Welcome to Maplewood-Sparta, where suburban streets are lined with shadows.
Some say the 90s are dead and gone. But here, they linger.
So gather close for a story of Holy Week, a cross necklace from the 90s, and the secret under the church cemetery.
I call it: THE CROSS
SPARTANS! is getting its own Substack. For now, through the end of Season One (late April 2026), you can listen to SPARTANS here at The Codex and/or at the new SPARTANS Substack.
But first, a couple words.
Minisodes Coming in Late April
The final episode of SPARTANS! Season One (THE FLANNEL) drops in a month. After that, we’ll kick off an 8-week minisode series called THE METAL—an exclusive run only for paid subscribers.
You’ll get to stay in Maplewood-Sparta for an extra two months and learn more about the mysteries that surrounded the year prior to Ethan’s death.
THE METAL, 8 minisodes, starting April 28, 2026: In Maplewood-Sparta, the metal kids (Wendy, Ethan, Brandy, and Tony) think they are invisible to everyone but each other—until something in the cemetery starts watching them. What begins as a night of music, fun, and rebellion begins the slow unraveling of the group. And as hot-headed Wendy discovers her witchy heritage, she must learn there is a fine line between protecting and binding.
Episodes with Comerical Music Moving Behind a Paywall
SPARTANS! episodes that include commercial music will also stay available for paid subscribers. Free subscribers will still have access to every episode here on Substack—just without the commercial tracks.
So, if you love SPARTANS, consider becoming a paid subscriber. It helps us pay actors and keep those suburban street lights on.
And now… March’s episode: THE CROSS.
THE CROSS
This episode of SPARTANS! takes place in the present day. It’s Holy Week at Holy Ghost High and a marble statue of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha vanishes from the school chapel without a scrape, a scuff, or a single fleck of dust. Cassie—an anxious, brilliant, intensely private freshman who trusts books more than people—overhears teachers whispering that the disappearance could become a scandal, especially because Father Joe, the school’s beloved Social Studies teacher, may be blamed… and forced to resign under diocesan pressure.
Drawn by equal parts devotion and detective instinct, Cassie investigates.
In the library’s back stacks she finds parish annals, an old marginal note about a “passageway,” and a tarnished 90s cross necklace engraved with the name NOAH—an echo from the Maplewood-Sparta orbit that ties this mystery to earlier episodes. As the Stations of the Cross unfold, Cassie feels the necklace tug and warm like a compass. The story deepens into a spiritual thriller: whispers of vandalism, the politics of sainthood, and the uneasy overlap between holiness and cultural erasure. Following hidden signs beyond the cemetery fence—small wooden crosses left like breadcrumbs—Cassie discovers a sealed grate and descends into a forgotten tunnel.
If SPARTANS! has meant something to you these last 7 months, please like, share, comment here at Substack.
Or if you listen on Spotify, give it a rating and comment.
And please share with anyone you think would love it. It all helps the show find the people it’s meant to find. Thank you.
Campfire Rating for THE CROSS
🕯️ Candlelight (10+)
Advisory: Catholic prayer/saints; respectful discussion of sensitive history; mild tunnel/cemetery peril (no graphic content).
Campfire Scale
To help listeners choose the right vibe for their listening, each episode will be marked with a rating on our Campfire Scale.
Meet the Narrator
Chaia Alyss (she/her) is a juggler: actress, artist, social media personality, cosplayer, software engineer, and tosser of flaming objects. She loves telling complicated stories in rich worlds, and works to find the humanity in every character she brings to life. You can hear her voice as Evie in The Artisan Who Made Me, the narrator of Ringmaster by Abraham Josephine Riesman, and many other places. She lives in California with her loving fiancé and a very strange cat.
Meet the Writer
It’s me!
If you like my writing, there’s more where that came from at Legends of the Lost Substack—where I share my personal essays, research, stories, and writing about writing. And hang out with me behind-the-scenes on Instagram @miraclefieldnotes.
The Spartans! Series
SPARTANS! is a teen ghost story anthology—think “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” meets haunted mixtapes and 90s nostalgia.
Written by Nina Alvarez and narrated by professional voice actors, each episode is tied to a different haunted 90s wearable: a leather jacket, a friendship bracelet, a choker, a flannel . . . And to a holiday. Homecoming, Halloween, Christmas . . . The kind of objects and moments that carry memory, grief, and magic.
So gather close for spooky campfire tales woven together stand by strand like a friendship bracelet.
Show Schedule
On the second-to-last Wednesday of every month, we’ll premier a new episode—working out the kinks, building community, and (fingers crossed) raising funds to secure the music rights to someday be able to release it with the commercial music on major podcast platforms. For now, though, you’ll hear the music as it was meant to be—just for our private campfire circle.
Paid subscribers will get early access to the episode on Mondays, two days before free subscribers.
And all episodes will post without the commercial music to Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Amazon Music, and Audible the following Friday.
SPARTANS! Behind-the-Scenes
Follow @Spartans_Radio for episode updates, audio, pics, behind-the-scenes, 90s nostalgia, and Easter eggs.
The Word on the Suburban Streets
“Just listened to THE JACKET. It was so good. I had chills at the end.”
— Juliette P, New York“I believe your writing is valuable because of my instant response to it. I immediately felt in sync with the tone of the story telling for the campfire series. I found myself listening to the first two chapters (THE JACKET and THE BRACELET) over and over—then even shared with it my students, who loved it. I became a paid subscriber to get early access to new episodes.”
— Jen S, New York“We listened to THE JACKET last night as our bedtime story. We lit a candle. I felt like I had crawled into the main character’s skin—into the leather jacket. It was such a refreshing way to spend the evening, so counter to the media culture of TV and phones. People are going to love it.”
— Rebecca Joy, Massachusetts“Well, this has become my favorite podcast to listen to.”
— Kristina D, Maryland“Thank you for sharing these wonderful stories of the 90s with us.”
— Scott L, Massachusetts“THE CHAIN is awesome! I would LOVE to see a short film of this story with all the transformations of Jenny!”
— Audrey M, Washington
We’ll see you by the fire.
The Spartans aren’t finished with you yet.
-Nina
