Chapter 1

[INTRO]: NARRATOR

The following recordings were taken as evidence in the investigation of Anomalous Event 2014-7457A, also known as the Ella McCray Incident. All were recorded in March 2014. This collection of files concerns persons of interest A-F. 

BEEP OF A VOICE RECORDER TURNING ON. A DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES, AND SOMEONE WALKS ACROSS A TILE FLOOR.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Mrs. McCray. My name is Detective Larkin. I’ve been assigned to your daughter’s case. Now, if you could just answer a few questions.

CORA

I already told two other officers what happened. We should be out there looking for her.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

And we have people out by the river right now doing just that. But the more information I have, the better our chances are. I understand your frustration, Cora—May I call you Cora?—but it really is important that you and the other witnesses answer these questions.

CORA

Fine.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Ok, can you please state your full name and your relationship to Ella McCray?

CORA

Cora Lee McCray. I’m her mother.

JORDAN

Jordan Eduardo McCray. Ella’s my sister.

JULY

My name’s July Calligaris, I’m 27, I live in Tucson, and Ella’s my best friend.

TRAVIS

Travis Dalton Reese. I’m. . . I was her fiancé.

DALTON

My full name’s Dalton Timothy Reese. Ella’s my daughter in law. Or, she and my son are engaged, so she’s my soon to be daughter in law.

SABRINA

My name is Sabrina Constance Maron. I suppose I don’t have any relationship to Ms. McCray. We only just met earlier today.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Why are you in Sonoita, Jordan? And what were you doing at the ranch house?

JORDAN

We were having an engagement party for my sister and her fiancé, Travis. Travis’s dad rented it for everyone. I guess because Ella and Travis both like wine, and so does my mom, so I think the plan was to go around to the wineries. You know, because that’s mainly what’s around here, in this town. Vineyards and stuff like that. At least, that’s what they were going to do. I’m still only 20, so. . .

DETECTIVE LARKIN

And how well do you know Travis? Your sister’s fiancé?

JORDAN

Not that well. He seems ok, I guess.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I see. And how well do you know Ella?

JULY

She’s my best friend. I mean, she’s practically family. Is family. I spent some time living with her and Cora and Jordan in high school, when I was having trouble at home. I’m going to be. . . I’m supposed to be her maid of honor.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Now, July, the name you gave the officer at the scene and the name on your driver’s license don’t match, can you—

JULY

July’s my real name, it’s just not the name on all of my documents. Now, you want to ask me more irrelevant questions about my transition or do you want to do your fucking job and find Ella?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

My apologies, July. What about Travis? What do you think of him?

JULY

. . . if Ella’s happy with him, then I’m happy for her. He’s not exactly my type, but whatever. I don’t think the dude’s a serial killer or anything, he’s just kinda. . . normal. You know, boring. Basic.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Travis, do you get along with Ella’s family? Cora and Jordan and July?

TRAVIS

Um. Yeah. Mostly. Cora’s always been nice. Jordan’s quiet but I think he’s a good kid. July. . . Well, she was Ella’s best friend, so we spent a lot of time together, but I don’t think she likes me. Not that it matters now.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

How well did you get along with Ella, Mr. Reese?

 DALTON

Please, call me Dalton, Detective. And I, well, I think she’s a wonderful girl. She’s been great for Travis. My son’s a good kid, but he can be so driven, and she reminds him to have fun, so—Uh, look, shouldn’t we be out looking for her? Does this really matter right now?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Yes, Travis, I’m afraid these questions do matter right now. You see, when I investigate a missing person’s case, I have to move very quickly, but I also have to understand everyone involved. Otherwise, I might waste a lot of time on dead ends. So please just answer the questions. I promise you, I’m very good at my job, and I really do need this information.

TRAVIS

Well, it doesn’t matter. She’s dead. If you’re not a homicide detective, this is a waste of time anyway. I saw her die. I fucking saw it happen.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I’m not at all convinced of that, Travis. And, just in case you’re wrong, we really need to move quickly here. So, once again, will you please tell me how well you and Ella got along.

TRAVIS

We got along great. (voice breaking) I loved her.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Do you get along with Ella, Sabrina?

SABRINA

I only just met her today so I really can’t say one way or the other how we’d get along. I doubt we exchanged twenty words.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I see. And why were you at the property, Sabrina?

SABRINA

I’m the caretaker. I live in the smaller house on the edge of the property, and I make sure everything is ok with the vacation rental, the ranch house. I just went to the main house to drop off a complementary bottle of wine and see if they needed anything.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Cora, was anyone else supposed to be at the ranch for the weekend? Anyone else coming in later?

CORA

Uh, yeah. A few people. Jordan’s father, Esteban.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Not Ella’s father?

CORA

No. He’s out of the picture. Esteban, Jordan’s father, has been more of a dad to Ella than anyone else. He was supposed to fly in tomorrow.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

And what about Ella’s father? Do you know his whereabouts?

CORA

No fucking idea. But it doesn’t matter, he never had anything to do with Ella.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Right. Was anyone else scheduled to come to the ranch house?

JULY

My girlfriend, Stephanie. She couldn’t get off work until tomorrow, so she’s coming in then.

DALTON

My wife, Peggy, and our daughter Tracey. Travis’s sister. I was on a business trip before this so I flew separately, but they’re supposed to get here the day after tomorrow.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

How did Ella seem, in the day or two leading up to the disappearance?

TRAVIS

Normal. Fine. Nothing unusual.

JORDAN

Um. . . I think she was a little nervous. For a few days before. Just, you know, wedding stuff. Stress.

CORA

She was distracted. Really distracted. Ella’s always been high-energy, active, but today was different. She was. . . hyper, I guess would be the best way to put it. We had lunch at the ranch house, so Jordan and July and I could meet Dalton for the first time. And the whole time Ella just couldn’t stop fidgeting. It was like she was a six year old again.

DALTON

I did think her behavior during lunch was a little odd. Ella’s usually so friendly. Very social, very at ease with large groups of people. But today, at the ranch house, she seemed agitated. She didn’t respond when I asked her a question. Cora asked her what was wrong, but she just brushed it off. At the time, I just thought it was the pressure of her family meeting me for the first time.

JULY

It was like the girl was tweaking, man. I mean. . . Oh, fuck, not literally. Ella would never do anything like that. I just mean she was amped up. All over the place. She didn’t touch her food at lunch. She kept, I don’t know, humming, singing something under her breath. I couldn’t tell what it was.

SABRINA

I got to the house while they were having lunch. The property owners wanted me to drop off a complementary bottle of sparkling wine, since it was an engagement party. The owners also own the tasting room where I work. You know, my other job. So I just went straight from the winery to the ranch house to drop off the bottle. I met all of them, then, including Ella. I don’t know what she’s like normally, but she seemed distracted at the time.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Can you describe what happened just before the disappearance?

SABRINA

Well, I dropped off the bottle of wine, and congratulated them on their engagement. I was just about to leave, at that point, but Ella stopped me. She asked about the hiking trails around the property. She asked if there was a river. I told her yes. Or, it’s a stream, really, but yes.

JULY

And then Ella just, like, straight up demanded that this Sabrina woman show her where the water was. It was pretty awkward, to be honest.

CORA

We hadn’t really planned on hiking. The plan had been to go to some of the wineries, but Ella seemed, just, really set on hiking to the river near the edge of the property.

TRAVIS

Ella wanted to take a walk. There’s nothing weird about that. I just wish I’d stopped her.

SABRINA

I felt a little put on the spot, but it wasn’t a long walk to the water, so I decided it couldn’t hurt. I told Ella I’d show her the river, and then the rest of the group wanted to come along so they joined us. It was about a fifteen-minute walk.

JORDAN

We were walking down to the river, and I asked Ella what was up. She said she could hear something. I didn’t know what she meant. I asked her what it was, and she seemed like she couldn’t really describe it, but she said she was looking for it. She thought it was down by the river.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Now, I realize this is difficult, but could you walk through what happened at the river? In as much detail as you can, please.

CORA

We. . . We went down the hiking trail. Through the woods. We came to this spot next to the river. It’s not even a river, really, just a stream. And Ella, she seemed distracted, like she could hear something. She went ahead of the rest of us and stood on this big flat rock on the edge of the river. And then. . . Look, I know how crazy this is going to sound, but I swear to God this is what I saw. Or what I thought I saw. I heard this weird buzzing noise. And then the air got really hot, and really dry. I thought I was having a stroke. I’m a nurse, and I’ve had patients describe something like that. But then I started seeing things. The river just dried up. Just, all of the water gone. It happened in less than ten seconds. And then the landscape was just different. That area, it was so pretty before. You know, those hills, covered in grass, and lots of little trees and streams? But all of that was just gone. It was just desert. Totally barren desert, too, just flat and hot and dry, like the areas around Phoenix. Ella, she. . . [grows tearful] walked right off into that desert. She just walked away. I tried to follow her, but I looked down at the ground for a second, and when I looked up, the stream was back where it belonged, and the desert was gone. And so was Ella.

JULY

Ok. Here we go. I can’t believe I’m actually freaking saying this, but here’s what I saw. Ella stepped up onto a rock next to the stream. Then it was like, I don’t know, it’s like the landscape changed. Like, you know how out there by the vineyards is lots of hills and grass, and most of the trees are pretty small and stubby? Right, well, all the sudden that’s not what it looked like out there. All the sudden it was a forest. Like a real forest, with big tall trees. No paths, either, just this forest that looked like no one had ever been there. And there were. . . things, in the trees. Flying things.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Birds?

JULY

No. Too big, and. . . No. They weren’t birds.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

What happened after you saw the trees?

JULY

I started freaking the fuck out, obviously. But Ella seemed calm. She just stood there on that rock and watched those things flying around in the trees. Then she, uh. . . God. She changed.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Changed how?

JULY

Like, her body. All of her. Her skin got all weird and leathery, and her face changed shape. Like it wasn’t really human anymore. I don’t know what it looked like, but it wasn’t human. And her legs started bending in different directions, like a bird. She. . . grew wings. These wings just grew out of her back, and then she jumped off the rock and flew up toward the trees, and she looked just like those other things flying around up there. Then I blinked and everything was back the way it was, except Ella was gone. [Pause]. Don’t fucking look at me like that. I know how it sounds. I’m not saying that’s what really happened, I’m just saying that’s what I saw. Somehow.

JORDAN

Ella pushed past me and went to the riverbank. She stepped up onto this rock, like she was trying to see something in the distance. I heard this weird noise. Like a hum, I guess, like some kind of machine. And then, just, out of nowhere, there was this thing in the air above Ella.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

What kind of thing?

JORDAN

I don’t know. Like a cube. Or, technically I guess it was a rectangular prism. A big block. Maybe twenty feet tall and five feet across.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

What happened then?

JORDAN

Part of it opened. There wasn’t a door or anything, I just blinked and there was this dark open spot on the front of the thing. And this. . . Well, not really light, because it was dark, but this shadow kind of beamed down onto Ella. The humming got louder, and Ella seemed like she was listening to it. Then she turned back to me and said something.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

What did she say?

JORDAN

She said, “The Green Man is going to need your help, Jordan.” Then it was like the shadow just pulled her up into the block, and it was just gone.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Do you know who she meant by that? The Green Man?

JORDAN

No. I have no idea.

DALTON

As soon as she was on that rock, everything about her changed. I don’t understand how, but her clothes were completely different. Her hairstyle, everything.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Different how?

DALTON

It was almost like she was dressed up for a costume party. A kind of flapper dress, pearls, a little black hat. Her hair, you know, her hair is almost down to her waist, but at that moment it looked like it was in, I guess you’d call it a bob. Something short.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

So like she was in the 1920s?

DALTON

I guess so. I’m not an expert, but that’s certainly what it looked like to me. And it wasn’t just her, it was everything around her. There had been just that little stream in front of her, but then it looked like a street. A busy street with cars, and people, and all the women were dressed like her. The cars were classics, maybe even Model Ts. Like it was another time. I was so distracted by that street, I didn’t notice Ella was walking down it until she disappeared behind a cab. I tried to follow her, but then the street was just gone.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Can you remember anything specific about the street, something that will help us identify it?

DALTON

Well. . . I mean, the street wasn’t really there, was it? I must have hallucinated it. Maybe I hit my head and don’t remember, or maybe I was exposed to something. Right? Like a drug?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

That’s probably true, Dalton, but details might still be important. Do you remember anything else?

DALTON

Um. . . There was a store across the street. It looked like a drug store. The name on the outside was Maxwell and Wright’s Chemists, I’m pretty sure. I noticed it because I don’t remember the last time I heard of a drug store referred to as a “chemist’s”.

SABRINA

We reached the riverbank. I had been leading the group, up until that point. Then, all of the sudden, Ella pushed past me. I stumbled and almost fell. I was annoyed, and I started to say something to her about it. But she held up a hand and told me to be quiet. She stepped up onto a rock next to the river. Then out of nowhere there was this. . . I don’t know how to describe it. This bright white light. But it wasn’t like sunlight or light from a bulb. It was almost like a liquid. It just filled the air above the river, all around Ella, and it didn’t seem like it had any real source. I felt so strange looking at it. It was almost like. . . No, I don’t know how to explain it. Anyway. I fell to my knees, but Ella just stared into the light. I could see her clearly, even though the light was so bright she should have just been a silhouette. She turned back to me and said something.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

What did she say?

SABRINA

She said, “Help them find the liar.” I don’t know what she meant by that. And then, just after she said that, she turned back toward the light, and she just vanished. The light faded, and she was gone.

TRAVIS

A guy in a black trench coat stabbed Ella. She’s dead.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Travis, I know this is painful, but I need as much detail as possible.

TRAVIS

Goddammit. I can’t believe you’re making me tell this again. Fine. Ella was at the front of the group. We were all on the path through the trees. She got to the stream first. She stepped up onto a rock and held up her hand like she wanted the rest of us to wait. I don’t know why. I guess she saw something.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Good. What happened next?

TRAVIS

This. . . This guy, in a long black coat, came out of nowhere. He must have been hiding in the bushes.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Can you describe what he looked like?

TRAVIS

Tall, I think. Dark hair. I don’t know, I didn’t get a look at his face.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Then what happened?

TRAVIS

He. . . He had a knife. He grabbed Ella. He stabbed her. More than once. She bled everywhere, from her neck. There’s no way she could have survived that. Then, after he stabbed her, he picked her up and ran into the trees. It all happened so fast. I ran after him, but I fell, and when I got up he was gone.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Thank you. I just have one more question. Including you, there are six people who witnessed the disappearance of Ella McCray. And all of you provide consistent accounts up until the point where she stepped onto the rock next to the river bank. At that point, each of you provides a different, and completely incompatible story. Can you explain that?

CORA

No.

JORDAN

No.

JULY

Nope. And right now I don’t really care. I just want to get back out there.

TRAVIS

They’re lying. That’s all.

Dalton

No, I can’t explain that.

SABRINA

No.

END CREDITS

Chapter 2

[INTRO]: NARRATOR

The following recordings were taken as evidence in the investigation of Anomalous Event 2014-7457A, also known as the Ella McCray Incident. All were recorded in March 2014. This collection of files concerns person of interest A, Jordan McCray. Current Status: Living. Location: Berkeley, California.

SCENE 1: EARLY MORNING OUTDOORS. BACKGROUND OF CRICKETS, BIRDS, RURAL SOUNDS

JORDAN

[Fumbling as voice recorder is turned on] Is this. . . Ok, it’s working. Here. I got one for everybody.

JULY

Thanks, Jordie.

CORA

[Distracted, conversation far from the recorder] Dalton, I think if we divide up the map this way, maybe we’ll cover more ground?

JORDAN

Um, ok, this is Jordan McCray. It’s 5:15 in the morning. We were at the police station all night, and we just got back to the ranch house. Detective Larkin asked everybody to use a voice recorder and document our thoughts and what’s going on.

JULY

Right, because that’s the best possible fucking use of our time. Why doesn’t she just have us make a mood board about Ella while we’re at it?

JORDAN

Uh, that was July there. Detective Larkin thinks we might have been exposed to a gas leak or a hallucinogen or something. That seems like the only way to explain what all of us saw out there when Ella. . . you know. Anyway, so she was thinking if we were hallucinating then maybe we’ll start to remember more about what really happened. Or if we keep seeing weird stuff then we should document it so they can figure out what we got exposed to. They told us to stay away from the river, where Ella went missing, but—

JULY

But, yeah, that’s not going to happen.

JORDAN

There were sheriff’s deputies out searching last night but we’re starting our own search now. Just in case we recognize something they missed.

DALTON

Ok, everyone, here’s what I think we should do.

JORDAN

That’s Dalton. He’s Travis’s dad.

DALTON

We should have a much bigger line of volunteers than this—

JULY

Yeah, speaking of which, where is everybody? Shouldn’t there be a whole bunch of people out here?

DALTON

I’ll call again before we get started. But for now since there’s only the six of us we should go out in pairs and work our way through this area in rows. The goal is to cover as much ground as possible and not leave any gaps. Watch for clothes, jewelry, anything that belongs to her. Don’t touch anything you find. Just tie one of these red strings to a tree nearby and call the sheriff’s department. Be sure to check holes, beneath logs, places where things could be missed.

JULY

You sound like you’ve done this before.

DALTON

I, uh. . . One of my best friends had a daughter who went missing, back in Massachusetts. I was in the search party.

CORA

Did they find her?

DALTON

[Long Pause] No.

SABRINA

I’m sorry. That’s awful.

JORDAN

Sabrina, she’s the caretaker of the place we’re staying. She’s helping us out, which is cool.

DALTON

[Clearing his throat] Anyway, we should get out there as quickly as possible. I divided up the map. Me and Cora, Jordan and July, Sabrina and Travis.

TRAVIS

I’m not going back out there.

CORA

What?!? What do you mean?

TRAVIS

I told you. There’s no point. She’s not missing, she’s dead.

JORDAN

None of the rest of us saw that, Travis.

TRAVIS

But none of you saw anything that makes any sense. I’m the only one who saw something that’s even fucking possible.

SABRINA

Travis, don’t you think, if there’s even a chance—

TRAVIS

There isn’t a chance. She’s dead.

JULY

Shut the fuck up, Travis! Look at what you’re doing to Cora!

CORA

I’m fine, Jules.

DALTON

Son, please—

TRAVIS

No. I’m not playing along with some sick fantasy about Ella still being alive, or being abducted by aliens, or something. I’m only interested in finding the guy who killed her, and he’s not going to be hiding out near that fucking stream.

FOOTSTEPS AS HE WALKS AWAY ON GRAVEL DRIVEWAY.

DALTON

I’m sorry. What he thought he saw out there, it’s too much.

JULY

It’s fine. Let’s just get out there.

DALTON

Ok, I’ll canvas my section alone. Sabrina and Cora, you take from here to here, July and Jordan. . . [Fades out]

SCENE 2: STILL OUTDOORS, RURAL SOUNDS, CRICKETS, BUT NOW WITH AUDIBLE FOOTSTEPS OF TWO PEOPLE.

JORDAN

Ok, July and I finished our first pass across our section, and now we’re going back over in another row. It’s about 6:30.

JULY

I can’t fucking believe Travis.

JORDAN

You know you’ve said that about fifty times already, right?

JULY

Sorry. It’s just. . .

JORDAN

Go easy on the guy. It sounds like what he saw was worse than any of the rest of us.

JULY

I don’t know. Mine was pretty horrifying. You were lucky. You got the ETs.

JORDAN

I never said that. I never said anything about aliens.

JULY

Ok, chill.

JORDAN

People already think I’m weird enough as it is. I don’t need anyone thinking I’m one of those paranoid morons who thinks aliens are showing up and anal probing us.

JULY

Come on, people don’t think you’re weird.

JORDAN

Don’t baby me. I know how people talk about. . . you know. The asexual stuff. It doesn’t help, you pretending people are cool with it.

JULY

Sorry. You’re right. (sighs) It doesn’t help.

JORDAN

Whatever, it doesn’t matter. I just don’t want to deal with the UFO nut reputation on top of everything else.

JULY

Yeah, yeah, fine, you’re right. [Clears throat, obviously trying to move past the conversation] Hey, remember when me and Ella convinced you there was a UFO outside the window? Back when you were in like second grade?

JORDAN

And I cried and hid behind the couch and then had nightmares for two weeks? Nope. Doesn’t ring a bell.

JULY

You were so gullible. [Starts to laugh, then cuts off abruptly]

JORDAN

Feels wrong, doesn’t it? Laughing?

JULY

Yeah. It’s like I keep forgetting what’s happening for, like, half a second and then remembering again.

JORDAN

Hey, someone’s coming. Oh, right: for the record, this is a middle-aged guy, medium height, grey hair, wearing slacks and a nice shirt. He has a walking stick but doesn’t look like he’s carrying anything else.

JULY

Ok, got my Mace ready to go if he starts some shit.

JORDAN

Excuse me, sir?

JOSEPH

Yes?

JORDAN

Have you seen this woman? She’s been missing since yesterday afternoon.

JOSEPH

She’s missing? I’m sorry, that’s terrible. No, she doesn’t look familiar.

JORDAN

Well, have you seen anything else, I don’t know, suspicious? I don’t really know what that means, we’re just looking for anything at this point.

JOSEPH

I’m sorry, I haven’t seen anything unusual. Do you have any idea what might have happened to her?

JULY

Nope. That’s kinda why we’re out here.

JORDAN

(Clearing throat, embarrassed) Well, if you see anything, we’re at the Bar K Ranch. It’s over across the river.

JOSEPH

Of course. I’ll call if I see anything. I hope you find her.

JULY

Bye.

JORDAN

[Pause] Ok, he’s walking away now, back in the direction we came from. He’s about to head into some trees.

JULY

Think we should follow him?

JORDAN

No. He was kinda weird, though, right?

JULY

How so?

JORDAN

I don’t know. I mean, he wasn’t carrying anything, not even water. And who goes hiking in nice clothes? Green slacks, nice green shirt, green. . . Oh, my God.

SOUND OF RUNNING, FAST FOOTSTEPS, QUICK BREATHING.

JORDAN

Hey! Hey, come back! Sir!

JULY

[Far away, in background] Jordan, wait! What’s wrong? Jordan!

MORE RUNNING, CRASHING THROUGH FOLIAGE.

JORDAN

[Stopping, trying to catch his breath] Where’d he go? Where the fuck did he go?

JULY

Jordan! What the hell is going on?

JORDAN

That guy!

JULY

What about him?

JORDAN

That guy! Green clothes, all green. Shit, I think he was even wearing green shoes.

JULY

So what?

JORDAN

Remember what Ella said to me? She said, “The Green Man is going to need your help.” I was thinking Green Man like, “Little Green Men”, but—

JULY

So you were thinking ETs.

JORDAN

Well obviously I’ve been thinking about them, July, I just didn’t believe they were real. Not really.

JULY

You sure about that?

JORDAN

. . . Maybe for a minute or two. But now, that guy, I think that’s what she meant. I think that’s the Green Man.

JULY

And he just disappeared into thin air.

JORDAN

Yeah.

JULY

Well, shit.

SCENE 3: SLOWER FOOTSTEPS, STILL WALKING OUTDOORS

JORDAN

Ok, the time is 8:45 am. We just finished another sweep across the field and we’re turning around for another. Still no sign of Ella. Or the Green Man.

JULY

Do you smell that?

JORDAN

What?

JULY

Ugh, it’s nasty. Like something dead. [Pause] Oh, my God, I didn’t mean—

JORDAN

It’s ok.

JULY

Ok, hang on. [MOVING AROUND IN THE BRUSH]. Here it is. Poor dead bunny.

JORDAN

I still don’t smell anything. Looks like it just died recently, too.

JULY

Yeah, I dunno. I feel like everything smells strong out here. It’s been driving me crazy.

JORDAN

Hm. For me it’s all the noise. That buzzing.

JULY

The bugs?

JORDAN

No. Powerlines, I think. It’s something electrical.

JULY

I think we’re pretty far from any powerlines.

JORDAN

Well, something’s making that noise. It’s a weird, high-frequency hum like, I don’t know, a faulty speaker? I think it’s been getting louder, too.

JULY

[Long silence] Jordan, what do you think really happened out there? Just between you and me?

JORDAN

I don’t know. I know I don’t believe in aliens, or heavenly light, or people turning into birds.

JULY

They weren’t birds.

JORDAN

Right, whatever, the flying things.

JULY

Creepy fuckers. I still get chills when I think about them.

JORDAN

Sorry. But, anyway, I also don’t think we could have all been drugged or breathed in gas or whatever. Not without feeling something later. I mean, I don’t know for sure, but I’m guessing.

JULY

Yeah, that hallucinogen theory is crap. I’ve done enough shrooms in my time to know the difference. Acid, too. It doesn’t just flip on and off that fast. It takes a long time to come down. Ever done shrooms, Jordan? Or peyote?

JORDAN

No. I’ve only ever smoked pot, and that was with you and Ella.

JULY

Yeah, guess we were a bad influence. Or, tried to be, at least. Never could get you off the straight and narrow for too long.

JORDAN

I was too busy trying to get into college. And then grad school.

JULY

Aw, you’d still have gotten in. I bet your GRE would still be perfect even if you took it high as a kite. Little shit. I had to work my ass off and I still barely made the cut. [Pause] Guess maybe being high all the time might have had something to do with that, now that I think about it.

JORDAN

That’s different. You make video games. Being a stoner is like a degree requirement.

JULY

Yeah, well, now that you got into grad school it’s time we give you your first trip. Me and Ella can. . . [Pauses, clears throat. Gets more emotional]. Um. We’ll find her. And then the three of us are gonna do some shrooms. Yeah?

JORDAN

Yeah. We’re gonna find her, we just. . . Jesus, what is that? How is that not driving you crazy?

JULY

Sorry, still don’t hear it. The bugs are loud as fuck, are you sure it’s not—

JORDAN

It’s not the damn bugs, it’s. . . [Sound of pain]

JULY

What is it?

JORDAN

Agh, it’s my head. It feels like. . . Fuck, that hurts. . .

JULY

Ok, I think we need to get you back to the house. You’ve been up all night and you’re probably dehydrated. You probably just need to lie down.

JORDAN

No, I don’t need to lie down, I just. . . Oh, Jesus fucking Christ! What the fuck is that!

SCRAMBLING SOUNDS, JORDAN FALLING INTO WEEDS AND GRASS.

JULY

What?!? What!?! Jordan, talk to me!

JORDAN

There, there, right fucking there!

JULY

I don’t see anything!

JORDAN

In the sky, right above us. July, please tell me you can see that.

JULY

I’m sorry. I don’t. Take a deep breath. Tell me what you see.

JORDAN

It’s. . . It’s the block. The thing that took Ella. It’s in the air right above us. And that buzzing is so loud, I think it’s coming from that thing.

JULY

What’s it doing?

JORDAN

It’s just hanging there. It’s totally still. I don’t see any doors or anything. It’s just, like, a big stone block. And it. . . Wait, it’s gone.

JULY

Gone? Where’d it go?

JORDAN

It didn’t move, it just disappeared. Actually. . . I don’t know, the air looks weird where it was just now. Kind of. . . shimmery, I guess? Like maybe it’s still there, but it’s hiding.

JULY

What about the sound?

JORDAN

It’s gone. Oh, man, that’s so much better.

TEXT MESSAGE ALERT

JULY

Is it Cora? Did someone find something?

JORDAN

No, it’s. . . I don’t know what this is. Look.

JULY

“Acquire these items. Instructions will follow.” What the fuck. . . And then these pictures. . . A laptop, a microwave, is that a car battery? And is this one a TV satellite?

JORDAN

I think so. It looks like. . . It looks like instructions for building something.

JULY

Ok, well, someone’s obviously trying to screw with us.

JORDAN

But what if it has something to do with Ella? Shouldn’t we show it to that detective? Or do what it says?

JULY

I don’t know, Jordan. I don’t know. I think we need to go back to the house. I don’t think Ella’s out here. Let’s go back to the house and regroup. I’m not sure we’re really thinking clearly out here.

JORDAN

Yeah. Yeah. I think you’re right.

SCENE 4: INDOORS. PHONE RINGING, OUTGOING CALL.

ESTEBAN [VOICE HEARD THROUGH THE PHONE]

Hello?

JORDAN

Hey, Dad.

ESTEBAN

Oh, my God, Jordan, did they find her? What’s going on?

JORDAN

No, no news. We were out looking all day. Dad, I’m getting really scared.

ESTEBAN

I know. I’m so sorry I’m not there. I’m trying to get on an earlier flight out, but with the blizzard—

JORDAN

It’s ok. I don’t think there’s really anything else you could be doing here.

ESTEBAN

How’s your mom holding up? I tried calling her, but. . .

JORDAN

She’s. . . I guess she’s as good as she can be.

ESTEBAN

Jordan, what do you think happened? I mean, I know you all saw all that weird stuff out there, but what do you think really happened?

JORDAN

I don’t know. That’s all I’ve been thinking about, since it happened, and I still don’t know.

ESTEBAN

Do you think. . . Well, are you all keeping an eye on Travis?

JORDAN

Think he could do something like that?

ESTEBAN

I don’t really know the guy. But, you know, nine times out of ten when something like this happens it’s the husband or the boyfriend. And. . . Jordan, could he have found out?

JORDAN

No. I didn’t tell anyone. Why, did you tell anyone?

ESTEBAN

No. Besides, I’m in freaking Alaska, who would I tell?

JORDAN

Then no, I don’t think there’s any way he could know.

ESTEBAN

Could he have found out another way, though? Maybe Ella let something slip?

JORDAN

I don’t think so. If she was going to tell anyone else it would have been July, and she doesn’t know anything.

ESTEBAN

Well, don’t tell her. She already doesn’t like Travis. She decides he had something to do with it, I don’t think he’ll make it to an interrogation room.

JORDAN

I won’t say anything. I mean, I thought about telling the detective, Detective Larkin, but I really don’t think it has anything to do with this. Maybe if things go on, though. . .

ESTEBAN

Yeah. In the meantime, Jordan, keep an eye on Travis. Even if he didn’t find out, it’s still usually the husband or the fiancé.

JORDAN

Ok. I’ll watch him.

ESTEBAN

Tell your mother I’m trying to find my way out of Alaska. I’ll be there as soon as I can.

JORDAN

I know. Thanks, Dad.

ESTEBAN

Get some sleep, Jordan.

[CALL ENDS]

SCENE 5: STILL INDOORS. QUIET.

JORDAN

[Quiet, muttering to himself] Ok. Laptop, car battery, TV satellite. . . Hm.

DOOR OPENING, INDOOR FOOTSTEPS

JORDAN

Hey, Mom?

CORA

Yeah?

JORDAN

This place has DirecTV, right?

CORA

Yeah, why?

JORDAN

Just wondering. That means there’s a satellite dish on the roof, right?

CORA

I think so. Jordan, what’s this about?

JORDAN

Nothing, just thinking about. . . Um, I was reading some stuff about how signals from satellites can mess with your inner ear. Cause hallucinations.

CORA

That sounds like bullshit.

JORDAN

Right, I think so too, but. . . Hey, there’s probably a ladder out in that garden shed, right?

CORA

A ladder? Jordan, what the hell is going on?

JORDAN

Nothing. Hey, I talked to Dad. He’s trying to get out of Alaska, but they only have that little local airport so it’s going to be tough.

CORA

Thanks.

JORDAN

You, uh. . . You going to try to get some sleep?

CORA

Maybe later. You should, though. Go sleep.

JORDAN

I will. [Muttering under breath] Right after I find that ladder.

CORA

What?

JORDAN

Nothing. Goodnight, Mom.

END CREDITS

Chapter 3

Chapter 3: July

[INTRO]: NARRATOR

The following recordings were taken as evidence in the investigation of Anomalous Event 2014-7457A, also known as the Ella McCray Incident. All were recorded in March 2014. This collection of files concerns person of interest B, July Calligaris. Current Status: Living. Location: Tucson, Arizona.

SCENE 1:

JULY

[Sleepy, worn out] Ok, dream journal entry for. . . I don’t know, whatever the fuck today’s date is. I went to sleep for a few hours, right around 3:00 am. It’s been so long since any of us slept, but searching in the dark wasn’t working anyway, so. . . Anyway. I had really weird, bad dreams. They were. . . I don’t know, kind of hard to describe. Like, most of the time when I dream it’s pretty much just visual. And some hearing. I don’t usually notice smells, or tastes, or anything like that. But this time was like I was awake. All my senses were working. And they weren’t just working, it’s like the volume was turned up. I was laying in grass, I think. I was outside, I know that. Something was moving under my skin. Like snakes, I guess, would be the best way to put it. Like there was something else alive under my skin. I could smell everything. I could smell, like, one grasshopper a few feet away. I didn’t even think grasshoppers had a smell, but I could smell this one. Then there was this really sharp pain in my shoulders, like the stuff under my skin was trying to get out. Then I woke up. Or, actually, it took me a while to wake up. There was a minute when I first opened my eyes when it still felt like I was dreaming, even though I was back in bed. I could still feel those things under my skin. And even now I still feel like. . . I don’t know. Never mind. I’m sleep deprived. That’s all. Going back to sleep.

SCENE 2:

JULY

Hey, Cora. Did you get any sleep?

CORA

No. I tried to lay down for a bit, but I couldn’t sleep.

JULY

Well, at least there’s coffee.

CORA

Not yet, but I’ll make some.

JULY

I think someone already made it. Best smell in the world. I. . . huh.

CORA

What?

JULY

You’re right. Coffee pot’s empty. Cold. Doesn’t look like anyone’s made coffee since yesterday. But I can smell it. Like it’s fresh.

CORA

You’re exhausted. We all are. It plays tricks on you. There were a few times, back when I did my ER shifts, when I was on my feet for twelve hours at a time. Things got weird after a while.

JULY

Yeah, must be. I’ll make some, I guess. [Pause]. So. Have you seen Travis?

CORA

No. He’s been holed up in his room all night. I heard something a while ago, so I know he’s still in there.

JULY

Want me to kick his ass?

CORA

I’d say yes, except Dalton’s been so great about all this. I don’t want to start a fight there.

JULY

Think he feels guilty about the fact that his son isn’t helping?

CORA

Maybe. I would be. But that wouldn’t happen. Ella, Jordan, you, none of you are quitters. [Gets tearful] That’s why I’m still. . . because if Ella’s out there, she won’t give up, she’ll fight. . .

JULY

Oh, no, no, Cora, don’t. It’s ok. You’ll make me cry.

CORA

[Sniffing] You’re right. No time for that. We should get back out there.

JULY

I’ll talk to Travis. See if I can light a fire under his ass. But, Cora, I was just wondering. . . Do we know where Ella’s dad is these days? I know he’s not my business, but if he could have anything to do with it, maybe we should consider that.

CORA

No. He’s never coming back.

JULY

But if we don’t know where he is or what he’s been up to all these years, then is there any chance, any chance at all?

CORA

Jules. Honey. I need to you to just listen to me on this. He’s never coming back. Whatever happened to Ella, it doesn’t have anything to do with him. Please just trust me.

JULY

Ok. If you say you’re sure, then I trust you.

SCENE 3: [SHARP BANGING ON DOOR]

JULY

Travis. Travis, get your ass out here.

TRAVIS

Go away.

JULY

I will break down this motherfucking door, I swear to God.

[DOOR OPENS]

TRAVIS

What?

JULY

I wanted to. . . Jesus, what’s that smell? God, have you been just shitting in the corner or something? What is that?

TRAVIS

What do you want?

JULY

Listen. You need to help us. Even if you think it’s pointless, even if you don’t think we’ll find her, you need to get out there. For Cora. She’s falling apart.

TRAVIS

She should be. All of you should be. There’s a killer out there, and you’re wandering around outside like you’re invincible. We should be planning. Preparing. Getting ready.

JULY

For what?

TRAVIS

You know.

JULY

Dude, I really, really don’t. Look, can you just be helpful, please, for us? Your dad knew Ella. . . Has known Ella. He’s known Ella for all of thirty seconds and he’s tearing the county apart looking for her. So be more like your dear old dad and help us, goddammit.

TRAVIS

There’s. No. Point. She’s dead. All we can do now is get ready for the. . . for the guy who killed her. He’s coming back. Yeah.

JULY

Ok, you know what, fine. You hole up here like a pussy. I’m going back out there.

[DOOR SLAMS. STOMPING OF FEET AS JULY LEAVES THE HOUSE]

SCENE 4: OUTDOORS, MORNING

JULY

Oh, for fuck’s sake. Jordan, what are you doing?

JORDAN

Um. This isn’t what it looks like.

JULY

It looks like you’re stealing a battery out of an old tractor.

JORDAN

Ok, yeah, it is what it looks like. But this is the only place I can get one. I got more instructions last night, more texts. I think they’re sending me the plans in stages.

JULY

Stages? Jordan, what the hell are you talking about? You know it sounds like you’re one step away from a tinfoil hat, right? You get that?

JORDAN

I know, but I’m not. I’m not making shit up, you can see the texts right here on my phone. Look!

JULY

That’s not. . . Ok, you know what, I’m not having this conversation again.

JORDAN

Good.

JULY

Ok, you do whatever this is here, I’m going to go search on the other side of the highway.

JORDAN

I’ll come with you.

JULY

No, don’t, it’s fine. I need some time to myself anyway.

JORDAN

If you’re sure.

JULY

I’ll call if I see anything.

SCENE 5: OUTDOORS, DAYTIME/MIDDAY

[RINGTONE]

JULY

Hello?

STEPHANIE

Hey, babe.

JULY

Hey. God, I’m glad to hear your voice.

STEPHANIE

Have you heard anything?

JULY

No, not yet. No sign. But everyone here is acting weird as fuck, especially Travis. And I’m, I don’t know. . . Something’s up.

STEPHANIE

What do you mean?

JULY

I’m not sure. I can smell everything. The light seems too bright, and my eyesight’s really sharp. I feel like, I don’t know, an exposed nerve or something.

STEPHANIE

It’s probably exhaustion. You can’t think clearly without sleep.

JULY

Maybe. But sleep’s going to have to wait. When do you get in?

STEPHANIE

That’s why I’m calling. Baby, I’m so sorry, but I can’t come.

JULY

Why not?

STEPHANIE

I broke my leg. I’m in the hospital right now.

JULY

Steph! Why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you call me sooner?

STEPHANIE

You already have too much on your plate. And there’s nothing you can do.

JULY

What happened?

STEPHANIE

It was the weirdest thing. I was getting into the car to drive there. I mean, my bags were packed, the GPS was set up, everything was ready to go. And then, right when I climbed into the car, my leg was still sticking out the door, and some kid on a bike just slammed into it, and the bone just snapped. It was a clean break so I was hoping they could just put a cast on it and I could still come to you, but they’re saying they need to do surgery on it.

JULY

Ok, I’m coming home.

STEPHANIE

No, absolutely not. My mom’s here, they’ve got me on good painkillers, there’s nothing you can do here. Your family needs you there.

JULY

Are you sure?

STEPHANIE

Positive. I’m just sorry I can’t be there to help you.

JULY

Trust me, you don’t want to be here right now. I think you might be better off with the broken leg.

STEPHANIE

Call me? The second you hear anything?

JULY

I will. I love you.

STEPHANIE

Love you, too.

SCENE 6: OUTDOORS, DAYTIME. STEADY HUM OF BUGS AND CICADAS IN THE BACKGROUND.

JULY

Ok, I just covered a big grassy area and now I’m at the top of a hill. I figured I’d have a good view from up here. Originally I was wishing I had binoculars, but I can see everything just fine. Like, everything. Maybe the air is just really clear out here. No pollution, no smog, maybe you can just see better in places like this. Still, this is crazy. Like, right now there’s this lizard on a rock all the way down the hillside. Like, probably fifty yards away. And I swear I can see its scales. I can see individual scales on this lizard’s skin. So. . . if I suddenly have superpowered eyesight, why the fuck can’t I see you, Ella? Where’d you go? [Long pause, just cicadas in the background] And you know what, for that matter, where are all the cops? I mean, you’re a blonde white girl who went missing at her freaking engagement party. Anderson Cooper should have fucking parachuted in by now. The whole FBI should be here. At least the sheriff’s department. But there’s nobody out here. And it’s. . . Now that I’m thinking about it, it’s actually weirder than the cops just ignoring this. Because, I mean, you’d think Cora would have been on the phone with every cop in the county by now. I should have been down at the station kicking their asses by now. But it’s like. . . I don’t know, it’s like every time I think about telling someone else about this, I just get, I don’t know, fuzzy. Distracted. Even now the idea of reaching for my phone is just. . .

[CICADAS SUDDENLY STOP]

JULY

Um, ok. That doesn’t sound good. Any idea what’s going on out here, El? What the. . . [Screaming] Oh, fuck!

[RUNNING, CRASHING THROUGH BRUSH]

JULY

[Stops running, is breathing heavily, speaking in a whisper] El, there’s something out there. I think it’s one of those things I saw when you. . . you know. One of those things you turned into. Oh, Jesus, I can’t believe I’m talking about that like it happened, but one of them is out there and it’s fucking flying around and. . . Ok. I’m under some bushes near a fence. The thing, the flying thing, it just landed in a tree a few feet away. It’s just sitting there. Oh fuck!! Fuck!! [Long pause] Ok. Here’s what just happened. That thing was sitting up in the tree, and a deer came down along the path. And the thing, it just flew down and picked up the deer like it didn’t weigh anything. And then it few off again. I think it’s gone. Ella, what the fuck did you get yourself into?

SCENE 7: OUTDOORS, TWO SETS OF FOOTSTEPS, MOVING QUICKLY

JORDAN

Are you sure?

JULY

Yes, yes, for the millionth time, I’m sure. It was flying all around here, and then it landed in a tree, and then it snatched the deer right over there.

JORDAN

Ok, well, if it’s still out here, are you sure we should be poking around?

JULY

Jordan, what if it has something to do with Ella? It’s one of those things I saw when she disappeared, so maybe if we follow it—

JORDAN

You keep saying ‘flying things’, but what does it actually look like?

JULY

Like. . . I don’t know. They’re not like anything I’ve ever seen before.

JORDAN

Do they have feathers? Because maybe it was just a bird.

JULY

No, it wasn’t a bird! Jesus. What kind of bird can pick up a deer?

JORDAN

Eagles can pick up a deer. There’s that Youtube video of an eagle picking up a goat.

JULY

You know what, Jordie, I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt on the UFO. The least you can do is take me seriously when I say that thing wasn’t a damn bird.

JORDAN

Fine, fine, jeez. What did it look like, then, if it wasn’t a bird?

JULY

It didn’t have feathers. It was more, like, scaly. Like a reptile, I guess. It has scaly, leathery skin, and its wings are kind of more for gliding than for flying. At least, that’s what it looked like. I guess if I had to compare it to something I’d say it looked a little bit like a pterodactyl. Pictures of pterodactyls.

JORDAN

So there are dinosaurs flying around here.

JULY

I didn’t say that. I said it was like a pterodactyl, but it wasn’t one.

JORDAN

Hm.

JULY

Like my story’s any crazier than yours.

JORDAN

I don’t know. I believe you, it’s just. . . I saw what I saw, and it’s hard to believe when someone says they saw something completely different.

JULY

Join the fucking club.

JORDAN

Maybe—

JULY

Hey! Look!

JORDAN

What?

JULY

Blood. See? There’s a drop there, and another there. We can follow it.

JORDAN

Oh, man. July, maybe we should go back.

JULY

Don’t be a wuss. It’s just from the deer.

JORDAN

Still.

JULY

Oh, so now you believe me.

JORDAN

I always believed you. It’s just now I can see blood and it’s freaking me out.

JULY

Ok, just stay behind me. We’ll just follow this trail as far as we can, and then we’ll go back.

JORDAN

Ok.

[Walking without speaking for a few seconds]

JULY

Oh, Christ on a cracker.

JORDAN

What?

JULY

Jordan, don’t look.

JORDAN

No, I want to see.

JULY

Wait.

JORDAN

Oh, my God. That’s. . . [Puking sounds]

JULY

Yeah. I’m pretty sure that used to be a deer. Or part of one.

JORDAN

Ugh. What could do that?

JULY

I don’t know. One thing’s for sure, though. Whatever’s out here, it’s definitely not a bird.

SCENE 8: INDOORS

JULY

Ok, it’s now 8:46 pm. Jordan and I spent a lot of time outside, but we didn’t find any trace of the flying thing after we found the deer. Or, I guess, its remains. I told Cora and Dalton about it, but they just said the same kind of thing Jordan said. You know, some big predator bird that can pick up a deer, that kind of thing. And Dalton thought maybe the deer got taken down by something else, like a coyote. Can’t really blame them, with me sounding like a crazy person. But, here’s the thing. There’s something else I didn’t tell them. While we were out there, I could have sworn, near where that flying thing landed in the tree, I was sure I smelled Ella. Which is nuts, because before now I wouldn’t have known Ella even had a smell, you know, aside from perfume or whatever. But I smelled something out there, and I was sure it was her. Like, I recognized it, and it was almost like it was related to the way Jordan and Cora smell. Everyone has their own smell, I just never noticed it before. It’s more than that, though. I’m starting to be able to hear better, too. Like right now. I’m sitting in my room, talking into this thing, and right now I can hear someone’s heartbeat through the wall. It’s Jordan’s. Even if I didn’t know he was in the next room, I think I would recognize it as his. I don’t know what’s happening to me, Ella. You need to come back soon. I don’t think I can handle this without you.

END CREDITS

CHapter 4

Chapter 4: Sabrina

[INTRO]: NARRATOR

The following recordings were taken as evidence in the investigation of Anomalous Event 2014-7457A, also known as the Ella McCray Incident. All were recorded in March 2014. This collection of files concerns person of interest C, Sabrina Maron. Current Status: Fugitive, ranked fourth on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives.

[SCENE 1: TASTING ROOM. CLINK OF GLASSES, LOW MURMUR OF CONVERSATION, RESTAURANT-TYPE SOUNDS]

SABRINA

Ok, next up we have our Cab Sauv. It has good tannins, hints of plum and blackberry, pairs well with—

CUSTOMER

Uh, we already had that one.

SABRINA

Oh. Right, sorry. Little distracted. Uh, so I guess that means we’re on the Merlot. Jammy, strong fruit, the kind of wine you want with rack of lamb. Enjoy.

MITCH

Doing ok, Sabrina?

SABRINA

Yeah, yeah, Mitch, I’m fine. I just keep thinking about that poor girl. I don’t know, maybe I should have called in sick again, kept helping with the search. But everything just feels so strange out there. I’ve lived out there for a year, but now it just feels like a completely different place.

MITCH

I’m sure the sheriff’s department has a ton of people on it.

SABRINA

See, that’s the strangest part, though. I haven’t seen any police out there at all, anywhere near the ranch. I know the family’s been talking to them, but I haven’t seen anyone. Not even that lead detective. Shouldn’t there be police all over that place?

MITCH

I don’t know. Maybe that’s just how it is on TV. [Pause] Looks like you got a new customer. Don’t think he’s from around here.

SABRINA

Ooh, just my type.

MITCH

Behave yourself.

SABRINA

Welcome to Tres Halcones Winery. Would you like to do a tasting?

JOSEPH

No, thank you. I think I’ll just have a glass.

SABRINA

You look like a Chablis man to me. Afraid we don’t have any of that, but this Viognier should be close enough.

[WINE POURING FROM BOTTLE TO GLASS]

JOSEPH

I’m impressed.

SABRINA

Yeah, it’s my party trick. Impressive and utterly useless.

JOSEPH

Mm. That’s good. Is this your place?

SABRINA

No, I just work here. I used to own Eight Tiles Winery, down the road. But. . . Well, it’s difficult to run a business with someone you’re divorcing, so my ex-husband and I sold it. It was that or murder each other, so it was probably the right decision.

JOSEPH

Oh, I wouldn’t worry. You’ll get back on your feet.

SABRINA

I hope so. I’d like to open my own winery again, at some point. But, until then, at least I have a tip jar and scintillating tasting room conversation.

JOSEPH

And it’s a beautiful place to live. Recent events notwithstanding.

SABRINA

Recent events?

JOSEPH

The incident two days ago, when that girl went missing? And during her engagement party, too. [Pauses] Sorry, I guess that’s not light tasting-room conversation, is it?

SABRINA

[Becoming cautious, guarded] I didn’t think any of that had made the news.

JOSEPH

This is a small town. News travels fast.

SABRINA

Right, but—

JOSEPH

Since we’re on the subject, what do you think happened to her? Just between you and me?

SABRINA

Most people who go missing either wander away by choice or they’re kidnapped. I don’t know which it is here. I didn’t meet her until just before she disappeared, so I really can’t say.

JOSEPH

(Teasing) I don’t know, I get the sense you know more than you’re saying. You seem like the type to size people up pretty fast. Can’t imagine you don’t have a theory or two, since you’ve met her.

SABRINA

I never said. . . What did you say your name was?

JOSEPH

Joseph. Joseph Zielony.

SABRINA

Where are you from, Joseph?

JOSEPH

Oh, here and there. I’ve been traveling a long time. But I’ll be here for a while. I imagine you’ll be seeing more of me, especially if all your wines are this good. Here. Keep the change. It was lovely to meet you, Sabrina.

SABRINA

But, hey! Wait!

MITCH

Sabrina, I think the bachelorette party is ready for their next pour.

SABRINA

One moment, just. . . Do you recognize that man?

MITCH

What man?

SABRINA

The, you know, the good-looking one. Joseph. The guy who just left.

MITCH

No idea what you’re talking about. And that bride looks like she’s about to Bridezilla, so let’s get some White Zin down her throat.

SABRINA

Yeah, yeah, ok. [Clears throat] Sorry about that wait, ladies. Here’s our white Zinfandel, crisp with a hint of peach and a strong mineral finish.

CUSTOMER

Ew, minerals? That makes it sound like there’s, like, gravel in it or something.

SABRINA

I assure you, we operate a strictly gravel-free winery. Now if you just take a sip and pay attention to the taste on the back of your tongue—

CUSTOMER

I see it.

SABRINA

Right, so that taste comes from—

CUSTOMER

No, I see the light! Oh, thank you!

SABRINA

I don’t—Oh, my God, Mitch! Call 911, I think she’s having a seizure! Ow, you’re hurting my arm!

CUSTOMER

The light! I can see it! I can see the light!

SABRINA

I said you’re hurting me!

CUSTOMER

But I see it!

SABRINA

[New tone, strong and commanding] Let. Go.

CUSTOMER

Yes, Lady. Forgive me.

[SCENE 2: INDOORS, QUIET, BEEP OF VOICE RECORDER TURNING ON]

SABRINA

Right. I haven’t made any recordings yet. I know Detective Larkin wanted us to, but I thought. . . Anyway, it didn’t seem important before. But, with everything that happened today, it seems like maybe I should be documenting some things. I still don’t know what happened with that woman at the tasting room today. It was probably just a seizure, probably just one of those things. But she kept saying something about ‘the light’. And, well, it’s probably just a coincidence, but I can’t stop thinking about the light I saw when Ella disappeared. And, of course, I probably hallucinated that, but. . . I don’t know, it feels like it means something. There’s something else, too. When the woman in the tasting room started saying all those things about the light, she grabbed my arm. She grabbed it hard enough that I can tell I’m going to be bruised tomorrow. I told her to let go, and when I did that, it was like. . . I was looking right into her eyes, and it was like I just pushed a button. Like she didn’t have the option of ignoring me. God, listen to me. I’m letting this whole thing get to me, seeing patterns that aren’t really there. I’ll probably delete this later. Now I’m having a big glass of wine and going to bed.

[BEEP OF VOICE RECORDER TURNING OFF]

[SCENE 3: INDOORS, NIGHT]

[POUNDING ON A WOOD DOOR]

SABRINA

[Disoriented, jolted out of sleep] Ah, what, who’s there?

PILGRIM

[Muffled, through the door] Please! The light called me here! The light called and I’m here!

SABRINA

It’s 5:00 in the morning. Get off my bloody property before I call the police.

PILGRIM

Aren’t you the Lady of the Light? I walked all night. I walked for so long. Please.

SABRINA

The lady of the what? I. . . Who are you?

PILGRIM

I need the Lady’s blessing. I’m begging you. I’ll do anything.

SABRINA

Look, you lunatic, I really don’t know what you’re talking about.

PILGRIM

I’m unworthy. I knew it. I’m unworthy of the light.

SABRINA

Wait, the. . . You said the light. What light?

PILGRIM

The light you give. You’re the Lady of the Light.

SABRINA

Ok, look. I’m going to open the door, but you should know that I have a gun and I’ll shoot you if you make any move to come in. Do you understand?

PILGRIM

Yes, Lady.

SABRINA

Uh. Hang on a second. Let me try something. Stay out there. I think I have a bottle of Pinot open. . . Ok, here. I’m opening the door just enough to pass this out to you. [Door unlocks and opens] Try that. Drink up.

PILGRIM

[Sipping sound] Oh, I see it! I see the light! Thank you thank you thank you!

SABRINA

Right. I want you to stand up.

PILGRIM

Yes, Lady.

SABRINA

Walk in a counterclockwise circle. Now raise your right arm. Now stop. Now. . . tell me your full name and social security number.

PILGRIM

My full name is [redacted beep] and my social security number is [redacted beep].

SABRINA

Right, now tell me, and be honest. Would you do anything I told you to do right now? Would you have to?

PILGRIM

Yes, Lady. I’d do anything you told me to do, anything at all.

SABRINA

Interesting. [Long pause]. Now go back to the highway and walk home. Forget about me and this place and everything about this light.

PILGRIM

Yes, Lady.

SABRINA

Oh, except. . . Tell all your friends to visit Tres Halcones Winery. And to tip well.

PILGRIM

I will, Lady. Thank you, thank you.

SABRINA

That’s enough. Go on, get out of here.

[SCENE 4: OUTDOORS, WALKING ACROSS GRAVEL]

SABRINA

Hey, um, Cora?

CORA

Yes?

SABRINA

How’s the search going?

CORA

We still haven’t found anything. Dalton’s out canvassing the town. In case we were wrong about which direction she went in. I was thinking I’d drive downriver today and search there, in case she got farther than I thought.

SABRINA

Yeah. Yeah, of course, that makes sense. Listen. . . I was just wondering, have you noticed anything strange happening?

CORA

Aside from my daughter vanishing?

SABRINA

Sorry. I meant since then. Does it seem like things have been a little odd around the ranch since it happened?

CORA

You too, huh?

SABRINA

What have you been seeing?

CORA

I’d rather not say, yet. What about you?

SABRINA

I don’t know, exactly. I think I’m accidentally doing something to people when I give them wine. Or maybe it’s not just wine, maybe it would also work if I gave them food or something, I haven’t had much of a chance to test it.

CORA

Not to be rude, but why are you coming to me with this?

SABRINA

Well. . . Did that detective tell you what Ella said to me? Before I saw her disappear into that light?

CORA

No. What did she say?

SABRINA

She said, “Help them find the liar.”

CORA

The liar.

SABRINA

Yeah. If we’re to believe what your daughter said, someone’s lying about something. And I didn’t really think much of it at the time, because I assumed it was just a hallucination, like everything else everyone saw.

CORA

And then you started to figure out there’s something wrong with this place.

SABRINA

Yes. But, also, this thing I can do, I think it might help find this liar Ella was talking about. It sounds mad, I know, but I’m starting to wonder if this thing that’s happening to me, maybe it’s supposed to be a way of helping you.

CORA

I’m listening.

SCENE 5: SHORT TIME LATER, INDOORS

CORA

Hey, July? Could you come in here for a minute?

JULY

What’s going on?

CORA

Sit down, sweetie.

JULY

Oh, my God, did they find her?

CORA

No, no, nothing like that. Just have a seat.

JULY

Um, ok. Sure. Hi, uh. . . Sabrina, right? I know I heard your name like fifty times already, but with everything that’s going on. . .

SABRINA

That’s totally fine, I understand.

CORA

Jules, I wanted to ask you about something.

SABRINA

Here. Try this wine.

JULY

No thanks, I’m good. What about, Cora?

CORA

July, do me a favor, try the wine.

JULY

Ok, fine, I don’t get the big secret, but here, I’m trying it. [Pause] Oh shit, oh God, it’s so bright!

SABRINA

Can you hear me, July?

JULY

Yes! Oh, thank you!

SABRINA

July, tell us what you saw when Ella disappeared. Tell the truth.

JULY

She stepped onto the rock. A big dark forest grew around her. There were things flying in the trees. Big things, not birds. I saw Ella change. She grew wings, and she shrank, and her feet turned into claws. Then she flew up toward the trees, and she was with the other flying things.

SABRINA

Did she say anything?

JULY

No.

CORA

[Low voice, to Sabrina] Make sure she doesn’t remember this.

SABRINA

Right. July, I want you to get up and walk outside. Once you’re outside, you’re going to forget about the light, and me giving you wine, and this entire conversation. Do you understand?

JULY

Yes.

SABRINA

Ok, go outside now.

[FOOTSTEPS AS JULY LEAVES, DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING]

CORA

Jesus. I guess I didn’t really believe you could do that.

SABRINA

I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t have believed it, either.

CORA

But it worked, so I guess we can rule out July. It wasn’t her.

SABRINA

Did you really think it would be?

CORA

I don’t know. July would never lie to hurt me, but if it was to spare me something painful then, yeah, she might lie.

[Pause]

SABRINA

Are you ok?

CORA

I can’t believe I just did that. She’ll never forgive me if she remembers.

SABRINA

She won’t remember. But even if she did, she’ll understand that you have to do what you can for Ella.

CORA

I don’t know.

SABRINA

Should we stop?

CORA

No. If someone’s lying we have to know. I don’t know where Travis is, and Dalton’s still in town, so. . . [Sighs] Jordan, can you come in here?

SCENE 6: BEEP OF VOICE RECORDER, STILL INDOORS

SABRINA

That’s good, Jordan. Now I want you to go outside, and once you’re there, you’ll forget all about the light and this conversation and me being here. Nod if you understand. Yes? Ok, good. Go on. Go outside.

[DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES]

CORA

I knew it wasn’t him. At least, I didn’t think so. He’s always been so easy to see through.

SABRINA

So it’s Dalton or Travis.

CORA

I don’t know when they’ll be back.

SABRINA

Well, maybe you can give me a call when they’re back in the house. Maybe around dinner time. I’ll make an excuse to come over.

CORA

Yeah, thanks. Listen. . . I really appreciate this, and what you can do is amazing, but I just wonder. . . Why are you doing all this?

SABRINA

I just want to help. This is the only way I can think of, and it seems like I can do this for a reason, so it must be the right thing to do. That’s all.

SCENE 7: BAR, INDOORS, TALKATIVE BACKGROUND SOUNDS

SABRINA

Hey, I’m Sabrina.

BILL

Hi, Sabrina, I’m Bill.

SABRINA

I was just wondering if I could buy you a drink.

BILL

A beautiful woman like yourself, I feel like I should be the one buying the drinks. And paying for the hotel room, of course.

SABRINA

Thank you so much for making this easier.

BILL

What?

SABRINA

Never mind. I already got the drinks, so you can get the next round. You struck me as a whiskey man.

BILL

That I am. Cheers. [Pause] Oh, Jesus. It’s so bright, so—

SABRINA

Be quiet, Bill. That’s good. Don’t say a word. Now, you and I are going to get up and go outside, and then we’re going to find an ATM. Ok? Nod if you understand. That’s good, Bill. That’s very good. We’re going to go to an ATM, and you’re going to pull out a few thousand dollars, and then you and I are going to have a long talk about the way you’re going to interact with women in the future.

END CREDITS

CHapter 5

[INTRO]: NARRATOR

The following recordings were taken as evidence in the investigation of Anomalous Event 2014-7457A, also known as the Ella McCray Incident. All were recorded in March 2014. This collection of files concerns person of interest D, Dalton Reese. Current Status: Missing.

[SCENE 1: INDOORS. BELL DINGS AS FRONT DOOR OPENS]

DALTON

Excuse me, have you by any chance seen this woman?

CASHIER

No, I haven’t. Sorry.

DALTON

Oh. Well, would you mind if I put one of these posters in the window? We’re just trying to get the word out as much as we can, make sure as many people see her face as possible. Her name is Ella. She’s been missing for. . . Well, close to 48 hours, now.

CASHIER

Of course, go right ahead. We’ll make sure folks see it.

[BELL DINGS AS DALTON EXITS STORE. OUTSIDE IS SMALL-TOWN, LOW TRAFFIC]

DALTON

Excuse me, sir? Ma’am? Have you seen this woman? If you could just take a flier, there’s a phone number. . . Thank you.

JOSEPH

Excuse me.

DALTON

Yes?

JOSEPH

I couldn’t help but overhear your discussion about this missing girl, and I happen to know this area very well. Maybe I could help?

DALTON

That would be great, thank you. We can use all the help we can get. I’m Dalton.

JOSEPH

Joseph. Joseph Zielony.

SCENE 2: IN CAR, DRIVING ON UNPAVED ROAD

DALTON

I think there are a few wineries up this road, aren’t there?

JOSEPH

Yes, I believe so.

DALTON

I’m finding that GPS isn’t very reliable out here. Dirt roads, grape fields, little vineyards, a lot of this doesn’t even seem to be on Google. I didn’t think there were places like this left.

JOSEPH

Oh, there are. More than you think.

DALTON

So. . . do you live around here?

JOSEPH

No, I’m just passing through.

DALTON

Traveler, huh? I always wanted to do more traveling. I’m set to retire in a few years, maybe then my wife and I can see more of the world.

JOSEPH

You should.

DALTON

How about you? Married?

JOSEPH

[Chuckling] I’m not exactly the marrying type.

DALTON

Ah. Well, here’s a winery. [Car door opening, both stepping out onto gravel] Probably a good place to start. I. . .

JOSEPH

Dalton? Are you alright?

DALTON

I’m fine, just. . . a little dizzy. I think I’m. . . Oh, no.

JOSEPH

What?

DALTON

I think I might be having a stroke. I’m hallucinating.

JOSEPH

Tell me what you see.

DALTON

Doesn’t matter. It can’t be there. Maybe I should—

JOSEPH

Dalton. It’s ok. Tell me.

DALTON

Ok. You know how we just parked in front of winery? On a dirt road? Well, now it’s a street. There are cars and people. Big crowds of people.

JOSEPH

What do they look like?

DALTON

Everything looks. . . antique. The men are wearing these, I don’t know, caps and suspenders and long coats. The women all have hats. The cars look old, like something out of old gangster movie. It’s the 1920s, I think.

JOSEPH

Can you tell where it is? What city?

DALTON

I, uh. . . Hang on. There’s a guy walking past me. He has a newspaper under his arm. It’s the Times. The London Times.

JOSEPH

Interesting.

DALTON

Interesting?!?! It’s not really here, I’m seeing things, I. . . [Starts to hyperventilate]

JOSEPH

Dalton, breathe. I’ve got you, see? I’ve got your arm, you’re standing still, you’re not going to get lost here. Now just breathe. In and out. You’re safe.

DALTON

[Struggles for a while, finally catches his breath] Ok. It’s gone. I can’t see it anymore.

JOSEPH

Think you can stand on your own?

DALTON

Yeah. I’m ok. Sorry.

JOSEPH

Don’t apologize. It sounds like a weird experience.

DALTON

You have no idea.

JOSEPH

Oh, I don’t know about that.

DALTON

What?

JOSEPH

Nothing. So. You saw 1920s London. Any reason why it might be that, and not any other time?

DALTON

No. It’s just where I saw Ella go, for some reason. Not that she really went there, I know that, but. . .

JOSEPH

Well, why not? She must have gone somewhere. Slipping into the 1920s wouldn’t be nearly as strange as vanishing into thin air.

DALTON

Not sure I agree with that.

JOSEPH

Well then, shall we continue? Or do you need a minute?

DALTON

I’m fine. Let’s continue. If I have a brain tumor I’m sure it can wait until we find Ella.

JOSEPH

You don’t have a brain tumor.

DALTON

You can’t know that.

JOSEPH

I know. Come on, let’s go find our girl.

SCENE 3: INDOORS, PHONE CONVERSATION

DALTON

Hello?

PEGGY

Dalton! Oh my God, what’s happening there? I tried calling all day but you didn’t answer.

DALTON

I’m sorry, reception gets really bad when you get close to those hills.

PEGGY

Well, what’s going on out there?

DALTON

We’re still searching. It doesn’t seem like the police have found anything yet. Or if they have found anything they haven’t told us. I spent the whole day showing her picture around town, but no one had seen her.

PEGGY

I just can’t believe this is happening. What about Travis? How’s he holding up?

DALTON

[Long pause] He’s fine. He’s doing as well as he can, I think, under the circumstances.

PEGGY

Can I talk to him? I tried calling earlier but he didn’t answer his phone.

DALTON

I think he’s out searching now. I’ll tell him to call you back. When are you and Tracey getting in?

PEGGY

Well, that’s why I called, Dalton. I’m at my wit’s end. We’re still in Chicago.

DALTON

What? You were supposed to fly out two days ago.

PEGGY

I know, and we tried, but every flight we’ve been booked on canceled. We tried rebooking different times, different routes, but every single time they canceled. We spent the whole day at the airport just trying to get out, and we finally had to give up and go home to get some sleep.

DALTON

Why? Is there a storm or something?

PEGGY

No, nothing like that. That’s the strangest part. Every single cancelation was just over some maintenance problem or some freak delay, like the door on the last plane getting stuck. I swear, it’s like someone doesn’t want us to get there.

DALTON

You know what, Peg. . . Maybe that’s best.

PEGGY

No! We should be together now. I could help with the search, if I could just get on a damn plane.

DALTON

No, Peg, listen. Tracey’s pregnant, and we still don’t know what caused all those hallucinations. I’d never forgive myself if she got exposed to something here.

PEGGY

Oh, God, I didn’t even think of that. Well, if you’re that worried about it, should you still be there? Shouldn’t all of you go to stay somewhere else?

DALTON

I don’t think Cora would ever agree to that. And if we’re going to find Ella I think it’ll be nearby. Travis and I are already here, it makes sense for us to stay. You and Tracey, though, you should stay home. It would just make me worry and I don’t think it would help the situation.

PEGGY

If you’re sure. . .

DALTON

I’m sure. You stay with Tracey. I’m sure we’ll find her soon.

PEGGY

I hope so. I love you.

DALTON

Love you, too.

SCENE 4: VOICE RECORDER, INDOORS, NIGHT

DALTON

It’s. . . I think it’s 2:30 in the morning. I just got to sleep a few hours ago. I’m recording this because Detective Larkin suggested we document anything odd, in case our memories of what really happened start to come back. She said it might happen in dreams, that we might get some more of our memories back in dreams before we remember them while awake. You know. . . That’s very odd, now that I think about it. A detective asking witnesses to keep dream journals? What kind of police work is that? And I’m not sure why this seemed so reasonable before. Oh, I don’t know. Maybe this is standard procedure. I’m not a detective, I shouldn’t assume. Anyway. I woke up a few minutes ago. Or, no, I dreamt that I woke up. I had a dream that I woke up because I heard a sound in the house. I thought maybe it was Ella, for some reason. I got up and went out to the kitchen. It was dark, but I could hear someone there, someone going through drawers and cabinets. When I got to the kitchen, Joseph was there. That’s Joseph Zielony. I met him in town today, and he helped me pass out flyers and ask people about Ella. I saw him there, and, in this dream, I didn’t really find it alarming that he was in the ranch house in the middle of the night. I was just confused about why he was going through the cupboards. He saw me, and he smiled. He said, “It’s alright, Dalton. Go back to bed.” Then he, uh. . . He touched my face. Sort of, I don’t know, caressed my cheek. I thought. . . No, never mind. It doesn’t matter. He touched my face, and then I was waking up back in bed. It didn’t feel like any time had passed, but when I got up and checked there was no one in the kitchen. So it was just a dream, I know that. Still, it felt very lucid, very clear, not like the dreams I usually have. I don’t see how it has anything to do with Ella, but it seemed like something I should record. So. That’s all.

SCENE 5: OUTDOORS, EARLY MORNING, BIRDS CHIRPING

DALTON

It’s now 6:30 am. Cora’s car is gone. I think she and July got up early to search. I was about to go out and start looking myself, but I heard something that I think I should mention. I went outside into the courtyard at the front of the ranch house, and Travis was out there. He didn’t hear me, at first. He was talking to himself. Or, it sounded like he was talking to someone else, but he wasn’t on the phone and there was no one there. A lot of it was too quiet to hear, but I did hear him say, “They won’t find it. They’ll never find it.” Then he heard me and he stopped talking. I asked him what he meant, but he wouldn’t say. I tried to ask him how he was, if he’d slept, but he won’t talk to me. He looks terrible, like he hasn’t slept in days. He smells, too. I know that sounds like it shouldn’t matter. None of us have been showering as often as we should. But he smells like, I don’t know, an infection. Like gangrene. I’ve smelled that before, and that’s what he smells like. I’m so worried about him. I think he was talking about Ella. Her body. I think he thinks she’s dead, and he thinks we’ll never find the body. I wish I knew what to do for him. I. . . Hi, Jordan. What are you doing?

JORDAN

Um, nothing.

DALTON

Where did you get that microwave? And where are you taking it? We already have a microwave in the house.

JORDAN

Uh. . . Look, don’t tell Mom, ok?

DALTON

What’s going on?

JORDAN

I got more instructions. It needs a motor, and some other parts, and it seemed like a microwave was the closest thing that would have everything I need. So I found this one in that garage where they keep all their junk. I think it’s probably broken, but I can still use the parts.

DALTON

For what?

JORDAN

Here. I’ll show you. Just don’t tell Mom, she’ll think I’m nuts. July already thinks I’m going off the deep end, but she’s got her own weird shit going on, you know?

DALTON

Yeah. I know. Everyone’s having a hard time.

JORDAN

Here. I have the setup in my room. Come on.

DALTON

I still don’t understand what you’re making, or why. . . Oh, good God. What have you been doing in here?

JORDAN

Yeah, it’s kind of a mess. The first instructions were just for a satellite dish and a laptop and some other stuff, but then they started sending more. I’ve gotten three batches of instructions now, and the parts keep getting harder to find.

DALTON

What instructions?

JORDAN

On my phone. They’ve been texting me blueprints, lists of parts, stuff like that. That thing in the corner, that’s what I’m working on. All this other junk is just parts that I don’t need, and some I haven’t gotten attached yet.

DALTON

What. . . You just got these texts?

JORDAN

Yeah. But they’re not really texts. They don’t have a phone number, and they don’t show up on the list of texts or anything. It’s more like image files just showing up on the phone out of nowhere.

DALTON

So what makes you think you should pay attention to them? They could be just a prank or something.

JORDAN

No. I’m still not sure what this thing is going to do when it’s done, but it’s not just random parts attached together. It makes sense, engineering-wise.

DALTON

What do you think it’s going to do, when it’s done? How do you know it won’t be dangerous?

JORDAN

I don’t know for sure. But I don’t see why they’d bother sending something harmful. And I think, with the way they had me set up the dish, I’m pretty sure they’re trying to set up communication. I think it’s a receiver. Or transmitter and receiver.

DALTON

They?

JORDAN

Yeah. This is all coming from whoever’s in that block Ella walked into. I know it.

DALTON

Jordan, maybe you need to step back and take a breath. This all sounds—

JORDAN

Crazy? I know. I know I sound like I’m ten minutes away from wearing a tinfoil hat. That’s what July said. But look, Dalton, you can see the messages right here.

DALTON

That doesn’t mean—

JORDAN

What have you been seeing?

DALTON

What?

JORDAN

We’ve all been seeing things since it happened. Or hearing things, or smelling things, or whatever. What have you been seeing?

DALTON

I don’t understand.

JORDAN

Yeah, you do. Come on, man, we’re way past the denial phase here.

DALTON

You’re right. I’ve been seeing the past. A city in the past. I think about a hundred years ago.

JORDAN

Look, I think. . . I don’t believe in sci-fi shit. I really don’t. But if we don’t have any real leads, and if we don’t have any better ideas about finding Ella, then I think we should just, I don’t know, embrace this stuff. See where it leads.

DALTON

I don’t know, Jordan. It seems like nurturing these fantasies might be unhealthy.

JORDAN

Do you have a better idea?

DALTON

[Long pause] No.

JORDAN

Then, come on, man, let’s embrace the madness.

SCENE 6: OUTDOORS, WALKING ON GRAVEL

JOSEPH

Dalton. I was just about to come up to the house.

DALTON

Hi, Joseph. Thanks for coming out here so early. Uh. . . Just curious, were you around here last night?

JOSEPH

No, of course not. Why?

DALTON

Doesn’t matter, I must have just had a dream or something.

JOSEPH

A dream? What was I doing?

DALTON

Nothing, doesn’t matter. [Clears throat] I was thinking.

JOSEPH

Yes?

DALTON

These hallucinations I’ve been having. I’ve been, I don’t know, fighting them would be the best way to put it. And I wonder if maybe I should just be more open to what they have to show me.

JOSEPH

You’re starting to come around to the idea that they might be real.

DALTON

No, no, no, I don’t think they’re real. I just think maybe my subconscious is trying to tell me something. Maybe if I stop fighting it I’ll remember something I forgot about when Ella disappeared. [Pause] Never mind, bad idea, forget I said anything.

JOSEPH

Not at all. I think it sounds like our best option.

DALTON

Does it?

JOSEPH

Of course. And then there’s the fact that I’m curious about what you’re seeing.

DALTON

Ok. I guess now I just wait for another episode. Maybe we should keep searching in the meantime?

JOSEPH

I don’t think you need to wait for an episode. I think you can bring one on.

DALTON

How?

JOSEPH

If your subconscious is trying to tell you something, you only need to stop fighting it. Here. Close your eyes.

DALTON

Ok.

JOSEPH

Picture that street. The place Ella went into. Form a clear image in your mind.

DALTON

Ok.

JOSEPH

Now. Take yourself there.

DALTON

Oh, God.

BACKGROUND SOUND CHANGES. NOW WE HEAR A BUSY STREET, OLD CARS, BACKGROUND CHATTER OF PEOPLE PASSING BY ON THE SIDEWALK.

JOSEPH

Are you there?

DALTON

Yes. It’s clearer than before. Before I could only see it, but now I can hear it. I can smell it.

JOSEPH

Where are you? Where exactly?

DALTON

I’m on the sidewalk. It’s busy. There are people everywhere.

JOSEPH

Are they walking around you? Do they seem to know you’re there?

DALTON

I don’t know. It’s hard to tell. No one’s bumping into me. I think. . . Ok, a woman just made eye contact and stepped around me. She definitely knew I was there.

JOSEPH

Interesting.

DALTON

What does that mean?

JOSEPH

I don’t know. I think you should explore.

DALTON

I don’t know. What happens if I move out of this spot and I can’t find my way back? What if I get stuck here?

JOSEPH

I don’t think that’s going to happen. I still see you standing on a driveway. You haven’t gone anywhere from my perspective.

DALTON

Still, what if I, I don’t know, fade or something? Or what if I think I’m walking on a sidewalk here but I wander onto the highway or fall into a hole back there—

JOSEPH

Here. I’ll just keep hold of your arm, and I’ll make sure you don’t fall into a hole. Or disappear. Is that alright?

DALTON

Yeah. Yeah, that’s ok.

JOSEPH

Remember to breathe, Dalton. Don’t panic.

DALTON

[Taking deep breaths] Ok. I’m ok.

JOSEPH

Good. Now let’s go explore the 1920s.

END CREDITS

Chapter 6

[INTRO]: NARRATOR

The following recordings were taken as evidence in the investigation of Anomalous Event 2014-7457A, also known as the Ella McCray Incident. All were recorded in March 2014. This collection of files concerns person of interest E, Cora McCray. Current Status: Unknown. Note that subject has not been reported as a missing person.

SCENE 1

CORA

Remember the first time you disappeared? Remember that first time? I’ll never forget it. You loved hide and seek when you were a kid. Loved it. You asked to play every day, even after we both knew every hiding place in that damn house. And then, one day, you were almost four. It was just you and me, before Jordan was born. We were at the grocery store. Bashas. The Bashas on 7th Avenue. I turned around to get a box of cereal, and when I turned back around you were gone. I looked in the next aisle and you weren’t there, and I just panicked. I started yelling your name, and you didn’t come to me, and then the store manager and the cashiers were looking for you, and we were about to call the cops. And I knew, I just knew, you were gone for good. I felt it in my bones.

But then we found you. You were hiding behind this Halloween decoration display. And you looked so pleased with yourself, and then you got so confused when I screamed and cried and told you how much trouble you were in. And I realized, later, I realized why you were so confused. It was because it never occurred to you that I wouldn’t be able to find you.

I know I’ve told you that story before. You and Jordan both. I know I’ve told you that, but here’s the part I never told you before. That feeling, that feeling that you were gone forever, that never went away. Never. And I think. . . Now I wonder if I just always knew this was going to happen. Maybe I knew, deep down, somehow, that there would be a time you’d disappear for real.

How the fuck did I know that, Ella? How did I know that almost twenty-five years before it happened?

[Under her breath] Where are you? Come on, where are you? Come on, Ella, talk to me. Please, please, please. Ella, please.

JULY

[Calling from a distance] Cora!

CORA

[Clearing throat, adopting a calmer, more composed tone] Yeah.

JULY

Ok, I’m putting my foot down. This is day three without sleep. You’re getting some rest.

CORA

No, Jules, I’m fine. Really. I don’t need it.

JULY

It wasn’t a request, Cora. Either come in now or I’ll drug your food. You know I will.

JULY

That a girl.

SCENE 2: INDOORS

CORA

[Sleepy, just waking up] Uh. What? Shit. Fell asleep. Ok. [Pause, rustling of paper]. Oh, my God. Jordan! July!

[FOOTSTEPS RUNNING, DOOR BANGING OPEN]

JORDAN

Mom! What’s wrong?

JULY

Cora? Are you ok?

CORA

She left a note.

JORDAN

What?

CORA

Ella came back, sometime last night, and she left a note. Look.

JORDAN

That. . . That does look like her handwriting.

JULY

Let me see. What does it say?

CORA

I don’t know. It doesn’t make much sense.

JULY

Read it.

CORA

Ok. It. . . Here’s what it says. Dear Mom,

Today was rough. I went with Diaz and Abbot to check on a supply cache, and we ran into an AG patrol. Abbot got killed right away. Diaz took a flechette in the thigh. Doc thinks she’ll keep the leg, but his stitch work is getting worse with his eyesight going so it’s gonna leave one hell of a scar. Anyway, just after Diaz went down I managed to get the sonic out, and then I finished them off while they rolled around and squealed about their ears bleeding.

Turned their own augments against them, just like you taught me. Never fails.

I know you’d say any day you walk away from in one piece is a good one, but it’s gonna take a while for the camp to get over losing Abbot. Telling his wife might have been worse than watching him die.

Thanks for listening, Mom.

Love,

Ella

JULY

Well, what the shit does that mean? And who are Diaz and Abbot?

JORDAN

It sounds like some kind of Mad Max stuff. That doesn’t make sense, Ella hates dystopian sci-fi, so why would she come up with that?

JULY

Maybe it’s a message. Like, she knows that we know that she hates dystopian sci-fi, so if she’s being forced to write something, she goes with something she knows we’d notice is off.

JORDAN

I don’t think so. What kind of kidnapper would bring this kind of note back to the house? It would only make everyone more suspicious and want to find her even more. No, she must have written this on her own.

CORA

None of it makes any sense. It doesn’t even sound like her. She’s always optimistic and this sounds, I don’t know, jaded.

DALTON

What’s going on? I heard voices.

CORA

Dalton, she came back.

DALTON

What?

JORDAN

It looks like Ella came back in the night. She left a note. It’s. . . It’s pretty crazy. If this really is her writing it, then she’s hallucinating worse than any of us.

CORA

But she came back! That’s what’s important. She’s out there, and she’s alive.

DALTON

My God. I’ve got to tell Travis. Travis! Travis, get up! [Voice fades as he goes down the hall]

JORDAN

I’m going to go call Detective Larkin.

DALTON

Cora, Travis isn’t in his room.

CORA

Maybe he got a note, too. Maybe he. . . I’m checking his room.

DALTON

Cora, I’m sure he doesn’t know anything. He’d have told us.

CORA

No offense, Dalton, but I’m not sure that’s true. The way he’s been acting, he doesn’t have much of my trust anymore.

DALTON

That’s not fair.

CORA

My kid’s missing, I don’t give a shit about fair. Ok, let’s see. . . Jesus, what’s that smell?

JULY

Oh, God, that’s rancid. I’m gonna barf if I stay here, excuse me.

DALTON

Maybe he left some food somewhere and it’s rotting. That’s what it smells like.

CORA

Maybe. [Rustle of her moving and checking things in the room, tossing things to the floor]

JULY

He’s coming back. I can hear him at the end of the driveway.

DALTON

The driveway’s a quarter mile long, how could you hear that?

JULY

I just can. Come on, let’s go see if he heard anything.

[SCENE 3: OUTDOORS, SEVERAL SETS OF FOOTSTEPS WALKING ALONG A GRAVEL ROAD]

DALTON

There he is. Travis!

TRAVIS

What’s going on?

CORA

Did you hear anything from her?

TRAVIS

What do you mean?

DALTON

Travis, Ella came back sometime last night. She left a note.

TRAVIS

No, she didn’t.

CORA

Yes, she did. This is her handwriting. Look at it!

TRAVIS

No. It’s a fake. They want us to think she’s alive, so we’ll let our guard down. That’s when they’ll make their move.

CORA

They? Who’s ‘they’?

JULY

[Quietly, for Cora’s ears only] Oh, fuck. Cora, don’t push him.

CORA

What do you mean?

JULY

He’s. . . I can smell. . .

CORA

No, you know what? Fuck this. I’m sick and tired of pussyfooting around you. No, Dalton, don’t interrupt me. I know he’s your son and you want to stand up for him, but he knows more than he’s saying. Somebody lied about what they saw, and I’ve ruled out everyone but him, and—

JULY

What do you mean? How did you rule people out?

CORA

It. . . It doesn’t matter. The point is, Travis, you’ve been acting suspicious since she disappeared. We’ve all seen it. So you better tell me what you know right now or so help me God—

TRAVIS

Here’s what I know. She’s dead. Someone planned it. Someone in the house, someone close to Ella, they betrayed her. They were in on it. And I’m going to smoke them out.

DALTON

Travis, please, calm down. When was the last time you slept?

TRAVIS

It doesn’t matter. He says I don’t need sleep anymore. He says I’m beyond sleep.

CORA

He?

TRAVIS

It doesn’t matter. I’m going to find whoever betrayed Ella and I’m gonna kill them. That’s more than any of you are going to do.

[Footsteps walking away]

DALTON

Travis, wait! [Runs after him]

JULY

Cora, listen to me. Stay away from him. Don’t antagonize him.

CORA

Oh, what, now you want to coddle him like everyone else?

JULY

No, I don’t give a fuck about that asshole. I never have. I’m worried about you.

CORA

What are you talking about?

JULY

His smell. Cora, I can smell blood on him. It’s someone else’s blood, not his. It smelled like a lot.

CORA

How could you possibly know that?

JULY

Ever since it happened, I’ve. . . Something’s happening to me, Cora. My eyesight, my sense of smell. There’s something going on with my muscles, my skin. I don’t know what’s going on with me, but I keep having these dreams where I’m turning into something else, and I’m not sure they’re really dreams. Just. . . If something happens to me, stay away from Travis. And keep Jordan away from him.

CORA

Jules, sweetie, it’s ok. Nothing’s happening to you. Come here. Shh. It’s ok.

SCENE 4: INDOORS

[PHONE RINGS]

CORA

Hello?

ESTEBAN

Cora, it’s me.

CORA

Hey, Esteban. Jordan told me you’ve been trying to get out of Alaska.

ESTEBAN

Yeah, that’s why I’m calling. I’ve been trying for days, and I just can’t get a flight out of Ketchikan. I’ve never seen anything like it. Winter storms, yeah, those’ll get you stranded for weeks, but I’ve never seen anything like this during the summer. I’m sorry, I’m trying to figure something out.

CORA

Don’t worry about it. Everyone else is having trouble getting here, too. Dalton’s wife, July’s girlfriend, they’re all trying to get here to help but no one seems to be able to get a flight.

ESTEBAN

That’s weird, right?

CORA

[Exhausted] I don’t know. I don’t know what’s weird and what’s normal anymore. Ella’s alive, Esteban. She left a note last night, but it’s crazy. Just this rambling nonsense, and I don’t understand why she would have any reason to run off. I should be relieved that she wasn’t kidnapped, but at the same time I’m just more worried now than ever. I mean, why would she do this? [Long pause] Esteban?

ESTEBAN

I, uh. . . Listen, Cora, I think you should talk to Jordan.

CORA

Jordan? Why?

ESTEBAN

Ok, look, I’m not supposed to share this, but considering the circumstances. . .

SCENE 5: INDOORS

DOOR SLAMS OPEN

CORA

Jordan! How could you not tell me?

JORDAN

Jesus! What?

CORA

You know what.

JORDAN

Oh. You talked to Dad.

CORA

Yes, I talked to your dad. And why the fuck did I have to hear this from him, over three days after she went missing? What the fuck is wrong with you? Tell me everything. Tell me everything you know.

JORDAN

Look, I don’t know much. Dad probably told you everything. He and I were working on the car, two weeks ago. And Ella showed up, just, a mess. She was crying and not making a whole lot of sense. But she said she didn’t want to marry Travis. She said it was too late to cancel the engagement party without costing Dalton all this money on the rental place, but she was planning on calling the wedding off right afterwards.

CORA

How could you keep this from me? How could she keep this from me?

JORDAN

She made me swear I’d never tell. And I didn’t think it had anything to do with—

CORA

You can’t know that! Look at how Travis has been acting. What if he found out?

JORDAN

You don’t think he could have—

CORA

I have no idea. But if he did, you just cost us days we could have spent looking into it.

JORDAN

Mom.

CORA

No. I can’t talk to you right now. I can’t fucking believe you did this.

SCENE 6: INDOORS

[DOOR SLAMS]

DETECTIVE LARKIN

[Voicemail message] You’ve reached Detective Tessa Larkin. I’m not available to take your call. If this is an emergency, hang up and—

CORA

Goddammit! Do you ever pick up your fucking phone?

JULY

Cora? What’s going on?

CORA

Did you know?

JULY

Know what?

CORA

That Ella was calling off the wedding.

JULY

What? She was?

CORA

Well, at least I can still trust one of you. Yeah. July told Jordan she was calling off the wedding.

JULY

Cora, keep your voice down.

TRAVIS

[Door opens] Too late. I already heard.

JULY

Oh, shit. Travis—

CORA

You’re saying you didn’t know?

TRAVIS

It’s not true. It’s part of their plan, making me think that. She never would have called it off. It’s one of their lies.

CORA

They? Stop with the—

JULY

Cora. Stop. You need to take a breath. Remember what we talked about.

TRAVIS

This is bullshit. I’m not listening to their lies anymore. They’re trying to make me lose focus, lose focus, and then. . . No. [Door slams].

JULY

You ok? Calmed down?

CORA

I’m sorry. I just don’t understand why Jordan wouldn’t tell me.

JULY

Try not to be too hard on him. He’s twenty, Cora. Still pretty much a kid. I think we forget that, sometimes, because he’s Jordan.

CORA

Yeah. Maybe you’re right. I need. . . I think I need to go out and look now.

JULY

We’ve already seen every square inch of this place.

CORA

I know. But if she’s moving around, if she came back. . .

JULY

Ok, I’ll go with you. We’ll be safer in pairs.

CORA

No. I think I need some time.

JULY

Ok. If you’re sure. I’ll be here if you need anything.

CORA

I know, sweetie.

SCENE 7: OUTDOORS, DAYTIME, FOOTSTEPS

CORA

Come on. Where’d you go? Where are you? Goddammit, Ella, stop playing games with me, I can’t go through this again, not again.

[Loud snap, branch breaking, followed by mechanical whir]

CORA

Ella?

[More snaps and mechanical sounds, something coming through the brush]

CORA

Oh, fuck! [Running, breathing heavily, the mechanical thing in pursuit]

[Crashing across a stream, coming to a halt]

CORA

[Whispering] Ok. Ok. There’s someone out there. If I don’t make it and you’re hearing this, I think it’s a man. It’s not the thing July says she saw, not the flying thing. This was, is, it’s some kind of machine. It’s like a drone, it flies, but it has these sharp little legs sticking off it. It came out of the area just past the stream, right near where Ella disappeared. It. . . I think the landscape changed again. It looked like a desert again, like when she disappeared, and this thing was standing there. It ran right at me, just through that desert and into the trees. I don’t know where it is now. I. . . Shit.

[MECHANICAL WHIR AGAIN]

CORA

[Screaming] Oh God, no, get off! Ow!

[WHIR RETREATS AS MACHINE FLIES AWAY]

CORA

[Breathes heavily for several seconds] Ok. Ok. I think it’s gone. It grabbed at my face, my head. . . Jesus, it ripped out a piece of my hair. But that’s it, I think, I don’t think I’m too hurt. Still, I think I’m going to make a run for it back to the house. Ok. I’m ready. Go.

SCENE 8: OUTDOORS. FAST-MOVING FOOTSTEPS AS CORA RUNS.

JORDAN

Mom?

CORA

Jordan! Get down, get down. Hide.

JORDAN

[Whispering] What’s going on?

CORA

There’s something out there. You must have walked right past it. Some kind of machine.

JORDAN

What?

CORA

Shh.

[Thirty seconds of quiet, insects in background]

JORDAN

Mom, I don’t think there’s anyone else out here. See, it’s gone from the tracker.

CORA

What? What is that?

JORDAN

The thing I’ve been working on. I got most of the parts set up, and a little while ago I got some programming instructions for an app. Look.

CORA

What am I looking at?

JORDAN

I don’t know. The thing I’m building, I thought maybe it was for communication. You know, transmitting and receiving over long distances. Now I’m thinking maybe it’s a tracking device. I got this program installed, and right away my phone started tracking something. See, this is a map, and there was a dot that started out here and moved toward the stream.

CORA

That’s it. That’s where it was.

JORDAN

But now it’s gone.

CORA

You mean it’s out of range, or something?

JORDAN

I don’t think so. This map expands to the whole county. If it were around, whatever it is, it should still be picking it up. But it’s gone.

CORA

That doesn’t make any sense.

JORDAN

I know.

CORA

Ok, well, that probably means it’s safe to go back to the house.

JORDAN

Yeah. Let’s go. [Footsteps] Mom, I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you about the wedding thing. I swear, I wanted to, but she made me promise. And I just, I saw what happened, and it wasn’t Travis. That’s not what happened to her, and it just seemed like breaking my promise would mean that she’s. . .

CORA

I know. I know, sweetie. I’m sorry I got so angry with you. I think you’re right that it isn’t Travis. Part of me really wishes that it was him. It would make all of this so much easier to understand.

JORDAN

Yeah. Angry fiancé is one thing. Messages from a big floating block in the sky, that’s something else.

[Walking in silence for a moment]

CORA

Jordan. These messages you’ve been getting. I’m worried. I feel like I shouldn’t be encouraging you taking them seriously. This sounds like conspiracy theory, alien abduction stuff.

JORDAN

Come on, Mom, we’re way past that. You just saw a cyborg. July is starting to get a bloodhound’s sense of smell. Travis is losing his shit. Other than Dalton I’m probably going through the least crazy stuff of anybody here.

CORA

That’s true. But still. I’m wondering if maybe you and July should go home. I have to be here, for Ella, but there’s something wrong with this place. I want you two to be safe, even if Ella isn’t.

JORDAN

I’m not going anywhere. And you know July won’t either.

CORA

Jordan, listen to me—

JORDAN

No. You stay, I stay. Until we get Ella back, we’re not leaving.

CORA

God, how did I end up with such amazing kids? You’re just the best—

JORDAN

Mom.

CORA

Sorry. [Pause] You know what’s the worst part of this whole thing?

JORDAN

What?

CORA

Not knowing which of the things we saw are true. Or which one I want to be true. I don’t know if what you saw is the least awful thing, or what I saw. Or if the worst thing would be that we’re all crazy and something completely different happened. It’s just driving me crazy.

JORDAN

And why would she leave that note? I just don’t get how that note fits in with any of the other stuff.

CORA

I don’t know.

JORDAN

So I was thinking. I know you don’t like to talk about this, but do you think we should be looking into Ella’s dad?

CORA

No.

JORDAN

Look, I’m just saying, from what you’ve said the guy was, like, dangerous and shady, so what if he reached out to Ella or got in touch or something? I mean, the guy was a drug dealer or something, wasn’t he?

CORA

He’s not involved. Trust me. He was capable of anything, but he’s gone now. He didn’t take her.

JORDAN

But if you don’t know where he is, if he maybe got out of prison—

CORA

Jordie. I need you to listen. Ella’s dad is gone. I know he’s not the one who took her. I need you to just trust me and not ask any more questions.

JORDAN

Ok. If you’re sure he couldn’t have anything to do with it.

CORA

Yeah. I’m sure. I’m very, very sure.

END CREDITS

Chapter 7

[INTRO]: NARRATOR

The following recordings were taken as evidence in the investigation of Anomalous Event 2014-7457A, also known as the Ella McCray Incident. All were recorded in March 2014. This collection of files concerns person of interest F, Travis Reese. Current Status: Missing, Presumed Dead.

[SCENE 1: INDOORS]

JULY

Travis. Travis, get your ass out here.

TRAVIS

Go away.

JULY

I will break down this motherfucking door, I swear to God.

[DOOR OPENS]

TRAVIS

What?

JULY

I wanted to. . . Jesus, what’s that smell? God, have you been just shitting in the corner or something? What is that?

TRAVIS

What do you want?

JULY

Listen. You need to help us. Even if you think it’s pointless, even if you don’t think we’ll find her, you need to get out there. For Cora. She’s falling apart.

TRAVIS

She should be. All of you should be. There’s a killer out there, and you’re wandering around outside like you’re invincible. We should be planning. Preparing. Getting ready.

JULY

For what?

TRAVIS

You know.

JULY

I really, really don’t. Look, can you just be helpful, please, for us? Your dad knew Ella. . . Has known Ella. He’s known Ella for all of thirty seconds and he’s tearing the county apart looking for her. So be more like your dear old dad and help us, goddammit.

TRAVIS

There’s. No. Point. She’s dead. All we can do now is get ready for the. . . for the guy who killed her. He’s coming back. Yeah.

JULY

Ok, you know what, fine. You hole up here like a pussy. I’m going back out there.

[DOOR SLAMS. STOMPING OF FEET AS JULY LEAVES THE HOUSE]

TRAVIS

Dumb bitch. She doesn’t get it. None of them do. None of them get it. None of them want to listen.

OTHER TRAVIS

That’s because none of them want to face the truth. They want to believe whatever they magical fairytale shit they saw out there. You’re not like that, you’re willing to see the truth, but to do that you have to go back to the beginning. You have to go through it step by step and understand what happened.

TRAVIS

Ok, that’s right. You’re right. I should go through it from the beginning, from when she stepped onto the rock. Ok. Here’s what I saw. She stepped onto the rock. Then I saw something come up out of the stream and grab her.

OTHER TRAVIS

And what did it look like?

TRAVIS

It doesn’t matter. That’s the hallucination. Not the real thing.

OTHER TRAVIS

Yes it does matter. Even if it wasn’t real, it still matters what you saw.

TRAVIS

I don’t. . . Oh, God, I don’t want to remember that.

OTHER TRAVIS

You have to. Be strong.

TRAVIS

[Sniffing, tearful] Ok. Ok. It was. . . It was an animal. Or, something that wasn’t human, at least. It was bigger than Ella. It was covered in greasy brown hair. Not fur. Hair. Like on a spider. Bristly. And it didn’t really have hands. Just, I don’t know, claws. Or pincers. That’s it. Pincers. It smelled like rotting meat. It jumped up out of the stream, and it grabbed her, and it ripped out her throat. Then it pulled her body back down into the stream with it. I ran after her, but when I looked down it wasn’t even a river, just a little stream a foot deep. Nothing could have hidden in there. And she was gone.

OTHER TRAVIS

Ok. Time for the next question. Could that have been what really happened?

TRAVIS

No. No. Absolutely not. It’s impossible.

OTHER TRAVIS

Good. Now, if that wasn’t what really happened, then it follows that it was a hallucination.

TRAVIS

Right. Of course.

OTHER TRAVIS

But why you hallucinated, that’s not the real question.

TRAVIS

What’s the real question?

OTHER TRAVIS

The real question is, why did everybody hallucinate?

TRAVIS

You’re right. That’s important. It means. . . it means that it’s not, like, a brain tumor, or PTSD. It was something that affected everyone. Like. . . Oh, that’s it. We ate lunch just before we went on the walk. Someone got to the food. That’s it. Somebody slipped something into the food.

OTHER TRAVIS

Which means. . .

TRAVIS

Which means that there’s someone planning something. Someone’s trying to hurt the rest of us.

OTHER TRAVIS

And?

TRAVIS

And. . . And the drugs kicked in at the exact time someone killed Ella. And that means. . . Oh, my God.

OTHER TRAVIS

That’s right. Say it.

TRAVIS

Someone planned it. Someone planned for this to happen. They put drugs in our food and then they must have mentioned going on a walk and they must have made sure we went to the right place at the right time. Except, no, wait, Ella was the one who suggested the walk.

OTHER TRAVIS

No, no, that’s what they want you to think. You were such a mess right after it happened, whoever did this said it was Ella’s idea. And you were so traumatized that’s how you remember it.

TRAVIS

Shit, you’re right. I don’t even know who said it, but somebody said it first, and now. . . Oh, God, I’ve been so stupid. It was someone on the inside this whole time.

OTHER TRAVIS

Now for the last big question: Who is it? Who’s the traitor?

TRAVIS

I don’t. . . It could be anybody. Anybody who was here before the walk, anyone who could have gotten to the fridge before we ate, anyone around here.

OTHER TRAVIS

That’s right. It’s time to be very careful now, Travis. You’re going to have to be very careful if you’re going to find out who killed Ella.

TRAVIS

And I’m going to. Ella. . . Baby, I promise, I’ll find out who did this to you. I’ll find out who did it, and when I do, I’ll fucking rip them to pieces.

OTHER TRAVIS/THE VOICE

[At this point, this voice shifts to something deeper, less human.] That’s right, Travis. Just listen to me. Together, we’ll find the traitor and we’ll see justice done.

SCENE 2: INDOORS. BELL OVER SHOP DOOR RINGS AS TRAVIS ENTERS.

CASHIER

Can I help you?

TRAVIS

I need to buy a gun.

CASHIER

Excuse me?

THE VOICE

You aren’t being smart about this, Travis. The whole town is probably in on it. They’ve hidden all their guns.

TRAVIS

I said I’m looking for a place that sells guns.

CASHIER

Sir, this is a hardware store. We don’t carry guns.

THE VOICE

You’re letting on that you know. We should leave and regroup, then come back to—

TRAVIS

Shut up.

CASHIER

Excuse me?!?!

TRAVIS

Sorry, I wasn’t talking to you.

CASHIER

Sir, no one in town sells guns. And, frankly, even if we did, I wouldn’t sell one to you.

THE VOICE

See what you’ve done. She’s suspicious.

TRAVIS

Fine, whatever [Bell dings as he exits]

THE VOICE

We should—

TRAVIS

Stop. You keep trying to get me to leave, but I won’t. Not until I find out who killed Ella. So either help me with that or go away.

THE VOICE

All I want to do is help you, Travis. You know that.

TRAVIS

Ok. Let me think. We know they’re watching the ranch. We know they have someone on the inside. So I bet. . . Yeah. I bet if we watch tonight, after everyone goes to sleep, we’ll find out who’s doing stuff without the others seeing. Yeah, that’s it. That’s how we’ll find our traitor.

[SCENE 3: OUTDOORS, NIGHT. CRICKETS IN BACKGROUND]

TRAVIS

This should work. I can see the ranch house, the driveway, the highway, and the caretaker’s house from here. I bet it’s her. I bet it’s that caretaker. She showed up just in time, just before Ella died. Yeah, I bet it’s her.

THE VOICE

But she couldn’t have done it alone. She’s working with someone. Maybe a lot of people. You can’t assume it’s just her, Travis.

TRAVIS

Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. Maybe she. . . Hey, who’s that?

THE VOICE

A man walking to the garden shed in the middle of the night. Why would he do that?

TRAVIS

Yeah, who the fuck is that?

GEORGE

Hello? Is someone there?

TRAVIS

Fuck.

THE VOICE

He knows we’re here. You might as well pretend you were just out for a walk.

TRAVIS

You’re right. [Louder] Hi. Sorry if I scared you. I was just out for a walk.

GEORGE

Oh, no worries. I just didn’t think anyone would be up and about this late. Name’s George. I do repairs and landscaping on the place.

TRAVIS

What are you doing up this late, George?

GEORGE

Oh, Sabrina, the property manager, she’s been seeing rats around the place. Asked me to set out some traps.

THE VOICE

Why would he do that in the middle of the night, though?

TRAVIS

Yeah, I was just wondering the same thing.

GEORGE

What’s that?

TRAVIS

Oh, nothing. I was just wondering why you’d have to do that so late at night.

GEORGE

Oh, well, my wife works nights, so I’m a night owl too, I guess. Most of the work I do is just fine to do at night. Better, actually. Not so dang hot out.

THE VOICE

He’s lying. Can’t you see the panic in his eyes? He knows you’re onto him.

GEORGE

Um, if you don’t mind me asking. . . You’re with the group staying at the ranch house? The group that had a girl go missing?

TRAVIS

Yeah. She’s. . . She was my fiancé.

GEORGE

Oh, now, I’m real sorry to hear that. It’s just terrible, the things that go on in this world. Are the police having any luck?

TRAVIS

No. What about you? You wouldn’t happen to know anything about it, would you?

GEORGE

Me? Of course not. Just what I read in the paper, and what I heard from Sabrina. You folks just let me know if there’s anything I can do. I know this county inside and out, if you need someone to show you anyplace around these parts.

THE VOICE

Look, Travis. Look at the color of his shirt.

TRAVIS

Yellow. Lemon yellow.

GEORGE

What’s that?

TRAVIS

Ella was wearing a lemon yellow scarf when she disappeared. Exactly the same color as your shirt.

GEORGE

Oh. Um. I don’t. . .

THE VOICE

He’s taunting you, Travis. Look how bold he is, rubbing your nose in it. Sending a message by wearing her favorite color.

TRAVIS

You motherfucker.

GEORGE

Excuse me?

TRAVIS

Who else is in on it?

GEORGE

Son, I think you might want to go get some rest. Hope you don’t mind me saying so, but you don’t seem like you’re doing too good right now.

THE VOICE

And the second you’re asleep, that’s when he’ll take someone else.

TRAVIS

The fuck you will!

GEORGE

Hey!

[Sound of a struggle. Punches, grunts, cursing. Ends with a metallic bang of shovel against skull]

TRAVIS

Oh, shit. Oh, shit. What did I do? What did I do? Oh no.

THE VOICE

Stop your whining, Travis. You did what had to be done. You did it for Ella.

TRAVIS

Yeah. . . That’s right. I did it for Ella. Right.

THE VOICE

But it’s not over. Who knows how many others he worked with. You have to make sure no one finds out.

TRAVIS

What do I do?

THE VOICE

There, in the shed. There’s a tarp. Drag it out here. Then—[Fades out]

[SCENE 4: OUTDOORS, EARLY MORNING. FOOTSTEPS ON GRAVEL]

TRAVIS

Ok, it’s still early. I think we should be able to slip back into the house without anyone noticing. Cora’s been out looking nonstop but she has to sleep sometime.

THE VOICE

But the traitor may have eyes in the house. People watching but pretending to be asleep.

TRAVIS

You’re right. I don’t know. . . Hey, wait, someone’s coming.

THE VOICE

All of them.

TRAVIS

Why are they out here? Don’t they know it’s not safe?

THE VOICE

They’re in denial. You’re the only one who sees, Travis.

DALTON

There he is. Travis!

TRAVIS

What’s going on?

CORA

Did you hear anything from her?

TRAVIS

What do you mean?

DALTON

Travis, Ella came back sometime last night. She left a note.

THE VOICE

Someone must have seen what we did. They’re onto us. We should go.

TRAVIS

No, she didn’t.

THE VOICE

They’re doing this to make it seem like she’s back, but it’s a trick. Don’t listen to them. Just listen to me.

[Footsteps on gravel as Travis walks away]

DALTON

Travis, wait!

TRAVIS

Go back to the house, Dad.

DALTON

No. No, now you stop and you listen to me, damn it. I’ve tried to be understanding, because you saw something terrible. But you’ve got to pull it together. Ok? Ella needs you.

TRAVIS

Ella’s dead! She’s dead!

DALTON

Maybe that’s true. But if it is, she still needs you. She needs all of us to keep looking until we find her, or whatever’s left, and make sure whoever’s responsible doesn’t get away with it.

THE VOICE

Does it seem odd that a father would try to keep his son in a place this dangerous?

TRAVIS

Shut up.

DALTON

Don’t talk to me like that.

TRAVIS

No, not you. Listen, Dad. . . I need to tell you something.

DALTON

Of course. What is it?

TRAVIS

I, um. . . Wait, who’s that?

[Footsteps approaching]

JOSEPH

Is this a bad time?

DALTON

[Slightly flustered] Joseph, hi. Travis, this is Joseph. He’s been helping me canvas the town. He’s been a big help. Joseph, this is my son.

JOSEPH

Very pleased to meet you, Travis. Your father speaks very highly of you.

TRAVIS

Uh-huh.

THE VOICE

Oh, that’s interesting. Look at the way your father is looking at Joseph. He doesn’t look at your mother that way, that’s for sure.

TRAVIS

Jesus Christ.

JOSEPH

I’m sorry?

TRAVIS

Nothing, nothing, I was just thinking about something.

THE VOICE

Oh, and now look at the way this Joseph character is looking at your father. I think this little crush of his might just amount to something. Explains why he wants to stay here, even with a murderer running around and a conspiracy to have Ella killed. It all makes sense. They figured out your dad’s secret, sent a good-looking man to distract him, and it’s working.

DALTON

Travis, why don’t you go back to the house and get some sleep? You look like you were out all night.

TRAVIS

Yeah, well, what were you up to last night?

DALTON

What do you mean?

TRAVIS

I know what’s going on here.

DALTON

I honestly don’t know what you mean.

TRAVIS

Sure you don’t. Ok, you know what, you and Joseph have fun. I’m still interested in figuring out what happened to Ella [Footsteps walking away]

DALTON

Travis!

JOSEPH

Maybe he just needs some time. He’s been through something terrible.

DALTON

I know, but. . .

THE VOICE

That’s right. Your dad isn’t one of the bad ones, but he doesn’t see the truth, either. You’ll have to watch out for him. He won’t be ready when it comes.

TRAVIS

But I will be.

THE VOICE

That’s right, Travis. Listen to me, and you’ll be ready for what’s coming.

END CREDITS

CHapter 8

[INTRO]: NARRATOR

The following recordings were taken as evidence in the investigation of Anomalous Event 2014-7457A, also known as the Ella McCray Incident. All were recorded in March 2014. This collection of files concerns persons of interest A-F.

SCENE 1: EARLY MORNING, INDOORS.

[TAPPING ON KITCHEN DOOR, DOOR OPENING]

SABRINA

Hi, Cora. I heard shouting.

CORA

Yeah, we found a note from Ella. She came back last night.

SABRINA

Wait, what?

CORA

It’s pretty disturbing. Unhinged. But she’s alive. That’s the important thing. She’s alive. She’s close.

SABRINA

Did you call the detective?

CORA

Jordan just did. She said she’d be out soon.

JULY

In the meantime, I’m making breakfast for everyone. We can’t do a search on an empty stomach. Do we have any meat in the house? Like, beef, like a steak I could fry up?

CORA

There’s sausage in the fridge.

JULY

That’ll do. [Clanking of pots and pans in background]

SABRINA

I’ll help. Cora, you sit. Relax. You look tired.

[Door opens and closes]

SABRINA

Hey, what are you doing here?

DALTON

Everyone, this is Joseph. He’s been helping with the search in town.

CORA

That’s really good of you. I appreciate it.

JOSEPH

Of course.

JULY

Fuck me.

SABRINA

What?

JULY

Nothing. Um, Sabrina, can you watch the stove for a minute? I have to ask Jordan about something.

SCENE 2: INDOORS, BEDROOM

JULY

[Hushed voice] Jordan!

JORDAN

What’s up?

JULY

The Green Man is here.

JORDAN

The guy on the hiking trail?

JULY

Yeah! Dalton said they’ve been searching the town for the last few days. He’s been around this whole time.

JORDAN

Well. . . I mean, Ella did say the Green Man was going to help. Or was going to need my help. So I guess that probably means we can trust him.

JULY

No, no, Jordan, listen. He’s not human.

JORDAN

Um. What?

JULY

His smell. You know how my senses have been getting crazy, lately? Well, I’ve been able to smell the differences between you and Cora and Travis and all the others. Like, just as easily as I can see the differences between you.

JORDAN

Ok. Feel like I should have more questions about that, but go on.

JULY

Well, that guy? He doesn’t smell anything like any other person. Not even close.

JORDAN

What does he smell like?

JULY

I don’t know. Not like anything else. Like ozone, I guess, would be the closest thing. Ozone and sage and. . . if North, like the direction, had a smell, that would be it. Things I didn’t use to be able to smell, so I don’t have words for them now. Look, it doesn’t matter. I don’t know what he is, but I can damn well tell you that’s not a human being out there.

JORDAN

Jesus, that’s. . . That’s kind of a mindfuck. Ok. Um. Ok. Let’s just play it cool and keep an eye on him. Maybe we can figure out what he’s doing here. [Pause] What’s wrong? You keep scratching at your back. Did you hurt yourself?

JULY

No, I’m just itchy as hell. It’s like there’s something under my skin. Can you check my shoulder blades, it feels like. . .

JORDAN

Um.

JULY

What?

JORDAN

Nothing.

JULY

No, Jesus, Jordan, what is it?

JORDAN

You have, I guess, two bumps on your back. Right on each shoulder blade. They’re like bone spurs or something. Did you have these before?

JULY

No. Fuck, are they really that noticeable?

JORDAN

They’re kind big, yeah. Maybe you fell and bruised them or something?

JULY

Ok, doesn’t matter now. I’ll worry about that later. For now, let’s focus on all the other freaky shit going on in this house.

SCENE 3: INDOORS, KITCHEN

SABRINA

Dalton and Joseph are outside?

CORA

Yeah. I sent them out to the car to get something.

SABRINA

Right, well, that man, Joseph? He came by the tasting room a few days ago. He was asking questions about Ella, early, long before you’d think he’d have a chance to hear anything about it.

CORA

You think he has something to do with it?

SABRINA

Maybe. It’s worth checking, right? Make him a breakfast mimosa?

CORA

Do it.

[Door opens and closes]

DALTON

I didn’t see it out there, sorry, Cora.

CORA

No worries.

SABRINA

Here. Some orange juice.

JOSEPH

Thank you, Ms. Maron. Oh, and a touch of Champagne. Lovely.

SABRINA

[Pause] You, uh. . . You feel ok, then?

JOSEPH

Of course. I’m so happy to hear that Ella left a note. It’s a very encouraging sign. In fact, Dalton, maybe we should do a quick check of the woods? If she came back, she might still be close.

DALTON

You’re right. Cora, are you ok waiting here for Detective Larkin while we take a look around?

CORA

Yeah, yeah, go ahead.

[Door opens and closes]

CORA

What happened?

SABRINA

I don’t know. I did the same thing I did before. It just didn’t work. Maybe it’s wearing off.

JORDAN

Maybe what’s wearing off?

SABRINA

Nothing.

JULY

Cora, I want to talk to you about. . . Huh.

JORDAN

What?

JULY

I don’t know. Weird déjà vu. Something about that champagne flute.

JORDAN

Yeah, you know, now that you mention it, me too.

JULY

Wait. . . Hang on, I remember you giving me a glass of something. Bitch, did you roofie me or something?

CORA

Oh, shit.

JULY

What? Cora? What’s going on? Why do I remember her giving me a glass of something?

CORA

Listen, Jules. . . You know how you’ve been feeling different since Ella disappeared? How everyone has? Well, Sabrina’s able to do this, this thing.

JULY

The light.

SABRINA

Yeah. You remember?

JULY

You asked me about what happened to Ella. You thought I was lying to you. Jesus Christ.

CORA

Jules. . .

JULY

You really don’t trust me, after all this time? After everything?

CORA

No, no, Jules, it’s not that. I just needed to make sure—

JULY

That I wasn’t betraying you. Even though you spent the last fifteen years telling me I was family. Sorry, didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to take that seriously.

CORA

You are family, Jules, please—

JULY

I can’t be here [stomping feet, door slamming].

JORDAN

You did that to me too, didn’t you?

CORA

I’m so sorry.

JORDAN

I don’t really care about you doing that to me, but I think July deserves better. She’s fucking worshipped you since she was fifteen. She talks about you like you’re a saint. And I you just threw all that in her face. No, don’t get up. I’ll go see if she’s ok.

[Door slams]

SABRINA

Are you ok?

CORA

I feel like I’ve lost both of my girls, now.

SABRINA

She’ll calm down. I’m sure she’ll—

[KNOCK ON THE DOOR]

SCENE 4: INDOORS, KITCHEN

SABRINA

I’ll get it.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Hello, Miss Maron. May I come in?

CORA

Detective Larkin? Where have you been? Do you know how many times I called your office?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I’m very sorry, Ms. McCray. But I’ve been working hard on your daughter’s case.

SABRINA

Really? Because I haven’t seen a single person from the sheriff’s office searching. I haven’t seen any volunteers out there.

CORA

What’s more, you have no idea the freaky shit that’s been happening. There’s something wrong with this place, this ranch.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Can you tell me what you mean by that?

CORA

What I mean is that it’s doing something to us. July’s senses are so strong she can smell an insect a mile away. Jordan keeps getting texts and emails from someone who wants him to build some kind of weird machine. Sabrina can make someone see God by pouring them a glass of wine. Travis, God fucking knows what it’s done to him.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

And what about you, Ms. McCray?

CORA

What about me?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

What has this place done to you?

CORA

I’ve. . . been seeing things. There are things out there. Some kind of person, sort of, but part machine, too. And I keep getting glimpses of some kind of, I don’t know, some kind of desert. The place I told you about in my statement.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I have to say, Ms. McCray, I’m very alarmed by what I’m hearing. Think about what you’re saying. You’re saying that all of you are experiencing some frankly magical occurrences, none of which can be verified. Unless you have some kind of evidence for any of this?

CORA

Wait around long enough, you’ll see for yourself.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

And this claim that there haven’t been any deputies searching the grounds. Ms. McCray, we’ve had teams searching around the clock. You couldn’t possibly have missed them. Look out the window.

CORA

Oh, come on, there haven’t been any. . . [long pause]. I don’t understand. No. They just got here, they weren’t here before.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Ms. McCray, go talk to them. They’ve been working this case for days.

SABRINA

That’s rubbish. I haven’t seen them either. You’re lying, they haven’t been here.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Now why would I do that? Think about what you’re saying. Either there’s some kind of vast conspiracy to cover up Ella’s disappearance and impede the investigation, all while covering up an insane variety of supernatural scenarios unfolding in this one location, or the people in this house have been exposed to something that’s making them paranoid and causing memory loss. Don’t you think the second option is the more likely one?

CORA

No. This is real, I know it.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I’m afraid not, Cora. But that’s not really the most important issue right now. Right now, I need to ask you about George Gibbons.

SABRINA

What about George? You can’t think he has anything to do with Ella’s disappearance, he’s the sweetest man alive. He even insists on using humane traps for the rats.

CORA

Who’s George?

SABRINA

The maintenance man.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

No, he’s not a person of interest. His wife called us this morning and said he’s been missing. One of my deputies just found his body in the tool shed, and we’re investigating it as a homicide.

SABRINA

Oh, my God.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I’m going to need all of you to account for your whereabouts over the last 48 hours.

SCENE 5: OUTDOORS, DAYTIME

[TWO SETS OF FOOTSTEPS IN GRASS/OUTDOOR TRAIL]

JOSEPH

Dalton, I hope I’m not overstepping, but I wonder if your son is alright.

DALTON

I don’t know, honestly. He’s always been a little temperamental, but nothing like this. Of course, he’s never been through something this hard before.

JOSEPH

Perhaps I could speak with him. My sister went missing under similar circumstances, so I know what he’s going through.

DALTON

Really? I had no idea. I’m so sorry. I guess that explains why you’re helping us.

JOSEPH

No. That’s not why.

DALTON

Why, then?

JOSEPH

Well, I. . .

DALTON

Oh shit. It’s happening again.

[1920s JAZZ SONG STARTS UP]

JOSEPH

Stay calm. What do you see?

DALTON

We’re indoors. It’s dark, and there’s a lot of cigarette smoke. People are dancing. I can hear music, jazz.

JOSEPH

Yes, I hear it.

DALTON

Wait, what? You can actually hear it?

JOSEPH

Yes. I can’t really see it, not clearly, but I can hear the music.

DALTON

That’s impossible.

JOSEPH

Why? I already told you I didn’t think you were hallucinating.

DALTON

But I still think I am! I have to be. Nothing else makes sense.

JOSEPH

I don’t know about that.

 DALTON

Jesus. So this is really happening.

JOSEPH

It seems so.

[Song plays in background for a minute]

JOSEPH

What’s happening around you? What can you see?

DALTON

People are dancing. I’m standing on the edge of the dance floor. And. . . Oh, ok.

JOSEPH

What?

DALTON

It’s not important.

JOSEPH

Tell me.

DALTON

Well, it’s just. . . All the people dancing are men. [Nervous laugh] Didn’t realize they had gay clubs back in the 1920s, but I guess there must have been.

JOSEPH

[Laughing a little] I see. Well, as long as we’re here, shall we?

DALTON

Shall we what?

JOSEPH

We can’t continue the search as long as all you can see around you is a jazz club. You’ll walk into a tree. So let’s dance.

DALTON

Um. What?

JOSEPH

Dance. It’s a great song, shame to let it go to waste. Besides, we’ve already established that people can see you when you travel, so this is the best way to blend in. May I? [Pause] Come on, Dalton, it’s just a dance. What are you afraid of?

DALTON

Nothing. Uh. . . Yeah. Ok. Why not?

[SONG PLAYS IN BACKGROUND FOR A MINUTE, NO DIALOGUE]

SCENE 6: OUTDOORS, DAYTIME

JORDAN

Jules! Wait up!

JULY

Leave me alone, Jordan.

JORDAN

She had Sabrina interrogate me, too, if it makes you feel better.

JULY

Why the fuck would that make me feel better?

JORDAN

Just that it wasn’t about you. She doesn’t trust anybody.

JULY

Yeah, it fucking better not have been about me. God knows I’ve earned that woman’s trust. Hey, where the fuck did all these sheriff’s deputies come from? It’s been days, and they just now show up to search?

JORDAN

Look, I know you’re upset. I am too. But I think we should talk about the Green Man.

JULY

Ok, yeah, you’re right. We need to look into him. I guess I can be pissed off later.

JORDAN

We need a game plan. If we don’t know what we’re dealing with, we need to be careful.

JULY

I don’t even know what we need to be careful of.

JORDAN

Yeah, that’s why. . . Hang on.

JULY

What?

JORDAN

I probably don’t even need to ask if you see that giant block floating over those trees, do I?

JULY

Nope. That’s all you, man. None of the sheriff’s department guys seem to be noticing anything, either.

JORDAN

Ok, well, it’s back. It’s over those trees, right there, that little cluster. And it’s shining a light down on the ground. Holy shit, do you think they’re letting Ella go?

JULY

I don’t think so. Oh, God. Jordan, the wind just changed. I can smell something from over in that direction.

JORDAN

What is it?

JULY

I hope I’m wrong. Come on.

[FOOTSTEPS WALKING THROUGH GRASS]

JORDAN

Ok, the block is gone.

JULY

Smell’s still there. Oh, shit, shit, shit—

JORDAN

What? Tell me?

JULY

 I don’t want to say. Not until I’m sure.

JORDAN

 You smell something dead, don’t you?

JULY

Jordan, wait!

[RUNNING, BREATHING HARD, CRASHING THROUGH BRUSH]

JULY

Jordan, stay back!

JORDAN

[Hysterical] Is it her? Is it her? Jules, tell me it isn’t her, please, please—

JULY

No. It’s not her. It’s not her, but it’s definitely a body. And it’s definitely dead. Really, really dead. We need to get back to the house right now.

[SCENE 7: INDOORS]

CORA

Look, Detective, none of us have been getting a full night’s sleep. We’ve all been all over the place. There’s no way I can tell you where all of us were at every moment for the last 48 hours.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

The problem I’m having here, Ms. McCray, is that there are six people on the property, all of whom have been actively searching and awake at all hours, and none of you saw or heard a thing. You have to admit that seems odd.

TRAVIS

What’s going on?

CORA

Where the hell have you been?

TRAVIS

None of your business.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I’m actually curious about that as well, Travis. Where have you been for the last 48 hours?

[Door slams open]

JORDAN

Mom! We just found a body.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

In the shed? We know. Stay away from it, it’s an active crime scene.

JULY

No, no, not in the shed. Another one. It’s out by the stream.

TRAVIS

Wait, by the stream?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Why does that location surprise you, Travis?

TRAVIS

Nothing, no reason.

CORA

Is it—

JULY

No, it’s not her.

CORA

Oh, thank God.

JULY

It is a woman, though. I’m pretty sure. It’s hard to tell. The body looks, I don’t know, mangled. Like she was mauled by an animal or something. But she has dark hair, not blonde, so it’s not Ella.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

In that case, I’d like you, July, to show one of the deputies to the scene. The rest of you need to come back to the station. Two bodies on the property means we need to secure a much bigger scene, and all of you need to make additional statements.

[DOOR OPENS]

DALTON

One of the deputies just told me I needed to get back in here. What’s going on?

CORA

They found a body. Two bodies. Neither is her, but now we’re apparently all under suspicion.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I never said that. I said that all of you need to make statements while we secure the scene. Anyone who has been on the property in the last two days.

DALTON

Of course. Um, someone else was helping me search. Joseph. He was with me just a moment ago, said he’d catch up in a minute. Not sure where he went.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I’ll send another deputy to look for him and make sure he makes a statement. In the meantime, the rest of you go wait by that squad car out front. Deputy Alvarez will coordinate transportation to the station.

SABRINA

Just to be clear, are we under arrest?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Of course not, Ms. Maron. But failing to make a statement about such a serious crime might hinder our investigation. You might have information and not even realize it. And if that were to impede the capture of a killer, well. . .

JULY

Yeah, yeah, we got it, Detective Thinly Veiled Threat.

DALTON

Ok, everyone, let’s go. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can get back to the search.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Thank you. I’ll be there in a minute.

[FOOTSTEPS WALKING OUT, DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING]

SCENE 8: IN THE KITCHEN, QUIET

DETECTIVE LARKIN

You can come out now.

JOSEPH

Never could hide from you, could I, Commander?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Please, it’s “Detective” here. Good to see you again, Joseph. It’s been a long time.

JOSEPH

It has.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Wish it was under better circumstances. This is a fine old mess we have here, isn’t it?

JOSEPH

It’s a mess, but still salvageable.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

You think? I’m surprised at you, Joseph. You were always quick to cauterize. Getting soft in your old age?

JOSEPH

Hardly. We’ll cauterize if necessary. But I don’t think we’re there yet.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

If you say so. But don’t hesitate too long. This one looks nasty.

JOSEPH

Agreed.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Well, we better catch up with the others. Are you ready to play concerned witness?

JOSEPH

Lead the way.

END CREDITS

Chapter 9 

[INTRO]: NARRATOR

The following recordings were taken as evidence in the investigation of Anomalous Event 2014-7457A, also known as the Ella McCray Incident. All were recorded in March 2014. This collection of files concerns persons of interest A-F.

SCENE 1: Indoors. Morgue, Cold and Echo-y

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Notes on Autopsy 1: George Gibbons. Cause of death is blunt force trauma to the head. Consistent with a gardening tool found near the scene. Victim has blood and skin cells under his fingernails. Results should be up in. . . [Beep]. Ah. Here they are. Hm. Material under the victim’s fingernails includes two genetic profiles. One homo sapiens. One unmapped.

[Voice recorder beep, break in the notes]

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Notes on Autopsy 2: Jane Doe. Cause of death is blood loss from dozens of deep lacerations. Weapon unknown. Victim has numerous healed injuries consistent with armed combat, including a bullet fragment lodged in her collarbone, a missing finger, and several scars on her hands consistent with defensive wounds. Blood contains no antibodies consistent with vaccination protocols of the twenty-first-century United States. The body shows signs that the victim had a disease called polio as a child. Her dentition and nutritional deficiencies are also inconsistent with having grown up in this country and timeline. But I’m much more concerned with residue found in the recent lacerations. They’re an unidentified alloy. Not local.

JOSEPH

Is this Jane Doe one of Ella’s alternates? 

DETECTIVE LARKIN

No. Genetic profile’s too different from Cora. This isn’t an Ella. 

SCENE 2: Interrogation Room [NOTE: Transition sounds cutting between interviews]

CORA

Ok, for the hundredth time, I never met George Gibbons. I never heard of him before today.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I believe you, Cora. But I think someone on the property did meet him. I think someone on the property at least witnessed what happened to him.

CORA

Ok, look, have you investigated this Joseph guy?

SABRINA

Joseph. Joseph Zielony. What about him? Have you checked into him?

JORDAN

That Joseph guy? I don’t really know anything about him, but he’s been around a lot.

TRAVIS

You should be looking into that Joseph guy. He’s an asshole.

JULY

Awfully big coincidence, Ella disappearing and this Joseph person showing up and then a whole bunch of other dead bodies. I mean, I’m no detective or anything, but— 

DALTON

Well, there’s Joseph, but he’s been helping us. I’d have a hard time believing he had anything to do with it.

CORA

Seriously, have you done a, I don’t know, a background check or whatever? 

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Joseph Zielony isn’t a suspect in either of the murders. Or in Ella’s disappearance. He’s been cleared.

SABRINA

What does that mean? How has he been cleared? 

DETECTIVE LARKIN

He has an alibi. An indisputable one.

TRAVIS

That’s fucking bullshit. He’s involved, he’s gotta be. 

DETECTIVE LARKIN

No, he’s not. He really is just a volunteer.

CORA

What alibi? How certain is it? I mean, could someone be lying? 

DETECTIVE LARKIN

 I can’t discuss those kinds of details, but I can say with 100% certainty that Joseph Zielony could not have abducted Ella or killed George Gibbons.

DALTON

Good. I mean, of course. That’s what I thought.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Cora, this letter Ella left behind. . .

CORA

I know. It’s disturbing. 

DETECTIVE LARKIN

You’re sure it’s her handwriting? 

CORA

Positive. 

DETECTIVE LARKIN

These things she talks about, this setting, has she ever discussed anything like this before? Maybe it’s a fictional setting, a book or movie she likes? 

CORA

I don’t think so. She was never into science fiction, and definitely not this dystopian stuff. Jordan or July, this is the kind of thing they’d be into, but not her.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Could one of them have left it, then?

CORA

What? Why on Earth would either of them do that? 

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Has Ella ever been violent? 

CORA

What? No, of course not. Why would you ask? 

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Well, you find this note indicating Ella’s still in the area, and right around that time two bodies turn up, so. . .

CORA

You’ve got to be kidding me. No. Absolutely not. You want a suspect, find out more about Joseph. Don’t you dare suggest this was Ella.

SCENE 3: Indoors, same setting as Scene 1

[Door opens and closes]

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I assume you listened in on the interviews?

JOSEPH

Yes.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Well, then, you know you’ve got one ally and five people who don’t trust you as far as they can throw you. Not the best odds.

JOSEPH

Those murders came at the worst possible time. I was just getting close.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

That’s going to get more difficult, now. But I think you can reestablish Reese’s trust. He didn’t want to believe you were anything but a good Samaritan.

JOSEPH

I’ll work on that, then.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I suppose we still have Jordan. It seems like he’s connecting well with the Commonwealth. If all else fails, we can still get intel that way.

JOSEPH

What about Sabrina Maron?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

That ‘Help them find the liar’ stuff? I don’t know. She might just be finding a way to insert herself into the situation. She hasn’t been honest with the rest of them about her little experiments on the locals, we know that.

JOSEPH

But if it really is a message from one of Ella’s alternates. . .

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Maybe. I suppose it’s worth thinking about. But I’m more worried about this note the girl supposedly left at the house. Any thoughts on where that came from?

JOSEPH

Not yet.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Think one of her alternates made it back through the crossover?

JOSEPH

God, I hope not. 

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Well, we need to start thinking about containment just in case. The last thing we need is one of these people stumbling across an alternate Ella and letting her loose in the world.

JOSEPH

Are you thinking—

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Quarantine. 

JOSEPH

Are you sure?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Yeah, I think we’ve reached that point.

JOSEPH

How big?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Eh, include the town just to be on the safe side. Might give us a few days before they figure it out.

SCENE 4: Indoors, back at the ranch house

CORA

I think Dalton’s back. Will you go get Jordan and Jules? We need to have a house meeting, but I don’t think either one of them is talking to me yet. Not more than they have to, anyway.

SABRINA

Sure, I’ll get them. Although, I suppose they won’t be too happy with me, either. 

[Door opens]

DALTON

Sorry I took so long. They just left me sitting in that interrogation room for a while. And then they took even longer with Travis.

CORA

Probably some kind of bullshit mind games. Seeing if one of us gets nervous sitting there.

DALTON

Well, it worked. I keep wondering who they found out there. The. . . the body. The woman.

TRAVIS

I bet it’s a plant.

CORA

A what?

TRAVIS

A, a fake body. Or a cadaver they dropped out there. Trying to scare us into doing something stupid. Yeah.

DALTON

Travis, that’s ridiculous.

JORDAN

What’s going on?

CORA

House meeting.

JULY

Hard pass.

CORA

Jules, I know you’re mad. You can be mad at me, but we have to talk about our next moves.

JULY

[Sigh] Fine. 

CORA

Ok, first of all, did anyone learn anything useful from talking to Detective Larkin? Did she let anything slip, anything about Ella, or this place, or anything else that might help us?

JORDAN

Not to me.

SABRINA

She seems pretty careful. I’m never sure how much she knows or what she thinks about all this.

DALTON

Well, she said she ruled out Joseph Zielony as a person of interest.

SABRINA

[Long pause] Yeah, about that. Dalton, I’m not sure we should trust him.

CORA

I agree.

DALTON

But Detective Larkin said he has a proven alibi. He couldn’t have been involved.

CORA

But she wouldn’t tell me what that alibi was.  

SABRINA

Me neither. And I thought his behavior at the tasting room was awfully strange. He knew too much too early. I say we keep an eye on him.

JORDAN

But if he’s the Green Man like Ella said, then he’s here to help.

TRAVIS

Oh, now we’re looking for omens in our fucking hallucinations?

JORDAN

It’s just that. . . July, want to weigh in here?

JULY

. . . Nah.

JORDAN

Jesus, ok, well, what exactly are you suggesting, Mom? Call the cops if we see him again?

TRAVIS

Interrogate him. Make him tell us what he knows.

DALTON

You can’t be serious. What’s wrong with you?

CORA

No, obviously, I don’t think we should interrogate him. I think we should act normally. As normally as we can, anyway. But watch him. Follow him, if we can.

DALTON

I’m sorry, but I think you’re all being paranoid about this.

TRAVIS

Well, when it comes to Joseph, your judgment is pretty compromised.

DALTON

What do you mean by that?

TRAVIS

Ok, fine, play dumb. I’m going to go set up a place to watch outside. When he comes around again, I’ll follow him.

CORA

Wait. The other thing we need to talk about is the fact that this place is clearly more dangerous than we thought. I need to stay now that we know Ella’s here and she’s close enough to leave notes, but I think the rest of you should go. Jordan, Jules, you can—

JORDAN

No.

JULY

[Simultaneous with Jordan] Fuck no.

CORA

No, listen, things have changed. We know now for sure that there’s something violent out there, so—

JORDAN

We’re not having this discussion.

DALTON

I agree with Cora. She and I can stay, and you and July and Travis—

TRAVIS

Are you fucking serious?

JORDAN

For the last time, no. Not happening.

JULY

If this meeting is just going to be the same point over and over again can we fucking adjourn already?

CORA

[Losing patience] Ok, fine, if no one’s going to be reasonable then we at least need to have a buddy system. Nobody goes out alone. And, no, Travis, don’t argue with me, I include you in that rule. Everyone goes out at least in pairs, and not after dark.

JULY

Fine. Can we go now?

CORA

[Sighing] Yeah, we’re done.

[Stomping feet, doors slamming]

SCENE 5: Indoors, same setting as previous scene

SABRINA

So. Drink? Won’t spike it with divine inspiration, I promise.

CORA

Sure, why not?

[Liquid pouring, glasses clinking]

SABRINA

To. . . Well, let’s say to perseverance.

CORA

Amen. [Pause]. Sabrina, I know you live here so you can’t exactly just pack up and leave like the rest of us, but. . . Look, I think I should pay to get you a room in town. Or Dalton and I can split it, or something. I feel like we brought this to your doorstep, and Ella’s not your responsibility.

SABRINA

Hm. [Pause]. That would be the smart thing. The rational thing. I can’t really think of a good reason not to take you up on the offer. I mean, I’m bloody terrified out here, all the time.

CORA

I’m sorry.

SABRINA

Don’t be. I’m terrified, but what’s been happening, it’s also remarkable. I feel like I’m supposed to be here. I feel like I’m supposed to be part of this. So, thanks, but no thanks. I’m seeing this through, whatever it is.

CORA

That’s brave.

SABRINA

I’m not a brave person, Cora. Never have been.

CORA

Don’t know about that. I can’t imagine choosing to be stuck in the middle of this, if I didn’t have to be.

SABRINA

Listen. I was thinking about Joseph. How you want to keep an eye on him. He’s immune to what I can do, and it obviously has its limits, but there’s something else I’d like to try.

SCENE 6: Indoors, Sabrina’s place. Night.

SABRINA

[Alone, speaking into voice recorder] Ok, I’m about to try something. I talked about it with Cora a bit, although I left out some of the details about why I think it’s going to work. I just told her about that man who came to the house in the middle of the night, about the way he seemed drawn to me. What I didn’t tell her is that I’ve been. . . Well, hearing voices is definitely not the right term for it. I’m not “hearing” anything. But ever since that man showed up I’ve been feeling this kind of. . . pull, I guess. Like I’m aware of someone just out of the corner of my eye. Except I’m not seeing people nearby. I’m feeling them. What I mean is, I think I can pull them closer. I think I can draw them to me. And if I can do that, I can persuade them to help us. So right now I’m sitting at my table, concentrating on that pull. We’ll see if it works. 

[Short time later. Background for the rest of this scene now has indistinct background murmuring conversation]

SABRINA

Ok, I’m back. It’s about three hours since I started this. . . Well, this new thing. There’s people outside. Six people. They’re gathering in front of the house. I’m going out to meet them. [Door opens] [From this point on adopts a warm tone, her take on how a religious leader would sound] Welcome, all of you. Thank you for coming.

SABRINA

Here. Drink, all of you.

[Clink of glasses]

SABRINA

Now listen. I’ve brought all of you here because there’s someone in trouble. Someone lost in the wilderness. And there are monsters in these woods, and a man who might mean us harm. I need all of you to be strong. I need you to help me.

END CREDITS

Chapter 10

[INTRO]: NARRATOR

The following recordings were taken as evidence in the investigation of Anomalous Event 2014-7457A, also known as the Ella McCray Incident. All were recorded in March 2014. This collection of files concerns persons of interest A-F.

SCENE 1: Indoors, very early morning

JORDAN

Hey, this is Jordan. It’s about 4:30 in the morning. I just got back in. I was outside. I. . . I don’t know how I got there. I just woke up and I was outdoors. I went to sleep in the house, I know that. But when I woke up I was down by the stream. I was holding tools, a screwdriver and a soldering iron and some other stuff. And I could hear something humming up in one of the trees, something electrical. As weird as this sounds, I think I went out there and installed something, or maybe built something. I think it’s in the tree now. I have scrapes on my hands and one of my elbows, like what you’d get from climbing a tree. I don’t remember doing any of that. I know I probably should have checked on what I made, what I left out there, but I heard something. I was already freaking the fuck out because I don’t remember how I got there, and because we all know there’s something dangerous out in the hills. But I was sort of keeping it together until I heard something fly overhead. It was too dark to see anything, but it sounded huge. It sounded like a sail, or something, the way a sail sounds when it flaps in the wind. It sounded that big. And then right after that flapping I heard something crashing into one of the trees. It was heavy enough that branches were snapping, and I think one fell. So I took off running. I ended up going the wrong way, at first, and I ended up at the highway instead of back at the house. I managed to follow the highway and make my way back and get inside without waking anyone up. But, man, if I’m losing time. . . I don’t know what that means, but it’s not good. Not that any of this is good, but it makes me wonder if this is the first time. I’ve slept at least a little bit every night since that first one. What if I’ve been going out there for days? And what the hell have I been doing out there?

SCENE 2: Indoors, very early in the morning

JULY

It’s me again. It’s about 5:30 in the morning. I’m at the house. I can hear that Jordan’s awake from his heartrate, but everyone else is asleep. They aren’t sleeping very well, but they’re in their beds. Which is more than I can say for myself tonight. It’s my shift to watch for Ella anyway; we’re all supposed to sit up for two hours at a time in case Ella comes back, like when she left that note. But I was already up and awake when my shift started. Way before it started.

I woke up outside. I don’t know how I got there. I just fell asleep here and woke up somewhere in the trees near the stream. And when I say in the trees, I mean I was literally up in the branches, I don’t even know how many feet off the ground. I don’t know how I got up there. I never really climbed trees much, never was good at it. But somehow I must have climbed up in my sleep. So I was up there, trying to figure out what the hell I should do, and then something ran past me, or below me, I guess. On the ground. And I chased it.

It’s. . . It’s hard for me to explain what happened, exactly. I mean, I say ‘I chased it’ but that doesn’t really get into how I did that. I didn’t jump down to the ground. I stayed up in the trees, in the air, but somehow I was just chasing someone through the dark. I think. . . I don’t know, I think maybe I was flying. I don’t remember having wings or anything like that, but I was going through the air, and I was starting to catch up with it. I’m not even sure why I chased it. I just felt like I should.

I think there was something else out there. Something in the air. I heard something else, something flying, but they were downwind of me so I didn’t get a sense of what it was. But I think someone was watching.

I don’t know how I got back to the house. There’s a gap, between when I lost whoever I was chasing and when I woke up back here. My clothes were a mess, stretched out and covered in dirt. And my muscles feel really weird. Sore. Those bumps on my shoulder blades are bigger. I feel like something happened to me out there. Something physical. Like I got hurt, or got in a fight. This is the worst feeling, not remembering what I was just doing.

I don’t know what to do.

SCENE 3: Indoors, morning

CORA

Jordan, there’s another note.

JORDAN

What? Where?

CORA

Same as last time. I woke up and it was on the desk. Did anyone fall asleep on their shift?

JORDAN

No, there’s no way. After you it was Dalton, and he was up pacing the whole time. I could hear him out here. And then me, and I was working on this until July took over.

CORA

[Frustrated] Then how the hell did she get in without us knowing?

JORDAN

Could she have climbed in the window?

CORA

It’s locked from the inside, I checked.

JORDAN

Jesus. I guess we’ll just have to set up cameras. What does it say?

CORA

[Evasive] Just more crazy shit. I don’t think the details matter.

JORDAN

I think they might. Come on, let me see.

CORA

It’s. . . God, it’s disturbing. It’s so detailed, like she came up with this whole alternate reality. This isn’t. . . I’ve seen drug-induced hallucinations, in the ER, and they’re not this coherent.

JORDAN

Mom, just read it. There might be something there, something that will give us some hint about where she is.

CORA

Ok, well. . . Ok. It starts off with a note at the top that says, ‘Dear Mom, Took this history today. Thought you’d like this one.’ And then the rest is written in quotation marks, like she’s recorded something someone else said. It says, “I remember the day they took the city. I was just a teenager then, just a dumb kid. We knew about augments, of course, knew about the things people with money could get added to their bodies. Better eyesight, better hearing. Weirder things, like blades under the skin. And useless things, like hair that changed color in a second. To people like us, me and my sister and mom, it just seemed like a waste of money, not dangerous. But then we started to notice folks with augments acting different. Not talking as much. Clustering together, even when their augments were things you couldn’t really see. They’d just know if you had them or not. The news stations stopped talking about augments at all. Not like when people get bored with a story, and not like it faded over time, but like they just didn’t exist one day.

Then, one day, it just happened. No warning. They just stopped what they were doing and all banded together and took the city. I reckon in happened the same way in all the Occupied Cities. Can’t imagine how the folks in the Freelands stopped them, it happened so quick. They just walked in and took all the government buildings, police stations, the military base on the edge of town. Killed anyone who tried to stop them.

I still don’t really understand it. I know some say it were the augments themselves, that those little chips and programs came alive and took over the poor souls wearing them. And I know others think it were just what happens when regular folk get stronger and faster and better armed than the rest of us.

Doesn’t matter. Important thing was, they was in charge and we wasn’t. So my mama and sister and I went into the desert, because we heard they didn’t do so well away from cities and power grids and the like. And we’ve been Desert Folk ever since.” And then it’s signed at the end, like a citation or something, “History of Ben Whitehorse, Resident of Camp Arroyo, age 43.”

JORDAN

Wow. Ok. I’m going to look up all the places she mentioned there. See if there’s a real Camp Arroyo or a place called Whitehorse or something.

[Jordan walks out of the room]

SCENE 4 [Continuation of previous scene]

DALTON

Cora! Travis is gone. I just checked his room.

CORA

Great. I thought we had an understanding about the buddy system.

DALTON

I thought so, too, but he’s gone.

CORA

Ok, let’s. . . I have to call Detective Larkin. Ella left another note. Then we can go out and see if we can find him.

DALTON

Ok, in the meantime I’ll search his room.

SCENE 5: Outdoors, morning. Footsteps and low chatter of lots of people moving around.

SABRINA

Morning.

CORA

Um, morning. Are these the people you were going to call?

SABRINA

Yeah. They’ve been searching all night. The light starts to wear off after a couple hours, but I just give them a top off and they’re good as new.

CORA

That’s. . . Are they ok?

SABRINA

Yeah, of course. It’s not like they’re on drugs or anything.

CORA

Well, Travis is gone again. Did any of them see him go anywhere?

SABRINA

No, they would have told me. They’re on the lookout for anyone outside. There hasn’t been anyone all night.

CORA

Must have been. Ella left another note.

SABRINA

Really? I can’t understand how she would have gotten past us, someone was near the house the whole time.

CORA

Dalton’s going to want to expand the search. Personally I don’t really care about Travis at the moment, but I do want to know what he’s been up to. Plus, Ella must have found shelter somewhere nearby, if she keeps leaving these notes. There’s got to be, I don’t know, a shed or a cave or something. . .

SABRINA

I’ll tell them. Everyone! We’re also looking for a man named Travis now. He’s in his late twenties, blonde hair, tall. Go find him. Also keep checking any buildings or shelters we run into, see if Ella’s there.

CORA

[Low voice] Dalton doesn’t know about this thing you can do. I think it’s best if we keep it that way.

SABRINA

Yeah, I thought about that. I told them that if anyone other than me asks, they’re to say they live in town and they’re just here to volunteer. [Laughs a little] Which is true, in a way.

CORA

You. . . You doing ok?

SABRINA

Yeah, fine. Why do you ask?

CORA

This is all just. . .

SABRINA

I’m not doing it for fun, Cora. It’s to help find Ella.

CORA

Yeah. Yeah, I know.

DALTON

He’s not answering his phone.

CORA

Anything in his room?

DALTON

No, no. Nothing. [Pause]. Who are all these people?

SABRINA

Just volunteers. People I know from town. Come on, let’s get to work.

SCENE 6: Outdoors, later in the morning

[Footsteps crunching through brush]

DALTON

Who’s there?

JOSEPH

Dalton. I just got your texts. Have you heard from him?

DALTON

No, not yet. No sign. How did you find me out here?

JOSEPH

I saw you from the driveway.

DALTON

[under his breath] Good eyesight. [Louder] What happened yesterday?

JOSEPH

What do you mean?

DALTON

After. . . [Clears throat] Where did you go? When we were out in the woods?

JOSEPH

Oh, I just thought I heard something in the trees, and the next thing I knew a police officer was telling me I had to come to the station. We were probably there at the same time, just in different rooms.

DALTON

Oh. That makes sense.

JOSEPH

Did Travis say anything before he went out? 

DALTON

No. It must have been in the middle of the night. But the cars are all still here, so. . . Wait, what’s that?

[Flapping wings]

JOSEPH

Is that. . .

DALTON

Oh, my God. That must be one of those things July saw, the. . . the flyers. I guess I didn’t believe her. [Pause] Oh, shit, it’s coming toward us. I think it sees us.

JOSEPH

No. That shouldn’t be possible.

DALTON

What do you mean?

JOSEPH

Get under the tree, now, go!

[Both run for cover, footsteps crashing through brush. Sound of the flyer gets closer]

JOSEPH

[Whispering] Stay quiet.

[Breathing for a few seconds, no dialogue. Flap of wings as the flyer takes off and flies away]

DALTON

I think it’s gone. Ok, I think it’s safe.

JOSEPH

Yeah, it’s safe. It’s gone now. Go back to the house. It won’t go that far.

DALTON

How do you. . . [Stops and looks around, realizing Joseph is gone] Wait, where the hell. . . Joseph? Joseph?

SCENE 7: Afternoon, outdoors, walking through wooded area

SABRINA

Detective?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

[Hesitating a bit, is surprised at being spotted. Recovers pretty quickly] Um. This is quite a collection of volunteers you have out here.

SABRINA

A lot of people from town heard about what happened. They wanted to help out.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I see.

SABRINA

Are you. . . is the sheriff’s office sending people to look for Travis?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

We’re looking into it.

SABRINA

I’ve been meaning to ask. I’ve lived here for a few years now, and I’ve never heard of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department having a missing person’s unit.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

It’s not needed very often in this part of the state.

SABRINA

Still, it’s a small town. I wonder why I haven’t seen you around.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I guess I just have one of those faces. Blend into the crowd.

SABRINA

But—

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I need to check in with my deputies. Let me know if your volunteers come up with anything.

[Walks quickly away]

SCENE 8: Outdoors, woods, daytime

CORA

So. See anything?

JULY

I already told you, I’ll let you know. You don’t need to keep asking.

CORA

Sorry, I’m just trying to—

JULY

No.

[Footsteps as she stomps ahead]

JORDAN

Give her some time, Mom. She’s still pretty pissed.

CORA

I know. That’s fair. I just keep thinking, if something happens out here, I don’t want there to be unresolved issues between us. 

JORDAN

Wow, that went real dark real fast. What makes you think something’s going to happen?

CORA

I—

JORDAN

Never mind, dumb question. [Pause] Hey, Mom? I was wondering. . . do you remember driving to the police station?

CORA

What?

JORDAN

Like, the actual trip there. I remember the inside of the building, but I don’t remember driving there yesterday. Or where it is, exactly. I don’t think I remember driving there on the first day, either.

CORA

Well, neither of us was the one driving, and we were both distracted, so—

JULY

[Calling back] Hey, guys, the wind just changed. I smell something weird up ahead.

CORA

What kind of weird?

JULY

Not human, but something dead.

JORDAN

Great.

[Footsteps]

JULY

I think it’s coming up. . . Oh, my God.

CORA

What. . . What are we looking at?

JORDAN

Is that. . .

CORA

 Jordan, go back. You too, Jules. Now.

JULY

Yeah, come on, Jordie. We should tell the cops.

CORA

Ok, anyone listening to this later, we just found a clearing in the trees. It’s an empty space about ten feet across. There’s what I think is a dead cow. Its organs have been. . . It’s been eviscerated, and the intestines and other organs are draped in the trees, almost all the way around the clearing. The hide is stretched almost like a canopy about ten feet up. The cow’s head is sitting on a stump in the middle. There are shapes, symbols, drawn on the tree trunks all the way around. The whole thing looks ritualistic. Deliberate. This couldn’t just be one person, I don’t think. It would have taken a lot of time, a lot of strength. This is something. . . I’m not a psychologist, but this someone sick. Someone dangerous.

Not Ella. I know she has to be out here, somewhere, but she wouldn’t do this. It’s someone else.

SCENE 9: Indoors, night

DALTON

[Shaken] Ok, it’s late. Travis has been missing all day. He hasn’t been answering his phone. But the bigger thing I’m worried about. . . I shouldn’t be recording this. I’m probably going to delete this in a minute. But I need to talk through this, and I can’t tell anyone, so here it is. I went into Travis’s room to see if I could find any hints about where he went. That smell was worse, and I still can’t figure out where it’s coming from. That’s not the important part, though, the important part is that I looked under the box spring of his bed, and I found something. It’s. . . it’s a piece of a shirt, I think. A yellow shirt. I think it’s part of a sleeve. It has blood on it. A lot of blood. I think Travis has done something terrible.

I went into the bathroom and burned the sleeve and washed the ashes down the drain. Then I turned the room upside down looking for anything else. I know I shouldn’t have destroyed evidence, I know that, but no matter what I couldn’t hand that over to the police, could I? He’s my son.

I don’t know what to do. I think Cora could tell something was wrong, besides the obvious, with Travis being missing. I think she knew I was hiding something else.

I don’t know what I think happened, honestly. He’s not responsible for Ella disappearing, I know that, I’m sure about that. But everything that’s happened since then. . . I wish I could say I was sure he didn’t do anything. But if I’m honest, I don’t really recognize him, the way he’s been acting, not since Ella disappeared. I just don’t know.

I wonder if. . . Maybe I should tell Joseph. He understands more about what’s happening here than I do. He recognized the flyers, I think. And then the way he just vanished, that shouldn’t have been possible. All of that should make me trust him less, not more, I know that. So why do I trust him? Why do I think he can help Travis?

Jesus, I don’t know what’s happening to me. I’m deleting this now.

Chapter 11

[INTRO]: NARRATOR

The following recordings were taken as evidence in the investigation of Anomalous Event 2014-7457A, also known as the Ella McCray Incident. All were recorded in March 2014. This collection of files concerns persons of interest A-F.

SCENE 1: Outdoors, Nighttime

JOSEPH

We have a problem.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Interference?

JOSEPH

Yeah.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I thought it was just me.

JOSEPH

What happened?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Sabrina Maron saw me earlier, while I was cloaked. Nobody in that search party should have been able to see me. I think I managed to cover for it, but if humans are seeing past my protections, then. . .

JOSEPH

It’s worse than that. One of the crossovers, the ones July has been in contact with, one of them saw me.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Hm. This is a problem.

JOSEPH

I know.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Any thoughts on what’s causing it?

JOSEPH

It must have something to do with those killing sites out in the woods, but I can’t tell exactly how they did it. Whatever it is, it’s sophisticated.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I’m not comfortable with the idea of anyone understanding our tech that well.

JOSEPH

It means at least one of our crossovers has to be highly intelligent.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Yes. More than that, though, it means we can’t depend on our filters. No more moving around the ranch house undetected, no more shadowing their conversations. And no more going out unarmed. We have to assume we’re defenseless from here on out.

JOSEPH

We might be able to get help from the Commonwealth.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

You mean through Jordan?

JOSEPH

Yes.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Hm. Think they can influence him without letting him know it’s about us?

JOSEPH

It’s worth a try.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Ok. Do it.

SCENE 2: Indoors, Ranch House, Daytime

JORDAN

This is Jordan again. Time for an update. This is day. . . man, I think this is Day 6. They’re starting to really run together. I think Sabrina made arrangements for us to stay longer than we were going to originally. At least, no one’s tried to kick us out yet. Not that they could, I don’t think. I think we’re stuck here. I think we’re cut off.

Sorry, got weird there for a second. This is all just starting to feel less and less like reality, you know? Like. . . It’s getting kind of hard to remember that there’s somewhere other than this place. I haven’t even been checking the news. I don’t think any of us have. Just, nothing outside this place feels important anymore.

The main thing I wanted to talk about was something that happened earlier with this fan in the living room. You know, those freestanding fans? Well, the one in there was on, and I noticed it was running slow, and then I just knew right away what was wrong with it. I don’t know the names of the parts in the motor, but I could picture which one was a little loose. So I popped it open with a screwdriver and fixed it and it worked again.

It’s not the weirdest thing in the world, fixing a fan, but it made me realize that I’ve been noticing other stuff, too. Like I’m pretty sure there’s an issue with the wiring in the bathroom ceiling. And I feel really sure the lightbulb in the kitchen is going to burn out in about a day. This isn’t stuff I can see, really, it’s just stuff I know without thinking about it.

Like this machine I’m building. At this point, I’m not really looking at the instructions. I just know how it’s supposed to fit together, without really thinking about it.

At first, I thought I didn’t get any of the weird stuff July and Mom and Sabrina got. Like, I’m getting these messages, but I thought they were just being sent to my phone. I didn’t think I was changing. The sleep stuff, I just kind of wrote off as stress. I don’t really think that’s true anymore. I think I’m changing as much as the rest of them.

SCENE 3: Indoors, Ranch House

JULY

What’s up? Why all the secrecy?

JORDAN

Shut the door.

JULY

What’s going on?

JORDAN

Ok, I think the machine is done. Or, this phase at least.

JULY

Ok. . .

JORDAN

But, the way I’m supposed to use it, it’s a little weird. And maybe not completely safe. Definitely not something I want Mom to know about.

JULY

Well, Cora and I aren’t exactly having a lot of girl talk lately, so I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.

JORDAN

I want to test it out. I think it’s supposed to let me find things at a distance. So I can look for Ella, or at least Travis. . .

JULY

Ugh, just leave his ass out there.

JORDAN

Jules.

JULY

Sorry.

JORDAN

Anyway, I want you to watch and keep an eye on me and unplug me if it looks like things are going bad.

JULY

What do you mean, unplug you?

JORDAN

You’ll see. Just don’t freak out.

JULY

Freak out about. . . Jesus fucking Christ, Jordan, what the hell are you doing?!?

JORDAN

I told you not to freak out. This is how the machine works.

JULY

You’re bleeding!

JORDAN

It’s not that bad. Just a little cut, and then the alligator clips go on like that—

JULY

Don’t! Why are you doing that?

JORDAN

Jules, calm down. Blood’s conductive, and this thing works by transmitting electrical signals, so I had to make a little cut. Ok, so these clips go on my hands like this, and then this goes on my head like that.

JULY

Wait, why is something going on your head? Don’t tell me this involves your brain in some way.

JORDAN

Kinda, yeah.

JULY

Ok, not another move until you tell me what this thing does. Seriously, stop what you’re doing.

JORDAN

It’s surveillance equipment. I don’t know exactly how it’s going to work once I get it hooked up, but it was picking up signals and tracking that thing Mom keeps seeing out by the stream. And then these add ons all seem related to transmitting images. I think it might tap into a satellite or something. So I’m pretty sure when I start this thing up I’ll be able to see this whole area from above.

JULY

Like, the image is just going to be beamed into your brain? Shouldn’t seeing it on a screen be just as good? And safer?

JORDAN

I guess, but that’s not what the instructions told me to do. This is what they wanted me to build.

JULY

And if it just fries your brain?

JORDAN

It won’t.

JULY

What, your little buddies told you that? In a text?

JORDAN

No, I can just tell. I can feel it. It can’t hurt me, I’m pretty sure. Look, if it seems like I’m in trouble, just unplug this cord right here, ok? That’ll shut it down immediately.

JULY

I’m super uncomfortable with this.

JORDAN

Are you more comfortable with me testing this thing on my own? With no one around to keep an eye on things?

JULY

Fine, Jesus, hook it up.

JORDAN

Ok, here we go.

[Whine of machinery turning on]

JORDAN

Long live the new flesh.

JULY

Jesus!

JORDAN

[Laughing] Sorry, couldn’t help it.

JULY

Asshat.

JORDAN

[Taking deep breaths] Ok, I’m ready. Nothing’s happening yet.

JULY

Good.

JORDAN

Whoa. Ok. Something’s happening. I can see something.

JULY

What? 

JORDAN

It’s like. . . Like a map. I can still see the room but this map is laid over it.

JULY

Do you think it’s showing us where Ella is?

JORDAN

[Voice getting distant, getting pulled into this new vision] No. It’s not that kind of map. It’s not the land. It’s the energy.

JULY

What energy?

JORDAN

All energy. Electricity. Heat. Sound. Some I don’t recognize. I think. . . July, I need to stop talking for a while. I need to explore this. I’ll be back in a minute.

JULY

You’ll be back? Back from where?

[Jordan remains silent, hum of machinery in background]

JULY

Jordan? Jordie?!?! Oh, fuck. Shit.

[Few seconds of silence from Jordan]

JULY

Jordie, just fucking confirm that you aren’t in a coma, please. Blink if you can hear me.

[More silence]

JULY

[Muttering to self] Oh God, shit, shit, shit—

JORDAN

[Inhaling loudly as though he’s been holding his breath] I found it.

JULY

Oh, thank God, I thought you were catatonic.

JORDAN

I told you I’d be back in a second.

JULY

Back from where?

JORDAN

From the energy field.

JULY

What—

JORDAN

Doesn’t matter. Help me unplug.

[Sounds of unplugging and moving machinery, power winding down]

JULY

You said you found something. What did you find?

JORDAN

[Starting to sound more like himself, more animated] I found an area where there’s. . . I guess you’d call it interference. There are spots on the map where everything looks blank. No energy.

JULY

That’s not possible. Energy’s everywhere.

JORDAN

Exactly. So that means there’s something blocking their signal, and that might mean someone’s hiding something.

JULY

So now we go find it?

JORDAN

Yeah. I know where it is. 

SCENE 4: Outdoors, daytime

[Footsteps, Jordan and July walking]

JORDAN

Ok, we’re in the area covered by the interference. Whatever’s causing it should be close by.

JULY

What should I be looking for?

JORDAN

You’ll know it when you see it.

[Walking in silence for a few seconds]

JORDAN

This is it.

[Mechanical hum/buzz in background]

JULY

What is it? Looks kinda steampunk.

JORDAN

I think it’s just designed to generate interference. Someone hooked all this shit up to a generator so that it would fuck up the electromagnetic fields around here, but I don’t think that’s a side effect. I think that’s the whole purpose.

JULY

Travis’s smell is on it.

JORDAN

How would he even know how to do something like this?

JULY

Fuck knows. He’s not an engineer or anything. If it’s something really technical, I think he must be working with someone else.

JORDAN

Who would be helping him? And why? What are they hiding?

JULY

I don’t know.

SCENE 5: Outdoors, later

JORDAN

We’re getting close.

JULY

So what exactly are we looking for? What does it look like? Same as the last one?

JORDAN

Not sure. I just know this is the center of the interference, so if Travis is trying to hide something it’ll be around here.

[Rustling in the bushes]

JORDAN

What’s that?

JULY

Stay back, Jordie.

[Footsteps, pushing through branches]

JULY

Hey!

[Footsteps run off]

JULY

I’m gonna—

JORDAN

No! July, it’s almost dark. Do NOT go chasing someone through the woods.

JULY

I might still be able to catch up!

JORDAN

And then what?!?

JULY

Then. . . I don’t know.

JORDAN

Can you tell who it was?

JULY

I’m not sure. I think. . . I can tell that Joseph guy has been around here. That smell isn’t like anything else. But he’s been helping Dalton search, so it could just be from that.

JORDAN

Could that have been Travis just now?

JULY

Maybe.

JORDAN

Well, that’s all the more reason not to chase him. If Travis has been setting up these machines, then whatever’s going on with him is way weirder than we thought.

JULY

It’s not just him. Whatever’s going on, there’s no fucking way he’s suddenly the world’s greatest engineer all on his own.

JORDAN

Right.

JULY

Ok, so. . . We’ve known for a long time that Travis has been hiding whatever he saw. And we know the rest of us all had, I don’t know, contact with something else.

JORDAN

You with the flyers, me with the cube. . .

JULY

Cora with that thing that chased her. Yeah.

JORDAN

So. . .

JULY

So, I’m wondering, what has Travis been in contact with that he doesn’t want to tell us about? And what are they trying to hide with all this interference?

JORDAN

I don’t know. Do you think it’s Ella? The thing they’re trying to hide?

JULY

Maybe. We get rid of the interference—

JORDAN

We find Ella. Could be.

JULY

Then let’s get to work.

SCENE 6: Indoors, night

JORDAN

It’s nighttime. Late. July and I took down all the generators I can find. I think there’s still something causing interference out there, but I’m not sure what it is.  

[Pause]

You know, I’ve been thinking, I wish Ella was here. I know that’s stupid, of course I wish she was here. But I mean, like. . . if I have to be here, going through this situation, out of anybody I know, Ella would be the best person to have with me. Like if it was Mom or Dad who went missing instead of her, that would still be awful, but she’d be handling it better than either of them. It’s weird, because Mom’s definitely way calmer than Ella, and I guess most people would say July is tougher, but Ella. . . she’d be the one dealing with this.

Ella believes things. I don’t mean she’s dumb or gullible or anything like that, but whenever something comes along that wasn’t part of her thinking before, she just accepts it. She adapts. That’s what it is, adaptability.

Like when I came out. Mom and Dad weren’t too bad. I mean, it could have been a lot worse. They got used to it, but they both did the whole, “Maybe you just haven’t met the right person, maybe we need to get your hormones checked, maybe you’re a late bloomer,” all that shit. Ella, though, she was just like, “Yeah, ok.” And that was it. I know that’s not that big a deal, not compared to whatever the fuck is happening here, but she was that way about pretty much everything. She’d be figuring all this out.

She’d believe when I said you’re talking to me, even if she couldn’t hear you.

[Whir of the machinery in Jordan’s room. Same sounds as when he was hooked up to it before.]

JORDAN

Are you there? I’m alone now. You can talk to me.

[Long pause] 

JORDAN

I know you don’t want to talk while July’s here. You were holding back before. But you can talk to me now.

[New sound over speakers.]

JORDAN

Show me more.

[Alien sound gets louder]

JORDAN

I want to understand more. Show me everything.

[Whine gets louder]

JORDAN

[Overwhelmed, epiphany] Oh, my God.

END

Chapter 12

[INTRO]: NARRATOR

The following recordings were taken as evidence in the investigation of Anomalous Event 2014-7457A, also known as the Ella McCray Incident. All were recorded in March 2014. This collection of files concerns persons of interest A-F.

SCENE 1: Background sounds are of a busy street in London, 1920

DALTON

[Hushed] I, ok, wait, is this on? Yeah. Ok, I went back. You know, back to London. I was in the house, in the kitchen, just now, and it just changed. I don’t know if anyone back there can hear me or if it looks like I’m still standing there, but if so I can’t hear you. The first few times this happened I couldn’t really hear or feel it. I just saw it, and I still heard the real world. Or, maybe not the real world, but the present, or. . . You know what I mean. And then once I started hearing it, it was still kind of layered. But now this place seems so real, so present, that I can’t see or hear anything else. I’m just in London, in the 1920s. I’m really here.

Right now I’m standing in an alley, away from the main street. I don’t know what people will think if they see a voice recorder, but I don’t want to test it. [Pause] I don’t know what to do. I should probably just stay where I am, but. . . I don’t know, what if I’m supposed to be doing something here? What if I’m coming back for a reason?

[Long pause]

Ok. I’m going out to the street. I’m just going to walk a block or so and see and then I’ll come right back. Here we go.

[Footsteps on pavement, background noise of street, no dialogue for about ten seconds]

DALTON

[Very low voice, trying not to be noticed] Ok, no one’s looking. I don’t see any street signs. There’s an open-air market. There’s a row of very small shops. Bookshops, I think. It’s a lot of bookshops, actually. I. . . Wait, I think I remember hearing about a street like this in London. It was in a movie, a street with all the bookshops. Paternoster Row. I think that’s where I am. Why the hell would—

[Another long pause, foot traffic in background]

DALTON

Sorry. Someone caught me talking to myself. No one’s around now. I don’t know why I’d go back to a street with a bunch of bookshops. Then again, I don’t know why I’d go back to a gay jazz club, either. Unless this thing is. . . No, no, this has to be random. There can’t be anything here related to Ella.

I’m going to go down to the end of the block and then head back. I don’t see anything here that seems important. It’s just all these bookshops. That market. There’s a, I guess a streetcar, you’d call it. There’s a stop near the end of the street. Other than that I don’t. . . Oh my God.

[Start running through the crowd, shouting] Ella! Ella, wait! Stop that woman! Someone stop that streetcar! Move!

[Running, agitated crowd in the background]

DALTON

Stop! Stop the car! [Slap of hand against glass, slapping the window of the streetcar] Ella!

[Streetcar pulls away]

DALTON

[Fights to catch his breath for a minute] Oh my God. That was Ella. She just got onto that streetcar and it drove off.

JOSEPH

Dalton. Come with me now.

DALTON

Joseph! What are you doing here? Wait, HOW are you here?

JOSEPH

Walk with me, right now. People are staring.

[They walk off through the crowd]

DALTON

I saw Ella. She got onto that streetcar. We have to follow her.

JOSEPH

Keep your voice down.

DALTON

No! Tell me what’s going on.

JOSEPH

You’re making a scene. We’re in the past and you’re making a scene. Have you thought about what that might do?

DALTON

What, you mean, like. . . What, changing the past?

JOSEPH

Maybe.

DALTON

I didn’t think about that.

JOSEPH

You should.

DALTON

But I saw her.

JOSEPH

Ok, no one’s staring anymore. Tell me what happened.

DALTON

Ella was just standing there at the streetcar stop. She got on the car, and I called out and tried to stop her.

JOSEPH

Did she hear you?

DALTON

Yes. She turned to look at me through the window. But it was like she’d never seen me before. She seemed scared of me.

JOSEPH

Hm.

DALTON

[Nerves fraying, getting agitated] How are you here? And where did you go, the other day? We were out in the woods, and then we were at that jazz club, and then you were just gone. That detective was asking all these questions, and there are BODIES turning up all over the property, and you just vanished in the middle of all that. And then you turn up again just in time for us to get chased by some kind of flying monster, and then you run off again. You know that doesn’t look good, right? You can see why I’d have questions?

JOSEPH

I’m sorry. I know that worried you. But I had something I needed to do. It couldn’t be avoided.

DALTON

[Pause] You know something about this, don’t you? You didn’t just randomly show up to volunteer. You know something. You can be here, you can come back in time like me. That has to mean something.

JOSEPH

Dalton, we can talk about this, but right now you need to focus on getting back to the present. You’ve been here far longer than any visit before. You need to concentrate. Get yourself back to your time. And, when you do, don’t tell Cora or the others about this. No one.

DALTON

Why would I not tell them?

JOSEPH

Just trust me, it will only make things worse for them. Now focus on getting back to 2014.

DALTON

I’m not going anywhere, not until—

JOSEPH

Dalton. This is not a good time to get stuck in. Focus.

DALTON

Goddammit. Fine. [Talking to self, under breath] Back to the present, the ranch house, the kitchen—

[Background sounds change. Street sounds are gone, we’re back indoors in an empty kitchen].

DALTON

Joseph? Joseph? Where are you? Son of a bitch!

SCENE 2: Morning, Outdoors

JULY

[Waking up, in pain] Oh, fuck, oh shit, what the fuck?

JOSEPH

July, listen to me. You need to stay calm.

JULY [Struggling to form words; think worse migraine of all time]

Help me. It’s too bright. Too loud. What’s happening to me?

JOSEPH

Your senses have gotten too strong. That’s why it’s painful. You can control this.

JULY

I can’t. It’s so loud. . .

JOSEPH

Yes you can. Breathe.

JULY

[Breathing heavily, panicked, no dialogue]

JOSEPH

Good. Now bring yourself back.

JULY

Shit! Shit! Ow!

JOSEPH

Good, July. Welcome back.

JULY

[Takes a minute to catch her breath] How did I get outside? Why are we out here?

JOSEPH

What do you remember?

JULY

A dream. Flying. I was tracking something, I could smell it, and I almost had it.

JOSEPH

There you go.

JULY

So not a dream.

JOSEPH

Not just a dream, no.

JULY

Want to do me a favor? Want to just cut the bullshit and just tell me what the fuck you’re doing here?

JOSEPH

I heard you out here, and I wanted to—

JULY

[Snapping, impatient] Not here like right here, I mean here like in this situation. Ella, what’s happening to us, all of it. And please don’t fucking lie to me, not now.

JOSEPH

[Laughing a little] Fair enough.

JULY

Tell me. Did you do something to Ella?

JOSEPH

No. Her disappearance brought me here, but I didn’t take her. She did that herself.

JULY

How? Why?

JOSEPH

That’s complicated.

JULY

Good thing I’m smart, then. Start talking.

JOSEPH

If you’re sure. This kind of thing, once you know. . .

[July says nothing, waits]

JOSEPH

Ok then. Let’s see. . . It’s hard to know where to begin.

JULY

Start with you. What are you?

JOSEPH

Well, to understand that, the first thing I need you to know is that this is not the only universe. Not the only world.

JULY

So parallel universes?

JOSEPH

Yes. Different worlds exist side by side, and in each one there are different histories, different creatures, different people. Some include humans, and some don’t. Some have different histories than the one you would know. Some are very close to this world, and some are very different.

JULY

Ok, with you so far.

JOSEPH

Most humans never see other worlds. It takes a very special kind of mind, one that can see different realities at the same time. In my world, we’ve evolved to do that, but for humans it’s rare. [Pause] Understand, those who can do this do not just step from one world to another. They write themselves into that world. When one crosses over, they have always been a part of that world. They were born there. They have a history there.

JULY

So when you traveled here. . . It’s like you’ve always been here?

JOSEPH

Yes. I have a whole history as a human on this Earth. I was born, I was a child, I had parents, I lost a sister, and I grew up. But I also remember my other life. Worlds like mine, species like mine, we learn to travel without forgetting our other selves. We call them our alternates, the forms we take in other worlds.

JULY

So, traveling to other worlds. . . You’re saying there’s, like, a portal or something around here? And Ella got sucked in? [Pause] Oh, my God, are we on a Hellmouth?

JOSEPH

No. Ella crossed over. Willingly. There’s nothing special about this place, this ranch. Or, there wasn’t before. Ella just happened to be here at the moment she crossed over. [Pause] And she didn’t cross into one world. She crossed into many at the same time. It’s hard to say how many, exactly, but each of you saw a different one.

JULY

Because the rest of us don’t have that, that ability. We can only see one reality at a time.

JOSEPH

That’s right.

JULY

[Becomes hopeful] And. . . And you’re here to bring her home.

JOSEPH

[Gentle, breaking bad news] No. Listen to what I am telling you. Ella crossed over. She wrote herself into these new worlds. Now, she has always lived there. Now, she is a creature of those worlds. The places she is in. . . how am I going to explain this to you. . . she doesn’t remember anything of this life. She doesn’t remember you, or her mother, or her brother. Nothing. No one.

JULY

But you just said that these evolved people, species, whatever, they can remember their other selves when they cross over.

JOSEPH

Yes, I can, but Ella can’t. People like me, we have the ability but we’re also trained. Ella isn’t from my world. She’s a mutation. She has the ability, but no control. No training.

JULY

But, no, that doesn’t make any sense. She’s been leaving notes in Cora’s room. I’ve seen them, it’s definitely her handwriting.

JOSEPH

[Careful] I’m. . . I’m not completely sure who’s been leaving those notes. That’s one of the things I have to figure out. But I can promise you it isn’t Ella. Not your Ella, anyway. It can’t be.

JULY

[Numb] You’re telling me we’re never getting Ella back.

JOSEPH

Yes, that’s what I’m telling you.

JULY

[Struggling to get herself under control] Then why the fuck are you here, Joseph? If you can’t bring her back?

JOSEPH

Crossings by people like Ella are. . . messy. Me, people from my world, we know how to cross without ripping holes, without letting anything else through. Ella didn’t know how to be careful. She just smashed a hole in a wall and climbed through. Some of those rips close on their own, but not all of them. What’s been happening to you, it’s a side effect, something leaking through. People like me, we go to crossover sites and we investigate. We decide if the leak is harmless, if it can be contained. We fix what we can. And we also decide when something is beyond saving.

JULY

What does that mean? Beyond saving?

JOSEPH

Sometimes, to save the world, we have to destroy a smaller site. The crossover site. It’s called cauterizing.

JULY

Well, how bad are we talking, here? How bad can one of these things get if you don’t close it?

JOSEPH

The Black Death.

JULY

What. . . No fucking way. That was bubonic plague. That was just bacteria.

JOSEPH

No. It was a mistake, a crossover site that got out of control.

JULY

So you’re like the equivalent of the cops, or. . . Jesus, more like Border Patrol. Goddammit.

JOSEPH

No, you’re not understanding this. I’m not law enforcement. I’m not the dimension police. What happened here, it doesn’t affect or threaten my world at all. Most people in my world don’t care about you. I’m a volunteer. I’m more like. . . Do they still have Doctors Without Borders, in this world?

JULY

Yeah.

JOSEPH

Like that.

JULY

Oh. [Pause]. So how bad is this one? This site?

JOSEPH

Most of the side effects here aren’t that bad.

JULY

Ok. . . You said most of the side effects. What about the other ones? What about me?

JOSEPH

The changes you’re going through, they can be managed. They’re just side effects. They’re not even a bad thing. If you learn to live with them, you’ll be stronger, faster, you’ll have better vision. But the changes won’t go farther than that, not once you learn to control them.

JULY

What about the others?

JOSEPH

My people have allies in other worlds. Jordan has been in touch with some of them. And they sent us a warning. Two of the lifeforms that slipped through are violent. I can't know how bad it is until I find them. Then I can submit my recommendation to my commanding officer.

JULY

[Long Pause] So what now?

JOSEPH

I’m telling you this because I want your help. These crossovers, they might be disguising themselves. They might be in the house. They might be in contact with people here. I can’t get close enough, but you can.

JULY

You want me to spy on my own family?

JOSEPH

I want you to help me protect them.

JULY

I feel like I should tell Jordan, at least. I mean, he’s the one Ella said was supposed to help you.

JOSEPH

Not yet. For now, the fewer people know, the safer everyone is going to be.

JULY

God. . . What are you people called, anyway? Not, like, your species. People who deal with stuff like this. Do you have a name?

JOSEPH

The closest word would be “welder”.

JULY

Welders. [Pause]. Ok. I’ll help you. I’ll keep quiet about what you are. I mean. . . [Gets quavery, fighting to keep it down] I wouldn’t know how to tell Cora this, anyway. That Ella’s never. . . [Clears throat]. I’ll help you. But you tell me everything, ok? No more secrets.

JOSEPH

Deal.

SCENE 3: Indoors, Mid-day

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Dammit, Joseph. You should have consulted me first.

JOSEPH

I already told you I was making local allies.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

You told me you were cultivating Dalton Reese as an ally, not July Calligaris. She strikes me as much less stable.

JOSEPH

She’ll do anything to keep her family safe. She’ll work with us.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

With you, maybe. She doesn’t trust me at all.

JOSEPH

Well, I didn’t tell her who you are. As far as she knows you’re just a police officer.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Why did you change your mind? I thought you were making progress on Reese.

JOSEPH

I am.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Then why haven’t you read him in?

JOSEPH

It just isn’t the right time. This isn’t my first assignment. I know what I’m doing.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I’m starting to wonder. I’ve been listening to the bugs, and Reese is showing all the signs of being a good local informant, plus he’s responding well to your presence, so. . . Oh. Oh, wait a minute. Joseph!

JOSEPH

What?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Are you. . . You seem to be close, with Reese.

JOSEPH

[Dismissive, hasty] Of course I’m close to him, he’s my informant.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Are you sure that’s all? Because from where I’m sitting it looks like your affection for him might be genuine. And if that’s the case, my guess is that you’re trying to spare him the bad news about his daughter in law. And possibly about his son.

JOSEPH

[Getting annoyed] My personal feelings aren’t any concern of yours, Commander. I’m doing my job. I haven’t broken any of the rules.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I’m not trying to punish you, Joseph. I’m just concerned. What if we have to cauterize this place, these people? Have you thought about that? How much harder that will be for you, if Reese can’t be saved?

JOSEPH

Of course I’ve thought about that.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Well, will you still be able to do it? Make the call to cauterize, even if you can’t save him?

JOSEPH

[Long pause] I’ll be able to do it. I’ve done it before.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Ok. But do you really think you’re doing Reese a kindness, keeping him in the dark? Don’t you think it might be kinder to tell him about his son? About Ella? Hope isn’t always a good thing, you know.

JOSEPH

[Tired] I know. I’ll tell him. I just. . . give me time.

SCENE 4: Indoors, night

JULY

It’s about midnight. Not sleeping. I’m just sitting here thinking about what Joseph told me. I shouldn’t believe him. I mean, there’s no proof. And it’s ridiculous. But I think he’s telling the truth. About what’s happening to me, about Ella. Everything. [Pause] The main reason I believe him is. . . I don’t know, it’s hard to explain. This idea that we’re all sort of looking at different worlds now. . . it kind of explains a lot. Like, I thought it would be hard, lying to Cora and Jordie. But then I got back to the house, and I realized we haven’t really been talking much. We haven’t been in the same room except when we need to be. At first I thought it was just because I was mad at Cora and everyone’s exhausted, but it’s more than that. I feel like. . . even when I know other people are in the house, even when I can hear them in the next room, it feels like I’m alone. It feels like we’re all in these little bubbles separate from each other. We’re not talking. We’re all spinning off in different directions. And there’s these weird little. . . gaps, I guess? Like, for example, we haven’t run out of food. It’s been like a week but there’s still food in the fridge. But I don’t think anyone’s gone to the store. And the police station, the place where we went to talk to Detective Larkin both times, I know we went there, and I can picture the room where I talked to her, but I don’t know how to get there. And I don’t know what the outside of the building looks like. I’m not. . . I’m not sure we really left the ranch to go there.

And I want to ask the others about it, but we’re all so far away. Cora keeps looking out at the horizon like she can see something there, and Dalton keeps disappearing without me noticing, and I keep catching Jordan whispering numbers under his breath, stuff I don’t understand. I’m pretty sure all of us are seeing and hearing and experiencing stuff we aren’t sharing with the others. I don’t know why that would be, why we wouldn’t be talking to each other. We just aren’t. I feel like I’m going to have to do something soon. I don’t know what it is, but I’m going to have to do something to stop us all from breaking apart.

END

Chapter 13

[INTRO]: NARRATOR

The following recordings were taken as evidence in the investigation of Anomalous Event 2014-7457A, also known as the Ella McCray Incident. All were recorded in March 2014. This collection of files concerns persons of interest A-F.

SCENE 1

CORA

Keep pressure on the wound! Push down harder!

SABRINA

 God, there’s so much blood.

CORA

Jordan, get my med kit!

JULY

Help me block the door! It’s still out there, I can hear it!

CORA

It must have nicked the femoral artery, we have to—

SABRINA

Hey! Stay with me! Stay awake!

CORA

Call him by his name. What’s his name? Sabrina! What’s his name?

SABRINA

I don’t. . . I don’t know.

SCENE 2 

CORA

This is Cora. We had an incident, earlier, and I feel like I should record everything I remember while it’s still fresh in my memory. We were outside, earlier. I was searching with one of Sabrina’s. . . God, I don’t know what to call them. One of her followers, I guess? They look at her like she’s some kind of prophet. One of them was paired up with me, since we’re trying not to go anywhere alone these days. I kind of thought that would keep a lid on these weird episodes I’ve been having. These moments where the landscape shifts. I hadn’t had that experience around anyone else, except for when Ella first disappeared, so I wasn’t prepared for it.

I’m trying to describe what it looks like. Because I compared it to the desert around Phoenix, before, but that’s not really right. That desert is full of plants and animals. It’s alive. This place, it’s not. It’s almost like something else used to be there and it’s just been blasted into dust. It feels different, too. Like the air is heavier or something.

Anyway, I saw it again today, that desert, and I just tried to stay calm and breathe through it. Wait for the hallucination to pass. But then the guy I was with, Sabrina’s follower, he said, “Where are we now?” It was the first thing he’d said to me. I hadn’t said anything to him either. It’s the weirdest feeling, being around these people Sabrina brought in. They’re like her pets, or something. It doesn’t even feel like talking to a person. That sounds horrible, I know, but that’s what it feels like.

But he spoke then, and that’s when I realized that this isn’t a hallucination. It’s not just me. I thought I’d already accepted that, since we know all this other shit happening around us is real. But I guess deep down I still wasn’t believing it, because I really thought no one else would be able to see it.

I told him I didn’t know where we were. We just stood there, for a while. In the past, it’s gone away after a minute or two.

And then I saw something moving. It was like a drone, something flying a few feet off the ground. Then it, I guess, unfolded, and that’s when I realized it was that machine I saw earlier, that thing that chased me and tore out a piece of my hair. I guess it can change shape. When it’s not flying it’s sort of human shaped, I guess. Not human, but trying to be.

The thing ran toward us, fast. I grabbed the guy, Sabrina’s follower. It was just instinct. But the second I did that, the machine stopped running. It just kind of wandered around, aimlessly, like we weren’t there. I let go of the guy’s arm, and as soon as I did that the machine seemed to notice him, until I touched his arm again.

So, for some reason, these machines, or this one machine, I don’t know if there’s more than one, they aren’t interested in hurting me. And they lose interest with anyone I’m in contact with. I’m not even trying to dig into the question of why that is, not right now. I’m still trying to process what happened next.

The desert changed back into the ranch’s landscape, but the machine stayed with us. And, as soon as it changed back, we saw another one of Sabrina’s people. A young guy, standing a few feet away. Too far away for me to reach in time. And then that machine was just on him.

I still don’t know what this thing is, exactly, but it has blades attached to it, and they just sliced this kid to ribbons. It moved so fast.

I don’t even know how I managed it, but I got over there and I tried to pull the kid away from it, or get between them, or something. I don’t want to make it sound heroic, like I threw myself in harm’s way, because I really didn’t know what I was doing. But I must have instinctively known something, because the second I touched the kid, the thing stopped cutting him. It just stayed there, totally still, while I dragged him back to the rest of the group and to the ranch house.

There’s something about me, specifically. Some reason it won’t hurt me or anybody I’m in direct contact with. I don’t know what that means, or what to do with that information. But I do think there’s a little silver lining in this fucking mess. I think, if it comes down to it, if I have to go out into that desert to save Ella, I can do it. I might be the only one who can.

One more thing, before I get some sleep. There’s something going on with Dalton. I’m not sure what. He’s on my side, I truly believe that, but he’s also hiding something. He keeps disappearing for hours and then saying he was off searching, but then he’s vague about where exactly he’s been. He was in town when the attack happened this morning, and when we told him about it, it was like he was barely listening. Something that shocking, and he barely reacted. And a couple of times I’ve caught him staring at me with this look, like he’s watching for something. I don’t know what. 

SCENE 3

DALTON

This is Dalton. It’s 2:30 in the afternoon. I’m about to try something. It might be a huge mistake, but it’s becoming more and more obvious that searching the outdoors around this ranch is a complete waste of time. We’re not finding Ella that way, and I doubt we’ll find Travis that way either. So. . . So I’m going to try to go back. Deliberately. I did this before and just kind of wandered around with Joseph. Who is nowhere to be found, by the way. After the last time I came back from the 20s he wasn’t there, and he hasn’t answered any calls or texts. Maybe I stranded him back there. I doubt it, though.

I think what’s going on is that I travel back to somewhere in London related to what I’m thinking about. Last time I deliberately went back I was just focused on seeing London. I wasn’t thinking about Ella. But yesterday, when I traveled back and saw her, it was right after I’d been thinking about her. I think I subconsciously influenced where in London I landed. I’m going to test that now by thinking about her and trying to find exactly where she is. If anyone finds this message. . . Well, I guess it won’t matter, because the voice recorder will be back in the 1920s, but just in case it gets found, I guess it means I didn’t make it back.

[Deep breath] Here I go.

[Background sounds change. London street, 1920s, nighttime. Chatter and foot traffic all around]

DALTON

Ok, I’m back there. It’s nighttime. I’m in some kind of plaza or square or something. There are a lot of people around. They seem to be enjoying themselves. Wait. . . Wait, I think I recognize this place. It’s hard to tell, it’s changed so much, but I think this might be Covent Garden. I’m going to start walking away from the rest of the crowd so people don’t notice I’m talking to myself. [Walks in silence for about thirty seconds] Good thing men’s clothes barely change over time. I almost blend in. Wait. . . There she is. I see her. She has that short bobbed hair and those 1920s clothes, but it’s definitely her. She’s walking across the middle of the plaza. She’s. . . Oh. She’s meeting someone. A guy, mid-twenties, red hair. She just kissed him. They’re together. That’s obvious. God, what am I going to tell Travis?

[About fifteen seconds of background, street sounds]

DALTON

Ok. I’m following them. I don’t know exactly what I’m looking for, or what I’m hoping to get out of this, but I feel like I should at least be gathering some information. There’s too many people for me to keep talking to myself, so I’m switching this off for now.

SCENE 4

DALTON

I’m still in London. I’m standing outside a boarding house. There’s a plaque on the front, that’s how I know it’s a boarding house. It’s where Ella lives.

I learned a lot, following her, listening to her. The man she’s with is named Declan. He’s from Ireland, mentioned something about a relative back in Cork. I think she’s Irish, too, from the accent. I’m not really sure what she does here, but she mentioned a hotel a few times so I think she might work there.

Most of what they discussed was moving to America. Boston. They kept mentioning Boston. Declan kept talking about how much money you could make working for the railroad. They talked about it like it was this mythical place, like paradise. I’m not a historian, I don’t know much about what Boston was like in the 1920s, or the US in general, but I’m fairly sure it wasn’t what they’re picturing. I think they’re going to be disappointed when they get there and the streets aren’t paved with gold.

Still. It was hard not to get swept up, the way they talked about it. They’re so young. So in love. It made me realize. . . This is so hard for me to say. I’ll never, ever admit this to Travis, but here it is: I never saw Ella this happy. I thought she was a happy person, I thought she was happy with him, but seeing her here, like this, with Declan, she’s a different person.

Of course, that’s also literally true. She is a different person. Her name is the same and her voice is the same and she looks exactly like the Ella I know, but it’s obvious that she’s not a time traveler. Or she doesn’t realize she is. She’s at home here. She’s living a normal life. She talks about her childhood in Cork like she’s lived this entire life, and I don’t think she’s lying. I think she really has those memories.

I wonder what would happen if I took her back with me. I don’t even think I can do that. But if I could learn how, if I could bring her back, would she just go back to being her old self? Or would she still be this girl from the 1920s, scared and confused and not where she belongs? I don’t know. But I don’t think I can take that chance until I know what would happen to her.

It’s strange. I should be more optimistic now. She’s alive. I know she hasn’t been kidnapped or murdered. But I’m realizing now that, before, I always believed we’d get her back. Now. . . Now something in my gut says we never will.

Ok, it’s time to go back. I don’t think there’s anything else I can do here.

SCENE 5:

JULY

Ok, it’s night. I don’t know what time. My vision keeps going blurry when I look at my phone, because it’s like. . . It’s so sharp I’m not seeing the text, I’m seeing pixels, and it feels like someone’s stabbing me in the fucking eyes. I’m on the porch at the ranch house. I just texted Joseph and told him to get his ass over here, because it’s happening again. I can hear everything, I can smell everything. [Gasps] Oh, man, this fucking sucks.

[Footsteps approaching]

JOSEPH

Are you ok?

JULY

No, I’m not fucking ok! It’s like every little noise is breaking my head open, and—

JOSEPH

Ok, it’s ok. Breathe. Remember your senses the way they used to be. Try to move toward that.

JULY

I’m getting lost.

JOSEPH

No, you’re not. You control this. Breathe.

JULY

[Deep breath] Ok, breathe. I’m breathing. [Several slow, deep breaths]

JOSEPH

Better?

JULY

Yeah, I think so. It’s still bright. And I can hear their heartbeats. The flyers, out there.

[Noise from the trees, a great distance. Shriek of one of the flyers]

JULY

What do they want?

JOSEPH

They’re drawn to you. Like you’re drawn to them.

JULY

[Pause] They’re scared, aren’t they? The flyers?

JOSEPH

Of course. They’re lost. They’re trapped in a world that isn’t theirs.

JULY

Can you send them back?

JOSEPH

I could open a door, sure. But I can’t control them, couldn’t get them to fly back through it.

JULY

[Hesitating] What if I could? You know, communicate with them?

JOSEPH

It’s possible.

JULY

I don’t know why I care. I mean, we can’t get Ella back. Maybe I just want somebody to find their way back home.

JOSEPH

Maybe. I. . . [Trails off]

JULY

What?

JOSEPH

I think Dalton just returned.

JULY

Returned from where?

JOSEPH

London.

JULY

Wait, what?

JOSEPH

I better go make sure he makes it back safe.

[Walks off]

JULY

Hang on! Jesus, seriously? [Giving up, muttering to herself] Sure, why should anyone start explaining anything now?

SCENE 6

CORA

(softly) Jordan?

[Knocks on door]

[Pause. No answer]

CORA

Jordan?

[Door swings open]

JORDAN

5, 13, 89, 233, 1597, 28657 

CORA

Jordan!

JORDAN

514229, 433494437

CORA

Wake up!

JORDAN

Huh? What’s wrong?

CORA

Are you ok?

JORDAN

Yeah, why?

CORA

You were just sitting here talking to yourself. It was like you were in a trance.

JORDAN

Oh. Sorry.

CORA

You were saying a string of numbers. What are they?

JORDAN

Doesn’t matter. What’s going on?

CORA

I was. . . I mean, I wanted to know if you knew where Dalton went. He’s not in his room.

JORDAN

No, I don’t know. But I can. . . Here, let me try something. I might be able to find him.

[Buzz and hum of the machine starting up]

CORA

Jordan, this is starting to really worry me. This machine, it looks—

JORDAN

I don’t think you’re in a position to lecture me about how I’m handling the situation. At least this thing is just for surveillance. Not mind control.

CORA

[Sighs] I’m never going to be able to make up for that, am I?

JORDAN

I don’t know, honestly. 

CORA

[Pauses, clears her throat] You said you were going to try something?

JORDAN

Yeah. I just modified it so it’s wireless, don’t have to plug in anymore.

CORA

Plug in?

JORDAN

The coverage isn’t perfect, not with that interference, but if someone’s walking around out there I might be able to find them.

[Machine hums louder]

CORA

I don’t see a screen. Where’s the display?

JORDAN

Shh.

CORA

[Whispering, under her breath] Jesus Christ.

JORDAN

[Distant] Something living. I can tell from the energy signature. Too big to be a deer.

CORA

Where?

JORDAN

In the trees. That stand of trees before the highway. Hang on. . . Oh, man. That’s not Dalton.

JORDAN

That’s way too big to be a human. It’s the right shape, walking upright, but. . . Shit, it’s gone. More interference.

[Turns the machine off, it winds down]

CORA

What just happened?

JORDAN

[Unnerved] I think whatever that was, that’s what’s been creating these patches of interference. It’s the reason I haven’t been able to scan this whole area. I assumed it was a person, that maybe they were doing it to keep Ella hidden, but whatever that was, it wasn’t human.

CORA

Then what was it?

JORDAN

No idea.

SCENE 7

DALTON

Ok, I came back outdoors instead of in the ranch house. Guess I should be grateful I’m in the right century, at least. I’m walking along the stream. I’m pretty sure this is the way back.

[Footsteps for ten seconds]

DALTON

Joseph?

JOSEPH

Beautiful night.

DALTON

You know, I’m not surprised you’re here. Why is that? Shouldn’t I be surprised, or scared, or something?

JOSEPH

Should you?

DALTON

What are you doing here?

JOSEPH

Like I said, it’s a beautiful night. A beautiful place for a walk.

DALTON

No, I mean, what are you doing here? Why are you involved in this? And don’t tell me you’re just a traveler passing through, don’t tell me a sob story about your lost sister, just be honest about why you’re really here. Don’t lie.

JOSEPH

I’ve never lied to you, Dalton. I’ve left some things out, but I’m telling the truth when I say I’m here to help.

DALTON

Cora and Sabrina don’t think so. They don’t think I should trust you.

JOSEPH

Is that what you think?

DALTON

I don’t know. Why don’t you want me to tell anyone about finding Ella? Back there? Why don’t you want me telling Cora or Jordan or any of them? If there’s even a small chance we can get her back. . .

JOSEPH

There isn’t, Dalton.

DALTON

You keep saying stuff like that, and you never give me any reason to believe you. Why the hell should I listen to anything you say?

JOSEPH

Listen to me, Dalton. I didn’t want you to tell Ella’s family because I found this.

[Crinkle of paper]

DALTON

What’s this? [Reading] Ella O’Neill, age 74. Passed away. . . March 8th, 1971. Survived by her husband Declan, five children, and seven grandchildren. . . What the hell is this?

JOSEPH

It’s all right there. Ella married Declan, moved to Boston in 1922, went west and settled in Colorado in 1926.

DALTON

But that’s. . . That doesn’t mean anything, it doesn’t mean we can’t find her, bring her back, change what happens!

JOSEPH

Dalton, look. Ella lived to old age. She had five children. Bringing her back would change history. It would change all of that. We could never risk it.

DALTON

Oh, bullshit, you don’t know that! You don’t know how time travel works, any more than I do.

JOSEPH

Yes, I do.

DALTON

How? How would you know anything about it? If you aren’t going to be honest with me, I should just listen to Cora and stop trusting you. [Pause. Outdoor sounds fade away, replaced by indoors] And now I’m back in London. [Small laugh, tired]. It’s not even that surprising anymore.

JOSEPH

Where are you?

DALTON

What, you aren’t here too?

JOSEPH

Not unless I have to be. Before, I needed to retrieve you before you got lost. Right now are you somewhere where you could get lost?

DALTON

No. It’s just a room. Curtains, fireplace, a bed. Small. Nothing fancy. Doesn’t feel like anyone’s here. So let’s get back to my question. Can I trust you?

JOSEPH

You already do trust me.

DALTON

What makes you so sure of that?

JOSEPH

I just know. I know a lot about you. I can. . . I have ways of knowing things about people.

DALTON

Yeah, sure.

JOSEPH

Watch.

DALTON

What are you doing?

JOSEPH

This is easier if I can take your hand. May I?

DALTON

I guess.

JOSEPH

Here. Let me show you. I’ll tell you something I have no way of knowing. [Pause] You have a recurring dream about a white cat sitting on a windowsill. You’ve had this dream since you were a child.

DALTON

That. . . That’s true. How did you know that?

JOSEPH

You bought Travis a book for his tenth birthday. The Giver. He didn’t read it, but you loved it. You read it several times, even though it’s a children’s book.

DALTON

What else?

JOSEPH

You’ve been drawn to men your whole life, but you’ve never acted on it.

DALTON

I love my wife. I love my wife.

JOSEPH

Yes, you do. You love your wife, and you gave up other things for her. For your family. But it never went away, that part of you that wants something else.

DALTON

Yes.

JOSEPH

You want me to kiss you. [Pause] May I? 

DALTON

Yes.

SCENE 8: Indoors, night, fire crackling in fireplace

CUSTOMER

Wait, where am I?

SABRINA

Here, have some wine. All of you.

CUSTOMER

(Settling back into a daze) Thank you, Lady.

SABRINA

Of course. [Long pause] Are you comfortable? Did you all get enough to eat?

CUSTOMER

Yes.

[Background mutters, several people agreeing]

SABRINA

I’m not doing this just for a laugh, you know. It’s only until we find Ella. It’s to help someone else. And it’s not hurting any of you, is it? [Pause]. Well. Except. . . God, I’m so sorry about what happened earlier. To Eric. That was his name, Eric. I’d forgotten it, but I found his wallet and that’s the name on his license. He’s going to recover, the doctor said. Probably. You know I didn’t mean to place you in harm’s way, right? If I’d known what that thing would do—

CUSTOMER

Of course not, Lady. We love you.

SABRINA

So you don’t. . . You don’t feel captive, here? You wouldn’t rather be somewhere else?

CUSTOMER

No, of course not, Lady. Where else would I want to be?

SABRINA

[Long pause] It’s a nice area to live, isn’t it? Fresh air, beautiful scenery. Wineries are lovely places to work. At least, my winery was. Is that. . . Does that sound like something you’d enjoy?

CUSTOMER

Yes, Lady.

SABRINA

[Talking herself into something] I mean, you wouldn’t just work there for free, and not just because I asked you to. Maybe you could be. . . Well, there are wineries that are owned collectively. People put in their share of the money, and then they share in the profits. So if you invested some money in the start of a new winery, and you brought others in to do the same, well. . . We could get started almost immediately.

CUSTOMER

It sounds wonderful, Lady.

SABRINA

The light could just be a little nudge at the start. But it would be a good investment, it really would. And I would be fair with the profits. I’m not a thief, it’s not as if I’d be running off with people’s savings. They’d be buying into something, something real. Is that something you would want?

CUSTOMER

Yes, Lady. Anything for you.

SABRINA

Right. It’s settled, then. As soon as Ella’s found, we’ll start gathering investors. Not just investors, members. We’ll call it. . .

CUSTOMER

Lady of Light.

SABRINA

Perfect. The Lady of Light Collective. It’ll be wonderful. It’ll be something no one’s ever seen before.

CUSTOMER

Lady? I was your first, wasn’t I? The first to answer your call?

SABRINA

Yes, you were. I shouldn’t forget that, should I? That you’re special. You’re. . .

CUSTOMER

An Apostle.

SABRINA

Is. . . Is that what you want to be called?

CUSTOMER

More than anything.

SABRINA

Ok, then. You’re my first Apostle.

SCENE 9

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Commander’s log, Entry 9: I’m concerned about Joseph. We’ve worked together a long time, he and I, and I don’t remember the last time we were so at odds about a case. I’m not sure what’s different about this one. There’s the little infatuation with Dalton Reese, of course, but fraternizing with the locals isn’t unusual. It never compromised his judgment before. He’s never hesitated to make the hard choices, not until now.

Maybe it’s just this world, this form. Humans are a difficult species. Their memories, their emotions, they’re so. . . ragged. Harsh. I know Joseph’s alternate’s history includes a sister who went missing. That might be creating an emotional connection to the situation. I’ve been struggling to deal with that myself. In my own alternate’s history there’s a child, a daughter, someone I keep feeling the urge to visit. . . [Clears throat]. Well. The point is, I sympathize with Joseph getting caught up in his alternate form’s memories, his history. I do. But that’s no excuse for losing perspective. He’s been trained far too well for that. He’s dealt with crossover sites on Earth before. He needs to remember why we’re here.

I’ve decided it’s time to speak with Dalton directly. I’ve given Joseph enough leeway. It’s time to make a decision.

END

Chapter 14

[INTRO]: NARRATOR

The following recordings were taken as evidence in the investigation of Anomalous Event 2014-7457A, also known as the Ella McCray Incident. All were recorded in March 2014. This collection of files concerns persons of interest A-F.

SCENE 1

JULY

Jesus Christ.

DALTON

Ah! What?

JULY

For the love of God, please put your clothes on. I could go the rest of my life without seeing this again.

DALTON

I. . . What are you doing here?

JULY

You fucked Joseph? I can’t believe this.

DALTON

No, no, that’s not—

JULY

Dude, super smell, remember? The guy’s scent is all over you.

DALTON

Oh, God. July, I know I don’t have any right to ask this but—

JULY

Don’t worry, I’m not gonna out you. I wouldn’t do that.

DALTON

Thank you.

JULY

Ok, but, in all seriousness, what the hell? I mean, like, do you know what he is? Do you know what he’s going to do if things don’t work out the way he wants?

DALTON

What do you mean?

JULY

Ask him. It should be him telling you, not me.

DALTON

I don’t understand.

JULY

And, totally aside from his plans for us, the guy left you bare-ass naked and alone next to a stream all night. Seems like a dick move to me.

DALTON

It wasn’t outdoors when I fell asleep. It was a bed. At least, in the 20s it was a bed, indoors.

JULY

Well, here in the 21st century you were outside. With whatever dangerous things are running around. And he left you there.

DALTON

I don’t think he would—

JULY

He did.

DALTON

Let’s just get back to the house before everyone else wakes up.

[Footsteps, both walking away]

SCENE 2

JULY

Everyone’s still asleep. We’re good.

DALTON

How do you know that?

JULY

[Heavy sigh] You know, the thing they don’t tell you about getting superpowered senses is that you’ll keep having to explain to people over and over again how you know stuff. I can hear their heartrates. Too slow to be awake.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Mr. Reese.

JULY

Jesus! Ok, no, you should NOT have been able to sneak up on us like that. You’re one of them, aren’t you?

DALTON

One of who?

JULY

Whatever your.  . Whatever Joseph is, she’s one of them too.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Oh, dear.

JULY

Hey. . . No, wait a minute, you smell human. Him, I can tell a mile away, but not with you.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Well, I’ve been at this a lot longer than Joseph. Another, oh, 500 years or so. You pick up some tricks.

DALTON

Are you two going to tell me what the hell you’re talking about?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

July, would you give us a moment?

DALTON

It’s ok, July.

JULY

Ok [Walks away]

DETECTIVE LARKIN

So. Mr. Reese. I suppose it goes without saying that I’m not really a detective with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department.

DALTON

I gathered that.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

What has Joseph told you?

DALTON

Just. . . just that he’s here to help. And, I don’t know how, but he knows a lot about what’s been happening.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Well, that’s true. We’re both here to help. But he’s been using these kid glove methods with you. I don’t think that’s the best course of action at this point. I think it’s best to make sure you fully understand the situation.

DALTON

What situation?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

We need to talk about Travis.

DALTON

I think I should speak with an attorney, I don’t think I should say anything until—

DETECTIVE LARKIN

[Laughs] Dalton, what did I just tell you? Lawyers can’t help you with this. I’m not law enforcement. Which you should be grateful for, considering you destroyed evidence of a murder.

DALTON

How. . . I deleted that recording. You couldn’t have known.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

You deleted what was on your personal voice recorder, sure, but those aren’t the only listening devices on this property. We’ve been listening to almost everything you people have said and done in that house since Ella disappeared. Except for Travis. He was strangely adept at finding and neutralizing the devices in his room.

DALTON

What are you? What is Joseph?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Some people call us welders. It’s not important right now for you to understand exactly what that means. The important thing is that we help people in situations like this. We help people like your son.

DALTON

What does that mean? ‘People like my son’?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

You’ve seen the changes in him, I assume?

DALTON

I’m not sure. I don’t know what’s normal, here.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Dalton, I was hoping to handle this myself, but there are some. . . complications, you might say. I think it’s best to work with you rather than behind your back. You see, Dalton, the phenomenon that led to Ella’s disappearance, it also affected the rest of you. Travis is clearly having a particularly severe reaction. If left unchecked, he might become violent. The damage might be permanent.

DALTON

So what do you suggest?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Of anyone here, you’re the one he’ll contact. If he hasn’t done so already.

DALTON

No. He hasn’t.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Well, when he does, it’s important that you bring him to me. You have my number. Just get him in the house and keep him there.

DALTON

And then what?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

And then I’ll help him.

DALTON

How?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

It’s hard to say without performing an examination. I don’t know exactly what he’s been exposed to, but most of the time the effects can be treated. If we catch them in time.

DALTON

And what about Ella? Are you going to get her back?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Of course, Dalton. We’re working on that now.

DALTON

I see. Good, that’s good.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

So you’ll let me know?

DALTON

Of course. I’ll call you the second I hear from him.

SCENE 3

JULY

Hey, real classy, dude.

JOSEPH

Dalton was safe. I had something I needed to do, but I made sure nothing could hurt him.

JULY

Still.

JOSEPH

Anything to report?

JULY

Uh, not much. Jordan’s still working on that machine. He promised he wouldn’t hook himself up to it without me there, but I think he has been anyway. We’ve gone out to two more spots where he says there’s interference. Both of them had the same creepy shit as the other spots.

JOSEPH

I know. He’s done well.

JULY

What’s so important about that stuff, anyway?

JOSEPH

That interference is designed to block our technology. Welder technology.

JULY

Wait. . . But that means whoever’s doing that stuff knows about you.

JOSEPH

Yes.

JULY

I feel like that’s bad.

JOSEPH

Very.

JULY

Ok, well, then I guess maybe it’s a good thing there’s more than one of you. Which, by the way, you should have told me about. I think that probably fell under the whole “no lies” thing.

JOSEPH

What do you mean?

JULY

Uh, the not-detective? Which I totally called, by the way. She’s spilling everything to Dalton right now.

JOSEPH

She’s what?!?

JULY

I kind of assumed you knew.

JOSEPH

No. No I did not.

[Stomps off]

JULY

Hey! Wait! I wanted to ask about. . . fine, never mind.

[Pause, several seconds of wilderness quiet]

JULY

Are any of you out here?

[Quiet]

JULY

I feel like you might be hiding in the trees. I don’t want to hurt you.

[Quiet]

JULY

[Under her breath] Christ, Jules, what are you doing?

[Footsteps as she starts to walk away]

[Flap of wings, something heavy settling on a branch]

JULY

Whoa! Ok. Wow.

[Breathing of some large creature]

JULY

Hey there. I’m, uh. . . My name’s July. You probably don’t understand me, right? No, of course you don’t.

[Rustling, breathing]

JULY

Sh, sh, it’s ok. You don’t need to be scared. I’m a friend. I’m. . . I want to help.

SCENE 4: Outdoors

JOSEPH

You shouldn’t have gone behind my back. He’s my contact.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

More than that, it seems.

JOSEPH

That’s not the point.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

You’re losing control of this situation, Joseph. What am I supposed to do, stand on the sidelines and watch this crossover turn into a crisis?

JOSEPH

It’s not a crisis. It’s contained.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

For now, but how long can that last?

JOSEPH

It’s under control, I assure you.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I disagree. We haven’t had eyes on Travis for two days, and whatever changes he’s experiencing are clearly escalating. As long as we have this interference issue, getting Dalton on our side is the only way we’re going to find him.

JOSEPH

But we—

DETECTIVE LARKIN

[Interrupting] And it’s obvious that we’re not going to arrive at a consensus on the rest of them without some help, so I think we need to speak to the Judge. Get a fresh set of eyes on this.

JOSEPH

We don’t have enough evidence to bring to the Judge.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

We have enough to develop a threat assessment, and that’s what’s needed right now. If we can’t even agree on which of these crossovers are Level One and which ones are Level Three, our mission’s going to fall apart.

JOSEPH

[Sigh] Fine.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Could take a minute, the listening devices alone are weeks of recordings at this point.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Ok, the line’s open. Thank you for agreeing to speak with us, Judge.

JUDGE

Please describe your dispute.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

We disagree on which of the crossover subjects at this site pose a serious threat and which do not. We’re asking you to issue a threat level ruling on each subject.

JUDGE

Contemplating evidence. Compiling reports from Agent A and Agent B. [Pause] Threat assessments are as follows: Level 1 Threats are July Calligaris, Jordan McCray and his non-human contacts, Dalton Reese. These human subjects display abilities inconsistent with their species but are unlikely to use these abilities in damaging ways. Jordan McCray’s contacts are documented allies of this initiative. We recommend guidance and assistance, but no further action.

JUDGE

Level Two Subjects: Sabrina Maron. We believe that she may pose a threat if she continues to engage in mind manipulation. Further study and observation required. Direct intervention is advised.

JOSEPH

I think we can get through to her.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Shh.

JUDGE

Additional Level Two Subjects: Carnivorous organisms described as “flyers.” Threat posed is primarily to immediate environment. Level Three Subjects: Unidentified intelligent organism occupying the body of Travis Reese. Data from past crossover encounters suggests that the organism will not remain confined to this body. We recommend termination.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Damn.

JUDGE

Level Three Subjects, Continued: Unidentified artificial intelligence responsible for death of unidentified female subject. Consider extremely dangerous. We conclude that this artificial intelligence may also have the ability to self-replicate. We recommend termination.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Must be our lucky day—

JUDGE

We have not yet completed our threat assessment, Agent A.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

My apologies, Judge.

JUDGE

Level Three Subjects, Continued: Cora Lee McCray.

JOSEPH

[Pause] Can you clarify?

JUDGE

Cora McCray is a Level Three Threat to your current assignment’s world. We recommend termination.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

On what grounds?

JUDGE

We have based our recommendation on all available compiled data and reports from Agents A and B. All data is available for agents’ perusal.

JOSEPH

But—

JUDGE

This threat assessment has been concluded.

[Beeps and static as connection is cut]

JOSEPH

What the hell was that?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Judges aren’t required to explain their rationale. We have to assume it spotted something in the data on Cora that we overlooked.

JOSEPH

Then why wouldn’t it just explain what it found?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

It doesn’t matter. We went to the Judge for a third opinion, and now we have that. July, Dalton, and Jordan are Level 1, so we can stop watching them so closely. Sabrina’s Level Two, so we can work on her little messiah complex when we get a chance, but she’s not our top priority. Same with the flyers.

JOSEPH

And then we have our Level Threes.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Travis Reese’s possession, Cora’s cyborg. . . And Cora herself, for whatever reason the Judge found. Three Level Three threats, Joseph. That’s getting close to the point where we’d normally talk about cauterizing.

JOSEPH

We’re not there yet.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I’ll give you some time, Joseph. I don’t want to cauterize any more than you do. But when I say it’s time, then it’s time. Understood?

JOSEPH

Understood.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

You keep searching for Reese. I’ll talk to Sabrina.

SCENE 5

[Knocking on door]

SABRINA

[Opening door] Yes? Oh. Hello, Detective.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Ms. Maron. I was wondering if you’d be willing to speak with me.

SABRINA

Of course.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Privately.

CUSTOMER

I can come with you, La—

SABRINA

No, no, it’s fine. Stay here, I’ll be back in a minute.

[Sabrina and Larkin walk away from the cabin]

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Those people seem pretty protective of you.

SABRINA

Oh, well, we’re all on edge, what with everything that’s been going on. We just all decided to stick together until the killer’s been caught, you know, safety in numbers.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Except we both know that’s not what happened, is it? These people didn’t just decide to have a sleepover at your cabin.

SABRINA

What do you mean?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Don’t play coy, Sabrina. I know about your little party trick. The way you can influence others.

SABRINA

I see. And how do you know about that?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

That’s not important.

SABRINA

I think it is.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

The important thing, Sabrina, is that you stop.

SABRINA

Why?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

You’re toying with their brain chemistry. You’re giving them a parlor trick and telling them it’s enlightenment. Things like that don’t tend to end well.

SABRINA

I’m not lying to them. I’m giving them exactly what they ask for. They want to see the light, and I give it to them. How many organized religions can say the same?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Do you really think there won’t be long term effects?

SABRINA

It’s just until we find Ella and Travis. Just until we fix whatever’s happening here. Then they’ll go home.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

And you? You’ll just stop? Don’t you worry this might be changing you as well as them?

SABRINA

I don’t feel a thing when I show them the light. It’s just pouring a glass of wine, as far as I can tell.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Now it’s that. But you don’t think prophets start out by believing their own lies, do you?

SABRINA

That’s rich, you lecturing me about lies, “Detective”. Who are you, anyway? Really?

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I’m someone in a position to know when a situation like this is getting out of hand. And that’s exactly what I see happening with you, Sabrina.

SABRINA

That’s not an answer. Who are you? Who do you work for? Come on, I’ve lived here for years. I’ve never heard of the county sheriff’s department having its own missing person’s unit. Or any detectives, for that matter. Most of those deputies can barely manage a stolen bike case, from what I’ve seen. You’re not one of them.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

All I can tell you is that I’m genuinely here to help. I’m here to deal with this disappearance, and everything that’s happening around it. And I’m telling you, Sabrina, that you need to stop this before it gets any worse than it already has.

SABRINA

I’m in control of this. Nothing is getting out of hand. And I’m not going to be taking advice from someone who won’t even be honest about who they are or what they want.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

I’m being as honest as I can, Sabrina. What happened here, what happened to Ella, this is what I do. I manage situations like this.

SABRINA

And what about Ella’s message to me? About me helping them find the liar? I told you about that on the first day and you haven’t done anything with that information.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

We’re pretty confident we know who’s been lying and who’s been truthful. We’ve got our own methods, and they’re much less harmful to witnesses than what you’ve been doing.

SABRINA

No, no, don’t you see? Ella herself told me the message. She sent a message back from the light. I’m the only one who heard her. I’m the key to solving this.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

[Long pause] Still feel like you’re in control, Sabrina?

SABRINA

I’d like you to leave now.

DETECTIVE LARKIN

Ok. Think about what we talked about.

[Footsteps walking away]

SABRINA

Hey. You.

CUSTOMER

Yes, Lady?

SABRINA

Follow that woman. Stay out of sight, and be very careful. She’ll be on guard. Follow her and listen to anything she says, especially to Joseph. Then come back and tell me what you find out.

CUSTOMER

Yes, Lady.

Chapter 15

[INTRO]: NARRATOR

The following recordings were taken as evidence in the investigation of Anomalous Event 2014-7457A, also known as the Ella McCray Incident. All were recorded in March 2014. This collection of files concerns person of interest F, Travis Reese. Current status: Missing, presumed dead.

SCENE 1:

TRAVIS

Huh? How’d I get out here?

OTHER TRAVIS

You were just taking a walk, and you dozed off. Don’t worry, you’re fine.

TRAVIS

Yeah. Yeah, ok.

[Walks back to the house, footsteps on gravel. Front door flies open.]

DALTON

Travis! Oh my God! Are you ok?

TRAVIS

Yeah, Dad, Jesus. I just went for a walk. Calm down.

CORA

He’s back? Where were you?

OTHER TRAVIS

Look how they panic when you’re out of sight for two seconds. Definitely hiding something.

TRAVIS

I’m an adult, Cora, I can take a walk by myself.

DALTON

For three days? Three fucking days without a word? I thought you might be dead, Travis. How could you do that to us?

TRAVIS

Three days? What are you talking about?

CORA

We’ve been searching for you for three days, Travis. Answer your father’s question. Where were you?

OTHER TRAVIS

Gaslighting. Classic gaslighting. They know everyone’s tired and worn out, easy to convince you more time has gone by than you think. Don’t listen.

TRAVIS

That’s bullshit, it’s been a few minutes, max.

CORA

Yeah? Ok, here’s my phone. What does the date say?

TRAVIS

That. . . No, that’s not right.

DALTON

I’m not going to ask again, Travis. Where were you?

TRAVIS

I don’t. . . I don’t know.

SCENE 2

TRAVIS

Ok, now what the fuck? How did I lose three days?

OTHER TRAVIS

This place plays tricks on the mind. Time doesn’t work here the way it does in other places.

TRAVIS

But I must have. . . Wait. The voice recorder is on.

OTHER TRAVIS

Travis, why don’t you—

TRAVIS

Shut up and let me listen.

SCENE 3

TRAVIS

What’s happening?!?!

OTHER TRAVIS

Don’t slow down! Go!

TRAVIS

Who’s chasing us?

OTHER TRAVIS

Shut up and run!

[Footsteps running through brush for several seconds]

OTHER TRAVIS

Ok, you can slow down. We lost them.

TRAVIS

What’s out there? Should we be out here at night? Is it safe?

OTHER TRAVIS

I’ll protect you, Travis, don’t worry. That’s why we’re doing this.

TRAVIS

But there’s something out here, whatever killed that woman.

OTHER TRAVIS

It can’t see us, don’t worry. I’ve got us cloaked. That tech, it only looks smart. It’s actually pretty stupid.

TRAVIS

So what are we doing out here?

OTHER TRAVIS

Look. . . Joseph and Larkin. You don’t know what they are, do you?

TRAVIS

No.

OTHER TRAVIS

Well, I do. They’re dangerous. Dangerous and selfish. I was trying to get us out of here before they slapped down the quarantine, but now we’re stuck.

TRAVIS

Sorry.

OTHER TRAVIS

[Sigh] It’s my fault. I should have just told you up front what was going on. I assumed you were too primitive to understand. But that’s arrogant. That’s welder thinking. I should have given you the benefit of the doubt.

TRAVIS

Welder?

OTHER TRAVIS

That’s what they call themselves. Like they’re noble fucking repairmen going around fixing things out of the goodness of their hearts. Really they just don’t want anyone else to walk the worlds as freely as they do.

TRAVIS

Walk the worlds? What—

OTHER TRAVIS

Hush. I’ll explain later, but right now I have to do some. . . unpleasant things. Things to keep us safe from them.  

[Cow mooing nearby, animal footsteps]

OTHER TRAVIS

Here, girl. It’s ok.

TRAVIS

                                              What. . . What are you doing? Oh, fuck!

SCENE 4

TRAVIS

Jesus Christ! Why’d you do that?!?!

OTHER TRAVIS

It wasn’t for the fun of it, Travis. I was trying to keep us safe. I was trying to hide us from them.

TRAVIS

Just, just shut up, ok? I need to know what else you’ve been doing while I was fucking blacked out.

SCENE 5

OTHER TRAVIS

Sorry you had to see that, Travis. If it makes you feel any better, I can make sure you don’t remember it.

TRAVIS

Yeah. Ok.

OTHER TRAVIS

It’s working, though. It should create enough interference to make it impossible for them to cloak themselves. They won’t be able to sneak up on us. That’s step one. Surveillance equipment, that’s step two.

TRAVIS

So it’s, what, magic?

OTHER TRAVIS

 No, of course not. It’s technology. Technology that’s gotten past metal and plastic and stuff like that. Nano-bio-tech, engineered organics, that’s what all the advanced civilizations use.

[Footsteps]

TRAVIS

Where are we going now?

OTHER TRAVIS

Relax. This next part won’t involve animals, I promise.

TRAVIS

What am I looking at?

OTHER TRAVIS

What does it look like?

TRAVIS

Like a bunch of junk plugged into a generator.

OTHER TRAVIS

[Laughing] Just about. [Pause] It’s getting light out. We should find a place to hide out for the day and wait for them to take the bait.

TRAVIS

What bait?

OTHER TRAVIS

You’ll see. 

SCENE 6

JORDAN

Ok, we’re in the area covered by the interference. Whatever’s causing it should be close by.

JULY

What should I be looking for?

JORDAN

You’ll know it when you see it.

TRAVIS

Shit. July’s going to know we’re here.

OTHER TRAVIS

Don’t worry, we’re downwind of her. She’ll know we were there, but she won’t know we’re still around.

JORDAN

This is it.

JULY

What is it? Looks kinda steampunk.

JORDAN

I think it’s just designed to generate interference. Someone hooked all this shit up to a generator so that it would fuck up the electromagnetic fields around here, but I don’t think that’s a side effect. I think that’s the whole purpose.

OTHER TRAVIS

That’s right, keep going. . .

JULY

Travis’s smell is on it.

JORDAN

How would he even know how to do something like this?

JULY

Fuck knows. He’s not an engineer or anything. If it’s something really technical, I think he must be working with someone else.

TRAVIS

They’ve never fucking respected me. Never had a chance with them.

OTHER TRAVIS

This isn’t the time, Travis. Stay quiet.

JORDAN

Who would be helping him? And why? What are they hiding?

JULY

I don’t know.

[They walk away]

TRAVIS

What was the point of that? Why set that thing up just so they could turn it off?

OTHER TRAVIS

Because now they’ll think all we’ve been trying to do is create interference. They’ll think it’s all about the welder surveillance tech. They’ll miss what we’re really doing.

TRAVIS

Which is what?

OTHER TRAVIS

Not yet. You’ll see soon, but not yet. Right now we need to set up a few more interference sites just to keep them busy.

SCENE 7

TRAVIS

What are we watching for?

OTHER TRAVIS

Joseph. Tessa Larkin. Any other welders they brought with them. I can feel one of them headed this way.

TRAVIS

So?

OTHER TRAVIS

So we make sure they’re here and not where we don’t want them to be. As soon as we know for sure we can. . . Here they are.

TRAVIS

That’s Joseph. And that’s. . . Wait, that’s my dad.

OTHER TRAVIS

Probably looking for you.

TRAVIS

I should let him know I’m ok. He’s probably worried.

OTHER TRAVIS

No. He won’t understand. He can’t be trusted yet.

TRAVIS

Don’t you fucking dare try to turn me against my dad.

OTHER TRAVIS

Don’t worry, Travis. He’ll be protected, no matter what happens. You and your family will be safe.

TRAVIS

What the hell does that mean? Safe from what?

OTHER TRAVIS

Quiet.

TRAVIS

It doesn’t matter. We’re too far away. I can’t hear a word they’re saying. They’re. . . Jesus Christ. Is my dad. . . is he kissing Joseph?

OTHER TRAVIS

I’m sorry, Travis. It’s not your dad’s fault. Welders are manipulative. They do whatever they have to do to get close to their targets. 

TRAVIS

Take me away from here. I don’t want to see this.

SCENE 8: Outdoors, later that night

TRAVIS

Can you please just fucking tell me what you’re doing?

OTHER TRAVIS

It’s hard to explain.

TRAVIS

Try. My arms are so fucking tired they’re about to fall off.

OTHER TRAVIS

You’re a lot stronger than you think.

TRAVIS

Just tell me.

OTHER TRAVIS

Ok. . . When you arrange things in a pattern, like we’re doing now, it disrupts certain kinds of energy.

TRAVIS

That sounds like some stupid reiki shit.

OTHER TRAVIS

It’s science, not magic. It’s just science you don’t understand yet. But the welders, they understand it. They use it. What they don’t realize is that I understand it, too.

TRAVIS

So this is more interference stuff? Keeping us hidden?

OTHER TRAVIS

No. This is something bigger. A lot bigger. If we do this right, we’ll be able to break through the quarantine.

TRAVIS

What quarantine?

OTHER TRAVIS

They’ve had us sealed away from the rest of the world for two days now. They’ve got us trapped like rats in this little bubble in the world. But if we pop that bubble, we’re free. There aren’t that many welders. They only work in small areas. If we could be anywhere else on the planet, they won’t be able to find us.

TRAVIS

And then what?

OTHER TRAVIS

And then we make sure they never destroy another fucking planet. Including this one.

TRAVIS

Wait. . . This is all about them? Joseph and Larkin? What about Ella? What about whoever killed her?

OTHER TRAVIS

There’s nothing I can do about that, Travis. I’m sorry. The one who killed her, what you saw. . . Where I come from is a hungry place. The welders made it that way. The one who got her wasn’t evil or cruel or anything like that, it was just hungry.

TRAVIS

Why’d you make me kill that guy? You told me he had something to do with Ella.

OTHER TRAVIS

I’m sorry, Travis. We couldn’t have a witness placing us out there that night. I was trying to get us out before the quarantine went up.

TRAVIS

I killed an innocent person! How could you do that to me?!?! 

OTHER TRAVIS

I know it doesn’t seem like it, but this needs to happen. The welders’ entire purpose is to strangle and bury other intelligent species. They do whatever they have to do to make sure no one else can evolve to do what they can. They do whatever it takes to make sure they’re the only ones. I’m not going to let them do to humans what they did to my people.

TRAVIS

It’s not fucking worth it, not if it means I have to kill people who don’t deserve it. If that’s what it takes, then maybe the welders are right.

OTHER TRAVIS

You’re upset, so I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that. If it makes you feel any better, you aren’t going to remember this. By tomorrow you’ll believe that guy was responsible for Ella’s death again.

TRAVIS

No, wait—

SCENE 9

TRAVIS

You. . . How did you make me forget all that? WHY did you make me forget all that?

OTHER TRAVIS

Look. I’m equipped to fight back against the welders. You aren’t. No human is. It just makes sense for me to take charge. Travis, trust me, those people are dangerous. They’re a threat to you, and to your entire world, because all they care about is maintaining their own power. They’ve probably convinced your dad and July and the rest that they’re these selfless saviors come to keep you poor helpless humans from being overrun by the monsters. They’re not. I’ve seen what’s left when they’re through. I’ve been jumping from one world to the next for so long, now, just so I could get to a place where the conditions are right to take a stand. To raise an army.

TRAVIS

This is fucking insane. I’m done with this. I’m done listening to you.

OTHER TRAVIS

This is for the best, Travis. You’ll see. Now. Forget.

TRAVIS

Um. Sorry, wait, what were we talking about?

OTHER TRAVIS

We were just talking about how we need to get out of here. There are traitors all around us. At first I thought only one or two of them were involved in Ella’s death, but now. . .

TRAVIS

It could be all of them. All except Dad. Jesus.

OTHER TRAVIS

We have to get out of here.

Chapter 16

[INTRO]: NARRATOR

The following recordings were taken as evidence in the investigation of Anomalous Event 2014-7457A, also known as the Ella McCray Incident. All were recorded in March 2014. This collection of files concerns persons of interest A-F.

SCENE 1: Indoors, speaking on the phone

JORDAN

 Hey, Dad.

ESTEBAN

Hey, kiddo, what’s up?

JORDAN

Just wanted to call and give you an update. Not that there’s any news that makes any sense.

ESTEBAN

Sorry, an update about what?

JORDAN

Just, everything. The search. Ella. She’s still leaving notes but we still don’t know where she is. We’re looking but the situation keeps getting weirder, and Mom’s losing it, and. . . any luck getting out of Alaska?

ESTEBAN

Getting out? Jordan, what are you talking about? I’m not due to come back until the end of May. And what’s this about someone missing? I didn’t hear about this.

JORDAN

Dad. . . Dad, what’s going on? Are you ok?

ESTEBAN

I’m fine. What’s the matter, kiddo? Who’s missing?

JORDAN

Ella. Ella’s missing, you know that.

ESTEBAN

Who’s Ella?

JORDAN

Dad. Ella. My sister.

ESTEBAN

Jordie, I think I’d remember if your mom and I had another kid. Is this you just messing with me? Because it’s getting weird.

JORDAN

I need to go now. I’ll call you back in a minute.

ESTEBAN

Wait, Jordan [cuts off]

JORDAN

July!

[Running into the room]

JULY

What? What’s up?

JORDAN

Call someone. Anyone back home. Ask them about Ella.

JULY

What do you mean, what about Ella?

JORDAN

 Just, just go call Stephanie or something, ok? Call her and start a conversation about Ella. See what she says.

JULY

Ok. I don’t get it, but ok.

SCENE 2: Indoors, continuation of previous scene

JULY

You were right. Stephanie has no idea who Ella is. She didn’t. . . She couldn’t remember why I was here, on this trip.

JORDAN

My dad didn’t remember her, either. He’s known her since she was five.

JULY

What’s happening out there?

JORDAN

I don’t know.

JULY

Shit.

JORDAN

What?

JULY

I think Joseph is doing this. That son of a bitch. He promised no more lies, no more leaving anything out.

JORDAN

What do you mean?

JULY

Just. . . Go get Cora. She needs to hear this, too.

SCENE 3: Indoors, continuation of previous scene

JORDAN

Hey, Mom? Are you awake? [knocking on door] Mom?

[DOOR OPENS. RUSTLING OF PAPERS, SOMEONE SCRIBBLING]

JORDAN

Mom, I wanted to see if. . . Mom, what are you doing? Mom! Oh, shit. July!

JULY

What?!?

JORDAN

It’s Mom. She’s, like, in a trance or something. She won’t wake up.

JULY

What’s she doing? Cora?

JORDAN

I don’t know. She was just sitting at the desk when I came in. She just keeps, I don’t know, scribbling.

JULY

Cora? Cora, can you hear me? Come on, Cora, you’re scaring us.

JORDAN

Oh, my God. Jules. Look at this.

JULY

What is this?

JORDAN

It’s just like those notes Ella’s been leaving. It’s even her handwriting.

JULY

You mean. . . Oh, no.

CORA

What? What’s going on?

JORDAN

Mom, are you awake now? Mom?

CORA

Yeah. What’s this stuff, is it more—

JULY

Don’t look at it.

CORA

What is it?

JORDAN

Mom, I need you to listen to me.

CORA

Ella left another note? Let me see.

JORDAN

Mom, she hasn’t been leaving the notes. You wrote this. I saw you.

CORA

What? No I didn’t.

JULY

You were asleep, or in a trance, or something, but you were writing.

CORA

That’s ridiculous, it’s her fucking handwriting.

JORDAN

But it’s not her writing it. It’s been you. Every time we got a note it was after you went to sleep in this room.

CORA

No. No. That’s not true. She’s been coming back, she’s alive and she’s been coming back—

JULY

She’s not coming back.

JORDAN

Jules!

CORA

What are you talking about? Jules, what the hell are you talking about, don’t say that!

JULY

Both of you sit down. There’s something I need to tell you. Something about Joseph.

SCENE 4: Outdoors, daytime

[Footsteps running across porch stairs, door opening]

SABRINA

Cora! Dalton!

DALTON

What’s going on?

SABRINA

Dalton, I found the liar. Or liars, really. I knew it meant something, what Ella said to me.

DALTON

Wait, what? What’s going on?

SABRINA

My Apost. . One of my volunteers followed Detective Larkin—although she’s not even a real detective, is she?—but he followed her and listened in while she spoke with Joseph. Dalton, he heard her talking about Travis. They had an entire discussion about him. He heard the words ‘termination protocol’, and something about you calling her about Travis coming back. Dalton, they aren’t here to heal Travis. They aren’t here to help. They’re here to kill him. Maybe not just him, all of us.

DALTON

No. . . No, that can’t be right.

SABRINA

Dalton, listen to me! They’ve been lying to you. To all of us.

DALTON

She is, I know that. She told me something, about Ella, and it was different from what Joseph said, but I still don’t think—

SABRINA

Dalton, they’re coming! Look, she’s at the end of the driveway.

DALTON

I don’t know. . .

SABRINA

Well, make a decision about who to believe, because I can go and distract her, but not for very long. Make up your mind.

[Footsteps quickly leaving the house]

SCENE 5:

[Door flies open]