Part 1

Ellis East Elementary Walkthrough, May 18th, The Ticket office

The hallway behind the gym has the same stone floors as the main back hallway, with the pebbling pattern. It is dark and cavernous, with no overhead lighting, relying on the light from the back door and the gymnasium for light. [As an aside, lighter tone] I don’t think that’s up to code.

As I walk toward the ticket office, which is on the northeastern corner of the gymnasium, to my left is a set of trophy cases which flank either side of a large framed picture. To my right is the gymnasium, which I just left. 

The trophy cases are mostly empty, but there are a few trophies left in there, all of which appear very old, from the Normal School days of the building. The photograph is dated 1920 and labeled “Staff, Ellis Field School” with rows of mostly young women gathered around two older women. The photos are black and white, and it is hard to pin down details of members of the photograph. 

The ticket office is at the end of the hallway. It is a small room with “Ticket Office” painted on the door in expansive script. Most recently, it was used as the office of the physical education teacher, as well as, it seems, a repository for assorted keys. On the furthest wall, there is a small, inset door. Inside the door are numerous hooks with keys of various sizes, each with a string to attach a label. They range from newer models to skeleton keys of various sizes. There is one hook that only has a label without a key and it reads “Tower.” On the other empty hooks there is a collection of items like a magpie’s treasure trove. I see beads and a few silver charms, and a few colorful glass fragments, all tied to strings on hooks. The effect is an eclectic mosaic of detritus. 

Part 2

A-G: Audio Diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume, July 1st,  9 am, recorded over breakfast, in the formal dining room

We don’t usually have breakfast here, but today felt special. I’ve got tea steeping…

Billy (walking in, cheerful): Good morning!

A-G (Equally cheerful): Good morning!

Billy: So, I had two things I wanted to talk about…

A-G: By all means

Billy: First of all, my grant to study public sculpture came through

A-G: That’s amazing! Congratulations!

Billy: and I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind if I made Ellis Field my base of operations for a while? I want to write about how they incorporate sculpture into the town…

A-G: Stay as long as you’d like. You know I have the room. Ooooh we should celebrate. What do you want to do? Dinner party? Carousel party? No– that’s still weird… I think I have Nana Plume’s cake recipe somewhere…

Billy: We’ll figure something out… Um, you’re probably not going to feel super celebratory when I tell you this next bit.

A-G: Oh?

Billy: When I woke up, there was a text from Lenore waiting for me. I guess she saw from my post on instagram that I was in Ellis Field and put two and two together. She asked how you were doing and if she could reach out to you. I wanted to just say no, I know it's not my place, but…

A-G: Your sentiments are noted.  [beat] well, it’s been almost a decade. What’s the harm?

Billy: She was supposed to take care of you as you recovered from surgery.

A-G: We were 24. That’s prefrontal cortex-not-fully-developed-young. 

Billy: She moved out.Without telling you first. While you were in the hospital. 

A-G: It brought up unresolved things about her mother.

Billy: Look, objectively, I can be compassionate for what she must have been going through. But your ex, who abandoned you after you had major surgery, is not someone you invite back in, especially when you have your life mostly together.

A-G: Mostly?

Billy: You live in a haunted house. 

A-G: Allegedly

Billy: A haunted school. With a haunted carousel.

A-G: Do you think the carousel is independently haunted, or is a vestige of the school?

Billy: You’re acknowledging it’s haunted to split hairs? [Beat] I digress. Please don’t contact your ex. 

Part 3

[This part sounds echo-y, as if recorded in a large hallway]

Audio Diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume, July 1st, 10:30 am. 

Just going to walk the hallways. Walk the hallways and find anything to think about other than texting my ex. 

Let’s see. My to-do list is managed. My monograph is coming along. My research into the school’s history? Going well. 

Why shouldn’t I forgive her? It was years ago. Plus, it’s not like I’m getting back–

Wait. Is someone there? 

There was someone on the back staircase, I know it. They’re short, like a child, but when I looked again, they were gone. 

[sound of footsteps running]

Who is there? 

[Anna-Georgina runs up the stairs]

Okay, I’m on the second floor now. Where are they?

Wait, I think I see someone going back in the side hallway. 

Stop! Who are you!

[Beat] They’re gone.

[Locker doors rattles behind A-G]

Part 4

Journal of Lucy Hobbes, Recorded by Dr. Anna-Georgina Plume, July 1st, 2pm

The next parts of the journal are years after the first entries, ten years, in fact. 

Entry dated December 1st, 1895

Today I offered Helena the role of librarian. The upkeep of the library has gotten to be too much for me with my other responsibilities running the school. Honestly, it comes a little late, she’s been here for over four years and has been doing much of the work as a librarian for most of this time. But with Elizabeth getting older and getting most of her education from the faculty at the school, Helena is free to work in the library most days. She clearly cares for it as much as I do. 

James and Helena are my dearest friends. John has moved on to starting his own Normal School in a town about 40 miles away, many of the early faculty have pursued new opportunities, and with our enrollment numbers growing, I no longer have the capacity to spend as much time with the new faculty, so my friendship with the Reeves is especially valuable.  

Algernon grows ever more reclusive. A few students came to me because he has begun to post instructions in an envelope at the classroom door or leave his classes to teaching assistants. They have only seen him thrice this term. James seems to exhibit visible discomfort whenever Algernon’s name is mentioned, though I cannot get him to tell me why he feels this way. The last time I saw Algernon, he appeared to have injured his leg somehow. He refused to tell me what happened, and resisted all attempts I made to convince him to either let me get the doctor or to perform first aid myself. 

I do not want to fire my own brother, but if he continues to neglect his work and to exhibit volatile moods, I fear I will have no choice. 

Entry dated December 5th, 1895

Algernon received a letter from Boston and left instantly. He promises he will return before the new term begins in mid-January. Technically, the current term doesn’t end for another 8 days, but his teaching assistants have clear instructions for how to handle his classes. I guess the blessing of his absenteeism is that being called away will not be as disruptive as it would have been had he been present for this entire term. He would not say what urges him to travel, but I am exhausted and barely care. I have given him a warning that my expectations for him will be much higher upon his return. 

Entry December 24th, 1895. 

I celebrated Christmas Eve dinner with Helena, James, and Elizabeth. We set out a banquet in the dining room on the third floor. Lydia Messinger prepared us a roast turkey before leaving the kitchen for the remainder of the year, and we had settled on a book exchange as part of the holiday.  After the exchange, we drank hot chocolate and told ghost stories, as is the tradition in Helena’s family. When it was Elizabeth’s turn, she was initially hesitant, and told us she didn’t know any ghost stories, but then she said “Sometimes the building speaks to me.” 

Helena and James listened, not openly disbelieving their daughter, but still hesitant to fully believe what she was saying. Elizabeth is ten and very quiet and serious, not the sort to make such flights of the fancy. I did not want to give away too much, so I cautiously asked her “What does it say to you?”

“It mostly wants me to feel safe.”

“And how long have you heard it?” I asked, feeling markedly less worried in light of her first answer.

“Since we moved here. It greeted me the first time I entered the building. I have heard it everywhere, but I hear it the strongest in the library.”

This must have assuaged any worry that James and Helena were feeling, as the subject quickly dropped. Still, later that evening, while James was down in the library looking for a Latin textbook and Helena was making tea, Elizabeth whispered to me. 

“It tells me whenever your brother is angry and it helps me to stay away from where he will be.”

A-G Plume commentary: That’s unsettling, right?

Part 5

Audio Diary of Dr. Anna-Georgina

[To self] Let’s see what this is all about. 

[to recording] I got one of those camera notifications for the gate. Between Sam’s letters and our friend…

Our friend who is waiting at the gate right now…

[Running footsteps]

A-G: [Winded] Hello! Please don’t leave. 

Gate Lady: Have you found my necklace?

A-G: No, but I promise you’ll have it as soon as I do.

GL: I never said I wanted it back. I merely asked you to find it.

A-G: Can you give me a little more to work with?

GL: It will reveal itself to you in time. Perhaps gradually.

A-G: Must everyone around here be cryptic all of the time?

GL: The process is more important than the product. You’re an educator. I would have thought you knew that.

A-G: I do, yes, but you told me to find the necklace… Anyway, I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced. I’m Anna-Georgina, and you are…. Wait. Lucy? Or is it Helena?

GL: Neither.

A-G: Okay. So you are…

GL: I’ve been known by a number of names. Lady Sophia will do. Or Sophia the Wise. Whichever you prefer

A-G: Is there something I can call you that doesn’t sound like the protagonist of a medieval narrative?

GL: I suppose Sophia will do

A-G: So was there anything else?  Can you tell me why you seem familiar? 

GL: You will figure it out. In the meantime, I must go. You’re taking good care of the school.

A-G: How do you know that?

[Dogs barking loudly]

A-G: Earl Grey! Glengettie! Oolong! What’s wrong

[Beat, barking stops]

And she’s gone. Nothing is wrong with the dogs, they appear to have seen a squirrel. The timing of the thing though. How does she slip away like that? I guess I could watch back the camera to see if it picked up her departure…

Part 6

Billy: [singsong] Who’s a tiny kitty? You’re a tiny kitty!

A-G: [playfully matter of fact] Excuse me, ma’am, are you aware that you are, in fact, orange?

Rooibos: [purs]

PA Crackle:  A-G’s voice, distorted: No Records Algernon Hobbes

Billy’s voice, distorted: The basement is off limits (this loop repeats several times, becoming more distorted)

Billy: What the actual hell?

A-G: This is new

Part 7

[phone dings]

[to self] Hmm. Text from Sierra.

[reading] A-G, Lenore reached out to me. 

[reading] Please tell me you’re not considering talking to her again.

[reading] She said she didn’t think Billy would pass along her message, but seriously, can you believe her? Tell me how you want me to respond, please.

I’m… just going to decide whether to deal with this or not tomorrow. Ghosts I can manage, I don’t need exes on top of that.

[to self] Go to bed, Anna-Georgina

Part 8

Ellis East Elementary Walkthrough, May 18 

There is a large wooden desk that takes up the entire length of the room, with a green banker’s lamp on top of it. The desk is otherwise empty. The walls of this room are covered in posters from events at the school ranging from [ as if she’s looking around to find one] 1983 to 3 years ago, when the school closed. There are fliers for plays, fundraisers, benefits, layered over each other on what looks to be a bulletin board that spans the wall, though you have to move aside a lot of paper to see it. The papers are starting to curl with age, and the older ones have faded where they are exposed to sunlight from the window that sits over the desk.  On the corner of one of these fliers is a drawing in black ink with a fine tipped pen of a  rectangle that is twice as wide as it is tall with a dot in the middle.

This is the last room of note downstairs. I will exit the ticket office, follow the hallway to the side staircase, and go upstairs to explore the teacher’s lounge. 
End Credits

Lavender Evening Fog is a fiction podcast. This episode was written by Victoria Dickman-Burnett, directed by Ben Baird, produced, mixed, and edited  by Nick Federinko and Victoria Dickman-Burnett. Executive Producers are Ben Baird and Victoria Dickman-Burnett. The voice of Anna-Georgina Plume is Victoria Dickman-Burnett. The voice of Billy is Nick Federinko. The voice of Sophia, the Gate Lady, is Amy Yap. The voice of Rooibos is Pilaf G. Kittensworth, ESQ.  The Lavender Evening Fog logo was designed by Alicyn Dickman and our Season 2 concept art was designed by Matt Lowe.  This episode is brought to you by a distorted reflection. This episode pairs well with cocoa shell tea.

And now, a promo from our friends, Spirit Box Radio, an award winning arcane audio drama. We highly recommend checking them out wherever you get your podcasts 

Spirit Box Radio Promo

SAM: Are we more than we are? Welcome to Spirit Box Radio, now hosted by, er, me, Sam Enfield! I used to be the PO Box boy but since Madame Marie and all of her loyal assistants disappeared, I’m the only one left. I’m sure I’ll figure it out. I have noticed a couple of things seem a little bit off here in the studio, like these augury forecasts which keep appearing out of nowhere, and all these weird messages—

CATS: Mrrow!! MEEP!

SAM: And all of these cats keep showing up, too. I have no idea where Madame Marie has gone. She’ll be back though, I’m sure! It’ll all be fine, right? Right. I may not know much about magic, ghosts, or the arcane but I’m sure we can figure it out together, faithful listeners. Everything will be fine! Tune in to new episodes of Spirit Box Radio every Thursday, and learn how there are much worse things than ghosts to be haunted by!

PIPPIN: Spirit Box Radio is a cosy horror audio drama with themes of grief, love, and identity, with new episodes releasing every week wherever you listen to podcasts. To find transcripts and learn more about the show, visit hangingslothstudios.com/spirit-box-radio. Spirit Box Radio is recorded in front of a dead studio audience.

RECORDING MACHINE: Tune in, get spooky.

REVEL: Meow!!

[END]