Note: All text in brackets denotes stage directions.

Ellis East Elementary School Walk Through May 18th, 

The Kindergarten Classroom 

Unlike the polished hardwood of the other classrooms, the kindergarten room has thin  blue carpet that is worn and faded with age. The room is large with a ledge alongside the north  wall by the door. The ledge is about 4 feet high and 3 feet deep. Along the eastern wall is a black  slate chalkboard, with a projector screen anchored above it. Underneath the chalkboard is a row  of brass hooks, where students used to hang their gym shoes. The western wall is lined with  windows and there are heavy blackout curtains with a pattern from the 1970’s. The back wall is  plain, painted white. In the back corner, there is a closet with a sink that is small enough to only  fit a single adult, or maybe two children, washing their hands.  

Audio Diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume, Assistant Professor of Architectural History,  Hollingsworth University, June 9th, 6 am 

Today is the day. At 8:30 am, I meet Maryann to get the keys to the school. The movers  are showing up with all of my belongings at 10 am, and tonight will be the first night in my new  home.  

Throughout the day, I’ve got a few friends coming by to help with unpacking. Some of  my high school friends who live nearby are dropping by to help during the day--I’m expecting  both Roses and Sierra, and maybe Andrea if she doesn’t get trapped on a four-hour work call.  My friend Billy from my master’s program and Mary from college and her partner Renee are  going to stay the night, and John and Rex from work are coming from Hollingsworth for the day. 

My best friend from my PhD program, Emma, will be arriving tonight and helping me out  tomorrow. 

I’m also expecting internet installation, and the carousel appraiser could only come today  as well. 

Tomorrow I’ve got additional deliveries of furniture for the formal living room and  dining room and area rugs for the upstairs hallway and bedrooms, the fence for the dogs is being  installed, and the contractor is coming to give an estimate on the bathroom remodel. And the  electrician to look at what is going on with the gymnasium electricity is stopping by the day after  tomorrow. 

I’m going to get breakfast at the coffee shop when it opens at 7 am and then I will meet  Maryann at the gate to get the keys!  

Audio diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume. June 9th, 8:15 am 

I am parked by the school waiting for Maryann. I had not planned to update, but  something weird just happened. I went to the coffee shop for breakfast and there was a new  barista at the counter. She appears to be a high school student, or perhaps a recent graduate. She  didn’t seem to notice me at first, but the first time she really looked at me, it was clear she  recognized me. I do not know her, but she was studying me intently as if she was trying to place  me. She went about her business, but then when I gave her my credit card to pay the bill, her face  went pale and almost greenish. It’s cliched to say “like she saw a ghost,” but that’s exactly how it  felt. I asked if everything was okay, but she didn’t respond. Eventually, she brought back my  check. It’s probably nothing, but it was just an odd experience overall. 

Could I know her from somewhere? I mean, it’s Ellis Field, so it’s a small enough world,  but I don’t really know her by name… Let’s see. I am 32 years old. She appeared to be younger  than my students, which puts her at about 16 or 17, so she would have been born when I was 15  or 16. I did spend every summer running the library day camp until I graduated from college,  which means she may have been one of my campers the year or two, but she would have been  one of the youngest kids there, but I don’t think that’s it. I can name all of those kids by memory  and I can picture all of their faces, she’s not one of them. I haven’t spent much time in Ellis Field  since graduating college, so I’m struggling to pin where she could have recognized me from. I  know for a while my picture was on display at the high school for the scholarship, I won for the  historical restoration project I did as my senior capstone, so maybe she just recognizes me? But  that wouldn’t explain why she seemed startled and a little frightened. 

Audio diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume. June 9th, 8:45 am.  

Maryann has given me the keys and left. I am standing in the front vestibule. The school  is mine and I am alone in it until the movers and my friends and family arrive at 10. That gives  me an hour and fifteen minutes to soak this all in. Where do I start?  

This hallway echoes. I may look into getting a long rug for it. I’ve got one being  delivered tomorrow for the upstairs hallway, since the bedrooms are up there, it seemed  necessary, but I’m still not sure about this hallway. I like the wood floor, but it might be quieter  with rugs? But I live alone apart from the dogs, so who would make noise in the first place? 

I feel like I’m being pulled in a million different directions. I want to go look at the  carousel. I want to explore the library. Can I go up in the tower? There is nothing stopping me, 

but I also have all the time in the world. Yet, the newness of this all… I want to do everything  now.  

[PAUSE] 

I’m stepping into the old kindergarten classroom now. It’s funny, I didn’t particularly  enjoy kindergarten as much as my other years here, but I loved this building. My kindergarten  teacher was Mrs. Naves. She wasn’t a bad teacher, she was just really strict, but not in the way  that some strict teachers are the ones you learn the most from. My friend Mindy hated her  though, she called her Vile Annie, though because she was terrible at spelling, it was V-i-a-l A n-i. Honestly, that may be the reason why no one figured out what she was talking about in those  notes. 

When I was a student here, this room had long tables with 4 or 5 students at each. I saw  those tables stacked in the basement when I toured the building. There was also an old toy  kitchen in the back corner closest to the outside wall, which I also think I saw down there. I may  see about cleaning that up and donating it. 

[beat, distant piano sound, AG Pauses] 

What was that sound? [pauses again] 

It sounds like someone is playing the piano upstairs. [Pauses again] 

I think I need to go check this out.  

Audio diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume. June 9th, 10:08 pm.  

Everyone is either settled in their beds or they’ve left for the night. Both of the guest  rooms are doubled up- Mary and Renee are directly across the hall from me and Rose H. decided  to stay and is sharing the room next door with Emma, and Billy is camped out on the sofa we’ve 

put in the informal living room, which was the old kindergarten classroom. Because my bedroom  is big enough, the dogs are in here with me on their own beds. [Pause, tone shift] We had enough people to help that everything is more or less unpacked. I’ve still got to  organize my papers in my office and the archive I’ve put together by the library, and I might  reorganize the library, but we worked so effectively that I don’t need to unpack the kitchen or  anything of that nature thanks to everyone pitching in and unpacking. My mom showed up and  did a great job directing traffic, so we were able to very effectively divide and conquer. It’s  going to be much easier to settle in over the next couple days and start writing. [Pause, tone  shift] 

I wanted to update on the carousel inspector. First, they were impressed at the state of the  carousel. They said it was in the best condition they’ve seen for a privately held carousel. They  also dated it to roughly 1897 and assured me that the papers were in order and it really was a  Looff carousel, though they did not know of this one being made. They seemed pretty astonished  the whole time, suggesting that this find has significant value in the world of carousels--which  also means they can’t accurately offer an appraisal at this time. Because I need to have the  carousel insured, they’re going to reach out to the carousel community and get a sense of a value  to offer an appraisal. They were very excited about this find and apparently the community of  carousel enthusiasts will be excited as well.  

Some details they did offer: it is what they call a “four-abreast” carousel, meaning there  are four circles of horses. It has 60 animals, 48 horses and 12 menagerie animals. Of the 60  animals, 40 are jumpers, meaning they move up and down, 16 are standing fixed, and there are 4  chariots, allowing riders to sit together. The menagerie animals include 3 lions-one maned and  two lionesses, three tigers, two zebras, two camels, two mules. The center of the carousel 

features mirrors and antique paintings of pastoral scenes and zoo animals. Apparently, the only  thing is not original is the inner mechanics, which were updated, presumably by the principal’s  grandfather, with an electrical system.  

I now also know how to turn the carousel off, which was not as hard as we all thought it  would be, and I am assured that it can be safely unplugged without any sort of damage, so it is  currently not plugged in. I got a crash course in how to operate it, but I was warned against  letting anyone ride it until I have the proper insurance.  

The appraiser did note that the carousel was technically turned on when we were looking  at it. It wasn’t running, but it was a matter of flipping a switch to make it do so. I’m sure that was  just because no one knew how to do it and the power in that part of the building got turned back  on. I think the person Maryann sent to do maintenance turned it on because I told her the  appraiser was coming. We’ll hear from the electrician tomorrow. 

Audio-diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume… I don’t know what time it is [light switch sound]  um, 3:27 am, so that would make it June 10th.  

I just had the strangest dream. I was walking down the upstairs front hallway and a  nondescript dark-haired woman who looked a bit like a secretary in a film set in the 1950s said  “she’ll see you,” and ushered me to the front stairs. Except there was also a flight of stairs going  up, too. She gestured upward and I followed the stairs to the third floor, where I found a hallway  very similar to the one on the second floor, except it was darker, the walls had a kind of baroque  maroon wallpaper, and there were ferns everywhere. And I wandered the halls looking for her,  whoever she was. I heard a voice call out for Lucy, and then… Earl Grey started yipping in his  sleep and woke me up. 

It appears I’m not the only one to have vivid dreams tonight. Though his dream probably  just involved a game of fetch.  

The strangest part is that these dreams are familiar. When I was in kindergarten, I used to  have dreams that we were going to the school library, but something was blocking the hallway,  so we would have to “go above” and we would climb more stairs and walk down a dark hallway  like the one in my dream tonight. I asked Nana if there was anything above the library and she  said there wasn’t anymore. When she was a girl there was a third floor to the building, but it was  removed. I have found old pictures of the building before it was removed, but no record of why it  was removed.  

Now I just need to find a way to go back to sleep. I feel very awake. Under normal  circumstances, I would explore the school at night, but given that I have guests tonight, I  wouldn’t want to wake anyone up. 

Maybe now would be a good time to review some early memories from the school. Start  at the beginning, perhaps?  

I started attending Ellis East Elementary when I was in kindergarten, in the fall of 1994. The  house I grew up, where my parents still live to this day, was about six blocks away. Though, six  blocks away in Ellis Field means the other side of town. I never really walked to school very  often, as it involved crossing the railroad tracks, but sometimes in the spring, Mom would walk  over in the afternoon to pick us up. Kids who lived in town walked to school or were dropped off  by their parents, while kids who lived in the surrounding country area were bussed in. Even  though it was largely out of practice around the country at the time, the kids who lived in town  still had the option of going home to eat lunch. It was something my mom seriously considered,  but ultimately decided against. 

On my first day of kindergarten, I remember wearing a pink and white striped dress. I fell  off the merry-go-round on the playground during all three recesses. I did not touch the merry-go round for a year after that.  

[Beat, piano from earlier in background]  

Weird. I think I hear the piano again. It could just be Billy. He played it earlier after  dinner. Let me put on a bathrobe and see if it’s him. 

[Beat, piano continues, carousel music starts to rise over it] 

Is that the carousel? Honestly, that electrician cannot come soon enough. 

Audio diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume, June 10th, 7:30 am. Recorded in my home office,  formerly classroom 1-A over my second cup of English Breakfast tea. 

Well, that was something. I went downstairs and was able to turn off the carousel, and no one  else appeared to be awake from it, so that was good. The carousel is now turned off and  unplugged, because you can’t be too careful. I wasn’t about to venture into the basement in the  middle of the night, so I didn’t rectify the circuit breaker until I woke up about a half hour ago.  After turning off the carousel, I went back to bed and forgot to check to see if it was Billy on the  piano. I fell back asleep almost immediately, no weird dreams this time.  

Now I’m awake before everyone else. Emma is going to pick up breakfast from the  coffee shop around 9, so I’m going to spend a quiet morning relaxing in my office. Over the next  few days, I have plans to review some of the papers from Melinda Basil at the local library. She  did not disappoint. There are currently 6 boxes:  

Box 1 is labeled 1885-1910 

Box 2 is labeled 1912-1917

Box 3 is labeled 1917-1930 

Box 4 is labeled 1942-1979/1990 

Box 5 is labeled 1975-1988 

Box 6 is labeled 2002-2011 

I don’t mean to cast aspersions on Ms. Basil’s filing system, but this makes no sense  whatsoever. At any rate, the boxes all seem full and this is very likely a wealth of records and  information I can use in studying the school. I will likely make formal recordings in the coming  weeks, but as stated, today is a big day, so I think I’ll stop recording for now.  

Audio diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume, June 10th, 10:37 pm 

Today marks the end of my second day here, my first full day, most of it spent working in  tandem with Emma in different rooms. She departed about two hours ago.  After my entry reviewing the papers in the morning, the additional furniture I ordered  was delivered. After that, I walked through each room and reviewed what needs to be done. The  list so far:  

Classroom 1-C: Now formal living room: I need to hang curtain rods and curtains. This is done  in all of the other rooms. My mother is coming by tomorrow to help with this. Classroom 1-B: Now formal dining room: The cabinet with my silverware needs to be organized. Classroom 1-A: Now home office: Put papers in order.  

Kindergarten Classroom: Now informal living room: alphabetize movie collection, check to  make sure I can use the home theater set up.

Music room: Buy one of those piano locks. I keep thinking that I hear the piano being played. It  must be like a building settling thing? The wind? Anyway, whatever is causing it, a lock will put  a good stop to it.  

Classroom 3-B, Archive: Put papers in order.  

Library: Sort old books and determine what can be donated and what I would like to keep.  Reorganize my own book collection.  

On the subject of the library: When I was in the library earlier this afternoon, I was clearing off a  shelf in the back corner behind the front desk, and I found a false back to the shelf. There was a  box in there that appears to be pretty old. I will review it tomorrow.  

Also, the dog fence is now set up in the small side yard to the west of the building. They can now  go out and run on their own. I’m training the dogs to ride in the elevator downstairs, because I  don’t want them on the stairs. I have put baby gates on either end of the stairs to prevent them  from trying it. My plan is to take them out and let them run around the bigger lot daily with my  supervision.  

Additional to do list items: 

Get groceries. I’ve been living off take out since moving in, in part because there have been  other people here. Plus, there is all the refrigerator space now. 

Have additional keys made. One set for my parents, one set for emergencies. I will need a key to  the front gate, as well as one that opens both the front and back doors. I may look into the keys  on the additional doors, but that should do for now. 

Ellis East Elementary School Walk through, May 18th. 

I walk over to the window, where I can see the small side yard on the west side of the  building. Walking around the perimeter of the room, I can see that the top of the ledge has a  wooden surface, which has some degree of wear and tear, but is mostly in good shape. The floor  of the closet is a yellow and white linoleum pattern. Excluding the curtains, the room is  completely empty, so there is not much else to describe. Except, there is a large single circle  drawn on the chalkboard in white chalk. Since there is nothing more to report here, I leave the  classroom and cross the hall to Classroom 1-A.  

End Credits 

Lavender Evening Fog is a fiction podcast written by Victoria Dickman-Burnett, directed  by Ben Baird, and produced, mixed, and edited by Nick Federinko. Executive Producers are Ben  Baird and Victoria Dickman-Burnett and the voice of Anna-Georgina Plume is Victoria  Dickman-Burnett. The Lavender Evening Fog logo was designed by Alicyn Dickman. Special  thanks to Tony Barrett for his advice on this episode’s tea pairing. This episode is brought to  you by the little items you’ve found over the years whose stories you will never know. This  episode pairs well with an earthy black tea with caramel and cardamom.