Season 2/Episode 1: The Burning Woods

by Jim McDoniel

Content Advisories for this episode can be found below.

This episode features: Clarisa Cherie Rios as Lily, Marsha Harman as Dot, Mark Soloff as [REDACTED], Pat King as Chester, Symphony Sanders as Young Lily, and Hilary Williams as Joey.

Written by Jim McDoniel, sound design by Eli McIlveen, directed by Jeffrey Nils Gardner, music composed by Stephen Poon, recording engineer Mel Ruder, Theme performed by Stephen Poon, Lauren Kelly, Gunnar Jebsen, Travis Elfers, Mel Ruder, and Betsey Palmer, Unwell lead sound designer Ryan Schile, Executives Producers Eleanor Hyde and Jeffrey Gardner, by HartLife NFP.

Content Advisories
This Episode contains:

Jump scares
Creepy noises
Wolves
Implied Gore

SCENE 1
EXT. THE FOREST. NIGHT.
THE WIND BLOWS THROUGH THE TREES. OWLS
HOOT TO ESTABLISH IT IS NIGHT. THEN
FOOTSTEPS. RUNNING. TWIGS SNAP AND
LEAVES BRUSH ASIDE AS THEY RUN. THE
FOOTSTEPS REACH US AND JUST DISAPPEAR.
SILENCE.
MORE FOOTSTEPS RUNNING BUT LESS SURE-
FOOTED. YOUNG LILY TRIPS.

YOUNG LILY: (LOW) Shit.

YOUNG LILY PICKS HERSELF UP AND BRUSHES
HERSELF OFF.

(CALLING OUT QUIETLY.) Joey? Joey? Where’d you go?

YOUNG LILY WALKS FORWARD CAUTIOUSLY.

(SAME) Joey?

JOEY: (HOWLS LIKE A WOLF NEARBY.)


YOUNG LILY: (LOW) Shhhhh. What are you doing?

JOEY: What? No one can hear us.

YOUNG LILY: If my mom found out we were out here at night...

JOEY: She’d be all like (EXAGGERATED ADULT VOICE) “You
snuck out of the house? Why didn’t you invite me?”

YOUNG LILY: Yeah well...still...

JOEY: Relax Lily. There’s no one here but us wolves. (HOWLS
AGAIN.)

PAUSE. IN THE DISTANCE THERE IS A SMALL
HOWL.

See?

YOUNG LILY: That’s Ms. Castro’s Beagle.

JOEY: (HOWLING) HELLO LANCELOT! AROOOOOO.

JOEY: Don’t be rude Lily. Say hi.

YOUNG LILY: (HOWLING) HOW ARE YOUUUUUUU?

ANOTHER SMALL HOWL. THE GIRLS LAUGH AND
BOTH HOWL. THE HOWL FADES INTO
FOOTSTEPS THROUGH THE WOODS. THE
TRANSITION SHOULD BE SOMEWHAT ABRUPT
AND SHOW THAT THIS IS A LITTLE WHILE LATER.

YOUNG LILY: Where are we going?

JOEY: You’ll see. (PAUSE) Now...how does it start? Once upon a
time...

YOUNG LILY: That’s for fairy tales.

JOEY: This is a fairy tale.

YOUNG LILY: You said it was a ghost story. A ghost story should start all
“A long time ago, right here in Mount Absalom...”

JOEY: Fine. A long time ago, right here in Mount Absalom... You’re
right, that is better....

Right here in Mount Absalom, there was a coven of witches
who came into the woods at night to worship and
do magic. They would dance naked under the full moon and
talk to spirits and conduct sacrifices.
(PAUSE) This is where you’re ask, “What did they sacrifice?”

YOUNG LILY: What did they sacrifice?

JOEY: PEOPLE! Sometimes people who were just passing through.
Sometimes people they didn’t like. If you crossed a secret
witch in the daylight, you might find yourself in the woods
come nightfall, walking to the Witch’s Altar. Unable to stop
yourself. JUST LIKE WE ARE.

YOUNG LILY: Yeah, but...we can stop.

JOEY: (SILLY) Can we Lily? CAN WE?

THEY LAUGH. THERE’S ANOTHER WEIRD
TRANSITION WHERE SUDDENLY WE ARE NO
LONGER WALKING AND THE SOUNDSCAPE IS
SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. MAYBE THE OWL IS
FARTHER AWAY OR CLOSER. ALSO THERE IS A

WOODPECKER SOMEWHERE FAR OFF. IT
STRIKES FIVE TIMES.

JOEY: The victims would lay themselves down on the Witches’
Altar, just like this...

WE HEAR JOEY LAY DOWN ON THE STONE.

And the High Witch King would raise his dagger.

YOUNG LILY: Like this?

JOEY: Just like that. And then he would stab them over and over.

WE HEAR THEM GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS AS
THEY PLAY ACT.

YOUNG LILY: MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

JOEY: Oh no! Stop! AAAAH. BLEH. (MAKES BLOOD SPURT
SOUNDS.) And the blood would drench the stone and run
down into the ground and the forest would show them
visions.

WE HEAR THE WOODPECKER. AGAIN IT IS FIVE
KNOCKS. JOEY REPOSITIONS HERSELF INTO A
SITTING POSITION.

JOEY: So...one day, a few of the families decide they’ve had
enough. And when they know the witches are all in the
woods, they ride out to the edges of the forest and set
everything on fire. (MAKES FIRE SOUND.)

DISTANT WOODPECKER SOUND.

LILY: And that’s why they call it the Burning Wood?

JOEY: Yep. But that’s not the end of the story. You see because
two days later, when the fire finally died down, the
townspeople go in and they find the bodies of the witches
burned and laid out around this stone. All except one.

DISTANT WOODPECKER SOUND.

They never found the body of the Witch King.

SOFT KNOCKING.

Some say he died and his spirit haunts the spot where he
burned. Others claim he was actually the devil sent to obtain
the souls of the people of Mount Absalom. But all agree he
still walks these paths looking for his next victim.

SOFT BUT LOUDER KNOCKING.

JOEY: And if you’re not careful, one night you’ll find yourself at the
Witches’ Altar, a figure looming over you, raising its dagger
high, just like...Oh God...just like that one there.

YOUNG LILY: Haha Joey. I’m not going to look.

ABBIE: Lily?

YOUNG LILY: (CRIES OUT IN FRIGHT)

WOODPECKER SOUND IN THE BACKGROUND.

JOEY: (LAUGHING) Got ya.

YOUNG LILY: Jesus. Abbie? What are you doing out here?

SOFT KNOCKING.

ABBIE: Lily?

YOUNG LILY: What Abbie? What do you want?

ABBIE: Are you awake?

SUDDEN SOUNDSCAPE SHIFT. WE ARE IN THE
HOUSE. WE ARE IN LILY’S ROOM. WE HEAR HER
TAKE A SUDDEN INTAKE OF BREATH AS SHE
WAKES AND THE SHIFT OF THE COVERS. THERE
IS A SOFT KNOCKING AT THE DOOR.

ABBIE: Lily?

LILY: Yeah. Hold on. Wait a minute.

LILY GETS OUT OF BED, SLEEPILY WALKS
ACROSS THE ROOM, AND OPENS THE DOOR.

Abbie, what time is it?

ABBIE: Twelve-thirteen.

LILY: And you’re waking me because...

ABBIE: There’s someone at the door.

LILY: What are you...[talking about]?

DISTANT KNOCKING IDENTICAL IN CADENCE TO
THE WOODPECKER NOISE.

LILY: There’s someone at the door.

ABBIE: Yes.
THEY BEGIN WALKING DOWN THE STAIRS FROM
LILY’S ROOM IN THE ATTIC.

LILY: Who the hell is knocking at twelve o’clock at night?

ABBIE: Twelve-thirteen and I don’t know.

LILY: You didn’t go see who it was.

ABBIE: I don’t work here.

LILY: What if it’s just Rudy and he locked himself out?

ABBIE: Again, I don’t work here.

LILY: Or what if...? MOM!

LILY FLIES ACROSS THE THIRD FLOOR LANDING
AND DOWN THE STAIRS TO THE SECOND
FLOOR.

LILY: MOM? MOM?

SHE SWINGS THE DOOR TO DOT’S ROOM OPEN.

MOM?

THERE IS A SUDDEN AND VIOLENT MOVEMENT
OF CLOTH AND BODY AND AN ALARM CLOCK.

DOT: (STARTLED AWAKE) Jesus Fucking H Christ!

LILY: Mom.

DOT: Lily? The hell...?

LILY: Sorry...I just...wanted to make sure you were...Sorry...

KNOCK FROM DOWNSTAIRS.

LILY: ...There’s someone at the door.

DOT: Then go downstairs and fucking answer it.

LILY: Right. Sorry.

SHE SLOWLY SHUTS THE DOOR.

DOT: If it’s a paying customer try not to scare the bejesus out of
THEM.

AS LILY HAS BEEN SHUTTING THE DOOR, THE
MEASURED FOOTSTEPS OF ABBIE CATCH UP.

ABBIE: I went to you specifically to avoid waking Dot.

LILY: Yeah. That makes sense.

POUNDING ON THE DOOR DOWNSTAIRS.
FOOTSTEPS AS ABBIE AND LILY WALK DOWN
TENTATIVELY.

LILY: Why are you following me? I thought you didn’t work here?

ABBIE: My curiosity is peaked.

LILY: (SIGH) Who is it?

CHESTER: (MUFFLED AND OFF) Mount Absalom Volunteer Fire
Department.

LILY: What?

CHESTER: (MUFFLED AND OFF) It’s the Mount Absalom Volunteer
Fire Department. Please open the door.

LILY IS DOWNSTAIRS NOW. SHE CROSSES TO
THE DOOR AND OPENS IT. CHESTER IN FULL
FIRE DEPARTMENT GEAR BREATHING INTO A
RESPIRATOR ENTERS QUICKLY ALMOST
PUSHING LILY ASIDE.

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) Please do not worry, Ms. Harper. Everything is
going to be all right.

LILY: Chester?

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) If you could please exit the premises in a calm
and orderly...[fashion].

LILY: (INTERRUPTING) Chester Warren, what are you doing
here?

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) We had a report of smoke in the area.

LILY: The area?

CHESTER: Yes.

LILY: What area? The woods?

CHESTER: Yes.

LILY: The woods go on for miles...

ABBIE: 4,533 acres. As of the most recent survey.

LILY: So there’s a fire and you what...just automatically run out
here?

ABBIE: We are the only building in this vicinity.

LILY: Whose side are you on?

ABBIE: The truth’s?

FOOTSTEPS ON THE STAIRS.

DOT: Lily, did you find out what jackass was...[at the door]?
(PAUSE) Chester.

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) Mrs. Harper, I’m going to have to ask you and
your guests to please wait outside...

DOT: Why? Shit, Lily, did you set the stove on fire again?

LILY: No.

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) Stove?!

CHESTER BEGINS TO MOVE BACK TOWARD THE
KITCHEN.

LILY: No.

SHE BEGINS TO FOLLOW. AS DO ABBIE AND
DOT.

The stove is fine.

WHEN THEY REACH THE KITCHEN, THE STOVE
IS OPENED UP.

See.

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) Looks like there’s some scoring on the inside.

DOT: Surprised you can see that with your head so far up your...

LILY: Mom. I’ve got it.

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) Could be a fire hazard.

LILY: Well, as you can see, it isn’t one yet.

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) The important thing is that everyone is safe.

CHESTER BEGINS TO TRUNDLE OUT.

(MUFFLED) Probably a good idea to stay inside. And uh...if
one of you could stay awake...

LILY: Why?

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) If the fire’s not here, it’s a forest fire. And if it
comes this way...

DOT: Shit. You mean there actually is a fire?

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) Why else would I come out here?

ABBIE: Mr. Warren. Could you turn around please?

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) Why?

ABBIE: Just turn around.

HE DOES SO. THERE IS A LIGHT SNAP AS THEY
PULL A TAG OFF HIS EQUIPMENT.

ABBIE: You forgot to take the tag off your mask.

DOT: Chester, when was the last time you actually dealt with a
fire?

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) I have renewed my certification every year
since 2007.

DOT: A fire, Chester. A real God damned fire. When did you deal
with one?

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) Mount Absalom has very strict fire safety
ordinances which are vigorously enforced.

DOT: Right. That would be never then.

LILY: Jesus.

ABBIE: Should I begin packing for evacuation?

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) I assure you everything is fine.

DOT: Yeah? Where’s the rest of the Volunteer Fire Department?

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) They are...handling coordination and logistics
while giving Mayor Lopez up to date...

DOT: Translation: Ted Waller threw his back out swing dancing
last week and Carrie Shi is eight months pregnant.

LILY: I...can go with you.

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) I’m afraid, as a civilian...

LILY: It’s a bit lapsed but I was a part-time fire fighter when I lived
in Washington. Mostly it was rescuing alpacas from cliff
sides but...I have dealt with some brushfires.

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) According to Ohio State law...

DOT: The alternative, Chester, is going into the woods. At night.
By yourself.

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) Fine.

LILY: Let me get my jacket.

TRANSITION.
SCENE 2. EXT. THE WOODS. NIGHT. WE HEAR
FOOTSTEPS SLOWLY MOVING THROUGH THE
FOREST AS LILY AND CHESTER MAKE THEIR
WAY. CHESTER RATTLES WITH ALL HIS
EQUIPMENT. HE IS ALSO BREATHING HEAVY.

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) You really should have...put on the gear.

LILY: Radio’s all I need. If we find anything, the priority will be
getting out. Better if I’m unencumbered.

CHESTER’S RATTLING FOOTSTEPS STOP AS HE
LEANS OVER FOR BREATH.

LILY: Are you all right?

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) Fine. Fine. Just...adjusting my air tank.

LILY: Okay. (PAUSE) You’ve really never had to put out a fire.

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) No.

LILY: No towels left on a stove? Too much lighter fluid on the
barbeque? Kids playing with matches?

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) Our kids...know...not to play...with matches.

LILY: All kids know not to play with matches. That’s why they play
with them.

CHESTER: (MUFFLED) Let’s go...this way.

LILY: Okay.

LILY STARTS TO FOLLOW THEM. THERE IS THE
SOUND OF RUSTLING IN THE BUSHES A LITTLE
WAYS AWAY.

LILY: Did you hear that?

WE HEAR JOEY’S ETHEREAL GIGGLE AND
FOOTSTEPS RUNNING AWAY.


LILY: Hello? Who’s there?

LILY BEGINS TO FOLLOW.

LILY: Chester, there’s someone over here. Chester?

CHESTER IS GONE.

LILY: Shit.

LILY JOGS THROUGH THE FOREST IN THE
DIRECTION CHESTER WENT.

(CALLING OUT) Chester? Chester?

LILY TURNS ON A WALKIE TALKIE.

(INTO RADIO) Chester? Chester do you copy?

STATIC.

(INTO RADIO) Chester? Where are you?


STATIC. SHE SLAMS HER HAND AGAINST IT.

LILY: Piece of junk. Great. Now what? (PAUSE)

SHE TAKES A FEW STEP FORWARDS.

LILY: Are the branches...? Oh you have got to be kidding me.

(INTO THE RADIO) Chester, I don’t know if you can hear
this but...the tree branches are all pointing in the same
direction. Follow them and let’s meet up again.

FOOTSTEPS AS LILY STARTS WALKING.

This is not a horror movie. This is not a horror movie. This is
not a horror movie.

SLIGHT SOUND TRANSITION SO THAT WE CAN
COVER SOME DISTANCE. LILY IS STILL
WALKING. SOMEWHERE A LITTLE WAYS OFF,
MOVEMENT.

Hello? Chester?

FOOTSTEPS.

LILY: Who’s there?

OLD MAN: Why hello there.

LILY: Jesus, you scared me.

OLD MAN: Sorry about that.

LILY: What are you doing out here?

OLD MAN: Same as you I suspect. Smelled smoke. Wanted to make
sure the whole dang forest wasn’t burning down.

LILY: Did you bring your dogs with you again?

OLD MAN: Only a pretty poor owner would bring dogs into a forest fire.
(PAUSE) Oh. I remember you. Right. My dogs. (LAUGHS)
Sorry about that.

LILY: Yeah look. I don’t suppose you’ve seen an out of breath
firefighter anywhere have you?

OLD MAN: Can’t say that I have. I was just on my way to check on
those two campers.

LILY: Campers?

OLD MAN: Caught a couple out here earlier. No one’s supposed to
camp in the woods but...I’m not the law. Anyway...they did
have a fire going, so I thought...might want to check on
them.

LILY: Do you remember where they were?

OLD MAN: This way.

THEY BOTH BEGIN WALKING.

OLD MAN: How’s your visit going?

LILY: What?

OLD MAN: You said you were in town for a visit. How’s it going?

LILY: Fine. Fine.

OLD MAN: Well that’s nice.

LILY: Hey...you told me a story before.

OLD MAN: Hmmm?

LILY: About the little girl in the woods. And all the branches that
point the way out. You wouldn’t happen to know anything
about...

OLD MAN: All these branches? I certainly do. You see the way they’re
all pointing.

LILY: Yeah.

OLD MAN: I live back there.

LILY: Oh.

OLD MAN: (LAUGHS) Sometimes you take the metaphorical lesson
from a story. And sometimes you take the practical lesson.
Shhh.


OLD MAN STOPS. LILY ALSO STOPS. AFTER A
MOMENT.

OLD MAN: Sorry bout that. Can’t be too careful. Not in these woods.

LILY: Wolves?

OLD MAN: Sometimes. Sometimes not.

LILY: I don’t understand.

OLD MAN: In my day, people used to say this area had a long memory.
A polite way of saying haunted.

LILY: Really? A ghost story? Now?

OLD MAN: No. No. Of course not. But we do need to be careful.
Especially in the forest. Especially at night.

LILY: (UNDER HER BREATH) Or the witches will get us.

OLD MAN: Oh...so you know that one. The Witches of the Burning
Wood. Funny that. Us looking for a fire in a place called “The
Burning Wood.”

LILY: Hilarious.

OLD MAN: Folk used to say that if you saw a fire in the forest, the Man
in the Woods was out for a stroll. It happens so rarely.
Maybe twenty-five years since the last one. Something about
the humidity and the trees. Doesn’t want to catch but when it
does... Course people don’t tell those stories any more. Not
the kind of image they want for their town. Would rather it all
just went away. Forgotten. So it becomes a secret everyone
knows and no one will talk about. One of those small town,
things that make outsiders feel like they’re going crazy.

LILY: I know what you mean.

FOOTSTEPS STOP.

OLD MAN: Here we are. Looks like I was right.

FOOTSTEPS CRUNCHING ON CHARRED
GROUND AND BROKEN CAMPING EQUIPMENT.

LILY: Jesus, did a bomb go off?

FOOTSTEPS IN ASH.


OLD MAN: It’s been pretty hot and dry since that big storm a few weeks
ago. A fire that’s not properly managed and all those dead
branches knocked down by the wind...

LIFTS UP FABRIC

OLD MAN: Don’t see any bodies. Must of skidaddled before the tent
went up.

FINGERS BRUSHING THROUGH ASH. PICKING
UP METAL.

LILY: I don’t think so. (BLOWS) This...used to be a cell phone.
They wouldn’t just leave their cell phone behind.

OLD MAN: Huh. They wouldn’t, would they? Well...better take a closer
look.

LILY CLICKS THE WALKIE TALKIE.

LILY: (INTO THE RADIO) Chester? Do you copy?

CHESTER: (D) Lily? Over.

LILY WALKS A FEW STEPS AS SPEAKS AND
WHEN SHE STOPS THERE IS A LOUDER CRUNCH
OF BRITTLE ASH THAN USUAL.

LILY: Chester, Jesus, where did you go? I’ve found where the fire
was.

CHESTER: (D) Please say over when you’re done speaking. Is the
fire out? Over.

OLD MAN: (OFF) Got a pair of shoes over here. Only partially charred.
Size nine if you’re interested.

LILY: Yeah looks like there were some campers whose fire got
out of control. (PAUSE) Uh...over.

CHESTER: (D) People aren’t supposed to camp in the woods. Over.

OLD MAN: (OFF) That is what I told them. Oh!

LILY: Well what do you want me to do about it? They’re not here
now.

OLD MAN: That may not be entirely true.

LILY: Chester please hold. Over. (TO OLD MAN) What do you mean?

OLD MAN: The shoes weren’t just shoes.

LILY: I don’t understand. (PAUSE) Oh...

OLD MAN: By the looks of it, I’d say animals got to them. A bear. Maybe
a couple of wolves or coyotes. Before the fire...after...it’s
hard to say.

LILY PRESSES THE BUTTON ON THE WALKIE
TALKIE.

LILY: Chester...it looks like...it looks like there may have
been an animal attack. (PAUSE) Over.

CHESTER: (D) Okay. Stay there. I will come to you. Do you know where
you are? Over.

LILY: Do you know where we are?

OLD MAN: A little ways east of the Witches’ Altar I think.

LILY: The Witch’s Altar?

OLD MAN: Pretty sure it’s over yonder. Bout a hundred yards or so.
Nice thicket of huckleberries growing over there.

OMINOUS WIND GUST. THE CRACK AND FALL OF
A BRANCH. LILY STARTS.

OLD MAN: You all right?

LILY: Fine. Fine. It was...just a branch.

LILY CLICKS THE SEND BUTTON.

Chester, we’re...we’re east of the Witches’ Altar. A hundred
yards or so. Over.

STATIC. NO ANSWER.

LILY: Chester? Did you copy? Over.

CHESTER: (D) I copied.

PAUSE.

LILY: Are you coming?

CHESTER: (D) Yes. Yes. I’ll...I’ll meet you at the W-...at the Witches’
Altar. (PAUSE) Uh...over.

LILY: Great. Uh...so the Witches’ Altar is this way.

OLD MAN: Yup. Just head straight. Should be visible once you get past
this copse of trees. Can’t miss it. I’ll see what I can do about
following these tracks. Maybe find where these poor folks
got dragged off to. That is if you’re okay waiting at the Altar
to meet your friend.

LILY: He’s not my friend. But yeah. I think...I’ll be fine.

OLD MAN: I’ll take my leave then.

LILY: Be careful.

OLD MAN: You too.

FOOTSTEPS WALKING OUT INTO THE WOODS
AFTER A MOMENT.

LILY: Hey...I didn’t get your name!

NO ANSWER. LILY WALKS INTO THE CRUNCHING
LEAVES. THE WIND BLOWS COLD AGAINST HER.
SHE SHIVERS.

LILY: (TO HERSELF) You’ll find yourself walking in the woods at
night. Walking to the Witches’ Altar. Unable to stop yourself.

JOEY HOWLS IN THE DISTANCE. IT IS SO FAR
AWAY WE CAN’T TELL IT’S NOT A REAL WOLF.

LILY: (INTO THE WALKIE TALKIE) Chester. Hurry. Please. Over.

LILY PICKS UP HER PACE. SOUNDS FADE AWAY
AND MUSIC PLAYS AS THE EPISODE ENDS.