AI Summary
5 min readThe NoSleep Podcast: Summer 2026 Hiatus Vol. 2
The NoSleep Podcast's Summer 2026 Hiatus Volume 2 opens with host David Cummings on a beach, warning listeners about riptides, before delivering two full-length horror narratives originally featured on the Sleepless Universe platform. The episode is bookended by Cummings's insistence that the show remains "human-made for human minds" in an era when some podcasts rely on AI production, and by sponsor segments for Hims weight loss medications and Indocloud cannabis products. But the heart of the episode is two long-form stories that share a common structural pattern: ordinary people stumble into situations where the supernatural is real, and their moral choices under pressure reveal who they actually are.
The Bothy: A Relationship Tested by a Living Forest
The first tale, by author Peter J. Stewart, follows a couple named Eric and Mary on a hiking trip in the Scottish Highlands. They are trying to "reconnect" after unspecified relationship troubles, but the trip has gone badly — relentless rain, mud, and Mary's simmering resentment. Eric has promised a bothy (a stone shelter for hikers) will be waiting over the next ridge, and when they find it, Mary's relief is laced with contempt. The bothy is called "Dark Forest Bothy," though there are no trees for miles.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:09) **Host Introduction & Episode Premise** - David Cummings opens the Summer Hiatus Vol. 2 episode, sets the beachside tone, and explains that the stories were originally part of the Sleepless Universe platform.
- 2 (00:43) **Ad Break: Weight Loss by Hims** - David shares his personal experience with GLP-1 medications and promotes Hims for affordable, personalized weight loss plans.
- 3 (03:25) **Story 1 Introduction: "The Dark Forest Bothy"** - David introduces the first tale by Peter J. Stewart, explaining what a bothy (a remote stone shelter) is and setting up the premise of a couple on a trip to resolve relationship conflicts.
- 4 (04:45) **The Couple's Conflict & Arrival at the Bothy** - Eric and Mary bicker bitterly as they struggle through a storm, finally reaching the Dark Forest Bothy where they hope to dry off and reconcile.
- 5 (10:00) **The Guest Book Warning** - Eric finds a guest book with a final, frantic entry from Jack that reads: "Don't listen to the voices in the dark forest."
- 6 (13:53) **The Camera's Evidence** - Eric installs batteries in Jack's camera and scrolls through photos, finding blurry shots of Jack's terrified face and a video that shows him panicking.
- 7 (18:01) **The Forest Appears** - Eric and Mary step outside and discover a dense forest has materialized around the bothy, completely engulfing it in a dome of branches.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
It's our Summer Hiatus in between seasons 24 & 25. Join us as we present bonus tales from our Sleepless Universe for those hot summer nights.
"The Bothy" by Peter J Stewart (Story starts around 00:03:45)
Produced by Phil Michalski
Cast: Eric - David Ault, Mary - Ash Millman, Jack - Guy Woodward
"The Aegis Group" by M Bohren (Story starts around 00:29:40)
TRIGGER WARNING!
Produced by Jesse Cornett
Cast: Reid - Atticus Jackson, Dom - Dan Zappulla, Michael - Mike DelGaudio, John - Jeff Clement, Abe - Matthew Bradford, Lucian - Graham Rowat, Valkyrie - Kyle Akers, Bravo - Jesse Cornett, Hannah - Nichole Goodnight
This episode is sponsored by:
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Indacloud - IndaCloud is a fully legal online cannabis dispensary for gummies, exotic flower, premium prerolls, Zero Sugar THC Sodas, Energy Gummies, and Extra Strength Sleep Gummies. If you're 21 or older, go to indacloud.co/nosleep to get 30% off your first order.
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Musical scores composed by: Brandon Boone
Summer 2026 Hiatus 01 illustration courtesy of Alexandra Cruz
The NoSleep Podcast is Human-made for Human Minds. No generative AI is used in any aspect of work.
Audio program ©2026 - Creative Reason Media - The copyrights for each story are held by the respective authors. No duplication or reproduction of this audio program is permitted without the written consent of Creative Reason Media. No part of this audio program may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems. All rights reserved.
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