The Vail: London Fog (Episode Three: Whistling In The Dark)

I am busting my ass to get this to you, my actual readers, so enjoy. I know I did.

The Vail: London Fog
by Joey Pettine

Episode Three: Whistling In The Dark

(A dark attic. Fluorescents spring to life revealing dozens of human bones picked clean, blood stains the walls and rafters. In the center of the attic sits a bulky, barrel shaped machine with a strange antennae. At it's forefront is attached a small monitor and keyboard. The machine is clean of gore. To the right of the machine is a tiny desk with a modified radio and video camera, the latter connected to a large wall mounted monitor. Enter STEVEN TILLHOUSE and ANDY VAIL.)

ANDY
Son of the Lord. Is this why you called?

STEVEN
I-I had no idea... There must be dozens of bodies.

ANDY
No bodies here. Just bones.

STEVEN
How do we know we're alone?

ANDY
It's alright. Something this powerful, I'd have sensed it.

STEVEN
You sure about that?

ANDY
What's been going on here?

STEVEN
It's so weird, being in the place that I died. It's like reading your own headstone.

ANDY
Steve. Focus. Why did you call me up here?

(He takes some papers from his jacket and hands them to Andy.)

STEVEN
Police reports. I started collecting them when I moved to Rotterdam. And... and remem... remembered--


ANDY
Remembered your brother was dead.

STEVEN
Go to Hell.

ANDY
Steven, it's alright. We can't always be there for our families.

STEVEN
Especially when you're dead.

ANDY
Locals reported eerie lights the night your brother died.

STEVEN
And screams. Next two weeks there was a rash of lost pets in the neighborhood. In January there was another report of strange lights and screaming.

ANDY
The night we came here.

STEVEN
And turned the machine back on. People have gone missing since then and it's getting worse. At first it was only this neighborhood but a report was recently filed in the next state over.

ANDY
It's getting stronger. You think it has to do with your brother's machine?

STEVEN
In every report witnesses describe a strange man. It's Annie.

ANDY
No. It's the thing that wears his face.

(Steve clutches his face.)

ANDY
Are you alright?

STEVEN
Fuck, no! The undead can't cry. Can't even mourn my brother.

ANDY
You can honor him by stopping this. It's time to bring in the expert. Dr. North.
(Nothing.)

STEVEN
It's safe, Dr. North.

(DR. NORTH enters, trembling with fear. He sees the gruesome scene and runs. Steven grabs him.)

DR. NORTH
Why did you bring me here? I told you... I'm... done with this stuff.

STEVEN
We need you.

DR. NORTH
No... no... no.

(Andy gets fed up and grabs Dr. North from Steve.)

ANDY
Look at it! Look at it, you son of a bitch! Cause you've done worse! I get it, you don't wanna die and spend eternity flopping around in Satan's frying pan. But you deserve it. People are dead because of you. My brother died because of you.

DR. NORTH
I'm sorry.

ANDY
Gonna have to do a lot better to stay outta the Pit. We need to know about this machine and you're the only person smart enough.

DR. NORTH
I'll... take a look.

(Dr. North goes to the machine. Steve goes to Andy.)

STEVEN
That was a little harsh.

ANDY
That man helped kill my brother and almost tricked me into killing an innocent man. I don't have as much faith in him.

DR. NORTH
The machine is fine.

STEVEN
Is it on?

DR. NORTH
No, it's been... inactive... for some time.

STEVEN
So the gateway's closed?

DR. NORTH
That is an incorrect... assumption.

ANDY
You think the gateway's open.

DR. NORTH
There never was a gateway... into another dimension. That would tear a hole in reality and... disintegrate the universe. The... machine... alters... matter... enough... to peer into other... dimensions. Like a... window into another... world.


STEVEN
But something came through and killed my brother.

ANDY
It's killing others.

DR. NORTH
I... agree but no... flesh and bone... creature... came through this machine. But your brother postulated... other dimensions... wouldn't be so limited in their... reality.

STEVEN
Like that Twilight Zone episode. The little girl falls through her wall into this wacky, floating fourth dimension.

DR. NORTH
What sort of creatures might exist in those... nether realms. Perhaps... something less tangible came through.

STEVEN
We need to destroy this thing.

ANDY
We have to send this thing back first.


DR. NORTH
We need to get it here first.

STEVEN
If we get it here can you send it back?

DR. NORTH
I can use the camera to reverse the polarity of the machine's neutron flow. It... might... force it back. But... it... might... also erase our own minds.

ANDY
Fine, get it ready then both of you get out.

(Dr. North begins working.)

STEVEN
Fuck you. This is my brother's killer. I deserve to be here.

ANDY
I'm stronger than you guys. I'll be okay.

STEVEN
I don't care if you're Superman. Fuck you and fuck this better than me shit.

ANDY
Steven, that's not what I said.

STEVEN
You're still only human, Andy. Last time I checked, I'm not.

(North stops.)

DR. NORTH
Done. All you need to do is... press record.

(Dr. North hurries out.)

ANDY
Fast for a dead guy.

STEVEN
So we just gonna wait for it to come home and find us?

ANDY
Last time it came when we fired up the machine.

(Andy turns it on.)

ANDY
Now please go.

STEVEN
No. Is it on? There's no lights.

ANDY
Maybe the lights aren't from the machine.

STEVEN
Then it's not here.

ANDY
I can't feel anything. It's not working. Any ideas? He was your brother.

STEVEN
Like what?

ANDY
I don't know. You wanted to help. What's different from last time?

STEVEN
The radio.

(Steven goes to the radio.)

STEVEN
The radio was on last time we were here. Playing Annie's favorite song.

ANDY
You think it likes the music?

STEVEN
Maybe it's more like my brother than it knows.

(Steven turns on the radio. Tom Waits sings “Innocent When You Dream”. At first nothing happens then the room goes dark with an eerie glow. The shadows move.)

STEVEN
Ever seen Hellraiser?

(Somewhere in the dark, something whistles along with the music. Andy moves for the camera but a cornucopia of pale, dead hands come out of the darkness grabbing him and Steve. The men struggle but they're held tight. Behind them, in the shadows, pale faces can just barely be made out. Out of the shadows steps DR.TILLHOUSE. He casts a sickly pallor and stares down the men with an inhuman quality.)

ANDY
Holy shit it likes this song.

DR. TILLHOUSE
I find it relaxing.

STEVEN
It speaks.

ANDY
They all do.

DR. TILLHOUSE
I'm hurt you'd try to banish me so soon. I haven't been to this world in so long and I've only just arrived.

ANDY
Oh no. You're not another one of them annoying Gods are you?.

DR. TILLHOUSE
What I am is angry with you
.
(There is an inhuman screech from the shadows. Steve and Andy jerk in pain, screaming agony. The shadows scream with them.)

ANDY
WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!!!!

DR. TILLHOUSE
Music to my ears. Oh, how I've missed music.

(Tillhouse whistles the song as the shadows scream. Steve and Andy scream and struggle, something unseen torments them.)

STEVEN
STOP!

DR. TILLHOUSE
I don't think so. The time has come to play.

(The screams become a cacophony, blood and pieces of flesh spray from the shadows, Steve and Andy shriek and cry. Tillhouse turns the radio up and begins to conduct the massacre. In all the commotion, no one sees Dr. North timidly enter. His whole body trembles as he holds up a tiny remote. He hits the button. Wind whips around like a tornado, he whole attic seems to scream and tremble. The dead hands release Steve and Andy. They drop to the ground, their shirts shredded open, skin and muscle has been torn from their backs. They lay there crying. The dead hands grab Tillhouse. He screams and struggles but they hold tight. Then pale, sickly faces, with blood dripping sockets where their eyes should be, reach out of the shadows and begin to feast.)

DR. TILLHOUSE
NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I AM MORE THAN THIS! I WILL FIND A WAY BACK! DO YOU HEAR ME! I WILL FIND YOU!

(The dead pull him into the shadows screaming, the machine shoots off sparks, and all grows quiet. The shadows and eerie glow disappear, replaced by the strong light of the fluorescents. The radio continues playing the song. Dr. North shuts it off and looks to Steve and Andy who are still crying on the floor.)

DR. NORTH
I... took the camera's remote... just in case. Was that convincing enough?

(Blackout. Two spotlights appear, one on DETECTIVE HARDY as he dials his cell. Another on DETECTIVE WILLIAMS as his phone begins to ring.)

WILLIAMS
I'm a bit busy, Hardy. What's up?

HARDY
I thought you were on vacation, sir?

WILLIAMS
So why the fuck are you bugging me?

HARDY
Careful. You'll give yourself one of those migraines.

WILLIAMS
I have you to do that for me, Hardy. Is everything alright? Gina okay?

HARDY
Truthfully, sir, we're all a bit worried. Taking off from work, going on this strange trip, the headaches.

WILLIAMS
Things would be simpler if I had help, Hardy. You wanna take off from work and join me?


HARDY
Sir--

WILLIAMS
I didn't think so.

HARDY
Sir, I really hope this isn't about the Vail case.

WILLIAMS
Good night, Hardy. Call me if you have something to say.

HARDY
Sir, wait, I... I...

WILLIAMS
Spit it out, Hardy.

HARDY
I probably shouldn't be telling you this because... Mrs. Williams is gonna kill me... It's only going to make things worse,sir, but... but Nancy Vail woke up from her coma today and she's been asking for you.

(Blackout.)