Dramatis Personae
(in order of appearance)
Inspector ISKANDAR Meshkia, former Ottoman cavalry officer. Male, late 30s, strong Turkish accent.
JASMINE Indrani, practical ex-academic. Female, late 20s, could have a British or Indian Accented English accent.
KURT Cross, reluctantly courageous private eye. Male, early 30s, New York accent.
MARJANI Kaur, director and doctor of the women’s home. Female, early 30s, could have a British or Indian Accented English accent.
VIOLET, a resident of the women’s home after her house was lost in a fire. Female, 50s, Northern English accent.
BELLA, the young daughter of a women’s home resident. Female, four years old, Northern English accent.
WINIFRED, Bella’s mother and a war widow. Female, mid-30s, Northern English accent.
Dr. ERNEST Wilde, who far prefers the boring routines of his lab. Male, early 30s, Northern English accent.
JONATHAN Martel, defender of the Westmont estate and its young mistress. Male, mid-50s, Northern English accent.
Eloise “ELLIE” Westmont, who wants to keep her past and present lives separate. Female, mid 20s, posh British accent.
AURELIA Westmont, less than blissful in ignorance. Female, late teens, posh English accent.
JAMES MacDonald, refugee from the ransacked bookshop. Male, early 30s, Northern English accent.
Sheriff Norbert OAKS, cult enforcer. Male, mid-40s, Northern English accent.
Richard LESTER and Charles PICK, Whitmoor police deputies. Both male, mid-20s, Northern English accents.
Father John WHITNEY, Whitmoor cult leader. Male, early 50s, Northern English accent.
MARIE Campbell, unwilling cult sacrifice. Female, early 20s, Northern English accent.
Scene 1: Int. Whitmoor Area Women’s Home – Night
MUSIC: OPENING THEME.
The music fades out quickly, leaving the tense, empty quiet of the house. A floorboard creaks above; MARJANI and the residents are upstairs, while JASMINE waits by the front door. We can hear her breathing softly. Distant, muffled shouts indicate the activity in the town.
The loud, rapid pounding of a fist on the outside of the door breaks the quiet. JASMINE draws in a breath.
ISKANDAR:
(Off mike, muffled through the door)
Miss Indrani?
JASMINE takes a couple of calming breaths.
JASMINE:
What are you doing here?
KURT:
(Off mike, muffled through the door)
We’d like to take all of you someplace safer, if you don’t mind.
JASMINE:
Are you mad?
ISKANDAR:
(Off mike, muffled through the door)
The Westmont estate is more defensible than here.
We have to move quickly. I don’t want us to get caught out of doors.
JASMINE:
What are they doing now?
KURT:
(Off mike, muffled through the door)
Regrouping by the church, looks like.
Though there are still some folks wandering around. I can see their lights.
ISKANDAR:
(Off mike, muffled through the door)
This isn’t over.
They’re waiting for something.
KURT:
(Off mike, muffled through door)
Like what?
ISKANDAR:
(Off mike, muffled through door)
I don’t know. They already tried to kill the bookshop owner.
I’ll also point out the lack of a reasonable authority figure to rein these people in.
They will continue until their anger is spent.
KURT:
(Off mike, muffled through door)
You’re right. No police. I’m guessing the good father’s at the church, doing God knows what.
But they don’t seem angry to me. They’re looking for the book.
JASMINE:
The book that’s currently in your possession? That book?
ISKANDAR:
(Off mike, muffled through the door)
The book that is currently safe, surrounded by a fence and brick walls, along with as many friendly people as we could find.
Please, Miss Indrani. You and your residents will be safer there.
If the mob comes to your door, will you be able to defend it? Will you be able to get Claire to safety?
A beat.
JASMINE:
Fine.
Stay there. Watch the road.
KURT:
(Off mike, muffled through the door.)
Yes, ma’am.
JASMINE leaves the door and climbs the stairs. She knocks on the door above, softly: two knocks, a pause, and then three more. The door opens.
MARJANI:
What’s going on?
JASMINE:
We’re heading to the Westmont place.
MARJANI:
Right now?
JASMINE:
Better now than later.
VIOLET:
There are men at the door.
JASMINE:
I know.
MARJANI:
I’m assuming we’ll all be accommodated?
JASMINE:
I’ll make sure of it.
I’m sorry. I just think it will be better for us to be farther away from town, in a house that can’t just burn.
MARJANI:
I trust you.
Go down and tell the men we’re on our way.
Violet, you take Claire. Beth, you can stay with me. You won’t have to talk to them, I promise.
Winnie, can you carry Bella?
BELLA:
(Off mike)
Where are we going?
WINIFRED:
(Off mike)
To the big house at the top of the hill.
JASMINE descends the stairs. As she opens the deadbolt on the front door, the rest of the women follow. The front door opens.
KURT:
Evening.
ISKANDAR:
Is everyone accounted for?
JASMINE:
We’re coming.
You two go on ahead. I’ll bring up the rear.
KURT:
I’m sorry, is that a frying pan?
JASMINE:
(A bit miffed)
This is a shelter, Mr. Cross. I’m not going to keep a firearm in the house.
KURT:
Fair enough.
ISKANDAR:
Everyone seems to be withdrawing toward the church.
We should go. Now.
Scene 2: Int. Westmont estate, entry hall – Night
MUSIC: BRIDGE.
A rapid, tense musical interlude that fades into the rhythmic pounding of a hammer on nails.
ERNEST:
Here, hand me another one.
A dull, metallic jangling of a box of nails.
JONATHAN:
They had better not trample the garden.
ELLIE:
Hopefully they won’t come up here at all.
Looks like the lights are going up toward the church.
ERNEST places another board with a wooden thump.
ERNEST:
Here’s a question.
Assuming we all live through the night, which seems fairly likely thus far, what are we going to do in the morning?
ELLIE:
Leave.
I have family in York. We can take Aurelia there.
Or she can come back to London with me.
I should have gotten her out years ago.
JONATHAN:
Your aunt and uncle would have something to say about that.
And I’ll remind you that this is Miss Aurelia’s house. It’s her home. And it belongs to your family.
I don’t think she’d want to leave.
ELLIE:
The house isn’t as important as she is.
If my family could realize that, maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess.
JONATHAN:
This isn’t about the house, is it?
ERNEST:
Sorry to interrupt, but I think our detectives have come back.
ERNEST climbs down from the chair he was standing on while ELLIE goes to answer the door. This is a bit of a process, involving dragging another chair away and opening the deadbolt. When the door swings open, the wind is howling, stirring the brittle, dead plant matter in the fields.
ELLIE:
(Shouting over the wind)
How did it go?
KURT:
(Also shouting)
Well, we’re here.
The group from the women’s home, numbering eight adults and one small child, enters the foyer in a shuffling of footsteps. The door slams shut behind them.
MARJANI:
I’d like to take the ladies upstairs, if that’s all right with you.
ELLIE:
Of course. Follow me.
JASMINE:
Do you have a plan in case someone sets fire to the building?
ERNEST:
I’ve got ladders by most of the second-story windows.
JONATHAN:
Hopefully, it won’t come to that.
ELLIE:
What are they doing now?
KURT:
Regrouping by the church.
ISKANDAR:
They might stay there, but I doubt it.
KURT:
They’re looking for a particular book, as I recall.
ELLIE:
I’ll make sure they don’t get it.
Let me get everyone situated. I’ll be right back.
CLAIRE:
Something’s coming.
VIOLET:
Hush, dear.
ELLIE leaves the foyer, followed by MARJANI and the women from the shelter, excluding JASMINE.
ERNEST fastens the deadbolt and replaces the chair by the door.
JASMINE:
Our lives are in your hands, gentlemen.
I hope you know what you’re doing.
KURT:
Yeah, me too.
ISKANDAR:
Has this ever happened before?
JASMINE:
What, the town going mad and breaking windows up and down the street?
Not since I’ve been here.
ERNEST:
They’re looking for the book, aren’t they?
ISKANDAR:
Yes, but—
How do I put this?
If you or I were looking for a particular object, we would ask for it at the shop, or write a letter of introduction and ask to see the Westmont library.
There’s no reason to break windows and threaten shopkeepers unless one wanted to.
JASMINE:
Mostly people have left us alone.
Word of mouth brought us some women from the surrounding towns. Occasionally someone comes to see Marjani, if another doctor isn’t available.
I know they talk about us. I didn’t particularly care.
ISKANDAR:
What do they say?
JASMINE:
That we’re corrupting the local women with our heathen ways, or some such.
They can say what they like.
ERNEST:
Probably good that you’re all here.
Just in case.
ELLIE returns, footsteps rapid.
ELLIE:
The ladies are all settled.
I don’t want to alarm anyone, but Claire seems to think something’s about to happen.
KURT:
Like what?
ELLIE:
She won’t say.
ERNEST:
She’s not going into labor, is she?
ELLIE:
I don’t think so.
She’s talking about a messenger. A sign of the new world.
KURT:
I don’t like that.
ELLIE:
“The people are calling to it.” That’s what she said.
KURT:
No, I don’t like that at all.
Everyone’s gathering by the church.
ERNEST:
Well, what could they possibly be doing up there?
KURT:
Nothing good!
ISKANDAR:
We’re safer here.
We can—
A rush of footsteps as AURELIA runs into the foyer, followed closely by JAMES.
AURELIA:
Eloise!
JAMES:
Terribly sorry, I tried—
AURELIA:
Eloise, what is going on?
Who are all these people?
Why are the windows boarded up?
ELLIE:
Aurelia, please, I’ll explain everything later—
AURELIA:
No. You’re going to explain now.
This is my house.
KURT:
She’s got you there.
ELLIE:
Now is not really a good time.
A beat; AURELIA awaits an explanation.
ELLIE:
(Resigned)
Fine.
I—I don’t even know where to start.
AURELIA:
The windows?
ELLIE:
Right.
Just this evening, a group of townspeople started tearing the place apart. Breaking windows, threatening people. That’s why we’re covering the windows.
And why we brought the women from the shelter here. And Mr. MacDonald.
AURELIA:
But…why?
ELLIE:
I don’t know. I think we need to find out.
KURT:
Do we?
ELLIE:
But I need you to stay here. Keep the doors locked. Look after the women upstairs.
Keep Mr. MacDonald out of trouble.
JAMES:
I assure you, I’m not about to do anything.
AURELIA:
This has something to do with your murdered professor, doesn’t it?
ELLIE:
I think so.
I’m not sure.
I’m going to find out.
Please promise me you’ll stay here.
AURELIA:
All right. I promise.
You’ll come back, right?
ELLIE:
We’ll come back.
KURT:
You’re saying “we.”
ELLIE:
Indeed I am.
It’s fully dark. We’ll have a look around.
If anyone leaves the church, we’ll head back here and warn everyone.
ISKANDAR:
I don’t think this is a good idea.
We could very easily be cut off from our escape route.
ELLIE:
Well, the alternative is to wait until morning, and politely ask everyone what they were doing last night.
ERNEST:
I don’t really see the flaw in that plan.
I mean, they won’t tell us anything, but that’s not the worst outcome.
ELLIE:
Well, gentlemen, I’m taking my camera and my revolver, and I’m heading out.
You can come with me if you like.
ISKANDAR:
Is there a rifle in this house? What about a sword?
ELLIE:
I think so.
ISKANDAR:
A cavalryman’s saber, if it’s available.
AURELIA:
I can find it. It won’t be very sharp, but it’s in good condition.
ISKANDAR:
Thank you.
KURT:
Fine. We’ll take a walk around the ruins of town. This can only go well.
Scene 3: Ext. Whitmoor Main Street – Night
Footsteps on gravel and howling winds. The town is empty again, and an unearthly quiet has settled over it.
ERNEST:
I thought everyone was looking for the book.
Why didn’t they come up to the estate for it?
That’s the second place I’d look, after the shop.
KURT:
I don’t suppose we just had a great stroke of luck, and they just gave up?
What are they doing up there, anyway?
ISKANDAR:
I don’t know.
I’m afraid they’re organizing for a second attack.
ELLIE:
The women’s home has a broken window.
ERNEST:
I guess they found out it was empty.
More footsteps on gravel as our investigators hurry along the street. Over the sound of the wind, another scream of an animal can be heard.
KURT:
There’s that sound again.
I really don’t like it.
ISKANDAR:
I’m not sure what it is.
There isn’t any livestock, and I suppose you didn’t see any rabbits in the fields.
ERNEST:
Not even one.
A few crows. That’s all.
ISKANDAR:
It doesn’t sound like a bird.
More footsteps. The investigators have arrived in the heart of town, such as it is. KURT treads on broken glass, and it crunches underfoot.
KURT:
I can’t see anything.
ERNEST:
Can we go back now?
ELLIE:
Just a minute.
A beat as she looks around.
ELLIE:
The post office hasn’t been touched.
She crosses the street with rapid footsteps on the gravel.
The door swings open with a creak.
ELLIE:
It’s unlocked.
KURT:
Ellie, dear, we can’t be checking every door.
ELLIE:
I just want to know why they left this one alone.
She crosses the threshold. A floorboard creaks.
Scene 4: Int. Whitmoor Post Office – Night
More footsteps and creaking boards as the investigators enter the post office. The door closes, cutting off the sound of the wind. Inside, the air is still.
ELLIE crosses the room toward the back office and tries the door, finding it locked.
KURT:
Maybe the mob did come through here.
He walks across fallen paper and picks up a chair, setting it back upright with a tap.
ISKANDAR:
The young lady sat at this desk.
He moves some papers around.
ERNEST:
What is it?
KURT:
Well, either the nice girl suddenly decided that she hated her job and all its paperwork, or something happened to her.
ISKANDAR:
I don’t see any blood, but—
Another creak of the floorboards as he moves around.
ISKANDAR:
Blonde hairs.
KURT:
A fistful of them.
Do you think someone dragged her out?
The door to the back office opens. ELLIE crosses the threshold. An electric bulb flickers to life.
ISKANDAR:
Where would they have taken her?
ERNEST:
The church, right? That’s where everyone’s going.
In the background, ELLIE moves a filing box.
KURT:
Ellie, dear, we can’t stay here.
ELLIE:
(Off mike)
Just a moment—
ISKANDAR:
I think we should go to the church.
KURT:
With an antique sword and one and a half guns?
That’s not a good idea.
ISKANDAR:
You don’t have to come with me.
KURT:
That would remove one entire gun from the equation. No.
ELLIE moves the filing box again, and then switches off the light and shuts the door to the back office.
ELLIE:
You might want to take a look at this.
KURT:
What did you find?
ELLIE:
Something rather familiar.
And the telegram you tried to send the other day. It was behind the filing boxes. I’m not sure it was ever sent.
ERNEST:
This is the encrypted message you found under Milton’s.
Do you think it was sent from here?
ELLIE:
Must have been. Or sent to here, as well as London.
ISKANDAR:
I’m going to the church.
I’d appreciate company, but if you think it’s better to return to the manor—
ELLIE:
(Interrupting him)
We’re all going.
ERNEST:
(Heavy sigh)
Fine.
ELLIE:
We’ll go quietly. I think we can avoid being seen.
Scene 5: Ext. Fields outside Whitmoor – Night
We cut to our investigators climbing the path up the hill to the parish church. The ground underfoot is dry soil, encrusted with frost in the chill of the night. Wind howls across the landscape.
ISKANDAR:
(Whispering)
The lights are on.
KURT:
(Whispering)
The only lights in town.
Everyone’s got to be here.
What are they doing?
ISKANDAR:
(Whispering)
How many do you think are inside?
ELLIE:
(Whispering)
It’s not everyone. It’s a small building.
A few dozen, maybe?
ERNEST:
(Whispering)
That window at the back is lit up.
The one we couldn’t see from the inside.
KURT:
(Whispering)
So…what now? Do we knock on the front door?
ISKANDAR:
(Whispering)
Is there another way in?
KURT:
(Whispering)
It’s too dark. I can’t—
OAKS:
(Off mike, shouting)
Who’s there?
ISKANDAR:
(Whispering)
The sheriff.
The investigators stop in their tracks. OAKS approaches, crunching through the dry, half-frozen grass.
OAKS:
(Off mike, coming closer)
I see you, outsider.
Show me your hands.
KURT:
(Whispering)
Oh, no.
ISKANDAR:
(Whispering)
I’ll draw him off.
Kurt, you’re with me.
KURT:
(Whispering)
Right.
ELLIE:
(Whispering)
We’ll get inside.
Don’t get killed.
A rustle of grass as ISKANDAR approaches OAKS.
ISKANDAR:
Where’s the girl?
OAKS:
That’s none of your concern.
KURT:
I really think it is.
OAKS:
(To LESTER and PICK)
Whitney will want them. Bring them in.
LESTER:
You’re under arrest.
ISKANDAR:
(To KURT)
Keep your head down.
ISKANDAR and KURT take off across the field. OAKS, LESTER, and PICK follow. Their footsteps recede.
ELLIE:
(Whispering)
Let’s go.
ERNEST:
(Whispering)
I really hope they know what they’re doing.
ERNEST and ELLIE approach the church. The door is unlocked, and it opens with a creak.
Scene 6: Int. Whitmoor Parish Church – Night
Footsteps on a wooden floor as ERNEST and ELLIE enter the church. The sound of the wind quiets as the door swings shut, its hinges creaking again.
ERNEST:
(Whispering)
Where is everyone?
ELLIE:
(Whispering)
They have to be here somewhere.
ERNEST:
(Whispering)
It’s empty.
ELLIE:
(Whispering)
No, there’s got to be another room.
Remember the window?
ERNEST:
(Whispering)
You’re right.
It would be at the back.
Behind the altar, maybe?
More footsteps, slow and quiet.
ELLIE:
(Whispering)
There’s nothing here.
ERNEST:
(Whispering)
There has to be something.
ELLIE:
(Whispering)
Wait.
The windows.
ERNEST:
(Whispering)
What?
ELLIE:
(Whispering)
The woman at the well. The Virgin. Joseph’s brothers.
The angel in the garden.
They’re all looking back here.
More footsteps as ELLIE walks behind the altar.
ELLIE:
(Whispering)
Right about—
—here.
She places her hand on the wall, and a panel clicks inward.
A door swings open with a high-pitched whine of its hinges. The murmur of voices can be heard below.
Softly, a drone begins in the background.
ELLIE removes her small revolver from her coat pocket.
ELLIE:
(Whispering)
Are you ready, Doctor?
ERNEST:
(Whispering)
No.
Let’s go.
Scene 7: Ext. Fields outside Whitmoor – Night
The drone persists as we cut back to the desolate fields. Out here, away from any buildings, the wind is louder, slicing across the fields and through dry branches of dead hedgerows and trees.
KURT and ISKANDAR run through crumbling vegetation, with OAKS, LESTER, and PICK following.
KURT:
(Breathing hard)
If we can make it to the trees, that’ll give us some cover.
Before they start—
A gunshot, some distance away. KURT and ISKANDAR drop to the ground.
KURT:
—shooting.
ISKANDAR:
Are you all right?
KURT:
Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.
ISKANDAR:
Stay down.
Here, behind the hedge.
They crawl through dry grass and fallen twigs, reaching the aforementioned hedge.
We can hear the two men breathing as the police officers approach. The footsteps slow as they search in the dark.
OAKS:
(Off mike)
Check over there.
Very slowly, KURT pulls back the hammer on his pistol.
PICK:
(Off mike)
Nothing here.
LESTER:
(Off mike)
Come out, come out!
OAKS:
(Off mike)
Where are the other two?
PICK:
(Off mike)
Does it matter?
OAKS:
(Off mike)
We can’t have them interfering.
PICK:
(Off mike)
They can’t do much at this point.
Can’t we just wait for the messenger?
LESTER:
(Off mike)
We don’t want to be out here when it comes.
PICK:
(Off mike)
Father Whitney’s got enough blood.
OAKS:
(Off mike)
Head back to the church.
If anything moves, shoot it.
Their footsteps recede into the distance.
The drone continues, growing louder, and the wind picks up, howling like a long, sorrowful lament.
ISKANDAR:
(Whispering)
We’ll follow them back to the church.
KURT:
(Whispering)
Yeah.
We’re too late for that girl, aren’t we?
ISKANDAR:
(Whispering)
We may be.
Another gust of wind. The drone grows louder. In the distance, something huge takes a step, shaking the earth.
KURT:
What was that?
Another earth-shaking step.
Scene 8: Int. Underneath the church – Night
Here, the drone is quieter, more suited to the cramped space. ELLIE and ERNEST descend a tightly spiraling staircase.
As they do so, the chanting of many voices, led by Father WHITNEY, fills the space. The language is unintelligible, though the chant does include several instances of Iä!
Beneath the chanting, MARIE is sobbing.
MARIE:
Please, just let me go.
Quicker footsteps as ERNEST and ELLIE come to the bottom of the stairs.
WHITNEY slides a long knife from a sheath. MARIE’s sobs grow more frantic.
ELLIE raises her tiny revolver and pulls the trigger.
The shot rings out. WHITNEY screams in pain and surprise. The chant and the drone suddenly cease.
MUSIC: OUTRO.
Back to Episode 11: Dust to Dust
Forward to Episode 13: Daybreak
Full disclosure: I’m not really happy with this episode, despite how very long it took to finish. I have to remind myself that this is just the first draft. I’m still working out how to translate the puzzles from the adventure module into the audio format, there are some repetitive phrases (I think every single character has said “I don’t mean to alarm you” at least once), and the bad guys need to make a little more sense in their actions and motivations. I also need to work on making the suspense actually…suspenseful.
That being said, I’m making progress, and I appreciate you coming on this journey with me. Onward and forward!
Space Whales Press 
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