Unwell Season 3/Episode 3- Chapel Hill

by Jim McDoniel

Back in.

Of course it would be you.

How could it be you?

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Listen to the episode here.

Content Advisories for this episode can be found here.

A Transcript for this episode can be found here.

Support Unwell and HartLife NFP on Patreon at www.patreon.com/hartlifenfp

This episode features: Kathleen Hoil as Abbie, Anuja Vaidya as Norah Tendulkar, Joshua K. Harris as Rudy, Clarisa Cherie Rios as Lily, Marsha Harman as Dot, and Amelia Bethel as Marisol.

Written by Jim McDoniel, sound design by Alexander Danner, directed by Jeffrey Nils Gardner, music composed by Stephen Poon, recording engineer Mel Ruder, associate producer TH Ponders, Theme performed by Stephen Poon, Lauren Kelly, Gunnar Jebsen, Travis Elfers, Mel Ruder, and Betsey Palmer, Unwell lead sound designer Eli Hamada McIlveen, Executive Producers Eleanor Hyde and Jeffrey Nils Gardner, by HartLife NFP.

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INT. THE FENWOOD HOUSE. MORNING.

WE HEAR RUDY SPEAKING MUFFLED BEHIND A

DOOR AS FOOTSTEPS APPROACH.

ABBIE: Daniel Burnham had big plans, Chicago’s ashes in good hands.

RUDY: (BARELY AUDIBLE) ...I think that if we all work together,

there’s no reason why all mysteries can’t be solved.

KNOCK AT THE DOOR.

ABBIE: Rudy.

RUDY’S SPEAKING STOPS.

RUDY: (MUFFLED) Yes?

ABBIE: When are you going to the observatory?

RUDY: (MUFFLED) Just a moment.

WE HEAR RUDY SHIFTING THROUGH A MESS.

RUDY: (BARELY AUDIBLE) No, no. It’s fine. Please stay. Try the

hors d’oeuvres.

RUDY APPROACHES THE DOOR BUT HITS HIS

LEG ON SOMETHING.

(MUFFLED) Ow.

RUDY’S DOOR UNLOCKS AND OPENS A CRACK.

Yes?

ABBIE: Talking to your class again?

RUDY: No. Not...quite. I’m...hosting a function.

ABBIE: A function?

RUDY: You know: one of those wine and dine academic galas

where important and like-minded individuals hob knob...in

exchange for funding.

ABBIE: Attend a lot of these galas, have you?

RUDY: Not personally no but if certain opportunities come my way in

the future...I will be practiced. (PAUSE) I’m sorry, did you

need something?

ABBIE: What time are you going to the observatory?

RUDY: I’m not going to the observatory today.

ABBIE: You’re not?

RUDY: No. I’m hosting a...

ABBIE: ...a function. Got it. Can I borrow your keys then?

RUDY: What for?

ABBIE: Giant mystery hole leading into who knows what with spooky

voices saying “Go Back?”

RUDY: Right. Sorry. I sort of...plum forgot about that.

ABBIE: You and everyone else. But now that I can walk without eight

ibuprofen, I thought it was about time we got to the bottom of

this.

ABBIE: (REALIZING TOO LATE) Don’t...

RUDY: Literally?

ABBIE: (SIGH) Can I borrow your keys?

RUDY: No need. The observatory isn’t locked.

ABBIE: Why?

RUDY: I’d like to say it’s because I believe all knowledge should be

free and therefore, like a church, available for those who

seek it whatever the hour...but really I just keep forgetting.

ABBIE: Give me your keys. I’ll lock it.

RUDY: Would you? That would be great. Uh...one second.

RUDY SHUTS THE DOOR ON THEM. WE HEAR

HIM RIFLING AROUND THROUGH HIS ROOM.

AFTER A MOMENT THE DOOR REOPENS A

CRACK.

Here you go.

ABBIE: Rudy?

RUDY: Yes?

ABBIE: What are you hiding?

RUDY: Hiding?

DOOR CREAKS A LITTLE MORE CLOSED.

What makes you think I’m hiding anything?

ABBIE: Everything.

RUDY: No. I’m not... It’s just...my room is a mess.

ABBIE: Uh-huh.

RUDY: My room’s always a mess. But this is less entropic disorder

and more...nesting rodentia.

ABBIE: Uh-huh.

RUDY: And there are underthings on the floor.

ABBIE: Ew. That’s all you needed to say.

RUDY: Sorry. I should probably to do laundry. What day is it?

ABBIE: Tuesday.

RUDY: I definitely need to do laundry. Note to self: do laundry.

(PAUSE.) Anything else?

ABBIE: No...

THE DOOR IMMEDIATELY CLOSES IN ABBIE’S

FACE.

ABBIE: Uh-huh.

ABBIE WALKS AWAY. AS THEY DO, WE HEAR

THE BARELY AUDIBLE DRONE OF RUDY

TALKING AGAIN.

RUDY: (BARELY AUDIBLE) Sorry about the interruption. Where

were we? (PAUSE) Yes, thank you Ms. Gibbons.

(PAUSE) Sorry, Hazel...now, one of the things I learned at

the University of Buenos Aires is the benefit of

interdisciplinary cooperation...

TRANSITION

INT. ENTRYWAY OF THE FENWOOD HOUSE.

MORNING.

LILY IS TEARING THE FOYER APART.

DOT: (OFF) Come on. You’re letting the heat out.

LILY: (CALLING OUT) Mom, where’d you hide my keys?

DOT: (OFF) I didn’t hide your keys.

LILY: (CALLING OUT) I had them last night.

DOT: (OFF) Did you check your purse?

LILY: (CALLING) Yes.

DOT: (OFF) What about your jacket?

LILY: (CALLING) Yes. Of course.

DOT: (OFF) What about inside the mouth of ceramic frog on the

mantle in the dining room?

LILY: I knew it.

FOOTSTEPS AS LILY STORMS OFF. RATTLE OF

EQUIPMENT AND FOOTSTEPS AS ABBIE COMES

DOWN THE STAIRS. LILY STORMS BACK IN.

It isn’t there.

DOT: (OFF) Teach you to accuse your poor old mother of hiding

your keys.

THUD OF A HEAVY BAG.

ABBIE: Are you ready?

LILY: (TRYING NOT TO LAUGH) Abbie. Is there a coal mine

nearby that no one...

LILY: (SIGH AS SHE REMEMBERS) ...the observatory.

ABBIE: You forgot.

LILY: No. Well yes but... We finally found a new doctor for mom,

one her insurance would allow but we’re pretty sure is not

a member of the Delphics. Maybe. Anyway, this was the

earliest we could get in and it’s all the way out in Jackson.

DISTANTLY IN THE BACKGROUND WE HEAR A

CAR DOOR OPEN AND CLOSE.

ABBIE: I understand. Tomorrow then?

LILY: Tomorrow. I have plans to spend the day with Marisol at the

record store.

ABBIE: I thought you were giving her space.

LILY: I was. Until she started to realize I was giving her space

and so...I’m spending the day with Marisol.

ABBIE: What about the evening?

LILY: (HESITANT BREATH)

ABBIE: Ah. When you say “spend the day”...

HORN HONKING.

DOT: (OFF) Are you coming?

LILY: (CALLING OFF) How did you...? You STOLE the keys.

DOT: (OFF) I cannot tell a lie. Let’s move it.

LILY: Look, let’s make a plan when I get back tonight.

ABBIE: Sure. No problem.

SOUND OF THE FRONT DOOR CLOSING.

LILY: (MUFFLED) When did you take my keys?

DOT: (OFF) A magician never reveals her tricks.

FOOTSTEPS AS ABBIE MOVES TO THE FRONT

DESK AND SITS.

ABBIE: (SIGH) We’ll make a plan.

DRUMMING OF FINGERTIPS ON THE DESK. IT

STOPS.

ABBIE: Whatever.

THEY STAND AND TAKE UP THE BAG AGAIN.

FOOTSTEPS TOWARD THE DOOR AS IT OPENS

AND CLOSES.

INT. THE OBSERVATORY. MID DAY.

THE DOOR TO THE OBSERVATORY CREAKS

OPEN. ABBIE ENTERS. THE DOOR CLOSES.

THEY UNZIP THEIR JACKET AND BEGIN

WALKING TOWARD THE BASEMENT.

NORAH: (DISEMBODIED) Dr. Peltham is still not here.

ABBIE: I’m aware.

THEY JANGLE THE KEYS. NORAH

MATERIALIZES.

NORAH: Then I assume you’re here to ask more questions about your

friend.

ABBIE: Wes. His name is Wes. And no actually, excuse me.

THEY WALK PAST NORAH. THE EQUIPMENT

RATTLES.

NORAH: Ah. You’re going back in the hole. Where are the others?

ABBIE: No others. Just me.

NORAH: That does not seem safe.

ABBIE: Nope.

NORAH: Shouldn’t you wait for others...

ABBIE: Look, Dr. Tendulkar...

NORAH: Ms. Tendulkar. Institutions were...reluctant to grant women

such titles in my day.

ABBIE: I’m aware.

NORAH: Are you?

ABBIE: I’ve written papers on it.

NORAH: (CONDESCENDING) Good for you.

THE BAG IS THROWN TO THE GROUND.

HOPEFULLY WE ARE IN THE BASEMENT BY

NOW.

ABBIE: MS. Tendulkar. Is there anywhere else you can be? Like

anywhere.

NORAH: Oh yes.

PAUSE.

ABBIE: (ANNOYED SIGH) Fine.

THEY UNZIP THE BAG AND BEGIN PULLING OUT

ROPE AND BUCKLES. THEY PULL THE ROPE

OVER TO SOMETHING HEAVY IN THE BASEMENT

AND LOOP IT AROUND.

NORAH: You are using a cow hitch.

ABBIE: Yes.

NORAH: Ah.

ABBIE: Do the hard sciences have some insight into knots they

would like to share?

NORAH: No, no.

ABBIE GOES BACK TO FEEDING THE ROPE OUT

AND TYING/BUCKLING IT TO THEIR HARNESS.

But as a sailor’s daughter I do think a clove hitch would be

better.

ABBIE: A clove hitch can slip loose.

NORAH: Only to a point. Once you pass that, it is perfectly safe and

you wouldn’t need so much rope.

SOUND OF ROPE BEING THREADED AND

PULLED AGAINST ITSELF.

ABBIE: Which doesn’t matter because this time I brought plenty of

rope. The right kind too. Not some hundred-year-old out of

date leftover. (PAUSE) I realize that could be deemed as an

insult but really I was merely critiquing our rope choices from

our last attempt.

NORAH: But doesn’t the fact you recognize it could be perceived as

an insult mean that you do consider me a hundred-year-old

out of date leftover.

ABBIE: Possibly. But I wouldn’t have said that out loud because you

are my only backup in case something goes wrong. Here.

ABBIE SETS DOWN THEIR PHONE AND A WALKIE

TALKIE.

The walkie is switched to voice activation so you don’t have

to hit the button. And I’ve set up a speed dial on my phone

so you only need enough strength for one number. One is

Lily. Two is Rudy. Three is Marisol. Four is 911...that would

be emergency services. The police, the fire department...

NORAH: I know what 911 is.

ECHOES OF A PANICKED VOICE.

VOICE: 911. 911. Please. Help. There’s.... (SCREAM)

ABBIE: Right. I would start with Marisol. Lily is out of town.

NORAH: What about Dr. Peltham?

ABBIE: He seemed...busy.

NORAH: Again, perhaps it would be better to wait until one of the

others is here with you.

ABBIE: I’m quite capable of doing things on my own.

NORAH: So was I. More than capable. And while I hate to be reduced

to a cautionary tale, there is a lesson to be learned.

ABBIE: I’ll be fine.

SILENCE BETWEEN THE TWO AS ABBIE

CONTINUES TO READY THEIR HARNESS.

ABBIE: Out of...curiosity, you haven’t noticed

anything...weird...about Rudy?

NORAH: Everything about Dr. Peltham is out of the ordinary.

ABBIE: True. Different then.

NORAH: I...I cannot say. (AND THEN) He has not been here as much

in the last two weeks.

ABBIE: When was he last here?

NORAH: Right before you were here. And even then he seemed...

ABBIE: Distracted?

NORAH: It is fine. He is busy.

ABBIE: (TO THEMSELVES) Everyone’s busy.

NORAH: As long as the telescope is built, that is all I care about.

THE LAST CLIP IS ADJUSTED.

ABBIE: That should be it.

NORAH: How will you get back up? I cannot pull the rope.

ABBIE: I watched some videos on the frog ascending technique. It

shouldn’t be too difficult with this harness.

THEY APPROACH THE EDGE OF THE OPENING.

SMALL ROCKS FALL INTO THE PRECIPICE.

NORAH: I am fairly certain neither of us believe in luck.

ABBIE: No.

PAUSE.

NORAH: May your preparations be adequate.

ABBIE: Thank you.

THEY PUSH OFF THE EDGE INTO THE

DARKNESS. ROCKING OF THE ROPE AGAINST

THE EDGE AS THEY SWING SLIGHTLY IN THE

DARKNESS.

(EXHALE)

VRRR OF THE ROPE LOWERING THEM

FARTHER. PUSH OF THE WALKIE TALKIE

BUTTON.

Walkie check.

IT CLICKS OFF. THEN BACK ON.

That means I’m testing...

THE WALKIE CLICKS OVER.

NORAH: (D) I know what it means.

ABBIE HITS THE BUTTON AGAIN.

ABBIE: Copy. Walkies are working.

VRR OF THE ROPE LOWERING AGAIN. AND

AGAIN. ABBIE HITS THE WALKIE BUTTON.

Do you remember how far down Lily went before she started

hearing things?

THE WALKIE ACTIVATES AND WE HEAR

MARISOL’S ANSWER FROM EPISODE 2.11.

MARISOL: (D) Just passed thirty feet. Over.

ABBIE: Marisol?

NORAH: (D) No. Sorry. That was me.

VRR OF ROPE LOWERING. HITS THE WALKIE

BUTTON.

ABBIE: Should be any time now. Listen closely. We may lose

communication.

VRR OF ROPE LOWERING.

(TO THEMSELVES) Let’s see what we see.

VRR OF ROPE LOWERING. A SMALL

WHISPERING VOICE ECHOES INTO THE

DARKNESS.

GAIL: (D) Abbie...

ABBIE: Oh...you asshole.

ABBIE CONTINUES TO LOWER. GAIL AT

CONTINUES TO ECHO THROUGH THE SPACE, AS WE HEAR MORE STRANGE SOUNDS.

GAIL: (D) What are you doing?

(D) Abbie...

(D) Stop it.

ABBIE HITS THE BUTTON.

ABBIE: Norah, are you hearing this?

NORAH: (D) I only hear you.

ABBIE: That’s what I thought.

GAIL: (D) I’ve changed my mind.

(D) Can we go back, real quick?

ABBIE: No. We are doing this. You are not Gail. You are not my

sister. And you are not going to scare me off.

GAIL: (D) Abbie.

(D) Please, can we not?

(D) Abbie.

(D) I don’t want to be here anymore.

(D) Stop.

(D) Abbie.

(D) Stop it Abbie.

(D) Are you sure this is safe?

ABBIE: I’m not listening to you.

ABBIE CONTINUES TO DESCEND. THE ECHOES

GET LOUDER.

GAIL: (D) Ugh! You never listen.

(D) Let’s go back, okay.

(D) I hate you Abbie! I hate you.

(D) Abbie.

(D) Stop it!

(D) Abbie!

ABBIE: Get out of my head!

GAIL: (D) This is not some stupid experiment Abbie!

(D) I don’t want to do this Abbie.

(D) Abbie.

(D) No.

(D) No.

(D) Stop it.

(D) Stop.

(D) Stop it Abbie.

(D) Abbie.

(D) Abbie!

(D) ABBIE!

THE ECHOES PEAK.

GAIL: (D) RESPECT MY BOUNDARIES!

WITH THESE LAST WORDS, THE WHOLE

CHAMBER RUMBLES AND DIRT AND SMALL

STONES FALL. THE FINAL VRRR OF THE ROPE

AND ABBIE TOUCHES DOWN ON THE GROUND.

THE ECHOES FALL SILENT. THE RUMBLE STOPS.

ABBIE BREATHES HEAVILY. WHEN THEY SPEAK

THEY TRY TO HIDE HOW SHAKEN THEY ARE.

ABBIE: I’ve...I’ve made it to the bottom.

NORAH: (D) Are you all right? What did you hear?

ABBIE HITS THE BUTTON. STOPS. THEN HITS IT

AGAIN.

ABBIE: I don’t know. Something doesn’t want us here.

ABBIE UNBUCKLES THEIR STRAPS.

Looks like I was right. This is a chapel.

NORAH: (D) Chapel. Hill. Very droll.

ABBIE: There are pews. There’s an altar.

ABBIE KNOCKS ON WOOD.

This should all have decayed.

NORAH: (D) It should have all collapsed in on itself. The weight of the

hill pressing against the structure not to mention the

foundation and building of the observatory atop it... (TRAILS

OFF)

(D) What is below the hole? Where did you land?

ABBIE: I’m...behind the altar. To the left facing the pews.

NORAH: (D) Move forward about fifteen meters.

ABBIE: There are pews in the way.

NORAH: (D) Is there an aisle?

ABBIE: Yes.

NORAH: (D) Move down the aisle about fifteen meters from where

you are.

WE HEAR ABBIE MOVING. CREAKS OF BOARDS

AND DUST/DIRT FALLING FROM THE CEILING. SOME

BATS FLY AROUND ABOVE THEM.

ABBIE: (TO THEMSELVES) Must be another opening somewhere in

here.

ABBIE STOPS WALKING. THEY HIT THE BUTTON

ON THE WALKIE TALKIE.

Okay. I’m standing in front of the baptismal font.

NORAH: (D) What?

ABBIE: The baptismal font. The pool of water used for either

spritzing or dunking babies in order to endow them with

theological favoritism.

NORAH: (D) I know what a baptismal font is.

ABBIE: Well then. Why am I standing in front of it? (PAUSE) Norah.

NORAH: (D) That...that is directly beneath the telescope.

RUMBLE AS THE CHAPEL QUAKES. OVER THE

WALKIE WE HEAR RUDY FROM EPISODE 2.08.

RUDY: (D) Norah, listen to me, lightning strikes can occur from the

ground up.

NORAH: (D) If the lightning...if whatever comes up through the

telescope starts from beneath...

WE HEAR THE TINKLE OF ABBIE’S HARNESS AS

THEY MOVE. ALSO THEIR HAND BRUSHING

AGAINST STONE.

ABBIE: I’m not seeing anything unusual here per se. The font is

stone while the rest of the chapel is wood but I’d hardly say

that is unusual for a fountain.

NORAH: (D) Any markings.

ABBIE: Any arcane script meant to invoke ritual power you mean?

NORAH: (D) (ANGRY TO HAVE TO ADMIT THIS) Yes.

ABBIE: No. There’s not even a cross on it. (PAUSE) Huh...that’s...

SOUND OF ABBIE GETTING ON THE FLOOR.

THEY KNOCK AGAINST THE WOOD.

ABBIE: It’s hard to say because it looks really flush but...I’d swear

the stones of the font extend below the floor.

ANOTHER RUMBLE. JUST AS IT DIES DOWN

A BOOK FALLS OFF THE ALTAR.

One second Norah. (TO THEMSELVES) That was a book.

I’d know that sound anywhere.

ABBIE WALKS BACK TO THE ALTAR. THEY PICK

THE BOOK OF THE FLOOR CLOSING IT AS THEY DO.

ABBIE: Sermons.

THEY OPEN THE BOOK AND FLIP A FEW PAGES

THEN HIT THE BUTTON ON THE WALKIE.

I found Silas Lodge’s book of sermons.

NORAH: (D) Is any of it relevant?

ABBIE CONTINUES TO FLIP THROUGH.

ABBIE: Maybe. Let me check. (TO THEMSELVES) Let’s see. No

confession about slaughtering indigenous people.

(INTO THE WALKIE) It’s just a bunch of stories.

THEY FLIP A PAGE.

“The Little Girl in the Woods.”

THEY FLIP A PAGE.

ABBIE: “The Woodcutter in the Woods.”

THEY FLIP A PAGE.

This one’s just a title. “The Miller’s Cat.”

SILAS’S VOICE APPEARS AND SPIRALS AROUND THE SPACE

SILAS: (VO) Once upon a time...

ABBIE DROPS THE BOOK.

ABBIE: WHAT THE FUCK!

SILAS: (VO) There was a cat who lived with a miller. The cat was

precious to the miller for all the mice it caught which kept the

grain safe.

ABBIE: What the actual fuck? Norah can you hear this.

STATIC.

SILAS: (VO) Because of this, the cat was allowed to roam anywhere

it wanted. Anywhere that is, except the windmill.

ABBIE: Norah, I don’t know if you can hear me. I’m coming back up.

ABBIE BEGINS HOOKING THE HARNESS TO THE

ROPE.

SILAS: (VO) But the cat was curious, as all cats are, and it thought

“There must be lots of mice inside the windmill. The miller

will be so proud of me if I should catch them all.”

So one evening, as the miller left, the cat snuck in through

the door before it shut. “How clever am I!” The cat thought.

SILAS: “Now I’ll jump up high so I can see all the mice.” So the cat

leapt onto the mill stone to survey its new territory.

And that was when the wind started to blow.

THE CHAPEL RUMBLES. IT DOESN’T STOP.

ABBIE STARTS CLIMBING.

ABBIE: Shit!

THE ROPE AND ACCESSORIES CLICK AND RUB

RHYTHMICALLY AS THEY ASCEND.

SILAS: (VO) The wind blew against the sails of the windmill, which

turned the axles, which moved the grinding stone. Right onto

the cat’s tail.

THE RUMBLING INCREASES. THE ROPE

VIOLENTLY LASHES AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE

OPENING.

ABBIE: (BEING SHAKEN) Shiiiiiiit!

SILAS: (VO) The cat yowled and tried to leap away. But it was no

use. The cat was firmly stuck.

THE RUMBLE INCREASES. WE HEAR THE

CRACKING OF WOOD. ABBIE MOVES WITH GREATER

URGENCY.

And as the wind blew, the stone ground further onto the cat.

First its back legs. Onto its middle. The belly.

THE RUMBLE GROWS. WE HEAR THINGS

COLLAPSING NOW.

SILAS: (VO) Its bones, its body: Ground into fur and dust.

ABBIE: NORAH! NORAH, USE THE PHONE! CALL LILY! CALL

SOMEONE!

SILAS: (VO) The cat tried to call out. But it was night time and the

miller mistook it for normal caterwauling. Finally just as the

grinding stone was about to crush its head, the cat cried out,

to all its future kin, a lesson to take to heart:

THERE ARE SOME PLACES CATS SHOULDN’T GO!

EVERYTHING SHAKES. IT SOUNDS LIKE THE

CHAPEL IS CAVING IN.

ABBIE PULLS THEMSELVES UP AND OUT OF THE

HOLE AND FLOPS DOWN ONTO THE FLOOR OF

THE OBSERVATORY BASEMENT. THE RUMBLING

SUBSIDES AS THEY BREATH HEAVILY.

NORAH: Do you still want me to call someone?

ABBIE: No. No. We’re good now.

THEY CONTINUE TO BREATH HEAVILY AND

THEN SIT UP.

NORAH: I heard...I heard that man.

ABBIE: Interesting. Did you catch his voice?

PAUSE.

NORAH: No. Another anomaly.

ABBIE: I’ll add that to my spreadsheets.

NORAH: Next time, I think you should wait for other people.

Unwell 3.03 36

ABBIE: Next time...I think you’re right. (BREATHES OUT HEAVILY

AND LIES BACK DOWN WITH THE CLANK OF THEIR

GEAR.)

END OF EPISODE MUSIC. CREDITS ROLL.