A Casco Bay News breaking report covering a deadly explosion on Congress Street in downtown Portland, Maine. Authorities say the blast originated in the basement of a commercial apartment building near the Portland Public Library, leaving eleven people dead and dozens displaced.

The report includes on-the-ground details from the downtown Portland Maine Old port/Arts District, official statements from state and local authorities, and the confirmed death of a Portland Police detective connected to the high-profile Evan Rourke case. As investigators work to determine the cause, crews remain on scene and the surrounding area stays cordoned off.

This episode is part of the Red in the Dark universe

A voice in the wreckage calls for help.
Leonard Voss decides to help while the children he just saved wait nearby.
Good thing he rescued those kids...
Later that night in his home, the darkness comes.

A Casco Bay News special report on the trial of attorney Evan Rourke, a case that has drawn national attention. As proceedings continue in Portland, investigators are also examining the discovery of human remains found in the remote woods of northern Maine.

Before the story begins, Leonard Voss explains the world you’re stepping into.

Red in the Dark isn’t a place where stories stay contained. They bleed into each other. They hide in ordinary conversations. They show up in places you weren’t expecting to find them.

If you’re paying attention, you’ll start to notice the pattern.

This recording is the first piece.

Listen carefully.

Some of what Mr. Voss says sounds philosophical.

Some of it sounds like a warning.

Most people never realize which is which until it’s too late.

A door latch becomes the only line between “safe” and “not safe.”
In a house that won’t stay quiet—and a mind that won’t stay still—Descent begins with one simple rule: keep it latched.
Once it slips the first time, it never feels the same again.

Beyond the Dark is an anthology series set inside the Red in the Dark universe. Each entry stands alone.

Contains psychological horror and escalating tension.

He sees suffering clearly.

He feels it deeply.

And he knows how to make it stop.

A standalone tale from the world of Red in the Dark

An explosion on Congress Street pulls Leonard Voss into a night that won’t let go.What begins as instinctive survival becomes something darker as Larry enters a collapsing building filled with smoke, fire, and people who didn’t get out in time — because good men don’t hesitate.This is Part 1 of Chapter 1 of Red in the Dark, a novelized audio series told through narration, sound design, and original music. Leonard is only one piece of the story — but tonight, something he keeps buried starts pushing back.

Prologue / tone-setter. This is a scripted work of fiction intended for mature audiences. The series contains explicit and disturbing subject matter.

Listener discretion advised.