Shownotes
CW: Violence, Loud Noise, Intentional Misgendering
Xerxes is attacked in the scrapyard.
The group decides that enough strange things are going on that they should form a coterie to investigate everything.
Ollie makes a new friend at the coffee shop
Conrad, Jeff, and Ollie go spooky spelunking
Ashley and Renée make an unsettling discovery about the town.
Special thanks to Persephone Valentine, executive producer/ CEO ArcanaCastLLC
Transcripts
,:
FADE IN:
Ext. of Xerxes’s Scrapyard, at night.
1. The monster roars.
XERXES
Note: revise estimates regarding Mrs. Castellanos’s cognitive decline.
2. The monster stomps closer and smashes aside a pair of wrecked vehicles.
3. The monster leans down and makes an insectile clicking noise very close to Xerxes.
4. The monster begins to roar, but the deafening retort of a .44 firing at close range cuts it off, the bullet dealing little real damage. The monster takes two quick steps backwards.
MONK
Well?! Don’t just stand there, move!
5. Two pairs of booted footsteps running across the dirt and detritus of the scrapyard. After a split second, the monster hiss/shrieks and stomps after them.
6. Two shots from the .44 ring out, hitting the monster but again doing little to discourage it.
MONK
It’s almost on us! Which way?
XERXES
There! Into the garage!
7. Two pairs of booted footsteps running across dirt and detritus and then suddenly running across concrete.
MONK
The door! The door! Get the door!
1. Monk fires two more rounds at the approaching monster.
2. The chain of a metal garage door works furiously, the door slamming down. Almost immediately the monster crashes into it.
3. The monster pounds on the door periodically in frustration, the metal of the door bending and screeching.
XERXES
How much more ammunition do you have?
MONK
Some, not enough. Do you have anything explosive in here?
XERXES
Not technically, but for our purposes the acetylene tank in the corner should suffice.
MONK
On the trolley?
XERXES
On the trolley.
4. 2 sets of booted footsteps dashing over cement.
MONK
Ready?
XERXES
Ready.
MONK
Lift.
XERXES
MONK
1. The acetylene cylinder settles into place on the trolley. The monster continues to smash on the garage door, which starts to give way.
MONK
I’ll lever that cabinet over as cover, you get ready with the trolley.
XERXES
I’d argue, but I’ve never been great with handguns.
2. The monster continues to tear at the door.
MONK
3. A cabinet full of hardware crashes onto its side.
XERXES
Shall I?
4. The monster continues to tear at the door.
MONK
Wait.
5. Monk pulls back the hammer on the revolver.
XERXES
Now?
6. The monster continues to tear at the door.
MONK
Wait.
7. The monster continues to tear at the door.
XERXES
Now?
MONK
Now.
XERXES
1. The trolley rolls across the concrete floor
MONK
With me, behind the cabinet!
2. Booted footsteps running across concrete, a body sliding into cover.
3. The monster finally tears through the garage door with a crash.
4. Monk fires the revolver, hitting the tank of acetylene, causing an explosion.
5. The monster howls in pain, thrashing around, and runs off into the darkness. The sound of fire in the background.
XERXES
MONK
6. Booted foot scrapes across the ground as someone shifts position.
MONK
Xerxes Medina, I presume?
XERXES
And you would be Professor Monk Bailish.
MONK
How do you know who I am?
XERXES
Leaving aside the reciprocal for the moment, I attended a lecture you gave at Arkhatonic University a number of years ago.
MONK
Ah. M-Theory and the Ethics of Quantum Experimentation. I seem to recall that the keynote speaker was somewhat lackluster. The hor d'oeuvres at the reception were rather tasty.
MONK (CONT’D)
Do you have much trouble with the police here?
XERXES
In this town? Are you joking? I’d be shocked if anyone even calls this in.
1. Cue Theme Song and Title Credits
Int. of Unhallowed Grounds late at night.
2. Fade in with Tigerblood Jewel’s ‘Lasers and Stuff’ quietly in the background
3. The occasional scuff of a chairleg on linoleum, the creak of chairs as people shift position, coffee drinking noises from the crew.
RENÉE
This place looks different after hours. Are there any more of those pastries left?
OLLIE
Yeah, we got two danishes and a hand pie.
RENÉE
No scones?
OLLIE
A couple, but those’re for Mr. Erikson. They keep better, and since he doesn’t have a fridge or anything…
RENÉE
Yeah, totally. Makes sense. Hook me up with a danish?
1. The rattle of a small plate being plunked onto a counter, along with a pastry placement sound effect.
OLLIE
Voilà!
RENÉE
You’re the best, thanks.
OLLIE
An indisputable fact. You want anything, prof?
CONRAD
I think I’m happy with my tea.
RENÉE
It’s on me. Or, technically, my dad.
CONRAD
Oh! Ah, well then. The hand pie. Very kind of you.
OLLIE
Coming right up.
ASHLEY
So go through the car thing with me again.
XERXES
Alright, you are familiar with the pap about multiverses from those movies, yes?
OLLIE
Get off your high horse before you brain yourself on one of the ceiling beams, Zerk. You liked that one with the fall of Asgard.
XERXES
I thought the director could have done more with his messages regarding colonialism.
OLLIE
If he’d pushed it any further the corporate goons would have pulled the plug and you know it.
ASHLEY
I am aware of the many worlds theory, yes.
XERXES
Excellent. I still need to do a great many more tests, but my preliminary findings are that the car we found present as Mrs. Castellanos’s house is either from… some place else… or has been in close contact with something that is, which forced it to take on characteristics from said… other place.
CONRAD
“It’s not from around here,” as Samuel would say.
ASHLEY
Who?
CONRAD
A maintenance worker at the college. He’s nice enough as long as you’re not near any stairs.
1. The familiar sound of the Unhallowed Grounds door with bell opening, footsteps, door close, footsteps.
JEFF
Hey everybody. Sorry I’m late.
OLLIE
Come on in, grab a seat.
RENÉE
There’s an open one near Ashley.
JEFF
Um, yeah, thanks.
1. Booted footsteps on linoleum, chair scraping, body settles into chair.
ASHLEY
Everything okay?
JEFF
More or less. My ex was thinking maybe we should pull Emma from school, with everything going on. Had to talk that through.
OLLIE
Can I get you anything?
JEFF
Nah, I’m good. Thanks, though.
XERXES
Can we get started, then? Maybe turn off the music?
OLLIE
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
2. Music ends with a click.
RENÉE
Soooooo… who wants to kick things off?
OLLIE
Ooh, ooh, let me, let me! I hereby call this meeting of the Midnight Socie[ty]—
XERXES
No.
CONRAD
Talk about a deep cut.
XERXES
And, just to head things off, I promise: if anyone tries to label us associates with a talking dog, I’m leaving you all to die.
OLLIE
He didn’t really talk, though. It was more of a warble…
1. Chair scrapes, footsteps as Ashley stands.
ASHLEY
Hi, everyone! I’m equal parts surprised and dismayed that I’m the one stepping up to run this thing. But, since nobody else is, here we go! We’re here tonight because a lot of weird stuff has been happening in town. Do we want to start with a quick rundown of what’s happened?
JEFF
Ah, well. There’s the monster, and power outages, and Mrs. C’s car getting messed up.
CONRAD
I’ve been seeing a number of posters about missing people, and I swear I saw a cop taking one down once.
OLLIE
Garden of Teeth. Sounds like a badass band, is actually much less cool than you might think.
XERXES
The anomaly at the scrap yard, which may or may not be connected to the creature. Correlation vs. causation and all that.
ASHLEY
I got pulled over by an officer who does not, in point of fact, exist.
CONRAD
Oh, there’s this weird… passageway? Under the college. I was told it’s an old steam tunnel, but I don’t think that’s right. It gave me the heebie jeebies, though.
RENÉE
I still say there’s something up with that John Walters guy.
ASHLEY
Good, good. Okay, so does anyone think we should bring this up with the police?
EVERYONE
OLLIE
What, Beaumonte and her stormtroopers? Those fucks are about as useful as a bagful of glass hammers.
ASHLEY
You are not wrong.
XERXES
They would probably blame us for anything we reported.
ASHLEY
You are also not wrong. So where does that leave us?
JEFF
Looking out for each other.
CONRAD
So what, are we starting a mutual aid network?
OLLIE
Sure sounds like it. I’ll set up a corkboard in the back here at Unhallowed Grounds. Does somebody else want to start up a Facecult page or an Instatok or something?
ASHLEY
I can do that.
JEFF
Hey, Conrad: could you get me in to see that passageway?
CONRAD
I can’t see why not.
OLLIE
Oh, count me in for spooky spelunking too!
CONRAD
Uh… sure. The more the merrier, yes. Good.
ASHLEY
Fantastic. Xerxes? Any big plans?
XERXES
Yes, actually. I’ve run into an… old acquaintance. I think they’ll be able to help me with some of the tests I need to run.
OLLIE
‘Old acquaintance’ as in ‘Old Flame?’ Eh?
XERXES
‘Old acquaintance’ as in ‘a theoretical physicist who was on track to be as famous as Einstein until they dropped out of the public eye suddenly and completely some number of years ago.’ And they seem to be a dead shot, which is proving to be more useful than I’d like.
ASHLEY
Sounds great. Renée, what about you?
RENÉE
Nothing much. Keep an eye on Mrs. C. when I can, I guess.
ASHLEY
Any chance you could help me? I think I’m going to head to the college library, see if I can work out the locations of the incidents and look for a pattern or something.
RENÉE
What, like we put pins in a map and find out it’s all a giant pentagram?
ASHLEY
Pretty much exactly that, yes.
RENÉE
Why not just use the map app on your phone?
ASHLEY
I have a hunch we’re going to want to look at pre-digital records while we do this. Plus, research is cooler when you can smell the books.
RENÉE
Iiiii don’t understand, but I have nothing better to do. Sure, let's go sniff old books.
ASHLEY
That’s the spirit!
CONRAD
Do you have access to the Union Monitor’s archives?
ASHLEY
Sure do.
CONRAD
I’m wondering if you might want to start trawling for older stories that may prove pertinent.
ASHLEY
Great idea! I’ll see if we have any likely names on record connected to stories of strangeness, try to interview anyone who seems like they might know something. Okay! Seems like we’ve all got homework. Anyone else have anything they want to add before we call it??
OLLIE
I hereby declare this meeting of the Midnight S[ociety]—
XERXES
No.
1. Music to mark scene change.
2. Fade in background noise from Unhallowed Grounds during the lunch rush. Cups are set down as the Barista lists off drinks.
BARISTA
Alright, I’ve got two chais, a latte, and a Death to the Establishment with extra foam. Is it always like this?
OLLIE
Welcome to the lunch rush.
BARISTA
I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it.
OLLIE
Pfff, you’re doing great. Soon you’ll be a master, and then you can strike me down to take my place, but I shall rise again, more powerful than you can possibly imagine!
BARISTA
I dunno. I can imagine a lot.
OLLIE
See? I knew I hired you for a reason.
3. Door open/bell jingle, booted footsteps, door close/jingle. Background noise quickly fades to nothing, ending with a final quiet clatter.
VICTORIA
Nothing to see here, folks. Please, continue enjoying your afternoon.
1. Background noise and conversation picks up again.
OLLIE
Are we doing the dance again?
VICTORIA
If it’s got a good beat, how can we not?
BARISTA
Is… is someone in trouble?
VICTORIA
Should someone be in trouble?
OLLIE
Don’t worry about this, you go check on table three. I’ll help the… officer.
VICTORIA
Aw, thank you! Always a treat to be served by the proprietress.
OLLIE
Did you want to order something?
VICTORIA
In fact, I do! I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth. What is the stickiest, sugariest drink you carry?
OLLIE
Probably the Caramel House Slaughter.
VICTORIA
Sounds perfect. May I please have a medium Caramel House Slaughter in a large cup, with twelve pumps of lavender and twelve pumps of peppermint?
OLLIE
One crime against good taste, coming up.
1. Drink-making noises.
VICTORIA
So is there a trick to making this drink?
OLLIE
Y’know, there is? And like any magician, I cannot possibly reveal my secrets.
VICTORIA
Afraid I’ll call the Board of Health if I can prove you spit in it?
OLLIE
No, but I do worry you could just make it at home. We might lose your business, and then where would we be?
VICTORIA
Hopefully in the gutter, or, even better, back in your parents’ basement in…where are you from again?
OLLIE
A place where everyone can vote, there is a separation of church and state, and freedom of speech is a thing. I’m sure you’ve never heard of it. Anyway…
2. Drink is poured into paper cup.
OLLIE
ACAB-racadabra! Your drink.
VICTORIA
Fantastic, thanks! How much is that?
OLLIE
It’s on the house.
VICTORIA
Is that an attempt at a bribe?
OLLIE
Nope, that is an attempt at me dodging you paying in pennies.
VICTORIA
Now that would just be petty.
OLLIE
If we’re not doing petty, why are you even here?
VICTORIA
You know, that’s a good point! I really need to hit the road. Better grab my drink and go. Oh, no!
1. Slowly pours entire cup of liquid onto the floor.
VICTORIA (CONT’D)
I seem to have slipped and spilled my drink. What a shame.
OLLIE
Yeah. What a shame. Can I make you another one?
VICTORIA
Oh, no, that’s ok. I had a good cup of coffee before coming in. I just wanted to support a local business. You take care now.
2. Booted footsteps leave, door/bells open, close.
BARISTA
…I’m going to get a mop.
3. Blaring up-beat pop music comes out of Ollie’s phone as a ringtone. Phone beep as Ollie answers. Grace is on the phone with appropriate static noise.
OLLIE
Hey, hon.
GRACE
Ollie?
OLLIE
Much as I love it when my girlfriend calls me breathlessly—
GRACE
Ollie, someone’s been following me, and there was a fire.
OLLIE
What?! Grace, are you ok?! What happened?!
GRACE
I went for my run, just my regular loop. But around halfway through, I noticed this car sort of creeping along behind me? I thought it was weird that it was going so slow, so after a quarter mile I stopped to try and see the driver. As soon as I stopped, the car did too. I couldn’t see through the tint on the windshield, no idea who was driving. I turn around and start running again, only now I take a couple extra turns. The car follows. I hooked a right onto Tomasian Road, because of the cul de sac, only when I hit the end I bolted across the Turner’s yard, through the patch of woods, and came out into our backyard.
OLLIE
Smart girl. Unless they came after you into the woods.
GRACE
No, no, I made it to our place. But then I saw the smoke. Our garden? Going up in flames! Green and blue, flames as high as the roof. I grabbed the hose and started trying to get the fire under control, but I slashed my leg on some carrots.
OLLIE
Jesus! I told you those little bastards looked like biters.
GRACE
Well, you were right!
OLLIE
No, no, fuck, I didn’t mean it like that, I’m sorry. Are you okay?!
GRACE
Yeah… yeah, I’m alright. Mr. Crawford from next door saw me. He called the fire department, got a bunch of paper towels and duct tape on the wound. The bleeding is slowing down, I think? I’m in his kitchen right now.
1. Footsteps as Ollie quickly heads out, Ollie’s voice fading with distance.
OLLIE
Alright, I’ll be right there. Have you called an ambulance?
2. Door open/jingle, footsteps, door close.
BARISTA
So… I’ll just… get that mop, then.
1. Music to mark scene change.
Int. of Wolfbrook Community College at night.
2. HVAC and three sets of footsteps on rug, then linoleum, plus cane taps.
CONRAD
My God! Is she going to be okay?
OLLIE
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we think so. They gave Grace some shots because… because that’s what you do when someone comes in with what really looks like a human bite wound.
JEFF
You’ll let us know if there’s anything we can do, right? I can make a pretty mean casserole when I have to.
CONRAD
And I can definitely check in on her when I’m not actually teaching a class. Which is pretty often, honestly.
OLLIE
Thanks. That… That means a lot. As much as I hate it, I’ll probably take you both up on those offers. I can’t leave the newbie running the shop forever. Even if she’s done a pretty great job so far.
JEFF
Does Grace like tuna? Or is she more of a southwestern beef type?
3. Footsteps stop, button push and the rattle of the summoned elevator.
OLLIE
She likes… uh… she likes… FUCK! Why can’t I remember that my girlfriend’s favorite comfort food is macaroni and cheese with the fucking cracker topping! What the fuck is wrong with me?!
JEFF
Hey, hey, it’s ok.
CONRAD
You have had one heck of a day, Ollie. And if it’s any consolation, I once forgot my cousins’ last name.
1. Elevator doors open, footsteps and cane taps as the trio shuffles inside. Down button is pressed, doors close, elevator starts to descend.
OLLIE
…Wouldn’t they have your last name?
CONRAD
Not all of them do, obviously, but in this particular instance, yes, that did turn out to be the case.
OLLIE
You forgot your own last name.
CONRAD
I did. And before you ask, yes, it was written on the inside of my coat collar at the time.
What, not even a chuckle from you, Jeff?
JEFF
Are you kidding? Do you have any idea how many coats Emma’s lost in the past year alone? Only thing I’ll say is that I respect your parents' practical thinking.
CONRAD
You know, Ollie, you don’t have to be here for the murder basement crawl. You sure you don’t want to stay with Grace?
OLLIE
She’s passed out on pain meds, and her boyfriend is keeping an eye on her for the evening. In fact, Grace specifically told me to ‘go do the creepy thing’ rather than stay with her. We actually had a fight about it, but even when she’s slurring her words she can be pretty damn convincing.
JEFF
I saw her get into it with somebody at a town hall last year? When they were talking about putting a road through those wetlands with the salamanders? Terrifying.
OLLIE
Buddy, you don’t know the half of it.
1. Elevator comes to a stop, doors open. The sound of a wheezing HVAC system and flickering fluorescent lights.
OLLIE (CONT’D)
Oh, shit. You were not kidding about the murder basement thing.
CONRAD
Nor about the need for flashlights.
2. Three flashlights click on. Footsteps and cane taps out of the elevator. Elevator door closes. Elevator ascends. Footsteps and cane taps.
OLLIE
Should we be worried about the elevator leaving?
CONRAD
I mean, it’s not exactly convenient, but Jeff has a crowbar and I have my lockpicks. We’re not locked in, if that’s your concern.
OLLIE
You know how to pick locks? Why do you know how to pick locks?
CONRAD
Larping.
OLLIE (Interested)
Wait, seriously?
CONRAD
Um. Yes. One of the systems I used to play used actual locks on treasure chests and such. You wanted the loot? You had to actually get to it.
OLLIE
That’s intense.
CONRAD
There are reasons why a bunch of geeks running around the woods and hitting each other with plumbing supplies were on watch lists back in the ‘90s. Small squad tactics, security and stealth maneuvers, trap setting, code breaking…It’s… um… it can be a pretty involved hobby.
OLLIE
I’d call you a nerd, but honestly I’m just impressed. When’s the next game?
1. The grinding, metallic shriek of a rusty door opening and closing in the distance. Footsteps and cane taps stop.
JEFF
I think that came from over there.
CONRAD
That’s unfortunate.
JEFF
Why?
CONRAD
Because that’s where we’re going.
JEFF
Of course it is.
OLLIE
Jinkies, gang, let’s split up!
CONRAD
Are you serious?
OLLIE
Not even remotely, but I had to get it in while Xerxes wasn’t around.
JEFF
Do we keep going?
CONRAD
Yes?
OLLIE
Love that unshakeable confidence. It’s infectious.
CONRAD
Like your mum?
OLLIE
My mother’s a saint!
CONRAD
And like magic, you’re angry instead of scared.
OLLIE
Dirty pool, old man. I like it.
JEFF
We’re still in the murder basement. Can we please focus?
CONRAD
Right you are. Come on, this way.
1. Sneaky footsteps, no cane taps.
2. Flashlights start to flicker in time with the fluorescent lights
JEFF
Why are the flashlights flickering in time with the ceiling lights?
CONRAD
I have no idea, but watch your step. That’s the stairway down I was telling you about.
OLLIE
The grating is up, so it’s been reopened?
JEFF
Probably the sound we heard. Alright, I’m going to head down. You two stay put.
OLLIE
Fuck that! My usage of “Jinkies, gang, let’s split up” was intensely sarcastic.
But you go first.
1. Grinding/scuffing footsteps on concrete stairs, transitioning to normal footsteps and the occasional drip of water onto concrete.
CONRAD
It does look like we’re going into some kind of tunnel.
JEFF
Not a very long one, though. There’s a door up ahead.
OLLIE
That is one heavy duty door.
2. Footsteps stop.
CONRAD
It almost looks like it belongs on a submarine. Look at the reinforcement plates, the rivets.
JEFF
And the rust.
CONRAD
How do you mean?
3. Footsteps shuffle a bit, clothing rasps.
JEFF
The hinges are rusty, and the paint’s flaking off. Badly. Look. See here? And here? This door is old, and neglected. But there's fresh scuff marks, too. It’s been used recently.
OLLIE
Can you open it?
JEFF
Only one way to find out.
CONRAD
Wait, my trope senses are tingling. Maybe listen at it first?
OLLIE
And try not to get tetanus while you do.
JEFF
Right, right. Shush a minute.
1. Footsteps shuffle a bit, clothing rasps.
2. Horror stinger starts.
OLLIE
Well? Do you hear anything?
JEFF
Shh!
3. Horror stinger builds and builds, only to be broken by—
SAMUEL
Boo.
OLLIE
Fuck!
CONRAD
Gah!
JEFF
Shit!
CONRAD
Samuel! Lord in Heaven, man, what did I say?
SAMUEL
Hunh. Can’t seem to rightly recall at the moment. Guess I was paying about as much attention to what you were saying as you were paying to what I was saying.
CONRAD
That’s… yeah, alright, that’s fair. Sorry. Ahem. So, introductions? Samuel, this is Ollie.
OLLIE
Hi.
SAMUEL
Hello.
CONRAD
And this is Jeff.
JEFF
Sir.
SAMUEL
Mmhm. So what brings you folks down the steam tunnels after I specifically told your friend here to stay away for his own safety?
CONRAD
Ah, ha, so, funny story, actually. Ollie and Jeff came by to see me at work, and… um…
OLLIE
Aaaaand we asked Conrad here for a tour! Because we’d never actually been around campus much before, and we need to find a place to… ah… Jeff?
JEFF
Play Dungeons and Dragons.
CONRAD
What? I mean, that’s right! Good old D&D.
OLLIE
I play a Bard. Level 8.
SAMUEL
You expect me to believe you’re slinging dice down here?
JEFF
We sure do. Why else would anyone possibly hang around in an abandoned steam tunnel, Samuel?
1. Music to mark scene change.
Int. of Wolfbrook Community College late at night.
2. HVAC system humming idly. Pages turn in the middle distance, footsteps come and go occasionally.
RENÉE
Alright, can you run that by me again?
ASHLEY
So it seems like most of the monster sightings and attacks have been more or less around this area here, off Andronicus Hill and Old Forsythe.
3. Finger taps page.
RENÉE
Except for the one with Xerxes, which was over at the scrapyard.
ASHLEY
Right. Then you have Ollie and Grace’s garden, which is here…
1. Finger taps page.
ASHLEY (CONT’D)
I got pulled over by the weird cop here.
2. Finger taps page.
ASHLEY (CONT’D)
And then the steam tunnel is just a few floors below us, here.
3. Finger taps page twice.
4. Chair groans slightly as some sits back.
RENÉE
Which if we connect the dots, makes…
ASHLEY
Absolutely no discernible pattern whatsoever.
RENÉE
Do we want to plot it out a fourth time? Or do we just call it quits?
ASHLEY
I think I’ve got one more round in me for the night.
RENÉE
Alright, so Step One: you get mailed a mysterious flash drive.
ASHLEY
Which leads me to this patch of Andronicus Hill Road.
RENÉE
Okay and then… you know what, just for kicks, can you add in where Mrs. C. and I had the run in with the car guy?
ASHLEY
Sure, that was on Main, right over… hunh.
RENÉE
“Hunh?” What kind of “hunh?” Like are we talking an “I forgot to gas up the car and tomorrow morning is going to be really interesting?” sort of “hunh,” or more like an “if I connect the dots I get an eldritch sigil marking the site of the demonic invasion” sort of “hunh.”
ASHLEY
Hm? No, neither. Just… where’s the road between Third Street and Fourth Street?
RENÉE
What are you talking about?
ASHLEY
Here, look.
1. Page rustles.
ASHLEY
See? There’s no road between Third Street and Fourth Street.
RENÉE
Of course there isn’t. First, Second, Third, Fourth. They’re sequential. That’s why they’re called what they’re called.
ASHLEY
I wonder…
2. Typing on a laptop keyboard, a couple quick mouse clicks.
ASHLEY
Yeah, see, it’s the same on the satellite map.
RENÉE
Of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be?
ASHLEY
Because it’s wrong.
RENÉE
And I repeat: what are you talking about?
ASHLEY
Reneé, I drive past that spot every day. There’s a road between Third and Fourth.
RENÉE
No there isn’t.
ASHLEY
Yes, there is. I’m telling you. I thought it was just Wolfbrook being Wolfbrook, you know? But… I don’t think that’s true. Come on.
1. Metal bar chair legs slide over carpet, padded footsteps.
RENÉE
Where are we going?
ASHLEY
Just to the window. See? Look, over there. That street light is at Third, and that one is at Fourth. And you see that patch of darkness in the middle?
RENÉE
I can’t see any…oh…shit. You’re right. How have I never noticed that before?
ROBERT LEVESQUE, an older college librarian with a somewhat raspy voice.
ROBERT
Time to call it a night, I’m afraid.
RENÉE
It can’t be that… oh, I guess it can be that late.
ROBERT
It can indeed. Let’s move along, please.
ASHLEY
We’ll just be a couple more minutes, I promise. Um. We’re friends of Samuel. He said you wouldn’t mind?
ROBERT
Who?
ASHLEY
Samuel? The maintenance worker?
ROBERT
I have worked in this hall of knowledge for a long time. Quite possibly longer than you have been alive. And I promise you, in all that time, we have never had a maintenance worker named Samuel.
RENÉE
I’m just going to go make a phone call real quick. Excuse me.
1. Booted feet sprinting away on carpet.
ROBERT
Leaving the studious one to deal with all of the unshelved books. Typical. And no running!
2. Music to mark scene change.
Ext. of Sophia’s House
1. Standard night forest outside Sophia noises.
2. Car pulls into rutted driveway, parks, engine turns off.
3. Car door opens, footsteps on gravel and dirt, door closes.
4. Footsteps along walk, up wooden stairs, and across porch.
5. Two firm wraps on the door.
SOPHIA
Just a moment!
6. Footsteps inside growing closer.
SOPHIA
Just a moment!
7. Wooden inner door opens.
SOPHIA
Ah, hello. Wait. You are not Reneé. Who are you?
MONK
Mrs. Sophia Castellanos?
SOPHIA
Yes?
MONK
I’m with the National Project for the Preservation of Oral History, an initiative started by the Library of Congress. I’ve heard that you know quite a lot of the more colorful local stories. Would you mind if I asked you some questions?
SOPHIA
Ah! Of course, of course. I have heard of you people on the radio. Please, come in. Would you like a cookie?
MONK
That sounds lovely, thank you. So when was the first time you came across something in Wolfbrook that you couldn’t explain?
1. Screen door opens, footsteps, both doors close.
SOPHIA
Oh, my, that must have been when I was a little girl. We moved here when my father got his new job, you see..
2. Cue Endcap Music and Closing Titles
