Episode 3.5: The Library

Transcript

Part 1

Ellis East Elementary Walkthrough, May 18 


The Library


I am standing outside the library[Inhales deeply, Exhales] This is it. 



[whispered] I am home


The library is slightly narrower than the classrooms on either side of it. The North and South walls are lined with bookshelves going all the way to the ceiling, though the north wall does have the door adjoining the music room in the front corner of the library. As I enter, immediately to my left is Nana’s, I mean a large librarian’s desk with two large card catalog cabinets behind it. [sound of the catalog opening, cards shuffling] it appears to be full. 


The carpet is rich red with a gold pattern. The West wall is lined with windows, with rich damask curtains mirroring the carpet. In front of the window is a library table with six chairs on each side and six green manager’s lamps. 


The shelves are mostly empty, but there are sporadic books here and there. Mostly children’s books, though there are a few adult books and the reference section is full. There are boxes of books on the table and on a few of the chairs.


There is a large green velvet wingback chair against the middle shelves on the south wall. 




Part 2

Audio Diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume, July 20th, 7 am,


I’m sitting in my office with tea, and Elizabeth’s remaining letter. 


Letter dated February 28, 1927


Dear R,


It has been an eventful two months. I am settling in nicely to the library, Karl’s new law practice has kept him busy, and Geneva has adjusted to life in Ellis Field rather well, though she does occasionally sulk about the lack of city bustle around here. She is planning to return to Chicago for university in the fall, at which time, I will request that you look in on her from time to time. 


The school is just how I remember it, warm, welcoming, with a feeling of home, though there are certain afternoons in which it is as if a cloud has passed over the whole building and chosen to hover there, despite the fact that the sky may be completely clear. With no reason whatsoever, the colors of the building become muted and the air heavy. These afternoons are the worst for my mother and Lucy, who rush around in a state of panic until the warmth and sunlight returns. 


While my mother is retired in name, she is still around the school every day. Lucy, on the other hand, has not retired, despite being older than my mother. When the subject arises, usually from Maman, Lucy insists “they will give me a sign.” I am uncertain what this means, but I have given up trying to discover their cryptic shared language means.  


The project of the rooms underneath the basement moves on. They have hired an architect,a friendly young man named Walter who has led the charge on the construction of the downstairs rooms. He has assured us the rooms will be finished by May. I still have not gotten an answer as to why the rooms are needed, and it concerns me that they have started construction on a second staircase down to these lower rooms, one to bypass the basement, though I am uncertain as to why that would be needed. But that is not the most absurd part of this whole misadventure–they are putting in a swimming pool. I do not know if this was Walterss influence or if that had been part of the plan all along, but the pool is the centerpiece of the sub-basement rooms. Maman and Lucy have encouraged Geneva to write a poem for the dedication of newly renovated rooms, even though the festivities are three months away. The word they used was “poetic invocation”, but I am beginning to make peace with the fact that they have both grown eccentric in their old age. 


A-G Plume commentary: I admire Elizabeth’s commitment to skepticism. I hope it does not come crashing down on her as it did me. Letter continues.


Walter has brought his brother Frederick with him. Frederick is Geneva’s age and is also finishing his education in Ellis Field. The two of them have built a friendship, which I believe has played a large role in her adjustment to life here. 


A class of children are at the door, please write soon.


E. 


A-G Plume commentary–The story of the sub-basement appears to be coming together. If we can find that other staircase… Skipping the basement certainly has strategic value.


Part 3


Billy: All I’m saying is the universe gave you a swimming pool. You shouldn’t give that up.


A-G: Counterpoint-ball pit.


Billy: I see your reasoning, and that certainly sounds fun, but I really think you should take advantage of having a pool.


A-G: Ball. Pit.


Billy: Aren’t they all really gross?


A-G: This is not a publicly available ball pit. It will be fine. Plus, I’m more concerned about the fact that the pool is located UNDER the murder basement. Like, that’s a recipe for drowning. Not to mention what it could do with chlorine.


Billy: A.G, if the basement wants to kill someone it will find a way. It will create a tsunami of plastic balls. I’ll take my chances with a pool of water


[beat]


Billy: Wait, do you think the sub-basement is part of Algernon’s domain? Like, how does that work?


A-G: I don’t know. I got the rundown from Elizabeth’s letters about the place and she seems to talk about a way down there that seems to bypass the basement, but I haven’t been able to find it. Until then, we don’t go down there at night, we don’t go down there alone, and we don’t re-attach the trap door. 


Billy: yeah, I meant to ask about that. Any reason you’re keeping that on the stage? 


A-G: I don’t want to give him anything to throw at us.


Billy: Yes, but are you sure there is no chance it, like, has basement on it? Basement energy? How do we know it’s not basement-y, I mean?


A-G: When I put it upstairs, I asked if it was okay, and found “Yes” and “door is safe” spelled out on the scrabble board on the coffee table, a few minutes later, so I think we’re good.


Billy: I don’t know whether to be charmed or unsettled with the school’s attempts at communicating with us. 


A-G: Honestly, the scrabble is preferable to the PA and definitely better than seeing my doppelganger. 


Billy: Didn’t you find a planchette from a ouija board right after you moved in?


A-G: yes, but that’s a bridge too far. Especially with Mr. Basement. 


Billy: Mr. Basement makes him sound like a terrifying internet meme. But what is Algernon really?


A-G: I mean–I can’t believe I’m saying this–there is the possibility he’s a literal ghost, or there is the possibility that whatever made the school able to be what it is also picked up on the pain and anger of his death. Like, the guy had some ends-justify-the-means issues, and just seemed like a jerk in general, but he is also a murder victim.  


Billy: A murder victim who then killed someone himself


A-G: If he’s a ghost. It’s much more complicated if it’s option 2.


Billy: School, Sophia, or whoever you are, if you want to explain what’s happening, I’ll add the Bananagram tiles to the scrabble board. Give you more to work with.


A-G: Good luck with that. I don’t know that we’re going to get that answer any time soon


Part 4

[PA Crackle]

The end of a public domain song from the 1920s plays

[Transatlantic Rose in Bloom Voice] Good Evening Ellis Field! It is time for your Community Bulletin! In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Ellis Field School, you are cordially invited to the dedication of the new annex this Friday evening at 7 pm! 

The date is Tuesday May 17, 1927. The time is 8:27 PM. This is Radio Ellis Field. Next up we have “Trade Winds”

Part 5


Audio Diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume, July 20th, 4 pm


The occasional radio broadcasts are an interesting development. I think we can fairly attribute them to the discovery of the sub-basement, which seems to coincide to memories of the era when Elizabeth Reeve-Messinger, her husband Karl, and their daughter Geneva returned to Ellis Field. 


I am in the library secret room now, I’m looking around to determine if there are any answers here. 


[sounds of knocking] I’m knocking on the walls, to see if there is anything here. [knocking continues, there is a hollow sound]. What’s this? Hmmm, there appears to be some sort panel here [sound of panel removing]. It’s a lock box…


Part 6

Audio Diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume.


July 21st 10 am.


Okay, I have gathered up all of the documents I have found scattered around the school into the archival room, which is formerly classroom 3-B. It only made sense to put it in the room next to the library. 


To review, we have found documents in the following locations:

  • Assorted papers from one drawer in the basement file cabinet. Note- The A-G Plume file is still in a locked drawer in my office because the archives are a safe place, free from any nightmare fuel.

  • The files I found in the secret library room, not counting the lock box, which I will see about opening, but it will stay in the office in the meantime.

  • Yearbooks found in the library proper and the auxiliary classroom, along with class photos

  • The files found in the cedar chest 

  • Several boxes I sorted out of the rooms in the subbasement earlier this morning that Billy has carried up for me. There are a few more he’ll bring up later. I’d take care of it myself, but I still have only one good arm.

I have the proper storage for the documents, it is just a matter of sorting and dating them, which is a monumental undertaking. I am going to see about bringing in Mr. Zaffre and maybe springing Nana Plume from assisted living to help me address this. At any rate, everything is one place, so the work can begin in earnest. [muttered] at least until the walls open up and spew even more documents. For all I know, the place is insulated with them.

Part 7

Audio diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume, July 21st 4pm

I have finished Elizabeth’s letters, but I have found Geneva's journal. In this box. That Ms. Basil just gave me a virtual stranger. 

I know I have belabored this point, but I do not think Ms. Basil is good at her job.

Journal Entry dated May 7, 1927

3 pm, Ellis Field School Library

I do not hate life in Ellis Field. I know I thought I would, and there is certainly less to do here, but it is not as bad as I thought it would be. I always thought my mom was exaggerating with her stories about the school and the library, but it is even more impressive than she described. I have a key to the school and I am allowed to spend as much time here as I like. I have started waking up before sunrise each morning and walking the empty halls of the school when no one else is there. I also love living so close to Grandma and Nana Lucy. They have been busy with preparations for the school annex, and have requested my help planning the opening ceremony. 

Mom isn’t happy with the time I’ve been spending helping with the annex. She keeps muttering about how silly it is to have rooms “under the basement,” and she is especially irked by the fact that they are putting a pool in there. But the annex is coming together, and Walter and Frederick both seem to appreciate my help. Frederick and I typically spend a couple of hours each day after school getting the annex ready. This week, we are painting the walls. The pool is working, and Frederick and I have taken to swimming every evening after we finish helping Walter. I had worried that my parents would not approve, but they both seem preoccupied with their work. 

The theme Nana Lucy gave me for the poem was “the heart of a school.” The plan for the opening ceremony is to start on the stage and guide the crowd down the new staircase and end with my poem at the pool. It seems like the stage would be a better place for me to give my reading, but both Grandma and Nana Lucy said they wanted to gather the community together around the pool. 

I need to finish my poem, but I will write more later.


A-G Plume Commentary–A clue to the second staircase’s location–we will have to check the stage in the morning. 


Part 8

[A siren-like sound starts, followed by a ringing bell. Billy and Anna-Georgina have been awoken for this, and are in the hallway, over the din of it, the carousel starts up]


Billy: What’s all this?


A-G: I don’t know, it seems angry


Billy: How do we turn it off?


A-G: The circuit breaker is…


Billy: Let me guess


A-G: Yep. Basement.


[The dogs start barking]


[An ominous sound starts coming from the PA, followed by the flipping of a light switch.]

A-G: The power is out. But if the power were out, all of this would not be happening.


Billy: What do we do? 


A-G: I’ll put Rooibos in the carrier if you take the dogs to the side yard. We’ll meet at the far swingset and stay outside until morning light. But first, I need to get something from the archive. 


Billy: Deal, just be safe


Part 9

[ There is a creaking of swings and a cat’s inquisitive meow] 

A-G: [to Rooibos] It’s going to be okay, we’re going to be okay kitty


Billy: Did you see anything weird when you were leaving?


A-G: No, you?


Billy: There was like, someone in my peripheral vision but they were never there if I looked for them. Male energy, I think.


A-G: Algernon. 


Billy: I don’t know.


A-G: That wasn’t a question. [Pause]


Billy: You know something?


A-G:There’s this memory I have. It’s been flickering on the edge of my consciousness for a while. It’s started coming back to me though. It answers a lot of questions.


When I young, probably  second grade, I would stay in the library after school with Nana Plume. She was sorting books when a man stumbled into the room. Something about him felt wrong though I could not say what. Nana must have heard him walk in, because she turned around and her face fell. I had never seen her look afraid before. I don’t think I’d ever seen an adult afraid before, now that I think about it. It only lasted a fraction of a second, the look of fear, and then she stood up even straighter, adjusted the hem of her skirt and met his eyes. He approached her, muttering something about “you’re one of them…” when she tells me to go down to the kitchen and ask them for the keys… Her tone told me not to try to argue, so downstairs I went…


I just keep trying to remember his face…


[Sound of footsteps]


A-G: Do you hear that? 

Billy: Stay here, I’ll take a lap to see if there is anyone out here


A-G: Billy, I don’t think he can leave the building. 



Part 10

Ellis East Elementary Walk Through, May 18th


[*PA* Crackle]


[Very Staticy Woman’s Voice]: Anna-Georgina… Please come to the playground.


A-G: Maryann is that you


[PA Crackles, no reply]


A-G: Well at any rate, I was finishing up here anyway, so might as well go on, down the back stairs, out of the school, across the field and onto the playground.


Part 11


[PA Crackle, end of a 20s song, Radio Ellis field announcer voice]


There is a storm brewing Ellis Field! This is a reminder that we can safely gather in the gymnasium of the school if a crisis arises. Principal Lucy Hobbes will ensure the school is open to all who need it. Stay tuned to Radio Ellis Field for further updates as the storm continues! 


Lavender Evening Fog is a fiction podcast. This episode was written by Victoria Dickman-Burnett, direction and script supervision by Ben Baird, produced, mixed, and edited  by Nick Federinko with additional editing by Victoria Dickman-Burnett. Executive Producers are Ben Baird and Victoria Dickman-Burnett. The voice of Anna-Georgina Plume is Victoria Dickman-Burnett. The voice of Billy is Nick Federinko. The Lavender Evening Fog logo was designed by Alicyn Dickman and Ms. Bitey, our carousel opossum was designed by Matt Lowe.  This episode is brought to you by the opening of another path. This episode pairs well with sweet taro milk tea. 

Tradewinds was written by John Masefield, composed by Frederick Keel, and conducted by Rosario Bourdon with performances by Royal Dadmun on vocals and Francis J. Lapitino on harp. Down in Maryland was composed by Harry Ruby and performed by the Hotel Pennsylvania Orchestra under the direction of of Vincent Lopez. Both songs are in the public domain and were made available through the Library of Congress’s National Juke Box.

Stay tuned for a trailer from our friends at the Department of Variance of Somewhere Ohio, a horror comedy podcast by the creators of The Dead Letter office of Somewhere, Ohio. Check them out and ponder what it is about Ohio that inspires so many horror podcasts!