Unwell Season 4/Episode 12 - The Lessons of the Wood
by Jim McDoniel
In Memoriam
Where are you going?
Consequences
Content Advisories for this episode can be found here.
Support Unwell and HartLife NFP on Patreon at www.patreon.com/hartlifenfp
This episode features: Clarisa Cherie Rios as Lily, Marsha Harman as Dot, Amelia Bethel as Marisol, Mark Soloff as Silas, Clint Worthington as Russell, Kat Hoil as Abbie, Anuja Vaidya as Norah, and Michael Turrentine as Wes.
Written by Jim McDoniel, sound design by Alexander Danner, directed by Jeffrey Nils Gardner, theme music composed by Stephen Poon, recording engineer Mel Ruder, associate producer Ani Enghdahl, Theme performed by Stephen Poon, Lauren Kelly, Gunnar Jebsen, Travis Elfers, Mel Ruder, and Betsey Palmer, produced by haydée r. souffrant, Unwell lead sound designer Eli Hamada McIlveen, Executive Producers Eleanor Hyde and Jeffrey Nils Gardner, by HartLife NFP.
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SCENE 1
INT. FENWOOD HOUSE. AFTERNOON.
WE BEGIN ON THE BACK PORCH WITH THE
WINDCHIMES TINKLING SADLY IN THE WIND.
SILAS: (VO) This is the story of the Woods and the Little Girl.
WE MOVE THE ATTIC WHERE SHUTTERS BANG
AGAINST THE OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE IN THE
WIND.
(VO) Once upon a time, there was a Wood.
WE MOVE TO A BATHROOM. WE HEAR THE
SLOW “TINK” OF A DRIPPING FAUCET.
(VO) Vast and primordial. Dark and beautiful.
THE DRIPPING BECOMES LARGER
(VO) Dangerous, to be sure, but teeming with life.
MOURNFUL SOUND.
SILAS: (VO) As such, it attracted the attention of people.
WE MOVE TO THE HALLWAY BETWEEN THE
FRONT DOOR AND THE KITCHEN. THE PHONE RINGING IN THE
SILENT HOUSE, VAINLY BEGGING FOR
ATTENTION FROM THE EMPTINESS.
(VO) The folk living at its edge would leave their safe and
organized little clearings to enter the Wood and steal life for
themselves.
THE SOUND OF THE PHONE BECOMES MORE
PIERCING. ABRUPTIVE. VIOLENT.
(VO) Hacking the flesh of its trees with their axes. Ripping
the skin from its animals to add to their own.
THE RINGING ENDS AND THE ANSWERING
MACHINE PICKS UP. THIS FALLS INTO THE
BACKGROUND AS WE MOVE AWAY FROM THE
PHONE AND TOWARD THE FRONT DOOR WHERE
FOOTSTEPS CAN BE HEARD.
(VO) One day, a child entered the Wood and became
irrevocably lost.
WES MESSAGE: (D) (LOW) (SADDER THAN PREVIOUS RECORDINGS)
Thank you for calling Fenwood House, a historic
establishment offering comfortable accommodations to
wanderers, stargazers, and tourists of all kinds. Dorothy
Harper, proprietor. We’re sorry to have missed your call, but
if you leave your name, number, and the dates you’re
interested in booking a room, we will return your call as soon
as possible. We hope to see you in Mt. Absalom very soon!
SILAS: (VO) The child searched and searched but could not find her
way out. It was not her fault, nor was it the Wood’s fault.
Sometimes people simply lose their way.
MEANWHILE THE DOOR OPENS AND MARISOL,
LILY, AND DOT ENTER, CLEARLY IN THE MIDST
OF A CONVERSATION.
LILY: Mom…we just came from Rudy’s funeral.
DOT: Memorial.
LILY: Same difference.
DOT: I’ll lay out a spread.
DOT WALKS TOWARD THE KITCHEN.
LILY: I’m telling you. Nobody’s hungry.
MARISOL: Actually…I could eat.
DOT: (OFF) See. This is why you always have food at a funeral.
The first thing people forget to do when their grieving is take
care of themselves.
LILY: It wasn’t a funeral. It was a memorial.
DOT: (OFF) Same difference.
MARISOL: Are you okay?
LILY: I’m fine.
LILY’S STOMACH GROWLS.
MARISOL: (LAUGHING) Are you sure about that…?
LILY: (TRYING NOT TO LAUGH) Don’t.
MARISOL: Because you don’t want your mom to be right?
LILY: Because it feels disrespectful to laugh right now.
MARISOL: I think if Rudy were here he would say something like…
MARISOL DOES A RUDY IMPRESSION THAT
FADES AS IT GOES ON AND THEN REASSERTS
ITSELF AT THE END.
(RUDY IMPRESSION) On the contrary Lily, laughter can be
an unconscious expression of relief. Or release. Like a yawn
or a sneeze. You can’t help when it comes and when it
comes, it helps you.
(IMPRESSION REASSERTS) Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m
going to go help Dot in the kitchen. I’m starving.
LILY: I think…if Rudy were here, he’d want to be alive.
PAUSE.
MARISOL: It’s not your fault.
LILY: Isn’t it?
MARISOL: You didn’t know what he was going to do.
LILY: Maybe I should have. Maybe…we’ve all been taking this so
lightly. Like it was just…a spooky adventure. One of those
theme park haunted houses where the only real danger is
someone gets so scared they punch the vampire clown.
MARISOL: That’s oddly specific.
LILY: Three Rivers Haunted Hell-Sylum’s only first aid certified
scarer. I had to treat the clown’s broken nose. More than
once.
MARISOL CHUCKLES.
But they were right. Chester and Hazel. They were
scared—terrified of what might happen if Silas…I thought
they were just being Chester and Hazel. But they were right.
It’s real and the danger is real and Rudy is dead and I don’t
know what to do. I don’t…I don’t even know if I WANT to do
anything about it. (LOW) Except run.
MARISOL: Me too.
DOT REENTERS FROM THE KITCHEN.
DOT: Me three. I don’t know. What are we talking about? Here,
we’ve got some ham. We’ve got some turkey. We’ve got
some salami. Cheese. Bread. And bagels if anyone wants to
go wild.
EACH OF THESE IS PUNCTUATED BY THE MASS
WRAPPED IN GROCERY STORE PLASTIC BEING
SLAPPED ON THE TABLE.
I’ll be back with some mayo and mustard.
LILY: Mom, you don’t have to…
DOT: (OFF) Can’t hear you. I’m getting mayo and mustard.
LILY: (SIGH) You want a sandwich.
MARISOL: Absolutely. I’m starving.
MARISOL AND LILY BEGIN MAKING THEMSELVES
SANDWICHES. DOT REENTERS WITH MAYO AND
MUSTARD.
DOT: (KIND OF OFF) Here we go. Oh. A message.
BEEP FROM THE ANSWERING MACHINE.
VOICE MAIL: You. Have. ONE. Message.
BEEP FROM THE ANSWERING MACHINE.
EVA: Hello, Mrs. Harper. This is Eva Franklin from the Julian
Heritage Community. I just wanted to follow up with you
about your visit to us and see if you have any other
questions. Also wanted to let you know that we only have
two vacancies available now, so if you are going to make a
decision, you will need to do so soon, otherwise you will be
waitlisted. Again, this is Eva Franklin from the Julian
Heritage Community and I look forward to hearing from you
soon.
BEEP. DOT WALKS TO THE TABLE.
LILY: Mom was that…?
DOT: The old fogeys home? Yeah.
PAUSE.
MARISOL: I didn’t know you’d been looking at facilities.
LILY: WE haven’t.
PAUSE.
MARISOL: Oh.
DOT: Marisol, will you excuse us a moment?
MARISOL: I’ll just be outside with my sandwich.
MARISOL LEAVES THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR
ONTO THE PORCH.
LILY: When was this?
DOT: The day of the Crafternoon. When you thought I was
shacking up with Russ, he and Maureen and I, we went...we
went.
LILY: I thought we weren’t keeping secrets anymore.
DOT: It wasn’t a secret. It wasn’t…supposed to be a secret.
(PAUSE) It wasn’t a big deal. We would go and see the
place and say, “Hell no” and then go to that fancy dance hall
in Julian that pretends to be a speakeasy and serves classy
booze.
LILY: If it wasn’t a big deal, why didn’t you tell me…?
DOT: I was scared. I was scared and I didn’t want you to see.
(PAUSE) I was going to tell you, after. I was. But then, things
Unwell 4.12 The Lessons of the Wood 12
kept happening…Spikes and the Bottling Works and Jaime
and Rudy…and the more I thought about it…the more…I
think…I think I should go.
LILY: To the assisted living facility? Now?
DOT: Absolutely. Right now. Call Silas, tell him he can have the
house and try not to kill anyone we REALLY like. NO! Not
right now! We’re going to figure THIS the fuck out.
But…afterward…yeah. I think, it’s for the best.
LILY: Okay.
DOT: I fully intend to still be all up in your business. Even from
Julian.
LILY: I never doubted it.
DOT: If you thought you had ANY privacy at Marisol’s record store,
I will be there every day. I mean EVERY day.
LILY: I know.
DOT: Maybe you can make me one of those spinny signs to twirl
from my rocker out front. This way to the Golden Groove.
LILY: What about the house?
PAUSE.
DOT: What about it?
LILY: Who’s going to take care of it? Take care of…the things.
DOT: I don’t know.
LILY: Mom!
DOT: What?
LILY: I’m right here.
DOT: And that’s great. It’s wonderful. I’m over the fucking moon
that you’re here and I get to see you every fucking day. It’s
the best. But THIS…being the caretaker or whatever the
fuck this is…I don’t want that for you.
LILY: Because you don’t think I can hack it.
DOT: Because you shouldn’t have to. You should be able to just go
on with your life running a music store with Marisol and
being coolest, gayest couple Mount Absalom has ever seen.
Or not. You could break up tomorrow and go be a
rock-climbing instructor in Switzerland. Whatever. I don’t
care. I’m proud of you either way. Just send me a postcard
with fucking goats. But you should not need to worry about
people dying in the woods just because you forgot to water
some fucking stones.
LILY: Mom, this isn’t your fault.
DOT: Isn’t it? I forgot to do my part, whether I meant to or not, and
now Rudy’s dead. That’s on me. That’s MY fault. And if I
hadn’t come here, if I had just stayed with you and your dad,
you wouldn’t be in this situation either. That’s on me too.
LILY: Well by that logic, if you hadn’t broken your leg, I never
would have come here and I wouldn’t have met Marisol, so I
should be thanking you for setting me up with my girlfriend.
DOT: You’re welcome. Let it never be said I never got you laid.
LILY: Mom!
DOT: …this isn’t a game Lilybelle. It’s not some grand adventure.
It’s life. Day-in. Day-out life. Equal parts boring and
dangerous. The consequences are…real. And that’s a
burden…you have enough. More than enough. Hell, I’m your
mom, you have too much. I want the best for you. And
this…it can be someone else’s problem. We’ve done our
part.
LILY: What if…what if it’s what I want?
PAUSE.
DOT: Still? After this? After Rudy?
PAUSE.
LILY: (LOW) I don’t know. (BEAT) Maybe.
PAUSE.
DOT: First of all, I’d say then you need to be the one heading off to
the funny farm instead of me.
LILY: Be serious.
DOT: And second…I’d say…be sure. Be really sure. I…didn’t
exactly know what I was getting into when I came here. It
was…an impulsive decision.
LILY: You? No!
DOT: Because it’s not just you it affects. It’s me. And Marisol. And
your Dad. And Cynthia. And Spikes…
LILY: Spikes?
DOT: You don’t think I’ve noticed your old playpal hanging around
her. Joey? I don’t think that’s just coincidence Lilybelle. I’ve
been reading some of the old journals and I think…I think
that’s the house reaching out. Or the town. Or the “Bloomin’
Onion” or whatever it’s called.
LILY: One Who Blooms.
DOT: The point is…it might… notice her more because of you, just
like it noticed you because of me. Are you okay with that?
LILY: I…I don’t know.
DOT: Well…neither of us has to decide right this second. And
we’ve made Marisol wait awkwardly on the stoop long
enough.
LILY: Yeah.
DOT: Besides, I have to make sure you get that good loving.
LILY: Mom. Gross
DOT: (LOUD) Marisol, we’re done being serious. You can come in
now.
THE FRONT DOOR OPENS AND TWO SETS OF
FOOTSTEPS ENTER.
MARISOL: Look who I found outside.
RUSSEL: Hey, Dot. Lily. I thought you might be hungry after the
funeral.
DOT/LILY: Memorial.
RUSSEL: Right. Well, I thought I would bring over a casserole.
LILY: A casserole. From Russel. Well, isn’t that thoughtful. What
kind.
RUSSEL: Eggplant parmesian with sausage.
PAUSE.
LILY AND MARISOL BURST INTO LAUGHTER.
RUSSEL: I’m sorry. Did I say something funny?
DOT: I’m sorry Russ. My daughter is just being a child. Come into
the kitchen and help me get some plates so you can dish me
some of your eggplant.
DOT AND RUSSEL EXIT INTO THE KITCHEN AS
LILY AND MARISOL LAUGH HARDER. FADE OUT.
SILAS: (VO) Another entered the wood to try and find the lost little
girl, her father. He went into his forest to chop and cut with
his axe as he had many times before. He thought to himself,
“If just chop enough and cut enough, surely that will bring my
little girl back.”
THE BACKGROUND BECOMES NATURE SOUNDS
AS WE MOVE INTO THE WOODS AROUND THE
OBSERVATORY.
SILAS: (VO) And so he chopped and cut and hacked and slashed
deep into the woods, farther than he had ever gone before.
He went too far, and there, in the darkness, he was lost
forever.
FOOTSTEPS APPROACH THE OBSERVATORY.
NORAH: Wes.
WES: Oh. Uh. Hey Norah. What are you doing here?
NORAH: Where else would I be?
WES: No, I mean. That’s not what I meant. What I meant was…I
didn’t expect anyone else to be here.
NORAH: Did you not?
WES: Uh…no.
NORAH: You did not come here hoping you would find someone else
here? Someone with a pleasant smile, gentle disposition,
and a befuddled but charming manner?
WES: You came here looking for Rudy too.
NORAH: Yes and no.
WES: Okay?
NORAH: It is not important.
WES: Okay.
PAUSE.
WES: You know Dot told me once, all you have to do to get
someone to talk to you is say nothing. (PAUSE) Like if you
just stand there and say nothing, eventually they’ll start
talking to fill the space. (PAUSE) I’ve never been very good
at doing that.
NORAH: I did come here because of Dr. Peltham. I also came here
because this…this is my home. My space. The place I have
lived…for lack of a better word for a very long time. It
is…should be…comfortable. Safe. And yet…I cannot bring
myself to go inside. It does not…FEEL…safe. It does not
feel like mine. Not anymore.
WES: I get that. (PAUSE) I made my house appear once.
NORAH: I am aware.
WES: Oh…right. It wasn’t very good though.
NORAH: I have heard this as well.
WES: Incredibly creepy, according to Lily. Not at all safe. But
then…it really wasn’t My safe space. Not really. Not this me.
It was also the place I died which is kind of weird.
NORAH: I died here and have had no previous problems with the
structure.
WES: Which makes sense, for you. But now…it’s like my parents,
right? My parents didn’t stay in Mt. Absalom long after I died.
Maybe they tried for a bit but…it’s like you said…it didn’t feel
like home anymore. Didn’t feel safe. And also, it probably
just made them sad. Like the house was haunted or
something. (BEAT) Not like actually haunted. I wasn’t there, I
don’t think. I mean, figuratively haunted…by the memory of
me.
NORAH: I understood.
WES: Okay.
NORAH: I am not sad.
WES: You’re not?
NORAH: I am…I was very angry at Dr. Peltham before. To the point, I
did not think I wished to see him again. And now he is gone,
and even though my feelings about his actions were entirely
justified, I feel guilty for not wanting to see him. And that also
makes me angry. But now…(CLEARLY SAD) I would very
much like to see him. I would like to walk inside the
observatory and see Rudy and tell him how angry I am at
him dying. (PAUSE) But…
FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING IN THE
BACKGROUND.
WES: BUT…if he’s in there, if he’s like us…it isn’t really him. It’s
not the same Rudy. Not the one you were mad at, not the
one who was your friend. That Rudy might not like you. Or
worse, you might not like him.
NORAH: That is correct.
ABBIE: It’s fine. He won’t be in there.
WES: Oh…hey Abbie.
NORAH: You’re sure?
ABBIE: It’s a working hypothesis. I think…I think there has to be a
reason for you to come back.
NORAH: And you don’t think Dr. Peltham has that?
ABBIE: I don’t think it has anything to do with Rudy. I think
whoever…whatever brings you back has to have a reason.
WES: Um…Abbie? Why do you have a sledgehammer?
ABBIE: Because fuck Silas. Fuck the One Who Blooms and fuck this
fucking observatory. (TO NORAH) That okay with you?
NORAH: You will not damage the telescope?
ABBIE: Just the walls, doors, windows, tables…
NORAH: In that case…I would like to join you.
THEY BEGIN WALKING TOWARD THE
OBSERVATORY.
WES: Wait for me.
HE RUNS AFTER THEM.
(OFF) I don’t suppose you brought food too, I’m starving.
WE FADE OUT ON THIS SCENE.
SILAS: (VO) Eventually, the little girl found her way out of the forest.
The Wood hadn’t intended to keep her. The actions of her
father were not her fault.
WE FADE INTO THE SOUND OF THE WOODS.
SILAS: (VO) However, even as she left the trees and birds, the
rocks and wolves, the darkness and light, even as she left all
of it far behind, the Wood knew one day she would return.
Because they always returned. Always. They could not,
would not understand, no matter how many times it was
taught to them, the singular lesson they were meant to learn.
People do not belong in the woods.
A WOLF HOWLS. IT IS JOINED BY ANOTHER. AND
ANOTHER. AND MANY MORE. RAIN BEGINS TO FALL.
END.