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The Compound

The Compound

By: Tom Mercer
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About this listen

A family leaves behind everything they know for a life of luxury and security in a gated compound in the Middle East—an expat dream, wrapped in sunshine and order. But beneath the manicured lawns and filtered air, something is quietly, irrevocably wrong.

Told in immersive, cinematic episodes, The Compound is a slow-burn psychological thriller about power, complicity, and the small decisions that erode who we think we are.

Welcome to Eden. The gates are open—until they aren’t.

© 2025 The Compound
Episodes
  • Part 3 - The Others
    Jun 24 2025

    Part 3 - The Others

    Tom’s family finally arrives in Zafra — but the reunion isn’t quite what any of them expected. As Max and Ivy settle into their new school and Sarah explores the eerily quiet compound, cracks begin to show beneath the surface of Palmview. Tom starts noticing signs of stagnation and abandonment — dusty cars, listless neighbours, the same playlist on loop in the café. Meanwhile, Sarah begins searching for purpose, feeling the weight of isolation and invisible rules. They’re all together again, but the question lingers: is this the life they signed up for, or just a beautiful trap?

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    26 mins
  • Part 2 - Palmview
    Jun 24 2025

    Episode 2: Palmview
    Tom arrives in Zafra and settles into the sprawling Palmview compound — a promised oasis of security and luxury. But beneath the surface, things feel off. Abandoned villas, eerie routines, and whispered stories of deportations hint at a quieter truth. As the desert presses in and Sarah prepares to join him with the kids, Tom begins to sense that paradise may come at a cost.

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    29 mins
  • Part 1 - The Offer
    Jun 24 2025

    Episode 1: The Offer
    When ex-RAF systems engineer Tom Mercer receives a job offer in the Gulf state of Zafra, it seems like the answer to his family’s financial struggles — tax-free salary, a luxury compound, a fresh start. But as Tom and his wife Sarah weigh the decision, cracks begin to show in the dream. Two years abroad sounds simple. Until it isn't.

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    13 mins
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