5. Town Hall Meeting

,: 2022

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?? No? Well, thank you very much for coming! Remember to stay in touch, and if you do anything stupid, bring a friend.

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