Part 1, Part 2, part 3, Part 4
A few days ago a delivery driver left an old CB radio on my front doorstep. Thanks to the doorbell cam, I was able to get the truck’s plate number as it was driving away. I’ll see what I can find out tomorrow, However tonight the radio went off again. This time not the normal broadcast but a recording. Are all of these broadcasts actually just a recording? If so, when did these recordings happen? Hopefully, I’m able to find something on this end. Finally, for once I feel like I have an actual plan.
Below is the recording transcribed to the best of my abilities.
Automated voice: Aired Approx. 1 year, 5 months, and 12 days since the town’s disappearance.
(A click of a recorder starts. You can hear Allison yelling in the background. Faintly, you can listen to slow, heavy wheezing.)
Allison: God there’s so much blood, Coco? Coco! what the hell are you doing?
Coco: I think It’s on.
Allison: What? His recorder? C’mon man, that isn’t nearly as important as this!
Coco: Yeah it’s picking up audio, we’re coming through clear.
Allison: Oh my god we don’t have time for that! Give me something to close his wounds with right now!
Coco: Yeah give me a sec. It’s just I think this is what he would want.
Allison: I don’t care what Julian would have wanted, I’m trying to keep him alive now! Find me, I don’t know anything to help!
Coco: Yeah I’m on it.
(Coco’s footsteps trail off, muffled by the carpeted interior.)
Allison: Julian I’m gonna be real, man. Your chest looks like bloody pulled pork. Are you gonna be okay?
(You can hear the sound of a recorder track spinning, accompanied by long heavy wheezing.)
Cynthia: (slowly) Scars… run… deep.
Allison: No shit sherlock! I can see that he’s covered in injuries. If you’re going to live here you might as well make yourself useful and find me some supplies.
Cynthia: Supplies?
(The sound of footsteps growing louder, Coco’s, echoing down the hallway.)
Coco: (panting) O-okay I found all of this. (Items spilling onto a wooden top) There are some band-aids, some Neosporin, and- and some pain killers.
Cynthia: (slowly) Neosporin.
Allison: You can’t be serious. Coco look, the man has a rib-sticking out of his side, and right there, yeah you see that? it’s also broken off from the rest of his ribs, which means that it probably fucking hurt. Let’s not even get into the number of cuts covering his entire body. So I’m glad you brought the painkillers but how in this god-forsaken radio station, am I supposed to fix him, with band-aids and NEOSPORIN!
Coco: Please, there has to be something you can do, maybe combine the Neosporin with the band-aids?
Allison: Do you see this man? He turned himself into a charcuterie board. He needs professional help!
Coco: Well you remember what that mist demon said out there, the hospital’s completely empty.
Allison: Oh we’re trusting the gas monsters now?
Coco: I don’t know, why did he even go out there? When did he go out there?
Allison: Must have been after you shot at him.
Coco: That was a bit overkill huh.
Allison: Or maybe if you didn’t miss, we wouldn’t be in this mess.
Coco: I wasn’t aiming for him. I just wasn’t in the right state of mind.
Allison: Yeah I think most people who aim guns at people aren’t.
Coco: No, there was just so much going on. He never gives a straight answer to anything! It feels as if I’m going crazy at times.
Allison: Trust me I get it, but right now I have to focus on sewing this human brisket back up.
Coco: Yeah, yeah you’re completely right. What do you need me to do?
Allison: Well for starters, Cynthia, go check out that backpack Julian brought back. He was clutching that thing when I dragged him back in. Maybe there’s something in there that can tell us why he made such a hair-brain decision.
Cynthia: no… thumbs.
Allison: What? Yes you do. There are so many arms sticking out of your back like mushrooms.
Cynthia: Not… Mine.
Allison: What does that even mean? Whatever. Coco, you go check it out.
Coco: I’m already on it.
(You can hear a backpack unzipping)
Coco: Oh.
Allison: Look I’m using both hands here, so you’re gonna have to tell me what you see.
Cynthia: lap… top.
Coco: The stupid idiot saved me.
Allison: Wait, the laptop that everyone wants their hands on? The one that was in your house? Isn’t your house a few blocks from here? How did he survive that long in the fog? And he still did all that after you shot at him? I bet you feel like an asshole.
Coco: Do you ever have anything nice to say?
Allison: I call it as I see it, and right now all I see is his blood up to my elbows, so I’m feeling pretty upset today.
Coco: There’s a note and a tape in here too.
Allison: Talk to me about the tape first. Does it have any markings on it?
Coco: Yeah it says “for Julian”.
Allison: Wait it’s for Julian? I had bets on it being Julian’s recording of what happened out there. Who’s it from?
Coco: Doesn’t say. Should I play it over the loudspeakers?
Allison: Let’s focus on one thing at a time, I finally turned his blood from a river to a trickle.
Coco: Is that good?
Allison: Right now I’m pretending I’m a plumber trying to stop a leak.
Coco: I’m gonna read the note out loud now.
Allison: Yeah share it with the class.
Cynthia: Peruvi-
Allison: Not you Cynthia, you talk too slow. Coco, does it say anything useful?
Coco: All it says is Peruvian Coffee.
Allison: His final note was just a declaration of his favorite coffee?
Coco: That can’t be it.
Cynthia: In… the…
Coco: Maybe it’s a code? Like a cipher or something.
Allison: Bold move of him to assume we could solve it.
Cynthia: The… box.
Allison: Cynthia, if you want to be useful, find me any string I can use to sew him up more, I’m running out, and he’s still losing blood, somewhere.
Coco: Wait, Cynthia, what about the boxes?
Cynthia: Down… stairs.
Coco: The coffee boxes in the basement, that could be it! Cynthia, you’re a genius!
Cynthia: Thank…yo-
Coco: Allison, I’m going to go check out the basement!
Allison: Yeah and leave me alone with Toblerone arms over here on the table? Fine, whatever.
Cynthia: Wait… up.
Allison: Cynthia you get back here, you’re staying with me, I need you searching for more supplies. Find me any string, I don’t care if you have to rip his suits to shreds, just find me something! If he lives through this he better pay for my therapy.
Cynthia: Supplies?
Allison: Yes, supplies.
(You can hear Cynthia and Coco split, four legs trotting off to the left and two light footsteps trailing off to the right. Soon all that remained was the sound of bloody flesh being sewn shut.)
Allison: So It’s just you and me now huh, alone again. How many times has it been Julian? Two? Three times? It always seems to be us in the end. Every one of your little pets dying because of your recklessness. I don’t even remember the third co-host if I’m being honest, what was his name again? Alan? Alon? I don’t know, pretty sure it started with an A. I liked the second one though, he survived the longest. If only he didn’t underestimate how quickly boneless beef cattle strike he’d probably still be here. I can’t blame him though, they’re so sly, especially for a gelatinous blob of cattle. Do you remember how you reacted when you watched him get devoured? Probably not, you probably forgot already. You seem to always do. But I didn’t. Hell, I think that’s when I started drinking for the first time. The moment he screamed out for you to help him, I watched you stand there and just smile. All you did was smile. He begged for you to save him, you know? He cried and cried your name, and all you could do was smile, like a kid watching fireworks, that sick childlike twinkle in your eyes. During his last moments, I wonder if he ever realized you weren’t going to move. I hope he found some kind of solace in his last moments, but I remember those eyes and I don’t think he did. I think he got his head crushed in still thinking that you would come and save him. So now I have to ask, what in god’s name compelled you to risk your life for this one?
It’s not just that, you act differently around him. How you laugh, how you talk, how you show emotion, It almost feels like you’re almost human at times. Not just that, but since he’s joined, this place has grown so much. You’re actually hiring more people than just a co-host and me. Sometimes it actually feels kinda like a family at times, as much as a family with a reverse empath ghost and a child stuck in a monster deer’s body can get. I don’t know how much Coco means to you, but this one is different. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. Though no matter how hard I try to forget, when I see you smile, it brings me back to that day, when I couldn’t move, not because I was scared of the sludge of cattle, but because I was terrified of your smile. That same smile you show to Coco, that sick, genuine smile. I think that’s why I started drinking again, Julian. Not because of Billy, but because of you. I’m scared, Julian. I’m scared to trust you because no matter how hard I try to trick myself, I don’t believe you actually care about a single one of us. I think it’s just some sick con. Some game you’re playing, and maybe just maybe, you pulled the greatest con of all, somehow tricking yourself into caring for some idiot. But I can never tell you that can I? That would ruin you and your little pet’s relationship wouldn’t it? I wonder how long this will all last before it crumbles around you like it always does. Until it’s just you and me again. You’re going to live through this Julian, we always do.
(you can hear a needle repeatedly puncturing skin as the wet sound of bloody skin being sewn back together echoes through the fuzzy recorder. About five minutes of this goes on until the hoofbeats of Cynthia can be heard galloping closer.)
Cynthia: First…
Allison: Is that a whole ass First aid kit?
Cynthia …Aid.
Allison: Give me that! (Rustling of items) Oh, baby an actual sterile suture kit! Maybe not all of his wounds will get infected!
(Cynthia’s hooves circling around to lay down was the only new sound. Another minute passed of skin being sewn shut before footsteps echoed down a hallway.)
Coco: Guys you won’t believe this!
Allison: You found a whole EKG machine?
Coco: No I found- wait, yeah that’s exactly what I found.
Allison: No way.
Coco: Yeah there was a trapdoor under the Crate of Peruvian beans.
Allison: In the basement?
Coco: Yeah! It was a ladder that went really far down, I think it’s a fallout bunker.
Allison: Why would a radio station have that?
Coco: I mean before that it was a coffee shop.
Allison: My question still stands.
Coco: Well there’s like a whole medical room down there, it’s crazy!
Allison: Okay, cool, but how are we going to get him there?
Coco: What do you mean?
Allison: It’s down a ladder correct?
Coco: Yes.
Allison: And it’s quite a long ladder, correct?
Coco: Yes.
Allison: And we need to either A. gather all of the medical equipment down there and somehow bring it up here. Or B. get Frankenstein’s monster down there, still intact.
Coco: Okay I see the problem.
Allison: I mean we could just kick him down there.
Coco: No, we’re not doing that.
Allison: I mean look at him, he survived all of this, he could probably survive a little fall damage.
Coco: It’s concrete down there, I don’t think he’ll look good after that kind of fall.
Allison: What if we put a helmet on him?
Coco: No! We’re not throwing him down a hole!
Allison: Then your miracle find means nothing!
Coco: Well what if I grab everything I can and bring it up here?
Allison: Yeah you should have probably done that in the first place.
Coco: This is my first time doing anything like this!
Allison: Well you suck at whatever this is.
Coco: Well you’re… actually quite skilled at this, how is that?
Allison: It happens a lot more than you think, now go.
Coco: Julian gets hurt often?
Allison: No, this is the first time it’s been, Julian.
Coco: Oh, I’m gonna go get that stuff now.
Allison: Yeah he’s nearly sewn up now. He kind of looks like my grandma’s quilted blanket.
Coco: Cynthia follow me, you can help haul back the supplies.
(The two leave again, leaving Allison alone again. You can hear rubber gloves being pulled off)
Allison: Hey Julian I’m gonna listen to that tape while they’re in the basement. Is that cool with you?
(the same heavy breathing continues.)
Allison: Yeah you’re cool with that.
(you can hear a tape being placed in a tape recorder.)
Allison: The tape’s in your walkman, Julian. I know you don’t like anyone touching your vintage toys but I don’t see you complaining right now. For once, I’ll be able to hear something for Julian’s ears only, maybe I’ll finally get to know the real you.
(a storm of sound hits the recording, items falling to the ground, a thin metal table being struck away, and the sudden sharp yelp of Allison.)
Allison: Julian, your hand. How are you holding on to me?
Julian: (almost inaudibly) don’t…
Allison: Sorry Jules, I saved your life, you owe me one.
(With the click of a recorder, you can hear two voices from a grainy mic.)
Male Voice: Mayor Danica Carter, how long has it been! You are just looking so much… more muscley, you must be really hitting the gym! Honestly, Goals.
Mayor Danica Carter: I wish it had been longer. Here, sit. Let me get you something, what would you like to drink?
Male Voice: You know I don’t drink, Danny.
Mayor: I’ll just pour two for me then.
Eli: Oh, let me guess, Tennison Oaks?
Mayor: It’s what my dad always drank. I sort of guess it’s a family tradition.
Eli: Shame you never had kids.
Mayor: Real shame, I mean watcha gonna do? Can’t have kids when you spend all your time trying to stop the ones claiming to protect you.
Eli: Oh we don’t claim to protect anyone anymore. We like to go by “those in power.”
Mayor: Maybe the most honest thing your group ever did.
Eli: Honest? No point in lying anymore, Danny. We already won! We just have to wait for the passing of time.
Mayor: Cheers I’ll drink to that (she downs her drink) Also, Eli, no one calls me Danny anymore.
Eli: And why’s that?
Mayor: (you can hear her begin to pour more.) You know why. I was called that way before the disappearance. Before I was even mayor. When we were still just naive youths trying to stop you from setting up shop in our little harbor town.
Eli: Do you regret all that time you wasted?
Mayo: looking back on it, I wish I woulda’ just shot you the first time I met you.
Eli: Don’t beat yourself up too bad. There’s no way you could have known it would have gotten this bad!
Mayor: Yeah. you can say that again. Anyways, I have a lot to do, you know, the whole job of trying to keep my people alive in a dead world, busy stuff.
Eli: What’s with all the rush? We haven’t even gotten to why I’m here.
Mayor: (you can hear her down another glass) Then just say it will you? You’re just mad that I warned Julian, and now the big bad boys in suits are all pissy about it.
Eli: I love how intuitive you are.
Mayor: What’s it gonna be? Some slow agonizing death? Or maybe you like me just enough to make it quick and put a bullet through my head.
Eli: Jesus, Danny we would ne-
Mayor: I told you never to say that name again.
Eli: Mayor Dannica Carter, we are not here to kill you, that’s preposterous, and kind of hurtful you would even think that. Have I been portraying myself in such a way?
Mayor: God your pretentious, get on with it. What’s my punishment?
Eli: You know people talk a lot about you behind those walls. Most conversations by the water cooler usually revolve around you.
Mayor: I’m flattered?
Eli: They all made bets on how you would react.
Mayor: React to what?
Eli: I didn’t bring anyone else with me, Danny-
Mayor: For the last-
Eli: up-bup-bup-bup. It’s my turn to speak now. I didn’t bring anyone else with me. Not a single soul. Now, there are some armed gentleman in the van down there, but if you were to kill me, you know, Just slit my throat right here and now, you could easily escape. Now with that being said, I did bring this knife with me, you know, for self-defense. However, I don’t think I need it. I trust you, I really do. I know you Dannica, and I can bet you know exactly what will happen if you don’t listen to us. That’s why I’m gonna put the knife on the table, riiiiight here (the knife is placed softly on a wooden top) That’s a cool knife right? I love knives, Ever since I was a boy I always-
Mayo: Get to the point.
Eli: I want you to take the knife Dannica. I want you to take the knife, hold it in your hand, and feel how heavy it is.
(You can hear her pick up the knife.)
Mayor: Yeah it’s just a knife. Looks pretty dull too.
Eli: Yeah I suppose you’re right! However, I do have one question for you.
Mayor: Here we go.
Eli: How did you get through the mist to warn Julian? You see, we travel by using the company van. With enough speed, we’re able to outrun that icky mist before it even has time to form any of those nasty ghouls. Even with that we somehow still end up with about a half mortality rate. So how did you of all people come out of it unscathed?
Mayor: I’m just lucky I guess.
Eli: Oh no, no, no. That answer just won’t do. That isn’t exactly what we were looking for. Could you please place your left hand on the table Dannica?
Mayor: (Sighing) Here we go.
Eli: Perfect! Now, can you place that blade just above the third knuckle of your pinkie? Yeah the one right at the top, that’s it.
Mayor: Really, you think this is gonna break me?
Eli: No Danny, I don’t.
Mayor: Then just kill me then.
Eli: Can you press down for me Danny?
Mayor: Go to hell.
Eli: Now, you know exactly what we will do to this town if you don’t. press down-
(The sound of a knife slicing through meat and sticking into splintering bone. Silence followed, except for the mayor’s heavy, shaking breathing.)
Mayor: (Shuddering) That’s just lovely.
Eli: Oh how terrible! The finger didn’t come quite off, so unfortunate. I must have not sharpened that blade since… well before the disappearance! I’m so sorry Danny, If I knew that, I would have asked for one of my employees to, oh wait they’re all in the vehicle downstairs, dang. Isn’t it crazy how life works out this way?
(the sound of another swing, this time cutting through the rest of the finger, accompanied by her screaming.)
Mayor: (weakly) T-there. Are you happy? I get the message, I’ll stay away from the radio station.
Eli: Oh it’s bleeding, we can’t have that can we? Here, let me see your hand.
(the unmistakable sound of a metallic fling of a lighter. Followed by a flick, then another, and another, until the mic picked up the crackling of a flame. Soon, her twisted screams filled the speakers, her spasming feet kicking in the background.)
Eli: There, see? (The flick of the lighter closing) all cauterized and healthy. Well, we don’t need this little finger, do we? I’m just gonna drop it in the trash here, it’s quite disgusting.
Mayor: (shuddering) I said I won’t go near them again.
Eli: Oh no, no, no my dear sweet girl, this is not how any of this works! We do realize that Julian recovering the laptop before us is going to set our plans back a bit, but we’re in no rush. Those two are bound to slip up eventually. They’re like fish, simply unable to realize the greater picture around them. Or in other words, they’re not that bright.
Mayor: Then what do you want?
Eli: You played your hand Danny, we know you’re not telling us everything. We can’t trust you anymore.
Mayor: Oh how sad.
Eli: You know what’s really sad? How some people wake up in the morning taking their ten fingers for granted. So I ask again, how did you get through the mist unscathed?
Mayor: I took a cab.
Eli: You know, everyone said this is what would happen. That ten fingers simply wouldn’t do, everyone bet that you would just fight through the pain. That’s when someone came up with the great idea of doing it by the knuckle! That’s thirty times I get to ask you this question! Well, 28 now. Do try to get it in one go this time.
(another slice, another sharp, shuddering cry. After that, all audio stops. My CB radio goes silent for about ten minutes before the sound of a click and a voice breaks the silence.)
Coco: Okay we brought back everything we could carry and set everything up as you asked. Now can you tell me why you turned off the recording?
Allison: Is either part of this being aired live?
Coco: No it’s just being recorded to a tape, why?
Allison: Good, the town doesn’t need to hear this, ever.
Coco: Allison what happened? You look, different.
Allison: (sniffling) It looks like I need a drink, do you want a glass?
Coco: No, I’m not a big fan of alcohol.
Allison: Good, more for me.
(You can hear cupboards being opened.)
Coco: I thought you ran out of alcohol?
Allison: I have one stashed away, for emergencies. It’s a family tradition.
Coco: Family tradition? Did your family give it to you or something?
Allison: Yeah, you can say that.
(you can hear her pour a glass, before setting the bottle down on a wooden top.)
Coco: Tennison Oaks, You drink whiskey?
Allison: Not usually, but tonight I’ll make an exception.
Coco: What’s gotten into you? Why are you so depressed all of a sudden? Julian’s not bleeding everywhere anymore. You did it. You somehow saved him!
Allison: Hey Coco?
Coco: Yeah?
Allison: Just shut up and have a drink with me.
(For a second you can hear her let out a whimper, a small break in her shell)
Coco: (Softly) Yeah, anything for a friend. Mind passing me the bottle.
Allison: (sniffling) Yeah, here you go.
(Some time passes in silence.)
Coco: So what do you want me to do with this recording?
Allison: I’ll give it to Julian when he wakes up, I want him to listen to everything.
Coco: Yeah, that can help him catch up. Do you think he’ll be okay?
Allison: He better be, he has some explaining to do.
Coco: what about you? How are you holding up?
Allison: Look, Coco. I don’t want to talk about it.
Coco: Wait is this about that tape? did you listen to it without us? Where did it go?
Allison: I smashed it into pieces.
Coco: Why? What did it say?
Allison: As it said on the tape, it was for Julian only.
Coco: Oh c’mon, you can’t be cryptic too now.
Allison: (shaking) Coco, I know you want me to open up, and spill all of my feelings, but this isn’t how this radio station works. I’m going through something right now, but you have to respect the fact that I can’t tell you. That I keep secrets like everyone else. Things that if I told anyone, would only get more people hurt. That’s why no one ever tells the truth around here, because what’s the point? It only hurts the ones you care about in the end. So please, let me just pretend for one minute that I’m not in Port-Land anymore, and let me drink.
Coco: Yeah, it’s been a long day, I get it. what are you going to do now?
Allison: I’m gonna drink this bottle until I can’t feel anything, how does that sound? Julians fine, why don’t you head upstairs and sleep in the broadcast room?
Coco: Yeah, I’ll give you your space.
(you can hear him stand up and begin to walk away.)
Allison: And Coco?
Coco: Yeah what’s up?
Allison: Thanks for being the only normal person in Port-Land.
Coco: I try to be. See you tomorrow Allison.
Allison: Stop the recording on your way out.
(Broadcast ends.)