Bury the Ashes - Chapter Two

Fred sets out in search of their missing dog. Doug stumbles on to the scene of a horrific crime.

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NOCTURNUM COLLECTIVE – SEASON FOUR

Bury the Ashes – Chapter Two

Written by Karl White

NARRATOR (OPEN): There are constants that endure in the known world. Space, time, energy, matter. Physical and scientific laws constraining us to this existence. But there's a current below the surface. Contrary to the explainable, it's where the unknown resides, where meaning and form collide with the abstract, where shadows hold dominion…Enter the Nocturnum Collective.

(MUSIC – opening sequence)

NARRATOR: And now, together with Legends of the Night, The Nocturnum Collective presents -- Bury the Ashes, chapter two. Written by Karl White.

(MUSIC – mysterious drone)

NARRATOR: Shakespeare famously wrote in The Tempest, "What's past is prologue". Where we’ve come from, what we’ve experienced in our lives paves the way for what is and will happen. A ripple, cause and effect, providing context for the here, the now, and beyond....

(MUSIC – live band)

NARRATOR: A beautiful, bright waxing gibbous moon hangs overhead. Doug, dressed in his tuxedo, leans against the rail on the observation deck of the large cruise ship, out at sea. His girlfriend MARY is next to him. She’s blonde, wearing an elegant red evening gown.  

(SFX – festivities)

NARRATOR: Music and festivities can be heard on the deck down below…but they’re in the midst of a serious conversation. 

DOUG: Sometimes long-distance relationships can be too difficult to keep up.

NARRATOR: Mary furrows her brow, not knowing where Doug’s going with this. 

DOUG: You’ve made the fight worth it. You’ve shown me even when it’s dim, you push forward. And right now, nothing else matters but you and me. 

NARRATOR: Reaching into his tuxedo jacket, Doug pulls out a ring box. When Mary sees it, she puts her hand over her mouth.

DOUG: Mary, whether we’re inches apart or waiting for each other on some distant shore, I wanna spend my life with you.

NARRATOR: He opens the box, inside is the beautiful diamond engagement ring. He kneels and takes Mary’s hand.

DOUG: Will you marry me?

MARY: Yes, of course.

NARRATOR: Doug slips the ring onto Mary’s finger, and she smiles. As he stands, they kiss and embrace.

(SFX – explosion)

NARRATOR: A loud explosion suddenly erupts from the ship’s stern. Flames and debris rise into the air. The entire vessel shakes violently. Mary SCREAMS... 

(SFX – Mary’s screams)

NARRATOR: The replay of the explosion and Mary’s distress in Doug's dream turns into the real SCREAM of a WOMAN, somewhere in the distance...

(SFX – distant scream)

NARRATOR: Doug’s brought out of his deep slumber, confused and disoriented. His nightmare seemed so real that he thought he just heard an actual scream coming from the woods…He shakes it off, rubs his eyes, trying to wake up.

(SFX – another scream)

NARRATOR: Another blood-curdling scream shatters the stillness of the morning -- It wasn’t just a dream. 

(SFX – sting)

NARRATOR: Doug sits up, scanning the foggy tree line. His breath becomes shallow, quiet. He narrows his eyes, using all of his wits, trying to detect anything else. 

(SFX – ocean sounds)

NARRATOR: The sound of waves crashing against the shore and the stillness of the morning is all that’s audible now.

(SFX – another scream; cuts off)

NARRATOR: Another horrible scream echoes but strangely stops halfway through.

(SFX – sting)

NARRATOR: On his feet, Doug slips his jacket on, and hurries to the tree line...But he stops, looking into the forest, listening. Everything is silent again…Doug crosses the threshold, cringing as each step he takes crunches and rustles over fallen leaves and branches.

(SFX – footsteps in woods)

NARRATOR: Sunlight squeezes through the treetops, scattering into thousands of slivers of broken light…The woods are now quiet, the fog much thinner. Everything seems undisturbed. No sights or sounds of birds or wildlife. It’s eerily still with only the roar of the ocean behind him.

(SFX – ocean)

NARRATOR: Doug’s careful, cautious, paying intense attention to his surroundings as he pushes forward to find the source of the commotion...Unease sits in the back of his mind, not knowing what lies ahead.

(MUSIC – tense)

NARRATOR: It’s Monday, May 24th Deep in the forest, Fred, dressed in sneakers, running shorts, and a sweatshirt, jogs down a path cut out of the woods. He’s out searching for their dog, Teddy. Who ran off, chasing a squirrel the day before. Teddy never came home, but still new to the island, it’s Fred’s belief that Teddy is out exploring, following his animal instincts, becoming one with nature.

(SFX – jogging)

NARRATOR: There are ORANGE ribbons tied around various trees he passes…But Fred suddenly slows his pace, noticing something on the path ahead. It’s the carrion of a pigeon, partially consumed by an animal...Next to the carcass, paw-prints in the mud.

(SFX – sting)

NARRATOR: Fred’s face twists with worry. He scans the woods in every direction. He whistles, thinking Teddy might be nearby.

(SFX – loud whistle)

FRED: Teddy?

NARRATOR: But there’s no response from the dog…Something else catches his attention at the edge of the path.

(SFX – sting)

NARRATOR: A dark puddle of bloody vomit containing bits of bloody feathers and splintered bones.

(SFX – fire roaring)

NARRATOR: Back at the pigeon coop, Fred with a handkerchief tied around his face, stands at a large metal burn barrel, shoveling in the remains of the pigeons he’d buried the day before.

(SFX – flames rise)

NARRATOR: The dead birds hit the fire, creating a thick plume of smoke. While the pigeons burn in the barrel, Fred douses the inside of the coop with gasoline. 

(SFX – pour gas/match ignition)

NARRATOR: He lights a match, throwing it in. Flames engulf the enclosure. After a moment, he tosses the bird-handling gloves, along with the shovel, into the fire…

(SFX – growing inferno)

NARRATOR: As Fred watches everything burn, he feels eyes on him...Pam observes him from a distance. He walks away from the coop, meeting her in the middle of the yard. He pulls the handkerchief off of his face. Pam starts to open her mouth to say something, but Fred’s a step ahead. 

FRED: Just a precaution.

PAM: Burying ‘em wasn’t good enough?

FRED: Something dug them up...Probably a raccoon. But I don’t want any other animals getting sick.

PAM: It was Teddy, wasn’t it?

FRED: I couldn’t find him. But I’m gonna head out and look again. I’m sure he’s fine.

PAM: I still have the dreadful feeling that there’s something you’re not telling me. 

FRED: You know what I know.

NARRATOR: Pam stares Fred down. He puts his hand to his heart...But she’s still not entirely convinced.

FRED: Give me some credit, will ya? I’ve realized in our years together, keeping something from you isn’t worth the fight.

PAM: At least you’ve learned that much. But did you have to burn the coop?

FRED: We’re a long way from civilization, better safe than sorry. When we figure this out, I’ll build you a new one.

NARRATOR: Fred’s persuasive enough, Pam buys his speech, but he knows in the back of his mind, something might actually be wrong.

(SFX – ship alarm)

NARRATOR: Somewhere, in the past, inside the wounded cruise ship, an alarm blares in the halls, as scared passengers run frantically, looking for a means of escape.

(SFX – metal creaking)

NARRATOR: The ship creaks, making all kinds of stress noises...Doug leads Mary by the hand, navigating a narrow hallway. They’re heading for the main deck where lifeboats wait…Doug picks up the pace. Mary is having trouble keeping up in her high heels...She trips, tumbling to the ground, nearly taking Doug with her.

(SFX – body thud)

NARRATOR: He helps Mary back to her feet. 

DOUG: We’ve gotta keep moving.

NARRATOR: But as Mary stands, she hobbles. She twisted her ankle.

DOUG: Can you walk on it?

NARRATOR: She peels off her heels, throwing them aside. Putting weight on her foot, she winces. Doug helps her along.

DOUG: You’re strong. I’ve seen you fight through tougher things than this.

NARRATOR: She powers through, aided by Doug.

(SFX – whoosh transition)

NARRATOR: In the present, Doug continues through the woods in his search for help and the source of the screams he heard earlier. But he struggles through a dense thicket as branches and brush jet out in every direction. 

(SFX – walking in woods)

NARRATOR: Doug stops, looks around, trying to figure out where he’s headed...then, something ahead catches his eye. 

(SFX – sting)

NARRATOR: On the ground, a dead, partially mutilated pigeon, similar to what Fred found...This one is a few days old and decaying heavily. There’s a tag band around its foot. It seems out of place to Doug, but with rescue looking like more of a necessity, studying a dead bird isn’t a concern.

(SFX – footsteps)

NARRATOR: He keeps on, moving forward, rubbing his arms for warmth. Then something else in front of him gets his attention.

(SFX – sting)

NARRATOR: Doug steps from the tree line, finding himself on a worn path and a fork in the woods. In front of him are three other similar worn trails connecting to it. At the corner of each, a ribbon is tied around a tree. On the left, a BLUE ribbon. In the middle, a RED ribbon. And on the right, ORANGE…Doug studies each carefully, not understanding the significance. After moments of self-deliberation, he decides to head down the path in the middle, with the red ribbon.

(SFX – whoosh transition)

NARRATOR: At the caretaker house, Fred’s changed into a thick brown coat, jeans, and has a backpack slung over his shoulder.

(SFX – door creak)

NARRATOR: He creeps into the bedroom, staying as quiet as possible. And in the top drawer of the dresser, he pulls a pistol. Slipping the gun into his coat pocket, as Pam walks in.

PAM: What are you doing? Sneaking around?

FRED: No, I’m...I’m just getting ready.

PAM: For what?

FRED: It’s the fourth, I’ve gotta go to the utility station and call in my status update. Figure I’d look for Teddy while I’m out.

PAM: Oh, okay. I made you lunch. 

FRED: Mind if I take it to go?

NARRATOR: Fred eats a sandwich as he walks along on the lookout for Teddy. Over his shoulder, he carries a few small leg-hold traps, meant for snaring animals.

FRED: Teddy?

(SFX – Fred whistles)

NARRATOR: He stops, wrapping the rest of his sandwich, stuffing it in his pocket...Off an overgrown animal path, Fred sets one of the traps. It’s rusty, so he struggles to open it. 

(SFX – animal trap locking)

NARRATOR: Then moves on...

(SFX – ocean)

NARRATOR: At a small landing...there isn’t much of a beach on this side of the island, just an embankment where a dry-docked motorboat sits in the sand...Fred kneels in the grass-line where the trees meet the shore. He sets the last trap.

(SFX – animal trap locking)

NARRATOR: Back in the woods Fred lumbers along, continuing to call out.

FRED: Here boy...Teddy?

(SFX – branch breaking)

NARRATOR: A branch breaks behind him and a low growl emanates.

(SFX – dog growl)

NARRATOR: Fred turns slowly...creeping behind him from the brush, is Teddy -- the dog’s appearance is horrifying. He’s emaciated, with sores around his mouth. Blood runs from his eyes. Fred’s careful not to make any sudden movements. 

FRED: Hey, Teddy. You want a treat?

NARRATOR: Fred digs in his pocket and tosses the rest of his sandwich, but the dog doesn’t go for it.

FRED: Not hungry, huh? That’s not like you. And you don’t look so hot. 

NARRATOR: Ears back, inching forward, Teddy bares his teeth and snarls. Fred's surprised by Teddy's aggression.

(SFX – dog snarl)

FRED: Teddy?

NARRATOR: But Teddy lunges...and Fred, not ready for it, fumbles for the gun in his pocket. 

(SFX – dog bite)

NARRATOR: Teddy savagely sinks his teeth into Fred’s hand, attacking.

(SFX – Fred screams in pain)

NARRATOR: Fred pushes Teddy back and aims, pulling the trigger.

(SFX – gunshot/dog yelp)

NARRATOR: In a flash, it’s over…Teddy lies in the grass, dead. Fred sighs in relief, but concern sets in as he inspects his wounded, bloody hand.

(SFX – sting)

NARRATOR: The sun hangs overhead. The forest is much brighter and warmer than before. But continuing down the red path, Doug’s strength is waning. The lack of food, water, and rest, is taking a toll. 

(SFX – sting)

NARRATOR: He stops in his tracks, and curiously raises his nose, sniffing the air.

(SFX – sniffing)

NARRATOR: It’s a familiar smell. Intrigued, he pushes ahead. A quicker pace carries him. Ahead it’s brighter, the trees thin, there’s an opening in the path and what Doug hopes is salvation. 

(SFX – sting)

NARRATOR: Emerging, Doug follows the smell he picked up in the woods. Help is close, he can feel it…To his left, a garden. The first signs of civilization. Then to the right, the back of a red, two-story cottage, sitting alone in the woods. It’s like something out of a fairy-tale. Smoke seeps from the chimney, explaining the smell…Doug runs across the yard towards the warm and inviting dwelling and without hesitation makes his way to the back door.

(SFX – knock on door)

DOUG: Hello?

NARRATOR: Social cues make him wait a moment for someone to answer, as he tries not to seem over-anxious...But there’s no response, so he knocks again.

(SFX – knock on door)

DOUG: Hello?

NARRATOR: Still, no answer...so he tries to look in the window on the door, but a sheer curtain on the other side obscures his view...Doug walks off, towards the front of the house.

(SFX – harder knocking)

NARRATOR: Doug pounds desperately on the front door with his fist.

DOUG: Is anyone home? Anyone? I need help.

NARRATOR: He peers through a frosted window next to the door. Inside, the foyer of the cottage looks lived-in. He can see the silhouettes of furniture and the lights on.

(SFX – sting)

NARRATOR: Doug makes his way towards the back of the cottage again, this time stopping to look into every window along his way. Most of the shades are drawn, or the rooms are too dark to see into. 

(SFX – footsteps)

NARRATOR: Around the back, he takes a few steps into the yard and looks at an upstairs window.

DOUG: Hello...anyone home? I think I see a light on. If someone’s up there, please, I need help.

NARRATOR: But again, there’s no response from inside the house. Doug rambles to the back door, pounding again.

(SFX – harder knocking)

NARRATOR: Frustrated, he grabs the doorknob, it turns, and the door cracks open.

(SFX – doorknob turn)

NARRATOR: Not expecting that, Doug recoils, and as he pulls his hand away, he feels a texture. There are dark red flakes on his hand...Upon closer inspection, there’s dried blood on the knob and streaks of blood on the frame of the door itself…Unnerved, but needing help, he pushes the door open further.

(SFX – squeaky door open)

NARRATOR: It leads into a kitchen...and inside it looks as if there was some sort of struggle. A kitchen chair is on its side. There are papers and broken glass everywhere. Doug cautiously remains outside, not sure if entering is a good idea.

DOUG: Hello?

NARRATOR: The house sits eerily quiet...but hungry, thirsty, and cold, Doug steps inside.

(SFX – stepping on broken glass)

NARRATOR: Broken glass crunches under his feet...He carefully steps past it as he heads towards...

(SFX – sting)

NARRATOR: The living room...a fire has burned out, but embers still smolder in the fireplace. And there are more signs of a disturbance. Picture frames with indistinguishable people, behind cracked glass, lay scattered on the floor. Furniture looks askew, out of place. A shelf lays on the floor, fallen over and broken.

(SFX – sting)

NARRATOR: To Doug’s right is a short hallway. A half-bathroom sits at the end and a stairwell to the second floor. Doug glances up the stairwell but doesn’t dare go up.

DOUG: Is everyone okay?

NARRATOR: But of course, there’s no response.

DOUG: I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm lost, and I need... 

NARRATOR: He trails off, as he spots a phone on an end table next to the couch...Rushing over, Doug picks up the phone, but there’s no dial tone, no sound, nothing.

(SFX – pick up phone receiver)

NARRATOR: Then, something else catches his eye...a fire poker on the ground, in a pool of dark blood. Doug sets the phone down and steps towards the blood. 

DOUG: What in God’s name?

NARRATOR: He sees blood spatter on the walls and follows a trail leading towards the kitchen. Something terrible has happened here, and he knows now, he must leave.

(SFX – sting)

NARRATOR: But venturing back out into the unknown, he needs to be ready for anything.

(SFX – closet door)

NARRATOR: Doug throws open a closet door, not sure what to expect. Inside, a vacuum, some boxes, hanging clothes. He grabs a thick brown coat, slipping it on for warmth. Then he grabs a backpack hanging on a hook on the door.

(SFX – kitchen cabinets)

NARRATOR: In the kitchen, Doug searches for food, finding several small cereal boxes in a pantry, half a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, cans of spam, and tuna. He loads the backpack.

(SFX – refrigerator)

NARRATOR: In the refrigerator, a nearly empty gallon of milk and some hotdogs. He chugs the rest of the milk straight from the container.

(SFX – sink)

NARRATOR: Then refills it with water in the kitchen sink.

(SFX – kitchen drawers)

NARRATOR: He tears through drawers, grabbing a can opener. Then his eyes are drawn to a cutlery block on the countertop. Doug looks back at the mess of glass and paper on the floor. He pulls the largest butcher knife from the block. 

(SFX – knife from butcher block)

NARRATOR: He stuffs the water, the knife, and the can opener in the pack before he zips it up and throws the strap back over his shoulder. As he walks to the back door, he notices a set of keys hanging on a hook. There’s no label for what they are, except for an orange ribbon tied to the key ring.

(SFX – keys jingle)

NARRATOR: He grabs the keys, shoving them in his pants pocket, unsure if they’ll come in handy. And with that, Doug heads out of the back door, closing it gently behind him.

(SFX – door close)

NARRATOR: Doug quickly walks away from the cottage, only making it a few steps before he stops dead in his tracks...About thirty feet off to his right sits the burnt-out pigeon coop. 

(SFX – sting)

NARRATOR: Next to what’s left of the coop, the burn barrel. As Doug approaches, he peers over the side to see nothing but ash. But on the ground around the barrel, pigeon feathers, blood, and bird guts…Doug nervously glances around, hoping now not to run into anyone. He needs to get as far away from this place as he can. He heads across the yard, back towards the red path.

(SFX – ship alarms/panicked screams)

NARRATOR: Far from his present predicament...Doug, with Mary, it tow, hurries to make it outside, onto the deck of the damaged cruise ship…There’s a long line of panicked passengers waiting to board life-rafts. Doug helps Mary along as she hobbles on her now swollen ankle. They make it to the end of the line. Large flames rise from the stern of the ship, spreading to the upper decks of the vessel. 

MARY: We’re not gonna make it.

DOUG: Yes, we are. I won’t let anything bad happen.

NARRATOR: A deckhand comes by directing passengers.

DOUG: Excuse me. My fiancé twisted her ankle pretty bad. She needs medical attention.

DECKHAND: I’ll see if I can find someone to take a look.

MARY: Is there enough room for everyone on the boats?

DECKHAND: Yes, ma’am. Everyone will have a spot. Just be patient.

(SFX – metal stress sounds)

NARRATOR: As the deckhand hurries off, the ship rumbles. Mary grips Doug’s arm more uneasy than before. He tries to distract her.

DOUG: Remember that time you drove to see me when I was working in Tulsa.

MARY: I forgot about that. 

DOUG: Waking up to a collect call.

MARY: I was in the middle of Wyoming, in the dead of night. Two flat tires. I was so scared waiting on the tow-truck. I didn’t know how I was going to make it to you.

DOUG: But you did. A day later, you were in my arms, with new tires...The situation worked itself out, and so will this.

NARRATOR: Their back and forth is enough to calm Mary from her worries. But the relief is short-lived as the jarring sound of stressed metal echoes.

(SFX – metal stress sounds)

MARY: What is that?

DOUG: The ship’s probably taking on water. 

NARRATOR: Instantly regretting his comment, Doug grabs onto Mary, locking eyes with her.

DOUG: Don’t give in to fear. Concentrate on what’s going to happen. In no time, we’ll be at some Coast Guard station, blankets wrapped around us, drinking hot chocolate, talking about what kind of wedding we want to have—

(SFX – explosion)

 NARRATOR: But he’s interrupted by another massive explosion that rocks the port side of the ship. Everyone is jolted, falling to the deck.

(SFX – screams)

NARRATOR: Panicked screams fill the air. Steel bellows as the boat begins to take on more water below, sinking faster in the ocean.

(SFX – more metal stress sounds)

NARRATOR: Suddenly, the massive vessel pitches left, at a 35° angle. The incline sends everyone on deck careening off the side into the black waters. Doug grabs onto Mary as gravity pulls them towards the edge.

(SFX –tense sting)

NARRATOR: To be continued…

(MUSIC – Outro)

NARRATOR: For more killer content, subscribe or go to 

https://www.NocturnumCollective.com 

And for more information about Bury the Ashes and the LOTN universe, go to https://www.LegendsOfTheNight.com/