Transcript

The Devil’s Plaything : Episode 4 Written by Logan Strahl and Diego Herrera

SCENE 1 : INT. SPOOKY HOUSES - VARIOUS

SOUND: WATERPHONE STINGER

MUSIC: HORROR STRINGS

BUDDY COX: (VOICEOVER) My name is Buddy Cox. Growing up I never believed in the supernatural until I saw a flickering light in my bedroom.

SOUND: ETHEREAL WHOOSHING

BUDDY COX: 31 years old and a personal injury settlement later, I set out to capture all matters of spookiness into video…

SOUND: SEMI-DISTANT CAR CRASH

SOUND: FURNITURE MOVEMENTS AND AGGRESSIVE WIND

BUDDY COX: (CONT’D) Along with my good friends, Rusty Dubose and Georgi Lieberman…

RUSTY DUBOSE: (SOUNDBYTE) …So the ghost that haunts us was murdered in the electric eel room?

SOUND: GHOST WHOOSHING

GEORGI LIEBERMAN: (SOUNDBYTE) …This is too dangerous man! We’re out here all alone guys!

BUDDY COX: …we travel alone to some of the most actively spooky locations in the greater Los Angeles area. Armed only with our wits, our surveillance equipment, and our 27 person technical and production team.

BUDDY COX: (CONT’D) We go in alone to document the strange, the unusual, the spooky. We are… The Spooky Chasers.

THUNDER CRASHING

MUSIC: OLD TIMEY SPOOKY AMBIENCE

BUDDY COX: (VOICEOVER) Tonight, we are at the LeFefe Manor. A neo-classical beauty that is also the home of a spooky specter by the name of Archibald LeFefe. Rusty what’s the low down on this manor.

RUSTY DUBOSE: Back in the late 1990s Archibald LeFefe was an esteemed occultist and waste management specialist. Our imaging team found that many of the pipes and drains are bent into unusual shapes which bear a striking resemblance to various occult symbols.

BUDDY COX: What kinds of symbols?

RUSTY DUBOSE: Pentagrams.

MUSIC: DRAMATIC!

GEORGI LIEBERMAN:(OFF MIC) Ow!

BUDDY COX: Georgi! Georgi!

RUSTY DUBOSE: Georgi are you okay?

GEORGI LIEBERMAN: The ghost just attacked me.

BUDDY COX: What happened?

GEORGI LIEBERMAN: The ghost, uh, possessed me. Made my foot hit the corner of the wall.

BUDDY COX: Jesus Christ. In all my years of paranormal investigating I have yet to encounter a spirit so violent and dangerous.

RUSTY DUBOSE: Shouldn’t we start with the solo investigating?

BUDDY COX: You’re right. Georgi, the spirits seem to be unusually attracted to you tonight. We need to take him to the broom closet.

BUDDY COX: (VOICEOVER) When we did an initial sweep of the manor we noticed a broom closet. And this broom closet really stood out to us because it didn’t have any brooms. Needless to say this closet is a hotspot of supernatural activity.

GEORGI LIEBERMAN:(HOT ON MIC) Hello is anyone else in this broom closet?

SOUND: TRASH FALLS TO THE GROUND

GEORGI LIEBERMAN: Spirit? Is that you?

BUDDY COX: (VOICEOVER) At this point of the investigation we picked up an EVP of a voice responding to Georgi.

SOUND: A QUICK, SHORT BLIP SOUND

RUSTY DUBOSE: I think it’s very compelling.

BUDDY COX: (VOICEOVER) So far we have good enough evidence to prove again the existence of the paranormal…

GEORGI LIEBERMAN: (OFF MIC/ FILTER BEHIND A DOOR) Can I get out of the closet now?

BUDDY COX: (CONT’D)(VOICEOVER) But we needed the finishing touches of spooky evidence. And so we busted out our spirit box to ask the ghost a few questions.

SOUND: QUICK ALTERNATING RADIO FREQUENCIES

RUSTY DUBOSE: Did you murder your family?

GHOST VOICE: (FILTER) Yes.

SOUND: WATERPHONE STINGER

GEORGI LIEBERMAN: A-Ask if he knows where the treasure is buried?

RUSTY DUBOSE: Where is the treasure buried?

GHOST VOICE: (FILTER) It’s uh…

BUDDY COX: This is insane guys!

GHOST VOICE: (FILTER) It is in the northern corner of the… cabinet… room?

BUDDY COX: (THROUGH TEETH) The cabinet room? Wouldn’t that be the cabaret room?

GHOST VOICE: (FILTER) Oh yes! The cabaret room! The treasure is located inside, no, uhm, under the wine rack.

SOUND: PRODUCTION BELL

BUDDY COX: GOD DAMN IT! WILL?! WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT? READ THE FUCKING SCRIPT!

MUSIC: HARD CUTS OUT

SOUND: CREW MURMURING, DECOMPRESSING

GHOST VOICE: (FILTER) Buddy it’s not my fucking fault! This fucking intern has the shittiest handwriting. Can’t fucking read shit!

GEORGI LIEBERMAN: Is it fucking Greg again?

BUDDY COX: (BEAT) Will someone PLEASE find Greg? I want to murder this fucker myself!

SCENE 2 : INT. SPOOKY CHASERS BASE CAMP - LATER

TRANSITION MUSIC

SOUND: SMALL CROWD WALLA

SAMANTHA: At least you’re getting paid for the whole day. Buddy has kinda always sucked but fired?

GREG: I mean what were we even doing here? I thought there’d be real ghosts at least.

SAMANTHA: He must have hit you really hard. Of course it’s fake. It’s ghosts!

GREG: But ghosts are real. They could just shoot some real ones.

SAMANTHA: Ghosts aren’t real Greg.

GREG: ugh Explain the cemetery specter from last season. That can’t be faked.

PRODUCTION PERSON 1: sigh That was me dude. I’ve been playing the ghosts for the last few seasons.

SAMANTHA: See. This show is fake. Always has been.

GREG: What if I could get a real ghost for the show? You think I could get unfired?

SAMANTHA: Probably not. We’d have to get releases for real ghosts, I think. Just not a good idea. Also ghosts aren’t real. But I mean why do you care? This show sucks.

GREG: Well it is just full of proof that ghosts are real. The show got me through highschool.

SAMANTHA: Ah, a fanboy.

GREG: Do you think they’ll let me back on with a real ghost?

SAMANTHA: Don’t let me stop you.

SCENE 3 : EXT. STREETS - NIGHT

SOUND: CARS PASSING BY, LIGHT STREET AMBIENCE, TWO SETS OF FOOTSTEPS WALK DOWN STREET

GREG: Do you know any ghosts?

DAVE: Ghosts?

GREG: Like undead, floating, see-through, moaning. You’know ghosts.

DAVE: Of course.

GREG: Do you know where I can find one?

DAVE: No not particularly.

GREG: Can you help me find one?

DAVE: Why?

GREG: I told Samantha I would.

DAVE: Who?

GREG: The only other person I talk to. I work with her. You tried to strangle me when I was talking to her a while ago.

DAVE: Is she the one we went to the restaurant with?

GREG: No- just nevermind. Can you find a ghost?

DAVE: Fine. One moment.

SOUND: WHOOSHING, DAVE LEAVES COLTON’S BODY, CAUSING IT TO COLLAPSE TO THE GROUND

GREG: Jesus, Dave? Are you okay?

SOUND: WHOOSHING AGAIN, DAVE POSSESSES COLTON’S BODY

GREG: Are you good?

DAVE: Yes yes Never better. Just a short trip to accounting. There is a soul at the large decrepit house on 19th street.

GREG: You guys keep a list of ghosts?

DAVE: Among other things, yes. Go have fun with your ghosts.

SCENE 4 : INT. PIRATE GHOST HOUSE - MORNING

SOUND: SPOOKY AMBIENCE, LIGHTS FLICKERING, DISTANT DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING, ETC.

GREG: Come out ghost! I know you’re here!

SOUND: GHOSTLY AURA FADES IN

GHOST: (ETHEREAL & BREATHY) Who… are… you?

GREG: I’m, uh, Greg.

GHOST: What is your… business here?

GREG: Uhm- Well it’s a bit hard to explain…

GHOST: We have all the time… in the world…

GREG: So heh I am working on this production where we go to places and record ghosts, but they never actually show ghosts.

GHOST: Strange…

GREG: Exactly! So I was wondering if it would be okay for us to film here for a show. You can even show up on camera, say hi ya know, if you want.

GHOST: Will not… Cannot…

GREG: What do you mean?

GHOST: Ghosts unable to be seen… by mechanical eyes…

GREG: Shit. Can you, like, move some stuff around like a cup or flicker the lights? They’ll go wild for that too.

GHOST: So be it… Only if you do me a kindness…

GREG: What is it?

GHOST: Retrieve me… a copy of Pirates of the Caribbean… Dead Man’s Chest…

GREG: What!? Like the movie?

GHOST: Yes… The film… On my last day I hosted a party… in honor of the upcoming movie… I ate too many chips and in my hastiness… I slipped… Like Icarus, I flew too close to the sun… And I was eternally punished… Damned to walk the land of the living… until I watch Pirates of the Caribbean… Dead Man’s Chest.

GREG: Wait, hold on, when did you die? I thought you were like a pirate ghost, you know from like the 1700s?

GHOST: I passed in 2006… Mere days before I was destined to see… Pirates of the Ca-

GREG: I know, I know- Pirates movie. Fuck. I’ll get you it only if you keep up the pirate schtick. What they don’t know won’t hurt them. You’ll do it though?

GHOST: Yes… but only if you can get me Pirates-

GREG: I’m done here.

SCENE 5 : EXT. STREETS - LATER

SOUND: PHONE DIALING AND CALLING, GOES TO VOICEMAIL

TRANSITION MUSIC

GREG: (FILTER) Hey Samantha, can you tell Buddy that I have a location we can use. I found a ghost pirate on 19th street. Call me when you get this. (BEAT) This is Greg by the way.

SCENE 6 : INT. PIRATE GHOST HOUSE - LATE AFTERNOON

SOUND: QUIET HOUSE AMBIENCE

GREG: Oh shit, he’s here. Uhm, so remember, do the spooky ghost stuff, I’ll cue you in okay? Can’t miss it. You’ll do great.

BUDDY COX: Whoa, Greg. This is some crazy spot you found. How did you find it?

GREG: I know a guy.

BUDDY COX: Sweet, you got a ghost house guy too? After this you should give me his number, I’m really digging this pirate theming.

GREG: Well the ghost that inhabits this place was a pirate. Some say you can still hear his ghostly moans late into the night… I said, you can still hear the ghostly moans late into the night!

GHOST: (QUIET) Oh… Right!

SOUND: GHOSTLY MOANS

BUDDY COX: I heard you the first time. And you don’t have to come up with the backstory, we hired a team to do that for us. I’ll have to talk with them though, we might not go with the pirate theme.

GREG: What do you mean?

BUDDY COX: Like, okay, we tried doing a pirate ghost back in like season 2. Fell completely flat. Super unconvincing. Also pirates stopped being cool back in 2007. We’ll just make it like an astronaut ghost or something. Oh and make sure to tell Javi to look at the lights, the power seems ancient in here. Hate to blow a fuse or something in here.

GREG: But there is, like, an actual ghost here. A real pirate ghost!

BUDDY COX: Fuck off Greg. You don’t actually believe in ghosts do you? I know you’re new here but come on.

GREG: I know you guys fake your ghosts but there really is a ghost in here. A pirate one- from the 1700s.

SOUND: GHOSTLY MOANS

GREG: (FRUSTRATED) Don’t hear the ghost moaning?

BUDDY COX: Okay, okay. Let me spell it out for you. We are in an old decrepit house. That moaning is just two old homeless people fucking each other upstairs. I’ve seen it before and it is not pretty. I’m going to call Rusty, can you be a good helper and get the those hobos to stop fucking? Or just quiet down?

SOUND: GHOSTLY MOANS WEAKLY

GREG: Okay you can stop now.

GHOST: How did it go…?

GREG: Not very good, man. You’re making ghost noises and everything and they still won’t listen to you.

GHOST: Perhaps he does not want to believe…

GREG: And it doesn’t help that pirates aren’t really that cool anymore.

GHOST: No! No, they are cool! What are you talking about?

GREG: What?

GHOST: When I think of cool, there is nothing cooler than Johnny Depp as Captain Jack. If someone like that is not cool, what does everyone think of me?

GREG: Why are you talking normally now? Like you were all ethereal and shit and now you just sound like some regular dude.

GHOST: Come on, man. I don’t know… I just don’t get to show off my ghost stuff normally.

GREG: Whatever. Ugh What did Rusty say?

BUDDY COX: He said sure. I’m going back to the hotel. Can you go pop over to the store and get a duster? This dust is triggering my asthma.

GREG: Ghost guy! there’s going to be more people coming here now, so you really need to play up the ghost stuff. I mean it. They’re bringing all kinds of shit. Spirit boxes, spirit boards, spirit coasters, anything with the prefix of spirit, they are bringing it. And these guys are as good of ghost hunters as it gets.

SCENE 7 : INT. PIRATE GHOST HOUSE SHOOT

TRANSITION MUSIC

MUSIC: SPOOKY AMBIENCE MUSIC

SOUND: WATERPHONE STINGER

SOUND: GHOSTLY CHILD GIGGLING

BUDDY COX (V.O.): I’m here at the infamous Harrison Manor on 19th street, which served as the grizzled murder scene for one Penelope Harrison. In 1906 she was decapitated with an ax…

SOUND: AX CHOPPING, BLOOD SPURTING

BUDDY COX (V.O.): …and then dumped in the nearby river…

SOUND: LARGE KERSPLOOSH SOUND, FOLLOWED BY MUCH SMALLER SECOND KERSPLOOSH

BUDDY COX (V.O.): …by her former lover.

SOUND: SMOOCH

BUDDY COX: (V.O.) Now so many years later, we finally make contact with the long dead heiress.

RUSTY DUBOSE: Penelope! Were you killed with an ax?

GHOST VOICE: (FILTER) Yes… I was killed by Franklin Scrimshaw, my intended.

GEORGI LIEBERMAN: This is insane guys!

BUDDY COX: That proves it guys, I think this case… is closed.

MUSIC: TRIUMPHANT CLOSING MUSIC

BUDDY COX (V.O.): Stay tuned next week when we visit Salisbury Manor, the site of the horrific butchering of Francine Wordworth.

MUSIC: CLOSING MUSIC HARD CUTS OUT

SOUND: CROWD WALLA, EVERYONE DECOMPRESSES

PRODUCTION PERSON 2: Cut! And print. Alright that’s a wrap everyone!

BUDDY COX: (OFF MIC) Finally. Let’s get out of out this fucking dump.

SAMANTHA: I think it went well. You did a good job scouting this place out.

GREG: They didn’t even use the actual ghost though!

SAMANTHA: Greg, Ghosts aren’t real. (BEAT) I’m going to be leaving in a sec, do you need a ride back?

GREG: Nah, I was going to walk back with Dave.

SAMANTHA: Who?

GREG: The only other person I talk to? He looks like a corpse?

SAMANTHA: You have friends?

GREG: Here he is.

DAVE: Why are you still here?

GREG: It went late. Oh Dave this is Samantha.

DAVE: Hello female.

SAMANTHA: Hello male? Bye Greg. Bye Male.

GREG: Bye. (BEAT) Shit, I need to grab my phone, I lent it to the ghost guy. One sec.

SCENE 8 : PIRATE GHOST HOUSE BASEMENT

TRANSITION MUSIC

GREG: You finished it?

GHOST: Yes.

GREG: (TEPID) So… what did you think?

GHOST: That’s it? A cliffhanger?! I waited eons in agony waiting for a goddamn CLIFFHANGER?!

GREG: Yeah well they made like five more movies after this.

GHOST: Unbelievable! I can’t believe it! Show them to me now!

GREG: Sure I guess, let me-

SOUND: RISING CHOIR

GREG: What is happening?

DAVE: He is leaving this plane of existence.

GHOST: No not yet, please! What happens to Captain Jack?!

GREG: Why is he leaving?

DAVE: He finished his unfinished business on this plane of existence so he has no tether to the mortal realm.

GHOST: (INCREASINGLY OFF MIC) Please God no! AHHH-!

SOUND: CHOIR ABRUPTLY STOPS, GHOST IS GONE

DAVE: Wow. I am sure that felt superb helping out that lost soul, right, Greg?

GREG: I guess. Well at least he went to heaven.

DAVE: No no no. He went to the other place.

GREG: He went to Hell?

DAVE: We were not going to let them go to Heaven. That would simply be a waste.

GREG: Shit. Why was there the angelic choir then?

DAVE: (CHUCKLES) It makes for good fun.

GREG: Whatever, I’m tired.

DAVE: (OFF MIC) I do not feel Drathralas will be happy with it but I do believe we can count this as your soul for the month.

Episode three of the Devil’s Plaything was directed by Diego Herrera, written by Diego Herrera and Logan Strahl, Technical direction and audio engineering by Aaron Camacho, Dialogue editing by Diego Herrera and music by Jess Getter.

Greg was played by Izzi Rojas Dave by Jayden Mare Samantha by Audrey Donovan Buddy Cox by Jimmy Lehi Georgi Liberman by Dean storm and Rusty Dubose by Johanna Garcia

With Additional voices by Diego Herrera and Aaron Camacho. The Devil’s Plaything was produced by Aaron Camacho, Diego Herrera, and Ernesto Luna with executive producer Izzi rojas.

If you liked the show then give us five stars on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.

Follow us on Twitter at TheaterTlacuach, and Mastodon at Tlacuachetheater@podvibes.co

The Devil’s Plaything is a Tlacuache Theater Production