With your wife, she asked softly. Jack
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nodded a sad smile, tugging at his lips. Sarah loved
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Halloween even more than I do. If you can believe it,
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she always said. There was magic in the air. On
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October thirty first, without thinking, Emma reached out and squeezed
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his hand. She sounds wonderful, she was, Jack said, his
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fingers intertwining with hers. For a moment, they stood there,
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connected by shared understanding and the whisper of something more.
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The spell was broken by a crash from the living room,
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followed by twin exclamations of oops from Zoe and Max.
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Emma and Jack sprang apart, both laughing nervously. We should
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probably yeah, definitely, Jack agreed. As they went to investigate
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the damage. Emma felt a warmth spreading through her chest.
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For the first time in years, she was actually looking
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forward to a costume party. The next few weeks passed
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in a blur of gala preparations. Emma found herself spending
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more and more time with Jack, their planning sessions often
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stretching late into the evening. They fell into an easy rhythm,
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complimenting each other's strengths and balancing out their weaknesses. Emma
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discovered a talent for organization and logistics, while Jack's creative
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brought their haunted ballroom vision to life. Together, they transformed
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town Hall into a spectral wonderland, complete with floating candles,
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a graveyard lounge, and a dance floor that seemed to
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ripple like mist beneath your feet. As the big night approached,
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Emma felt a mix of excitement and nerves. She had
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finally settled on a costume, a celestial themed gown that
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made her feel equal parts elegant and mysterious, but a
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part of her worried about seeing Jack outside of their
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planning bubble. Would things be different at the gala. The
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night of the event arrived, Crisp and clear stars twinkled
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overhead as Emma made her way up the town hall steps,
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her silver flecked gown shimmering in the moonlight. She paused
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at the entrance, taking a deep breath. Look like you
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could use this, a familiar voice said. Emma turned to
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see Jack, looking dashing in a Victorian style suit complete
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with a sweeping cape. He held out a glass of
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what looked like smoking punch. Thanks, Emma said, Taking a sip.
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The sweet, spicy liquid sent warmth spreading through her. You
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clean up nice, mister Cooper. Let me guess Dracula. Jack grinned,
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revealing a pair of remarkably realistic fangs. The one and only,
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and you must be the night Sky personified. Emma laughed,
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doing a little twirl. Close. I'm going for Queen of
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the Cosmos too much, not at all, Jack said, softly,
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his eyes twinkling. It suits you perfectly. They stood there
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for a moment, the sounds of the party drifting out
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around them. Emma felt that familiar flutter in her stomach,
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stronger now than ever before, so Jack said, offering his arm.
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Shall we brave the ghostly gala together? Emma smiled, linking
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her arm through his. I thought you'd never ask. As
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they stepped into the transformed town hall, Emma gasped. Their
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vision had come to life in spectacular fashion. Ghostly projections
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danced across the walls, while enchanted looking instruments played a
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haunting melody. Costumed partygoers twirled on the misty dance floor,
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their laughter mingling with the spooky sound effects. We did it,
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Emma breathed, taking it all in, we make a pretty
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good team. Jack agreed, squeezing her hand. For the next
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few hours, Emma found herself swept up in the magic
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of the night. She and Jack made the rounds, accepting
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compliments on the decorps and joining in the various Halloween
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games they had set up. Emma was surprised to find
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herself actually enjoying the costume contest and the bobbing for
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poison apples station. As the clock neared midnight, Jack pulled
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her onto the dance floor. I believe I promised you
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a dance, my cosmic queen, he said with a bow.
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Emma laughed, letting him spin her into his arms. As
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they swayed to the music, She felt a sense of
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contentment wash over her. Here in this moment, everything felt right.
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Jack's eyes met hers, and Emma felt her breath catch.
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He leaned in his lips just inches from hers. Suddenly,
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a blood curdling scream rang out. Emma and Jack jumped apart,
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turning to see a figure in a tattered white dress
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standing in the center of the room. Beware, the figure wailed,
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its voice echoing unnaturally. The veil is thin, and the
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spirits walk among you. For a moment, the party fell silent.
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Then someone started to applaud, and soon the room erupted
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in cheers. Bravo. Principal Hawthorne called out, what a wonderful
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addition to our ghostly gala. Who was responsible for this
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surprise performance? Emma and Jack exchanged bewildered looks. That wasn't
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part of our plan, Emma whispered, no. Jack agreed, his
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brow furrowed it wasn't. As the party resumed around them,
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Emma couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted the
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almost kiss hung between them, electric and unresolved, and the
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mysterious apparition. Was it just an unplanned performance or something more.
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One thing was certain, this Halloween season was far from over,
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and Emma had a feeling the real magic was just beginning.
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Romance Weekly is a production of Calaroga Shark Media executive
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producers Mark Francis and John McDermott. Portions of this podcast
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may have been created with the assistance of AI.
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Calaroga Shark Media