Unwell Season 3/Episode 8- Celerity
by Jessica Wright Buha
Sound advice
Layers under layers
Let's all just take a breath
===
Tell us more about yourself in our Listener Survey!
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, Amelia Bethel as Marisol, Tara Schile as Sophia, Isa Ramos as Spikes, Michael Turrentine as Wes, Mark Soloff as Silas, Corrbette Pasko as Maureen, Abby Doud, Kat Evans, Evan Gulock, Radio voices: Eli Barraza, Beth Crane, Kristin DeMercurio, Hedley Knights, Russ More, David Rhienstrom, Josh Rubino, Ryan Schile, Danielle Shemaiah, Eric Silver, Jordan Stillman, Alex Welch, Brandon (Rev) Wentz
Written by Jessica Wright Buha, with post-credit scene by Bilal Dardai, sound design by Alexander Danner with post-credit scene by Jeffrey Nils Gardner, directed by Jeffrey Nils Gardner, theme 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.
==========
EXT. WOODS - DAY
FOOTSTEPS ON FROSTY EARTH. WIND
THROUGH TREE BRANCHES.
LILY I don't know. She wants something I can't give her. I
mean. Marisol wants me to commit, and...
commitment is big, but then SHE left, so... it's a mess.
You know?
SILAS Perhaps, Miss Harper, she doesn't deserve you.
LILY Doesn't deserve me? Silas, I didn't expect
profound advice, but that's a little basic.
SILAS CHUCKLES.
SILAS I'll admit this is rather out of my purview.
LILY Well, some preachers fall in love, maybe.
SILAS My only loves were my book and my flock.
LILY There wasn't someone else? Hmm? Silas...?
SILAS No.
A PAUSE
SILAS No.
LILY Alright. But the rest of the night went great. You'd
think, my dad and mom, divorced for twenty-five years,
snowed in a house together--for, God it was two and a
half days--would be awful, but it was actually lovely.
SILAS It makes me happy to see you so happy.
LILY Thanks.
SILAS And how was her memory.
LILY Perfect--completely back to normal. By day three,
Mom was making French toast in the kitchen like when
I was a little kid. Her French toast is so good. It was
just nice. It felt like... It felt like the way things were
before.
SILAS When all was simple and calm.
LILY Yeah.
SILAS You are fortunate to be housed in such a welcoming
place. To be in the domain of the One who Blooms is
a blessed thing.
LILY You're talking about Fenwood.
SILAS I don't care for the new name.
LILY But when you say One Who Blooms, you're
talking about the house? Or is there something
else.
SILAS Where does the body end and the soul start?
LILY Seems like you're sidestepping my question.
SILAS My dear, I might ask you a question in return.
Who decides when these woods awaken?
LILY Nature?
SILAS You suppose a tree tells a tree tells a tree?
Flowers whisper to each other? No.
It is decided.
LILY I mean, I don't know. Sometimes things just
happen. Who told the birds what song to sing? No
one. They just made it up. Who made the forest
burn down?
SILAS (lightly) I did.
LILY PROJECTS CALM. INSIDE, SHE IS
THINKING VERY FAST.
LILY Why?
SILAS To send you a message.
LILY (as lightly as possible) You mean a threat.
SILAS Goodness, no. Oh, my dear Miss Harper. No.
I told you a story when we first met. "There once was a
girl who needed to be shown the way." The story of
the woodcutter's daughter. Remember?
LILY I remember.
SILAS The fire was an invitation. To be shown the way.
LILY To where?
SILAS To the truth.
You must understand, there are forces here that must
be reckoned with. There is power, there is danger, there
are people--a whole town! in need of saving. The peril is
great, but the prize is greater.
LILY What?
SILAS I set up a problem for you to solve. Danger exists,
yes, but it can be overcome.
LILY How was I supposed to get that from a forest fire?
SILAS I thought it was an elegant metaphor.
LILY People died.
SILAS I cannot be expected to control the wolves.
I was so sorry that they perished. I truly was.
LILY Okay, well, no more fires. Next time, send me a letter.
Through the normal mail. Might get the message
across better.
SILAS LAUGHS. LILY JOINS HIM.
LILY And no stories, no metaphors. Just the truth.
SILAS I will always tell you the truth, Lilian.
LILY Okay.
And in return, you want...
SILAS Friendship.
LILY That's all you want? Just my friendship?
SILAS Not all.
There has been such chaos in the town. Surely you're
aware of the... disagreements between the False
Prophets and your mother.
LILY You mean the Delphics.
SILAS Yes. Pompous, arrogant, snide little worms.
LILY The Delp-shits, more like.
IT IS WRONG TO LAUGH AT BLASPHEMY,
BUT SILAS CAN'T HELP IT
SILAS Yes.
If it were up to the Delphics--
LILY Please, Delp-shits.
SILAS I would never be allowed to step foot into town.
LILY But you aren't allowed to. Right? I mean, that's
the whole thing with Mom.
SILAS It's true that my relationship with the caretaker has
been fraught. There was... unpleasantness in the past.
So long ago. Who can remember the exact
circumstances. But rumors became tradition became a
chain around my neck.
We want the same things, you and I. Reunification.
Stability. Calm--enough chaos. We've spent enough
time being lost little birds flying to the ones we love,
only to have them brush us away. And they must
understand how they've hurt us. They must.
LILY Okay, but then we forgive them, and then the town
is calm once more. That's the goal? Calm?
SILAS The goal is calm.
LILY Great! That should make the house happy. Surely.
His mood has not improved since we last spoke.
SILAS What has he said to you?
LILY Oh, he doesn't say words, he just... sings a sad
song, or a happy song.
SILAS Nonsense.
LILY Okay, a sad song, then a marginally less sad song.
SILAS Surely he speaks to you?
LILY Nope--just clanks the radiators at me.
SILAS Inside the house will not do--you need a place
where you can hear him clearly. Without distraction.
LILY If you're gonna suggest the door in the basement, don't.
I think it permanently vanished.
SILAS Not the door. Somewhere else.
LILY Where?
SILAS "Where the water trickles slowly, and a rainstorm
means your death
Where the sun has been bricked off, and there is
danger in each breath."
LILY Oh Jesus, a riddle.
SILAS, SOMEWHAT CRUELLY, LAUGHS.
SILAS A riddle.
LILY Reverend Lodge, can you just tell me.
SILAS You don't want to solve it?
LILY No.
SILAS Truly and certain?
LILY Just tell me.
SILAS The storm drains. There's a lovely one running
under the alley behind Main Street.
TRANSITION
EXTERIOR- BEHIND THE GOLDEN GROOVE - DAY
SCRAPE OF MANHOLE COVER ON THE
RUSTY EDGE OF THE SHAFT.
LILY Oh, this is a million pounds.
LILY BREATHES. WIND THROUGH THE BARE
TREES. DISTANT SOUND OF CARS DRIVING
BY ON MAIN STREET.
LILY Come on.
GROAN AS SHE LIFTS.
MARISOL Hey.
LILY Oh!
HEAVY THUNK OF IRON MANHOLE COVER
BEING CLUMSILY SET DOWN ON THE
CONCRETE.
LILY Uh, hey!
MARISOL What're you doing?
LILY Uh, well. I remember there being a manhole back here.
MARISOL Why are you going in the sewer.
LILY Not a sewer! Storm drain.
MARISOL Mmhmm.
LILY I'm trying to talk to someone.
MARISOL Who?
LILY Um.
MARISOL If you're going to lie to me, just don't say
anything. LILY It's a little complicated.
MARISOL And you're looking for this complicated person in the
storm drain alone.
LILY Yeah.
MARISOL That seems dumb.
LILY Well, I’m a dumbshit.
MARISOL Enough.
LILY So.
MARISOL Do you want someone to come with you?
LILY I woulda called you if I did.
MARISOL You haven’t called.
LILY I haven't. I wasn’t the one who left.
MARISOL Can I come?
LILY Prolly pretty gross down there. Abbie says there
might be rats.
MARISOL I’ve never seen a rat in Mount Absalom. Maybe a
chipmunk.
SCRAPE AS LILY HOLDS UP ABBIE’S
CROWBAR.
LILY So I don’t need this crowbar.
MARISOL BURSTS OUT LAUGHING.
MARISOL No! What? No! Oh my God, that’s like three feet
long. LILY They said there'd be rats!
MARISOL There are no rats.
LILY You want to come? Into the storm drain? With me?
MARISOL Isn't that really dangerous?
LILY Ehh, as long as it's not raining, it's only
pretty dangerous.
MARISOL What happens if it's raining.
LILY You die. Well, drown. Well, same thing.
RUSTLE OF PAPER.
LILY According to the guide.
MARISOL Guide?
LILY Abbie wrote me up a how-to. It seems pretty
straight forward.
MARISOL "Guide to Storm Drain
Exploration." Why didn't Abbie just
come along?
LILY They've got a dissertation deadline.
Well?
MARISOL All right, I'll come along. Lemme go change my
shoes. LILY Let's just go. Chucky T's are fine.
MARISOL You don't know what you're doing.
LILY Neither do you!
Hey, at least I skimmed the guide.
MARISOL Gimme that guide.
LILY Read it on the climb down. I got a spare flashlight.
MARISOL Okay.
Hold on, I gotta do something first.
MARISOL PRESSES A FEW BUTTONS ON
HER PHONE. PHONE RINGS ON
SPEAKERPHONE.
LILY Who're you calling?
SPIKES PICKS UP.
SPIKES (d) Hello?
MARISOL Hey. You're on speakerphone. I got Lily
here. SPIKES (d) Oh, nice!
MARISOL It's Spikes.
LILY Hey, Spikes.
SPIKES (d)Hey, Lily. Well, Aunt Mari?
MARISOL Lily, I'm sorry. You were right. Lies are not better than
the truth.
SPIKES (d) And....
MARISOL And there are no secrets among friends.
LILY Thanks.
Spikes, I'm sorry we didn't tell you about Wes. We
shoulda told you once we found out.
SPIKES (d) It's okay. (BIG SIGH) I guess maybe I kinda knew.
Or I thought something was odd. He knew a lot about
Howdy Doody. That kids TV show in the 50s? Like,
he'd make references to the minor characters.
LILY Huh. Okay, we gotta go do a thing.
MARISOL Explore the sewers.
SPIKES (d) WHAT.
MARISOL We'll talk to you later.
SPIKES That's not fair! Wait til I'm there!
MARISOL No sewers until you're eighteen.
SPIKES (d) Fineeeeee.
MARISOL Love you.
SPIKES Love you, too. Bye, Lily!
LILY Bye!
MARISOL HANGS UP.
MARISOL Let's go.
INT. STORM DRAIN, CERAMIC PIPES - DAY
MARISOL AND LILY MAKE THEIR WAY DOWN
THE MANHOLE SHAFT. THEY USE THE BUILT-
IN STEP IRONS AS A LADDER. LILY TESTS
EACH ONE WITH A KICK OF HER FOOT
BEFORE STEPPING ON IT.
LILY Let's see, you want to watch out for methane gas.
Which you can't smell, so look for a nice strong breeze
going. Stagnant air's not good.
MARISOL How do you know it's a storm drain and not a sewage
pipe?
LILY The manhole's one of the spiderweb-shaped ones
with tons of holes. It wants rainwater to come down.
And there's not, like, literal raw sewage. I mean, it's
still not SAFE. Tons of jagged, rusty metal just itching
to give you tetanus, walls literally dripping in
disease-causing bacteria, broken glass, and the whole
thing's slipperier than hell.
And don’t trust the stepirons—
LILY KICKS ONE WITH HER FOOT.
LILY These guys.
MARISOL The ones we’re currently going down.
LILY Yeah. Well. I’m giving each one a thunk before I step
on it.
MARISOL Cool.
LILY HOPS OFF THE STEP IRONS AND
ONTO THE FLOOR OF THE HUGE
DRAINAGE PIPE. IT’S NOT A PIPE, PER SE,
BUT A TUNNEL MADE OF BRICK. SOFT
DRIPPING OF WATER.
LILY And here we are.
MARISOL STEPS OFF BEHIND HER.
MARISOL Wow. How old is this brick?
FINGERS SQUEAK AGAINST THE SMOOTH
SUBWAY-TILE BRICK.
LILY Old.
MARISOL Look at this glaze. They’ve got ceramic tiles down
here? LILY I guess so.
MARISOL Beautiful. Did they put glitter in it? Why is it
sparkling? LILY That's just the sunlight
MARISOL Really? I don't think so.
LILY Okay, so further underground should be southeast.
Lemme get the compass.
SHUFFLE OF ITEMS IN LILY’S POCKET. SOFT
SPIN, THEN THE COMPASS NEEDLE
SETTLES.
MARISOL You have an actual compass?
LILY It's Abbie's. They said my phone would lose
service down here.
This way.
THEY WALK. WATER DRIPS A GENTLE SONG.
MARISOL Should we be worried about the water dripping?
LILY Just condensation. Abbie said it’s not supposed to do
anything til Wednesday, and I think it’s just gonna
snow. It’s just warmer down here.
THEIR FOOTSTEPS ECHO ON THE TILES.
MARISOL I’m surprised the pipe’s so big.
LILY Yeah, do you even have to duck?
MARISOL No.
LILY Well, Mount Abs never floods, right?
MARISOL And it's weird there’s no moss.
LILY Yah.
MARISOL And it smells so clean. You’d expect it to smell, like,
kinda, earthy or like rotting leaves.
LILY Yep.
MARISOL Hey, everything / okay?
LILY What.
MARISOL WAS ABOUT TO ASK HOW LILY
WAS DOING.
MARISOL Everything... okay with Dottie?
LILY I guess. Weird stuff keeps happening.
MARISOL I mean, we are in Mount Absalom.
LILY No, I mean, with her.
MARISOL Spikes told me what happened at
Christmas.
LILY Yeah.
She forgot what Mars was, the other night.
MARISOL Where is was?
LILY No, WHAT it was. We used to bust out the telescope
all the time when I was a kid. She knew everything
about the stars, the planets, all that.
So the second night Dad was there, the sky had cleared
up--it was just awful weather on New Years--
MARISOL I remember.
LILY Right. Yeah.
Anyway, so we get out the telescope--it was fun,
everyone all crowded around like we were kids, and
Mom was looking at the sky, and she said, "it's so weird
that you can see Mars so well 'cause it's so far away."
And I'm like, "It's not THAT far, comparatively," and
she's like, "It's the closest to the sun, it goes Mars,
Venus, Earth", and I'm like, "um, no."
And she's like,"It's hot. It's red", and I'm like "What the
hell, it's COLD, it's got the ice caps, you taught me
about the ice caps. Remember?"
It all just feels like a long time ago.
I mean, yesterday feels like a long time ago.
MARISOL I'm sorry for asking you to stay.
LILY I'm sorry for not wanting to.
But you get why. It's nuts watching Mom lose it. It's
nuts. The whole thing's nuts.
MARISOL AHHH
SCRAPE OF SHOES AS MARISOL SLIPS.
RUSTLE OF FABRIC AS LILY GRABS HER.
LILY Got you.
RUSTLE OF CLOTHES AS MARISOL FINDS
HER FOOTING.
MARISOL Sorry. Tiles are slippery. Or whatever they
are. LILY You okay?
MARISOL Yeah.
LILY (briskly) Great.
LILY TURNS AND CONTINUES TO WALK
DOWN THE DRAIN.
LILY Let’s keep going.
MARISOL Hey.
LILY What?
MARISOL I'm sad that we don't get to fuck anymore.
LILY Well.
MARISOL Well?
LILY Well, me too.
I don't want to promise you something I can't give.
MARISOL But if it's something you want, too--
LILY Look, right now, things are good. I'm here, you're
here, we can just work with that. Don't think about the
future.
MARISOL I can't--
LILY Can't we just be good with "things are good," and
not look too far ahead.
MARISOL I can't love you with an axe over my head.
LILY I love you, and that's the problem.
MARISOL You do?
LILY I missed you over Christmas. I kept feeling like I forgot
something--this really intense feeling. And then it's
like, oh, no, it's that Mari isn't there.
And I missed this town. I spent so much of my time
hating this place. And then, suddenly, it's a place that's
not so bad.
MARISOL You love me?
LILY And you're making me love Mount Absalom, which
is difficult.
MARISOL You love me.
LILY I love you. Don't leave me cause I'm messed up.
SMOOTCHES!
RUSTLE OF
CLOTHES AS LILY LEANS INTO THE KISS.
SLIP OF SHOES.
LILY Wooo!
LILY SLIPS AND FALLS BACKWARDS. HER
BACK HITS THE SIDE OF THE PIPE, AND SHE
SLIDES DOWN THE SIDE OF THE PIPE IN A
WAY THAT MAKES THE FABRIC OF HER
COAT SQUEAK LOUDLY AGAINST THE TILES.
THERE IS A SONG IN THE SQUEAK.
LILY You hear that?
MARISOL Why's it happy?
LILY See, this is what I'm talking about. The house
never talks to me, it just sings.
MARISOL The house?
LILY Yeah. It sings songs to me.
MARISOL We're not in the house.
LILY We gotta record this.
MARISOL I got my phone--hold on.
RUSTLE AS MARISOL GETS OUT HER
PHONE.
LILY Abbie's gonna be so pissed I didn't bring their
field recorder. They offered it, and I was like,
"why?"
THEY LISTEN TO THE WATER
MARISOL I think I've heard this before.
LILY Where?
MARISOL I don't remember.
THE SONG CHANGES.
LILY Now there's a little sad part. What's that mean?
MARISOL I don't know.
LILY It's going this way.
MARISOL It's flowing.
TRANSITION: RUNNING WATER, DRIPPING
SONG.
INT. STORM DRAIN, CLAY PIPES - LATER
LILY Careful. There's a step.
MARISOL Oh, oh, weird.
THE PIPE SURROUNDING THEM IS NOW
CLAY. THE SOUND IS NOW DIFFERENT.
MARISOL Echo!
Weird. What kinda pipes are these, clay?
LILY I guess.
MARISOL Why'd they change the pipes.
LILY I think they're just older pipes.
MARISOL Huh.
FOOTSTEPS STOP.
MARISOL What's this?
LILY What?
MARISOL There's something in the clay.
LILY Words?
MARISOL I don't know, it's got that deposit--that
shimmer-glitter stuff all over it. Lemme see.
MARISOL RUBS THE WALL. IT SQUEAKS.
MARISOL (reading) Si ad salvaret, nos linio.
LILY What does that mean?
MARISOL No idea. I'll take a picture--look it up later.
THE DRIPPING WATER SOUNDS OUT IT'S INTERSPERSED WITH
MOURNFUL TONES
MARISOL Who's making that song.
LILY I think it's the person I'm looking for. The One
who Blooms.
MARISOL A ghost?
LILY I don't know. Let's keep going.
FOOTSTEPS CONTINUE DOWN THE CLAY
PIPE.
LILY Silas said he lived down here.
MARISOL We're down here cause of SILAS?
LILY Yeah.
MARISOL You can't trust that creep.
LILY I know I can't trust him. He's killed people.
MARISOL Oh. Lily, no.
LILY I can handle this.
MARISOL Why are you hanging out with him.
LILY Cause I gotta keep an eye on him.
MARISOL Or stay super-away from him.
LILY Silas said that if Mom has another memory hiccup,
he's going to take Fenwood House by force.
MARISOL Are you counting the Mars thing?
LILY He's not gonna find out about the Mars thing.
MARISOL How.
LILY Because I'm meeting with him and telling
him everything's fine.
MARISOL What's your plan?
LILY Keep moving. Figure it out. Muddle through. You know.
Can I hold your hand?
MARISOL Sure.
TRANSITION. WATER DRIPPING. FOOTSTEPS.
INT. STORM DRAIN, WOODEN PIPES - LATER
LILY Ooop, another step.
THE SOUND QUALITY CHANGES AGAIN.
LILY Yeah, we got a new kind of pipe.
MARISOL What is it, dried tar?
LILY Wood.
MARISOL Oh. Yeah. It's got the glaze on it.
LILY Something in the water.
What's that? A chair?
MARISOL Yeah, like a little seat. In case you want to hang out
here.
Weird. Weird-weird-weird.
LILY I see some light up ahead.
MARISOL Should we turn around?
LILY No, this is good. I guess we're gonna meet him. Can't
reason with Silas. Maybe we can reason with
Blooms.
MARISOL You want to keep going.
LILY Yeah! Might as well. Bet you're missing that crowbar.
MARISOL At least he knows we come in peace.
Should we--[talk louder so he knows we're coming?]
LILY Shh. Maybe let's not talk.
THEY CREEP DOWN THE PIPE.
MARI'S SHOES SQUEAK.
LILY Shh.
MARISOL I wanted to change shoes.
LILY Shhh.
LILY STEPS OUT OF THE PIPE AND INTO A
VAST CAVE. HER VOICE ECHOES.
LILY Hello? Hello?
MARISOL What is it?
LILY A cave.
Conveniently featuring working lightbulbs.
MARISOL Where do those stairs go. Don't say / up.
LILY Up. Ah. That was my favorite movie as a kid.
MARISOL Ghostbusters?
LILY Yeah.
MARISOL Well, that's funny.
LILY (calling) Hello?
MARISOL (low) Maybe don't shout.
LILY Seriously, what's with the lights? I mean, handy for us.
But what's to light up? It's empty.
MARISOL When it rains, there's probably a stream running
through it. See the little pipe at the other end, to drain
it?
LILY Okay, so someone installed electricity to, what, at
BEST light up some dirty water?
MARISOL I mean, the cave itself is pretty. It's got the same
sparkle as the walls of the pipes.
LILY Might as well go up. Might as well, we're here to
figure stuff out. What, are we just going to go back the
way we came?
MARISOL I guess not. Are those stairs safe?
LILY Looks safe.
LILY JUMPS ON THE BOTTOM MOST STEP A
FEW TIMES. THE WROUGHT-IRON
CLANGS, BUT HOLDS.
MARISOL (sarcastic) Yes, jump on them.
LILY Close to the ground is a darn good place to jump on the
delicate-looking spiral staircase that I'm going to ask
my girlfriend to go up. Seems safe.
MARISOL Okay.
Are we still holding hands, or will that just mean I'll take
you down with me if I fall.
LILY Yeah, fuck it, let's hold hands. I love this. I love
feeling scared with you.
It's mostly excitement. Let's go.
FOOTSTEPS UP THE METAL SPIRAL STAIRS.
TRANSITION, THE HUM GETS LOUDER.
FOOTSTEPS ON STAIRS. DOORS CREAK
OPEN, FOOTSTEPS ON CONCRETE, THEN
TILE.
MARISOL AND LILY WALK DOWN A HALLWAY.
DISTANT RUMBLE IS HEARD.
MARISOL Lily.
LILY What.
MARISOL Bottling works.
LILY Oh, shit! The Bottling Works.
LILY PUSHES THE DOOR OPEN. THE SOUND
OF THE BOTTLING WORKS OVERWHELMS
THEM.
INT. THE CELERIC BOTTLING WORKS - DAY.
THE SPACE IS IMPOSSIBLY BIG, IMPOSSIBLY
LIGHTFILLED. BOTTLES CLATTER DOWN THE
LINE. GLUG AS EACH IS FILLED WITH SODA.
THUNK AS BOTTLECAPS ARE CLAMPED ON.
SWISH AS LABELS ARE SLICKED ON.
THE SONG HEARD IN THE STORM
DRAIN SOMEHOW MELDS INTO THE
CLICK AND HUM OF THE BOTTLING
WORKS.
SOPHIA IS SPEAKING OVER A LOUDSPEAKER
SOPHIA Oh, some urban spelunkers! We haven't had those in
years.
Is that Miss Cabrera?
MARISOL Yes! I’m sorry, I don’t—wait, no, you keep coming into
the store asking about a bluegrass and jazz crossover
act. And I keep saying, “I don’t think that exists.”
SOPHIA A gal can hope. I’m Sophia. Welcome to the
Celeric Bottling works, the eighth wonder of the
world!
LILY It reminds me of a church.
SOPHIA Oh, sure,. When that afternoon light hits that batch
of Rhubarb Cherry coming down the line. Lovely
sight.
MARISOL Is the air sparkling?
SOPHIA Sure is. Let's get away from the capping machine--she's a
noisy one!
THEY WALK A FEW STEPS TO A QUIETER
PART OF THE FACTORY.
SOPHIA And--I'm so sorry--you are...?
LILY Lily Harper. Dot Harper's kid.
SOPHIA Oh Dottie. Haven’t seen her since the Celery Fest.
LILY Yeah, she’s been laying low a little. Hasn’t been
feeling great.
SOPHIA The Alzheimer’s.
LILY Yes. Right, that’s— Everybody knows.
SOPHIA I’m bringing her a pie tomorrow. She always liked
my apple crumble. We’re not going through this
alone, Miss Harper.
We can do this together.
LILY Thanks. So what's with the cave?
SOPHIA Oh, nowadays we just use it for the annual company
picnic, gatherings, that sort of thing. Used to use it as
cold storage.
LILY Cool. Wow. So, here we are: the famous
Celeriac Bottling Works—
SOPHIA Op, nope, Celeriac Bottling works.
LILY Celeric means celery?
SOPHIA No, ma'am. Celeric means swiftly. "With celerity,
we serve thee."
Old tag line. We retired it in the seventies.
LILY It’s really not Celeriac?
SOPHIA Oh, no. We’ve never limited ourselves to just celery.
Mount Absalom has a bounty of vegetation to bring
hope, wonder, and that feel-good-feeling to the world.
MARISOL That should be your new tagline.
SOPHIA That feel-good feeling. Sure is true—well, you
know what we every time you take a sip of our
signature Celery Soda, you feel as though the
world is a little easier.
LILY I’ve actually never had it.
MARISOL I think I tried it when I first got here. I think I remember
it being good.
SOPHIA Oh, nononoo, that won't do. What's rumblin' off the line
at the mo. Let's see--oh! Celery pear.
LILY (disgusted while trying to be polite.) Mmmm. Hmm.
SOPHIA Oh, this is a good one. Can I tempt you, Ms. Cabrera?
MARISOL Sure!
SOPHIA Lily?
LILY Why not? Twist off?
SOPHIA Heavens no. Where's the fun? Bottle opener's on the
wall.
MARISOL I got one on my keys.
RUSTLE OF KEYS.
LILY So, Sophia, you've been down to the cave.
SOPHIA Oh, dozens of times.
A PSSSH AS MARISOL OPENS A BOTTLE.
MARISOL Here you go.
LILY Thanks. (to Sophia) You wouldn’t happen to know
what that deposit is on the cave walls? We noticed it
on the walls of the storm drain pipes, too.
SOPHIA Oh, yes, that’s a naturally-occurring mineral. Pretty,
isn’t it?
A PSSSH AS MARI OPENS THE SECOND
BOTTLE.
LILY Do you know what it’s called?
MARISOL DRINKS THE SODA
MARISOL Wow. This is incredible.
LILY Lemme see.
LILY DRINKS.
LILY Ooo, this is good.
SOPHIA Makes you feel good in here.
SOPHIA TAPS LILY’S STOMACH. BIT
INTIMATE.
LILY Yep, my stomach,
okay. SOPHIA But also here.
MARTHA TAPS LILY’S COLLARBONE.
SOPHIA In your heart. And—
LILY Yep, in my head, got it.
SOPHIA Makes you feel like there’s a way forward. That’s the
Celeric Soda way. Little pinch of the secret sauce--that
glorious gift from the ground--little fresh fruit or veg, and
you’d have a fine summer sipper indeed. Something
worthy of being called the Pride of Mt. Absalom.
LILY Pinch of the what?
SOPHIA Of the secret sauce. The mineral deposit that you saw
on the cave walls and that gives the air in the Works a
nice little sparkle. Nothing the FDA could pick up.
MARISOL You put that in the soda?
SOPHIA Well, it's already in the water in a trace amount. We
just add a little extra.
LILY WHY?
SOPHIA To help.
We have what's called a depositing water here in Lodge
County. And that friendly sparkle helps form a slick-
smooth barrier between the pipes and the soda, to help
it run as quick as can be.
In swiftness is power. In swiftness is clarity, cleanliness,
and a way forward. Always forward.
LILY Is it safe?
SOPHIA Not only is it safe, but, as I said, it helps.
MARISOL What do you mean, it helps.
SOPHIA I even like to sprinkle some on my makeup brush and
just kinda swoosh it over the eyelid. Makes it really pop.
LILY What's it doing in the air?
SOPHIA Gets a little messy when you transfer it from the
holding bins to the tanks. We have to grind it fine, and
it kinda goes "poof." But no one minds it. Think it's
pretty myself.
LILY Yeah...?
THE LABELING MACHINE GIVES A HORRIBLE
CRUNCH. THE BOTTLING WORKS GRIND TO
A SLOW HALT.
SOPHIA Oh no! No no no no NO NO NO. Oh the gear’s gone
wonky again.
EMPLOYEE Sophia! Is it the wheel?
SOPHIA No, it's the pixie axle.
EMPLOYEE Dang it. Third stop this week.
SOPHIA Keep the line going--it's just the labeler. Crate em up
and set up aside--just don't forget we're running Celery
Pear.
MUTTER AS THE WORKERS MOVE AWAY.
PART OF THE MACHINERY RUMBLES TO
LIFE.
SOPHIA I have to call the mechanic. That pixie axle been's
giving us trouble all month.
MARISOL Oh, well, you just have to--
CLINKS AS MARISOL EXAMINES THE
MACHINE.
LILY Mari, don't.
MARISOL It's okay.
MORE CLINKS AS MARISOL EXAMINES IT
FURTHER.
MARISOL Oh, I see. Okay. Yeah, this is just like a Victrola.
I bet I can fix this.
SOPHIA Oh, wonderful!
MARISOL Do you have any, like, really strong wire?
SOPHIA Got a spool on the back wall--I'd say it's pretty
thick wire.
MARISOL Lily, can you grab some? Two feet would be
great. LILY Okay. Don't break it.
MARISOL I'm FIXING it!
LILY Okay.
LILY MOVES THROUGH THE CREAKING,
BOTTLING WORKS.
LILY Back wall, wire, wire, wire... where...? Here we go.
LILY'S REACHED THE BACK OF THE
FACTORY. A PORTABLE RADIO PLAYS. IT'S A
REPEAT OF AN INTERVIEW FROM THE 80S.
INTERVIEWER You've done gorgeous work to the
house. LADY ON RADIO Thank you.
LILY UNSPOOLS SOME WIRE.
LILY (to herself) What'd she say? Two feet?
INTERVIEWER I was passing by it the other day--such beautiful
lilies, LILY Yeah? Oh. Radio.
LADY ON RADIO You know, I need help with
them. LILY How's this thing work.
SOUND OF WIRECUTTER CUTTING WIRE.
LILY Okay! Two feet.
INTERVIEWER Your lilies need
help? LADY ON RADIO Yes.
THE RADIO COLLAPSES INTO STATIC.
INTERVIEWER (d) Lily. (STATIC) Help.
THE RADIO COLLAPSES INTO STATIC AGAIN.
LILY Oh no.
THE CLANKING OF THE MACHINES START
TO MELLOW OUT
LILY Mari? Marisol!
INTERVIEWER (d) Lily. (STATIC) Help.
THE RADIO COLLAPSES INTO STATIC AGAIN.
FOOTSTEPS AS MARISOL APPROACHES.
MARISOL Hey, you got any crescent wrenches back
here? LILY Listen.
RADIO Help. (STATIC) Lily.
MARISOL Whoa.
LILY (talking to the radio) Help with what? What do
you need.
RADIO HOST [That]--polka DOT dress looks--[good on you.]
LILY Did something happen to her? Is she hurt?
WOMEN ON RADIO (laughing) NO, NO, NO, that's--[ridiculous.]
LILY Then what?
RADIO PROFESSOR (d) [I]--think THE ONE thing that--[comes to mind is
Prussian hegemony.]
RADIO WILDLIFE EXPERT
[The]--bats IN THE NIGHT sky
are--[a spectacular show.]
LILY It's okay. Blooms, it's okay. I'm handing him.
Why does no one believe that I got this.
RADIO ACTIVIST [Someone]--has to SAVE the--[whales.]
RADIO HOST [That]--polka DOT dress looks--[good on you.]
RADIO AD [If you only]--go FROM school to--[your home, it's just
one dollar a month!]
RADIO PROFESSOR (d) [I]--think THE ONE thing that--[comes to mind is
Prussian hegemony.]
RADIO WILDLIFE EXPERT
[The]--bats IN THE NIGHT sky
are--[a spectacular show.]
LILY Okay, calm down.
RADIO ACTIVIST [Someone]--has to SAVE the--[whales.]
RADIO HOST [That]--polka DOT dress looks--[good on you.]
RADIO AD [If you only]--go FROM school to--[your home, it's just
one dollar a month!]
RADIO PROFESSOR (d) [I]--think THE ONE thing that--[comes to mind is
Prussian hegemony.]
RADIO WILDLIFE EXPERT
[The]--bats IN THE NIGHT sky
are--[a spectacular show.]
THE MACHINES CLANK LOUDER,
BOTTLES FALL OFF THE LINE AND
SHATTER AS THE MACHINES SHAKE
WITH THE STRENGTH OF THE SONG.
WORKER #1 What's going on!
WORKER #2 Help!
WORKER #1 Sophia, shut it down!
SOPHIA It's stuck!
THE CRASHING, WHIRRING,
SHATTERING SONG GROWS LOUDER. A
LARGE METAL ARM CREAKS WITH THE
STRAIN.
SOPHIA Get back!
THE METAL ARM BREAKS OFF WITH A
CRASH AND HITS THE GROUND. THE
WORKERS SCREAM.
MARISOL SHIT.
LILY Hey! Everybody calm down! Okay? COOL IT!
THE MACHINES ARE STARTLED, LIKE A
HYSTERICAL PERSON THAT'S BEEN
SLAPPED IN THE FACE. THE RADIO VOICES
DISSOLVES INTO STATIC.
LILY Cool your jets, cool your motors, cool your dials,
cool whatever.
THE MACHINES WHIRR WITH UNEASY
ENERGY. SOME OF THE MACHINES ARE
CREEPING BACK TOWARDS HYSTERIA.
LILY Let's mellow out, okay? Let's all just mellow out, I'm
looking at you, little circle-spinny thingamajig. You’re
not looking too mellow, you’re looking awfully stressed.
And there's no need to stress, because everything's
under control. It's being handled, okay, everything
everywhere is all good, so you all just worry about
filling those bottles and spreading that celery love.
THE MACHINES GROAN. THERE ARE SO
MANY THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT.
LILY I get it! It’s winter! We’re all cold and stressed. I’ve
been in the sewers all day. Okay? And right now things
don’t feel okay, but they are okay. 'Kay? Things feel
like they’re going to fall apart, but they’re not apart.
Everything is stable for now, which is all that matters,
and let’s not just smash it all up cause we're stressed,
GOT IT? So breathe. Be cool.
RADIO MAN (static) [The benefits]--of CELERY are--[innumerable.]
RADIO WOMAN (static) [Relax with]--a COOL beverage--[by the pool.]
LILY Yes. Celery cool. Celery spicy, celery cool. Celery
spicy,
celery cool.
SLOWLY, THE
BOTTLING WORKS CHURNS BACK TO LIFE.
LILY Let's get out of here.
LILY AND MARISOL WEAVE THEIR WAY BACK
THROUGH THE FACTORY.
LILY Hey, Sophia--[I think we're gonna go.]
SOPHIA I'm so sorry about all this -- the machines are never this
cranky. DId any of the glass get you?
LILY Don't think so.
SOPHIA Thank you for calming them down, Ms. Harper. Can't
think what the source of their agitation could be...
Maybe they need some oil.
LILY Maybe.
MARISOL Looks like the pixie wheel snapped back into
place. SOPHIA Look at that! Sure did!
MARISOL Better get your usual mechanic to give it a once-over.
Maybe give everything a once-over, while they're at it.
SOPHIA That's a good idea.
LILY We gotta run. Nice to meet you!
SOPHIA Good bye! Stop by anytime. (to a distant WORKER)
Zinkski, come help me sweep up this glass! Bring a mop!
TRANSITION.
SCENE 3
EXT. BOTTLING WORKS - DAY
DISTANT TRAFFIC. WIND THROUGH WINTER
BRANCHES.
LILY Which way’s home?
MARISOL Golden’s Groove’s this way.
LILY Great.
That was so weird.
MARISOL Yeah.
LILY Oooo. Freezing. Damn this wind.
MARISOL Just a few more blocks.
LILY How far?
MARISOL Six.
I’ll hug you.
LILY Thanks.
MARI AND LILY WALK.
LILY Ooooof.
MARISOL Wanna take a shower?
LILY You talking about that
scrubbing-raw-sewage-off-each- other kind of
sexytime?
MARISOL You said there’s no raw sewage in the storm runoff
pipes.
LILY Oooo, so you mean that wash that rusty water out of
my hair. (in the sexiest voice) Mmmm, get that last little
bit of mold off my shoulder, damn.
MARISOL (in the sexiest voice) Oooo, don't forget about all the
broken glass from the bottling words, mmm, you got a
little piece on your collarbone, lemme just... get that off.
THEY COLLAPSE INTO GIGGLES.
LILY Love you.
MARISOL Love you, too.
THEY WALK. THEY ARE IN LOVE. WIND
BLOWS.
THEME SONG AND THE CREDITS ROLL IN
AFTER THE CREDITS:
PLAYGROUND SWINGS RATTLING IN THE
WIND. ONE OF THESE CREAKS MORE
HEAVILY. FOOTSTEPS CRUNCHING
CLOSER IN A FEW INCHES OF SNOW.
MAUREEN: Here. Brought you a hot cocoa.
WES: Oh. Hi there, Mrs. De Souza.
MAUREEN: It’s Maureen, Wes. When I’m on dessert duty
it’s only Maureen. Have a cocoa. You look
cold.
WES: I’m fine.
MAUREEN: Have one sip. If it’s not for you, dump it
out. I won’t be upset.
WES: ...thanks.
MAUREEN: Can I sit on this swing next to you?
WES: Okay.
PAUSE. MAUREEN SITS ON A SWING.
WES SIPS HIS COCOA. HE DOES NOT
DUMP THE REST OUT.
MAUREEN: It surprised me, looking out the window of
the shop, seeing anybody on this playground
middle of winter. And surprise number two,
that looks like Wes. Haven’t seen you around
in awhile, kiddo.
WES: I haven’t really been seeing many people. I
needed to take some time alone.
MAUREEN: I understand. Are you still looking after
Dot at Fenwood?
WES: I’m...trying to. It’s complicated.
MAUREEN: Can’t imagine it’s easy, even with Lily back
home. You’re a good soul for doing it.
WES: I’m not sure how much longer I can. I feel
like...I have a responsibility to her, but I
also...I might need to leave Mt. Absalom.
MAUREEN: Of course. The classic choice. I remember
feeling similar when my dad told me he
wanted me to take over the shop one day.
Didn’t know if I wanted the responsibility.
Didn’t know if there was something outside
of the town I wanted more. The funny thing
was, after awhile? It stopped feeling like a
responsibility. Being able to listen to my
neighbors talk about their days, making them
feel better with a dish of ice cream or a
cup of cocoa...it wasn’t a responsibility,
it was a calling.
WES: A calling .
MAUREEN: Sort of a voice from off in the distance. Or
might be somewhere inside you. Listen to me,
getting all poetic.
WES: Like an echo?
MAUREEN: Sure. That’s one way to think of it.
WES: Although...an echo is a sound that comes
back to you.
MAUREEN: True.
WES: Which means I’m only going to hear my
calling...if I call out to it first.
MAUREEN: Wes, that’s very insightful. You are wise
beyond your years, you know that?
WES: I wouldn’t say that.
MAUREEN: Wherever it ends up coming from, I hope you
find it. That’s the tough part about a
calling. There’s no map that takes you
there, it’s something you draw up while
you’re on the journey. Just make sure you
stop once in awhile for refreshments, right?
WES: That’s helpful. Truly, Maureen.
MAUREEN: I try to be.
WES: So do I.
MAUREEN: I know you do.
WES: Thank you. (BEAT) For the words, and the
cocoa. (HE STANDS FROM THE SWING) There’s
someplace I need to go.
MAUREEN: Figured there might be. Take care, Wes. Stay
warm. I should do the same.
MAUREEN STANDS FROM THE SWING AND WALKS
AWAY IN THE SNOW. WES VANISHES.