Hyper Nocturnal Episode 2

Hyper Nocturnal
Episode 2
By Charles Davis

Intro/Commercial

Scene: In the plains of the dead world central dimension

(Sound of Wolfgang examining Matti’s leg)

Tanya: Well?!

Wolfgang: I don’t know. I used his belt to tie a tourniquet around the leg, but it doesn’t seem to be stopping the lines from growing. I don’t think it has anything to do with blood loss. It’s almost like it’s an infection making its way up his leg.

Tanya: What happens to him if it spreads?

Wolfgang: I don’t know. I’m assuming he’ll become like one of the popsicles when it reaches his head, but that’s just a guess. Frankly, I have no idea about anything anymore. Now that we’re… here. Who knows how physiology works now.

Matti: …We are in a spirit world now. This wound isn’t a piece of damage to my physical body. It’s a corruption on my soul.

Tanya: Well, can we cut off his leg to prevent it or something.

Matti: Ha! You say it so casually!

Wolfgang: I don’t think that’s a good idea. First off, I don’t have anything to do something like that with, and second off we have no tools for sealing the wound after. I would say we need to get back to the lab on the ship and I may be able to do something better from there.

Matti: No. Medicine will do no help for this, or any of our problems now. We have to think in less tangible solutions.

Tanya: Will you stop talking like that?! We aren’t dead Matti!

Matti: YES YOU ARE! Are you a fool?! Are you stupid?! Look around you! Think of the things you’ve seen and experienced. That demon, Monroe, showed you images of our own dead bodies. We are no longer alive. We are spirits! Souls! Ghosts! Whatever you want to call it.

Tanya: You’re crazy.

Wolfgang: Tanya… I think he’s right.

Tanya: What? No way Wolfgang. Don’t you go nuts on me too.

Wolfgang: I’m not nuts. But… Look around us. Those things on the ship. I don’t see any reason why we should think we are in our normal physical environment anymore.

Tanya: (pause while she thinks) Bah! So… So what? So what then? That’s just it? We’re dead?

Matti: Yes.

Tanya: No… No way! This is crazy! I’m not a dead person you guys! I’m an alive person! I’m all about being alive! That’s my whole thing! Being alive! Look, look! (sound of her doing a little dance) I’m doing a little dance I’m so happy by the idea of being alive! Dead people don’t do that!

Matti: Fine then what’s your explanation?

Tanya: (struggling) I… I… (weakly) I don’t know… (sound of her sitting down and letting out a sad sigh). (Moment of silence) So how do we become alive again? How do we get back to our bodies?

Matti: We don’t.

Tanya: Come on, there has to be a way. You saw all that stuff up there. Look around us. There’s like magic going on or something. There’s gotta be a way to become alive again.

Matti: Trust me, there isn’t.

Tanya: …I have a sister back in Maine you know. If I’m dead it means I’m never going to see her again. I’m never going to see my niece. They’re never going to see me. I’ll just be gone to them.

Matti: Stop this. You’re dead. You know your dead. And you know you’re never going to see them again.

Tanya: (pause) …It’s very hard for me to hear you say that so coldly… (Moment of silence). So what do we do now?

Wolfgang: We have to stop this corruption that’s on Matti’s leg from growing.

Tanya: We’re dead though… How can he be hurt? How can he have an infection? Aren’t we supposed to be immortal?

Matti: I told you already. This isn’t physical damage. This is a wound on my spirit. It’s the beginning of possession.

Wolfgang: Possession?

Matti: Yes. I’m sure of it now. I can feel it trying to take control. The popsicles we saw on the ship. With the red on their heads. Their spirits had been possessed as well. Those things that attacked us weren’t the popsicles’ physical bodies. It was their spirits having fallen under control of that demon on the ship. This must be what demonic possession looks like on the spirit side.

Wolfgang: When the red lines reach your brain that must be the point of takeover.

Tanya: Hey… how do you know all of this Matti? How did you know that guy on the ship was a demon? How do you know about possession? What is up with you?

Matti: (pause) …I used to be… a fairly religious man… of a church that was particularly concerned about the demon world and it’s threat to the human world.

Wolfgang: You? Religious? Really?

Matti: Yes. But not in a long time.

Tanya: So… if you know about all of this stuff, where are we then? What is this place?

Matti: That I’m not entirely sure. But it’s the spirit world, I know that.

Tanya: But you said you knew about this stuff?

Matti: I do… But… I don’t know… it’s all different. Different from what we thought it was like. There are the spirits of living entities here, but, the ship, it was a spirit too. And all of the objects in the ship. It’s like everything, animate or inanimate has a presence in the spirit world. Also, we had always thought there was a clear separation between heaven, hell and purgatory. But now that I’m here… It’s all melded together. It’s just one entity. If we were in hell we should be getting tortured in the presence of Satan. If we were in purgatory than there shouldn’t be demons here and we shouldn’t be in the comfort of each other’s presence. If this were heaven we would be in the comfort of each other’s presence and have the ability of never getting tired like we appear to have… but none of this other stuff would be here. (To himself) God… we were way off. Is everything just together in one giant realm? Were we just touching different pieces of it and thinking they weren’t part of one giant whole?

Wolfgang: Daytras wasn’t possessed.

Matti: Huh?

Wolfgang: Daytras. Of all of the popsicles, he wasn’t possessed. He had the wound on his head like all the others, but the red lines didn’t form. That demon on the ship, the guy in the suit with his back on fire, what was his name?

Tanya: Monroe

Wolfgang: Yeah… Monroe… he was able to gain possession of the other popsicles, but not Daytras. Why?

Tanya: How are you sure it was Monroe that had possessed them?

Matti: It must have been him. He was the only demon we ran into on the ship. (Sound of Matti struggling and standing up). And to answer your question, I don’t know why Daytras wouldn’t have been possessed.

Tanya: (Getting upset) How do you know that Monroe was the only demon? How do you know he’s a demon in the first place? And if he was a demon than what were those other things?

Wolfgang: …Tanya…

Tanya: …Sorry… it’s just… my first time being dead… I’m kind of freaked out…

Matti: I know he was a demon because he was the only one that was lying to us. Only demons tell lies. The other things? I don’t know exactly. Ghosts, poltergeists, possessed spirits maybe. But not demons.

Wolfgang: (Sound of him standing) What lie did he tell?

Matti: Perkelle.

Wolfgang: Perkelle?

Matti: He claimed to be Satan himself. But he’s lying. If he was the devil, we would have seen a serpent.

Tanya: Why would he lie?

Matti: Demons don’t like to tell their true names. He claimed to be called Monroe, but he probably just made that up. When I suggested he was Satan, he jumped on it most likely thinking it would intimidate us. I have no idea which demon he might be. (Talking to himself) We saw a wolf… who appears as a wolf?…

Tanya: Alright, so he’s a demon. What does he want?

Wolfgang: He was yelling about getting revenge and restoring his throne. He was also saying something about legions.

Matti: He likely controls a number of legions in hell… or at least what I used to think was hell. A lot of demons do. As for what he wants… he wants what all demons want. To disrupt the living world. To attack it. They all have reasons for revenge. Being kicked out of heaven, not that I’m sure what heaven is anymore, is a common one. Being betrayed by angels or something else, jealousy of God’s favoritism towards humans. They all have some reason. He seems hell bent on taking control of the ship for some reason too. Bringing the legions he controls onto it. That must be part of his plan.

Tanya: It has to be something with the Hyper Nocturnal drive. The Hyper Nocturnal drive was able to make all of this happen when we played that song. Maybe he’s going to play another song that will do something else.

Wolfgang: He was trying to get us to help him too. Why?

Matti: That is a good question…(paces for a minute) …That mouth that bit my leg. If Monroe was in control of it it wouldn’t have let us escape… Perhaps the mouth wasn’t working for Monroe …Monroe may be struggling for control of the ship from other entities who are starting to move in too. Maybe this bite and red lines on my leg aren’t leading to a possession from Monroe after all. What if there is another demonic entity on the ship? Perhaps whoever that mouth was working for is trying to possess entities to help it win control. Monroe must have been looking for allies who were familiar with the ship in order to get the upper hand.

Tanya: Must have been why he possessed the popsicles then too. Since they were on the ship with us, he may think they contain special knowledge on the ship’s working.

Wolfgang: Oh god! He had taken over the ship’s computer!

Tanya: (Getting up) Damnit! He did! But… the ship’s computer can only do so much. The real way to control the ship is through the keyboard and the hyper nocturnal drive. And the computer is purposefully cut off from playing the keyboard.

Wolfgang: But the computer could tell him what he needs to do and then he just needs to play the keyboard himself.

Tanya: Crap, you’re right!

Matti: Wait… When we were in the lab and the popsicles attacked, you guys weren’t able to pull the lever in order to unfreeze them correct?

Tanya: Yeah… Well, at least it was really hard. We actually felt like it started moving a little right before the popsicles attacked.

Matti: But we could interact with everything else without effort… Maybe… Maybe the way this works is that we can only easily manipulate items that affect the spirit world only. But items that affect the physical world require more effort. Are harder to manipulate. It requires more energy. It would make sense knowing what we’ve observed in the physical world with ghosts and poltergeists only being able to move small objects short distances in quick spurts. You two were probably able to get the lever to budge a little bit back on the ship because you both were pushing. Giving it more energy. With the three of us working together, we could probably manipulate items in the physical world with a matter of efficiency.

Maybe that’s why Monroe also needed our help. He could still be trying to gain power after being summoned and he needs the additional help to be able to manipulate the ship in the physical world in order to beat out the other demonic entity. It would explain why I was able to hurt him so easily when I threw that chair at him. And it may be why he was able to possesses the popsicles more easily. Their physical bodies were frozen. Perhaps that weakened their spirits… made them easier to possess than us who were just coming directly off of being, er, alive and awake when he was summoned. Look at my leg (sound of him showing leg). The lines are spreading, but they’re spreading slowly. It’s because our spirits are still vibrant from being only recently dead. That’s why you two were able to start to move the lever in the ship. Why Monroe wanted our help. Why I haven’t been fully possessed yet.

Wolfgang: Ok… so how do we stop the possession all together then?

Matti: (Pause thinking) There are two ways to exorcise a demonic possession. Either you have a religious figure in the physical world perform an exorcism… which I don’t think is going to be possible given our current situation… or… you pass the demon onto someone else.

Tanya: I’m not volunteering

Wolfgang: Wait… Daytras wasn’t possessed. He had the cut on his head, but they weren’t able to possess him… (pacing and thinking) Ok… so… medically speaking… we know that the possession occurs when the corruption hits the brain correct?

Matti: It appears that way.

Wolfgang: Well… Daytras has one of the most powerful brain power ratings ever recorded. Perhaps, his mind is so powerful that it is not possible to posses.

Matti: It would make sense… It has been seen in previous exorcisms that individuals with higher IQ levels were able to rid themselves of demonic spirits faster than others.

Wolfgang: Ok… So… If we can pass the corruption onto Daytras, everything would work out then. You would be free of the possession and he would be un-harmed.

Matti: It’s worth a shot.

Wolfgang: It means we’re going to have to go back on the ship though… But I think that is going to be inevitable anyway if we want to stop Monroe and this other demon.

Matti: Yeah…

Tanya: What does it matter?

Wolfgang: What?

Tanya: What does it matter? This stuff about possession and stopping Monroe and the other demon on the ship. What does it matter anymore? I’m dead Wolfgang. Who cares if he steals the ship and flies off with it. Matti, what do you care if you get possessed? SO WHAT?! I’m never seen my sister again. Matti, you’re never going to be a chef again. It’s all over. Why should we care anymore.

(silence for a moment)

Wolfgang: (walking over to her) We should care because even though you and I are dead, your sister and your niece aren’t. If Monroe and this other demon has plans for causing havoc in the world they live in, it’s your duty as a sister and an aunt to protect them. Even if you never actually get to see them again. And besides… you’re dead… what else have you got do?

Tanya: …Alright… Good point. Let’s go.

Wolfgang: Right. Matti, can you walk?

Matti: Yeah.. It hurts a bit but I can limp my way just fine I think.

Wolfgang: Alright… I guess we’ll have go back up this bloody tube thing we came out of (sound of him walking for a second. Stops walking). Hey! They ship’s gone!

Tanya: (walking up) You’re right! It’s not above us anymore! Where did it go?

Matti: (walking) It moved. Look.

(Sound of them walking up to Matti).

Wolfgang: It moved across the valley while we were talking. It stopped on the other side.

Matti: We’re going to have to walk after it… Until we can find some faster way to get there.

Tanya: You mean… we have to go through that valley?

Wolfgang: Yeah… what?

Tanya: It’s just… big open spaces aren’t my favorite thing.

Matti: Well that’s something you’re going to have to get over. Come on. We need to get down off this ledge and into the valley.

(Sound of Matti limp walking).

Wolfgang: Come on. It’ll be ok. I’ll be right here with you. Besides, you’re already dead. What’s the worse that could happen to you now?

(Sound of Wolfgang walking off. Tanya grumbles and then walks after them.)

End Scene

COMMERCIAL

Scene: Walking through the valley

(Sound of them walking through the valley)

Wolfgang: This place is kind of amazing. At least in a …er… morbid way.

Matti: …You’re a strange man Wolfgang. Even by my standards.

Wolfgang: No, I’m serious. I mean, look at this ground we’re walking on. (sound of them stopping walking) It looks hard. But when you step on it (sound of him placing his foot down) it’s kind of soft. It’s like spongy and oily. And look, if you stare at it and look off a bit in the distance, you can see the landscape rising and falling. It almost feels like… it’s alive. Like we are walking on the hide of some giant animal. (Sound of him walking and looking around. Talking to himself) An animal the size of the entire world. That just stretches out in every direction…

Tanya: You’re freaking me out Wolfgang. Can we just keep walking?

Matti: Yes… lets.

(Sound of them continuing to walk in silence for a moment).

Wolfgang: How is your leg holding up Matti?

Matti: Fine. It hurts, but I’m limping just fine. It’s not making me tired or slowing me down at all. Probably an affect of being spirits. I can feel the lines slowly growing however.

Wolfgang: Alright. We’ll we’ve been able to make some distance and the ship hasn’t moved in a few hours. We just need to keep walking and we’ll make it.

Matti: Yeah…

(Sound of Tanya walking closer to Wolfgang)

Tanya: (whispering) Hey… how are you taking this so well?

Wolfgang: (whispering) What do you mean?

Tanya: (whispering) Being dead! Jesus christ. I can understand why Matti’s so cold. He’s always been a douche bag. But you’re like me Wolfgang. You actually feel things. How are you not freaking out? I feel like I’m going to start crying every two seconds.

Wolfgang: (whispering) I don’t know. I guess this is just… another adventure to me.

Tanya: (whispering) Are you kidding me?

Wolfgang: (whispering) No. Look, you have your sister and niece back in the normal world. Matti has his restaurant and his fame. What have I got? What did I have to live for? I’m not married. I have no kids. I haven’t spoken to my family in 10 years. … So what if I’m dead. The only thing I had going for me was that I liked to watch the scenery pass by. Well look at all of this scenery. This is scenery I’ve never really seen before. Scenery no one alive has seen before. I might as well be dead. It’s almost like I get to start again.

Tanya: (whispering) If we weren’t already dead I’d say you sound suicidal.

Wolfgang: (Pause. Whispering) I can’t say that it didn’t cross my mind lately…

Tanya: (whispering) What? What? Hey… hey… why would you be thinking about that?

Wolfgang: (whispering) …I think I’m upsetting you.

Tanya: (whispering) You’re damn right you’re upsetting me! So un-upset me. I had no idea you were feeling that way. What was going on?

Wolfgang: (whispering) It’s just… what importance am I? It wasn’t an issue of depression or hating myself. I think I’m a good person. A fun person. An interesting person. I just don’t feel like I was doing anything important or meaningful with my life. I sit around on cargo vessel after cargo vessel looking after frozen people. The vessel’s don’t even really need me. Everything is pretty much controlled by the machines. They just need a doctor on board due to laws and regulations. I don’t do anything. And worse yet I’ve been doing this for years now. If I wanted to leave and get a job as a normal doctor it would be damn near impossible as I’ve been out of real practice for so long. I’m just not important. Or at least I wasn’t. The world isn’t going to miss me. At least I’m not taking up resources anymore. Make more space for someone who people actually think is important.

Tanya: (whispering) That’s bullcrap Wolfgang! And what’s more you just insulted the hell out of me! Want to know why? Because I care about you. Hey, I care a lot about you. I know we’ve only known each other for 6 months, but I think you’re damn great. So what if you’re not some hot shot doctor curing the world’s problems. It doesn’t mean you’re not important. Like I said before I’m an alive person. Being alive is, er, was, the most important thing to me. But I wasn’t exactly saving the world when I was alive. You know what I did when I wasn’t flying ships? I was on my couch watching bad romantic comedies with my friends. To me that was more important than anything else I could have been doing. You weren’t useless or unimportant because you had me. You had me for the last 6 months. And when we landed and the trip was over, you still would have had me. I don’t just let go of my friends so easily. So don’t stand around thinking you’re better off now that your dead because no-one thought you were important.

Wolfgang: (whispering. A bit choked up and talking slowly.) …Yeah…Got it… Thanks…

Tanya: (whispering) I’ve tried to convince you to have sex with me every day for the last 6 months. I’m not a slut you know. I don’t make that offer to just anyone that many times. (Wolfgang starts to chuckle a little. Tanya starts to laugh a little too.) Ok… maybe I’m a little bit of a slut…

Wolfgang: (whispers) Hey, we still may be able to have sex. Ghost sex may be amazing for all we know. We’ll just have to loose Matti for a bit.

Matti: I can hear you guys back there you know.

Tanya: (Makes a farting noise. Wolfgang and Tanya laugh.) No, I don’t think I could handle sex in a wide open space like this, but I do appreciate FINALLY getting the interest reciprocated.

Wolfgang: Why are you so freaked out by wide open spaces?

Tanya: (sighs) I don’t know. I just always have been. I never knew I was until I was in my teens and my family took a trip to the mid west. I started crying when we were walking around the open plains.

Wolfgang: Some childhood trauma or something?

Tanya: No… At least not that I can remember. It’s just sort of a primal thing. I feel it in my gut. I grew up in Maine. There weren’t that many wide open spaces, unless you count the ocean, but we didn’t live on the coast. There were always trees around or mountains. Always something there to hold the sky up. When I’m in a wide open space, I just feel so small and intimidated. Like the entire sky is going to fall down and consume me.

Wolfgang: But you don’t feel that way when you’re flying around in space?

Tanya: No… I don’t. Because I’m enclosed. I’m in the ship. I have a barrier between me and the wide open. Here… I don’t. Ugh (shutters) …Ok, we need to stop talking about this, I’m starting to freak out again.

Matti: We’re not going to make it.

(Sound of them stopping walking)

Wolfgang: Why not?

Matti: The ship, it’s too far away. I can feel the corruption spreader faster too. Look (sound of him positioning his pants and showing his side) the red lines are on my stomach now and are continuing to grow.

Wolfgang: We have to find a way to get to the ship faster. But how?

Lost Soul: (speaks with a breathy and whispery voice) I can help you move quicker through this verse.

All: Wha?

(sound of them turning)

Tanya: It’s some kind of a woman. I think. She’s wearing a white dress. I can barely see her though.

Wolfgang: Her form is faded. But her mouth and eyes are pure black. There’s black liquid dripping out of her mouth and down the front of her dress too.

Lost Soul: I can help you

Matti: How can you help us?

Lost Soul: A cave. I know of a cave. A place where time stands still and distance grows long. You enter the cave and when you emerge on the other side you will be across the valley.

Tanya: Why the hell should we listen to you? Why the hell would you help us?

Lost Soul: Why the hell would I help? That is why. Hell is why. My master desires to bring the verses back to one. (voice gets raspy) He demands that the wicked verse be dragged screaming into their hell. But he is challenged. Challenged by another.

Matti: Is the demon who calls himself Monroe your master?

Lost Soul: (chuckles) No. My master is not he who calls himself Monroe.

Wolfgang: Then what is his name?

(Lost soul hisses)

Matti: She won’t tell you. She knows she would be punished for revealing a master demon’s true name. …But she’s not lying. Only demons lie.

Tanya: So this other demon is looking for our help now? Is that it? He wants to get us to the ship so we can stop Monroe for him?

Lost Soul: My master struggles greatly with his challenger. He feels your vibrancy and wishes for you to help him. By entering his cave you will be able to better to serve him. Your first task will be to defeat the challenger.

Matti: (Yelling at the lost soul) This doesn’t make sense you bitch!

(Lost Soul hisses again. Sound of Matti pacing for a second).

Wolfgang: What doesn’t make sense?

Matti: All of this! The whole thing! Why are Monroe and this other demon vying for our help? What is this crap about the vibrancy of our spirits? (Stops walking) The demons are having a difficult time possessing us, or getting us under their control. There is no reason we should be special. They are claiming we have “powerful” spirits, but why? (Stops and thinks for moment). Gah… I don’t know.

Lost Soul: Your glorious power would be a shining jewel in my masters legions.

Matti: Shut up bitch. (Walks towards her) You’re not fooling me. You’re master wants to lure us to his cave because he thinks he’ll have an easier time achieving possession in his own territory.

Lost Soul: (struggling for words) I…I can help you reach the ship.

Matti: Psh. (walks away).

Wolfgang: What do we do then? You said it yourself. We can’t make it to the ship before the corruption reaches your brain. Look, it’s already at the top of your stomach. If we wait, this other demon is just going to be taking you over anyway.

Matti: … You’re right. (Sighs) We’re going to have to go through the cave then.

Tanya: No way! You said it yourself, this other demon just wants to drag us to his lair in order to more easily possesses us. Besides, she’s probably lying about the cave leading us to the ship faster.

Matti: No… she’s not lying. Hiding the truth maybe. But not lying. Unless we were off about that too back in the physical world, lost souls like her can’t lie. They can just keep information from us. As for what awaits us in that cave. Yeah… it’s going to be dangerous. But it’s all we have to go on right now.

Tanya: You’re really expecting ME to stick my neck out to this level to save YOU.

Wolfgang: If we want to be able to manipulate the physical world items on the ship we’re going to need Matti to help us. Based on our experience with the lever, you and I aren’t powerful enough on our own to really do what needs to be done. If Monroe and this other demon are trying to take control of the physical ship, doing damage to the physical world, we’re going to need to push back within the physical world as well in order to defeat them.

Tanya: (sighs) Fine…

Matti: Woman. Take us to your master’s cave.

Lost Soul: Follow me.

End Scene

Scene: In the cave

(Sound of them walking up to the cave. They stop walking.)

Lost Soul: We have arrived at the cave.
(Sound of Tanya walking forward a little)

Tanya: Jesus. Look at this thing.

Wolfgang: The entrance to the cave. It’s covered in… intestines. It’s just a giant entrance coming out of the ground leading into black and there is a curtain of intestines covered across the opening.

Tanya: What the hell is up with these demons and intestines? Couldn’t they have just been into fur coats like normal assholes?

Matti: A fortress of intestines…Humbaba. (sound of Matti walking over to the Lost Soul). Lost Soul, your master is Humbaba isn’t he? The guardian of the fortress of intestines.

Lost Soul: (pause) Yes.

Wolfgang: Jesus Matti, you a know a ton about this stuff. Was your church the ghost hunting secret service of the vatican or something?

Matti: Something like that.

Tanya: Well that doesn’t sound so bad though. The fortress of intestines. I mean, it probably smells bad, but it’s just guts. How dangerous could it be? Guts are soft and squishy.

Wolfgang: You’re saying you’re ok being digested by a demon?

Tanya: …Good point… So Matti, who is this guy?

Matti: Humbaba. Also referred to as Huwawa the terrible. He’s an Akkadian demon. Christ, it’s all mixed together here. There’s not even a separation between the different religions. One demon is claiming to be Satan which is a Judeo-Christian figure and now we’ve just discovered that the other demon is Sumerian.

Wolfgang: So we know who it is though. Is it good news or bad news? I mean, I guess it’s bad news either way, but just how bad is this guy?

Tanya: His last name is “The Terrible”. How good could the news be?

Matti: What will we find in this cave, Lost Soul?

Lost Soul: You will be welcomed into the verses ruled by my master.

Wolfgang: What does that mean?

Matti: Hell if I know. Nothing makes sense anymore. …Whatever it is, it won’t be good. But we need to go through it. The red lines have reached the bottom of my chest. I don’t have much time I have left.

Tanya: Well… We just need to stick together, and try to move through the cave as fast as we can. We can all run fast without getting tired, so we have that as an advantage. We just need to stay close to each other and bolt for it.

Matti: …Yeah…

Wolfgang: Here, we can hold hands so we don’t get separated.

Tanya: Good idea! (sound of them holding hands). Ok guys. We know how this stuff works now. If we are cut or injured by anything in there we get the red lines and become possessed. So don’t let anything bite, claw, scratch or fart in your general direction. (Takes a breath) You ready?

Wolfgang: (Breathes out. Nervous) Holy crap… Yes, I’m ready.

Tanya: Matti?

Matti: Yeah… But don’t forget I’m limping a bit here.

Tanya: Don’t worry, we won’t leave you behind. You’re the only one who knows what the hell is going on! Ok… deep breath everyone. (They all start breathing deep). And lets pray to god whoever’s guts those are hadn’t just eaten before they decided to decorate. …Go!

Wolfgang: Bah!

(Sound of them running towards the cave).

Tanya: (as they are running) Going through the guts, going through the guts! (Sound of them squishing through the curtain of intestines as they run) Ew! Ew! Ew!

Wolfgang: (as they are running) We’re through the curtain! We’re inside the cave!

Matti: (as they are running) It’s all dark! I can’t see anything! There’s no light!

Tanya: (as they are running) Just keep running!

Matti: (as they are running) What if we hit the damn wall?!

Tanya: (as they are running) Then we hit the wall! Don’t slow down!

(Sound of a lion roaring)

Wolfgang: (as they are running) Aaaah! Did you hear that?! Did you hear that?! There’s something in here!

Tanya: (as they are running) Of course there is Wolfgang! It’s a damn demon cave, what did you expect?!

Matti: (as they are running) Where is it coming from? I can’t see anything!

Tanya: (as they are running) It doesn’t matter, just keep going forward!

Wolfgang: (as they are running) Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy Crap!

Tanya: (as they are running) Don’t let go of my hand!

(Sound of a lion running up fast behind them)

Matti: (as they are running) There’s something chasing us! I can hear it!

Tanya: (as they are running) Run faster then!

Matti: (as they are running) I can’t! My leg!

(Sound of the lion running gets faster)

Wolfgang: (as they are running) It’s coming at us faster!

Tanya: (as they are running) I don’t care about your damn leg Matti! Pick up the damn pace!

Matti: (as they are running) Ok! I’m trying!

(Sound of the lion is very close)

Wolfgang: (as they are running) It’s almost on us!

Tanya: (as they are running) Keep going forward! Don’t separate!

(Sound of them suddenly slipping)

Matti: (as he’s falling) Ah! I’m slipping!

Tanya: (as she’s falling) There’s a giant hole in the floor! I’m falling!

Wolfgang: (as he’s falling) Aaaaah!

All: (Voices fade off as they fall down the hole) AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

(Ethereal spooky noises as they travel through the versus as they fall through the hole. Sound of Tanya being spit out of the canopy of a tree and landing on grass in a forest)

Tanya: (Falling) Aaaah! (sound of her hitting the grass) Oof! (sound of her laying in silence breathing heavily for a moment. Sound of her getting up). I fell out of a tree canopy… (taking a few steps) Wolfgang? …Matti? …Anyone there? (pause) Oh come on! I said “don’t separate” like a million times!

COMMERCIAL

Scene: In the Humbaba controlled verses

(Sound of Matti surfacing from a stream of water and crawling out onto land. A man shoveling heads into a furnace can be heard in the background. Sound of the stream in the background. The ground is grass and there is a slight breeze blowing.)

Matti: (as he’s crawling out) Gah! Bah! What the hell! (Sound of he scrambling to stand up). Tanya? Wolfgang?! (sound of him taking a few steps). Gone… Damn. Where am I? (sound of him taking a few more steps) A graveyard. The stones stretch out through this field as far as the eye can see. They disappear into the darkness of the horizon. The sky is black. There’s a stream too. I emerged from it. It’s deep. Runs right through the center of the graveyard. (sound of him taking a few more steps.) What names are on these gravestones? (sound of him bending down). Bah… Psh… It’s me. Matti Ineninen. (Sound of him walking over to another stone). Here too. Matti Ineninen. They all have my name on them. What is this supposed to mean?

Repeater Ghost: (in the distance) You’re soon too, you know. (sound of the Repeater Ghost continuing to shovel heads into the furnace)

Matti: What? (sound of him standing up and looking for a minute. Sound of him walking towards the repeater ghost). Hey. Who are you? What did you just say? (Repeater Ghost doesn’t respond, just keeps shoveling. Sound of Matti reaching him, he stops walking). What are you doing? Why are you shoveling those severed heads into a furnace? (Repeater Ghost doesn’t speak, just keeps shoveling) …Are you going to respond to me? What does Humbaba want? Why did…

Repeater Ghost: You’re soon too, you know. (sound of him continuing to shovel).

Matti: What? What does that mean? Soon for what? (repeater ghost continues shoveling and doesn’t respond). Gah. (sound of Matti taking a few steps and looking. Takes a few steps back) So what am I’m soon for? One of these graves? I hate to tell you but I’m already dead. What are you trying to intimidate me? Because it’s not going…

Repeater Ghost: You’re soon too, you know. (sound of him continuing to shovel).

Matti: …He’s repeating… A residual spirit… He doesn’t even realize I’m here. Doesn’t even realize he’s here. …Bah. (sound of him taking a few steps). Alright. Well, I guess just pick a direction and start walking. This graveyard must have an end to it somewhere.

(Sound of Matti walking off in a direction. Sound fades out.)

(Sound of Wolfgang busting and crawling out from being buried. He is buried underneath a bunch of rocks on a mountain. Sound of wind blowing on the mountain.)

Wolfgang: (as he crawls out) Gah! Bah! (Sound of him scrambling to stand up) Tanya! Tanya! (Silence as he looks around. Sound of him taking a few steps.) Tanya?! Matti?! (silence) …Damn it, I’m alone. Where am I? (Sound of him walking. He stops suddenly) Whoa! Steep drop! I’m on the top of a mountain? Oh boy… (sound of him taking a few steps) (shivers) Brrr, christ it’s cold up here. (Suddenly stops walking) …Hey! Hey lady I see you! (Sound of him running towards the figure) Hey Lady! Or… Ghost! Or… Ghoul or whatever you are! (stops running suddenly). Wait Wolfgang. Whatever is up here probably isn’t friendly…. and I just yelled really loud…. Damnit. (sights) Well… she hasn’t moved or attacked yet… (calling out to her) Hey lady! I’m coming over your way! So… don’t eat me you know?!

(Sound of him walking towards the figure. He stops walking). Oh… she’s frozen. A giant icicle (sound of him knocking on the frozen woman). Yeah, completely frozen solid. …Well what does that mean? (sound of him walking further). Another frozen woman. Completely frozen, just like the other one. (Sound of him walking more). 2 more. Frozen women. (Sound of him taking a few steps.) And more over here… There are frozen women all over the top of this mountain. Something must have happened up here. I wonder who they are are.

Frozen Woman 1: (Sound of her frozen head suddenly turning. She speaks with a raspy hiss) We are the brides of Humbaba.

Wolfgang: Aaah! (Takes a few steps back. Frozen women hisses). You can talk?

Frozen Woman 1: Why are you here?

Wolfgang: I… I don’t know. I was running through a cave and a fell down a hole. Next thing I know I was buried underneath a big pile of rocks. I just crawled out of it.

Frozen Woman 2: (sound of her turning her head) You come from the central verse then.

Wolfgang: Gah! Another one is talking!

Frozen Woman 2: The central verse, be that where you came from?

Numerous Frozen Women: Tell us! Tell us!

Wolfgang: Whoa! Uh… Uh… I don’t know. I just went into a cave and then I fell down a hole. I was in some big valley… and.. and there sky was all bubbly and moving. There were all of these, red rope like things hanging down all over the place.

Frozen Woman 3: The tendrils of the great beast!

Frozen Woman 4: You DO come from the central verse!

Wolfgang: Whose tendrils?

Frozen Woman 2: The creator of all things. He speaks through the verses with his tendrils.

Frozen Woman 3: But not here! We can not hear his voice here!

Frozen Woman 4: That is why Humbaba placed us here.

Wolfgang: Wait! Wait! You guys are all assuming I know more than I do! Who are you?

Frozen Woman 1: We were wives and daughters. Sisters and cousins. Workers, queens and spirits of free will. But we were betrayed.

Frozen Woman 2: Betrayed by so called “heroes” and even our own collectives. They offered us as brides to win favor with the terrible lord of intestines.

Frozen Woman 4: And now he keeps us here, frozen. Away from the voice of the great beast.

Frozen Woman 3: Ooooh, how we wish to bask in the light of the great beasts face once more.

Frozen Woman 1: And even if we were never able to be in the presence of the Great Beast, it would be a greater fate to be trapped within the Black Curtain than to remain here frozen on top of this mountain.

Frozen Woman 4: Sir! Please rescue us! Free us from our frozen lives and lead us back to the central verse.

Frozen Woman 2: You came from there! Surely you know the way back!

Wolfgang: No! I don’t! I don’t know anything! I’m just as clueless as how to get off this mountain as you are!

Frozen Woman 1: You can still free us though!

Frozen Woman 3: Yes! Free us! Free us! We can help you explore for the door back to the central verse!

Frozen Woman 2: Even if we never find anything, just being able to move about the mountain freely would still better.

Wolfgang: But… wouldn’t your, er… husband be angry?

Frozen Woman 4: He speaks true! Humbaba would see. He controls this verse and sees all. He would come from vengeance were we to be freed.

Frozen Woman 3: No! We can move quickly! We have time now! The lord of intestines is distracted! He must be! This man spirit is here by mistake. No one ever comes to this verse by Humbaba.

Frozen Woman 1: But what be he distracted by?

Wolfgang: Wait, I was with two other people when I feel down that hole. They’re gone now. Could they be why he’s distracted? Is he going after them?

Frozen Woman 2: Yes! That must be why! You’re companions must be very powerful… or very close to submission. He will be hunting them in his other verses. He must have been distracted when you fell into his throned verse.

Wolfgang: Wait, you mean there are other places like… this?… that he controls?

Frozen Woman 4: Yes, many verses does Humbaba control.

Frozen Woman 3: But this verse, the mountains seven, this is his throne. Here lays his aura! Free us and we will help you find it! If we destroy his aura all of the doors to Humbaba’s verses will be open and we can all escape!

Frozen Woman 1: Your friends will be able to escape too!

Wolfgang: Well… Hell… Alright. How do I get out?

Frozen Woman 2: Pound upon us with your fists! That will break the bondage!

Wolfgang: Alright! Hold on.

(Sound of Wolfgang walking up and punching one of the woman. The sound of shattering ice).

Frozen Woman 1: Free, I am free! Now the next!

Wolfgang: Ok! (Sound of him running over and punching another woman).

Frozen Woman 2: And the next!

(Sound Wolfgang running and punching another woman)

Frozen Woman 3: And the next!

(Sound of Wolfgang running and punching another woman)

Frozen Woman 4: And the next!

(Sound of Wolfgang running and punching another woman.)

Wolfgang: Ok, that’s five of you! Where are there more to free?

(Sound of a lion’s roar)

All Frozen Woman: AAAAAAAH!!!

Wolfgang: What?! What?!

Frozen Woman 2: Humbaba is distracted no more!

Frozen Woman 1: He knows we have been freed! That a stranger is in the mountains 7!

Wolfgang: Well that was bloody fast! (Sound of another lion’s roar. Sound of the ground shaking) Gah!

Frozen Woman 4: He brings the mountains down upon us!

(sound of more rumbling)

Wolfgang: Avalanche!

(sound of an avalanche falling down on them)

All: (as they are swept up in the avalanche) Aaaaaaaaah!

(Sound of them getting swept up in the avalanche fades out)
(Sound fades in of Tanya in the forest. Sound of her walking up to the tree.)

Tanya: Alright tree… I fell out of you, there must be a way back through you. Hmmm. (sound of her feeling around the tree) Cedar tree. Hmmm… (more feeling around). God, there’s no way to climb up it. There are no branches or anything. (sound of her taking a couple steps back) Well… something tells me I may not want to go back that way anyway. Where am I? (sound of her turning around) A forest. All of the trees look like they’re cedars too. Hard to see with all this mist. (sound of her starting to walk) …The other two must be around here somewhere… (sound of her continuing to walk). God, if I didn’t know something was out to kill me I’d say it’s down right pretty in here. (sound of a growl. She stops walking) …Crap! (Sound of Tanya running as a lion starts to chase her). A lion?! A lion?! (sound of them continuing to run).

Humbaba: I control this verse man spirit. Do not think you can evade my omniscience.

Tanya: A talking lion?! Come on! (sound of them continuing to run) Tree with branches! (sound of her flinging herself at the tree and scrambling up it.) Oof! Ack! (sound of her stopping climbing and sitting on a branch looking around. The sound of the lion has disappeared as she climbed. Silence for a moment). Where did he go? (silence) …I guess it is true that lions can’t climb trees then.

Humbaba: (echoing out of no where) Do not let your hubris delude you into thinking you have escaped me. (Sound of him walking out in the grass below the tree.)

Tanya: Gah! There he is below me! Get away! I… can… climb really high!

Humbaba: I heard the melody of your soul through the verses man spirit. I wish only for your help in defeating a common enemy.

Tanya: Yeah, have me help by possessing me!

Humbaba: Possession… is not an option for you.

Tanya: Oh gee, I never realized I was such a special lady. You’re making me feel like it’s prom night all over again!

Humbaba: The broken one from the challenged verse you birthed from. His spirit is in danger. If you assist me in defeating my enemy, I will spare him from eternal singularity when I am lord of the Black Curtain.

Tanya: The broken one? You mean Daytras? How is he in trouble?

Humbaba: He is trapped in a frozen state between the versus. When the Black Curtain consumes all his spirit will be torn apart and vanish into pure nothingness. If you help me control the ship known as Macedonia, I will assist you in awaking him. Him, you and your companions will also be granted freedom from oneness when I am lord of all the verses.

Tanya: Sorry buddy, but you’ll have to forgive me for being a bit skeptical. A friend of mind once told me that you demons have a problem with lying… (to herself) Oh jesus christ, I just called Matti a friend…

Humbaba: I speak only the truth.

Tanya: Why do you need me? Why am I so special? Why won’t you just possess me?

Humbaba: Your… humanity… appears to be a beautiful jewel that would shine with splendor within my kingdom. Your un-controlled assistance would prove to me that you are worthy to live within my presence when I rule all.

Tanya: Well there is no way this hot piece of humanity would ever help you, so you might as well possess me if you want me so bad!

Humbaba: …Very well! (Growls and starts to run towards Tanya).

Tanya: (rising terror) Oh jesus christ! Jesus christ!

Humbaba: (Suddenly stops running and lets out a giant yell) MY BRIDES! SOMEONE HAS FREED MY BRIDES!

Tanya: I’m out of here! (Sound of her jumping out of the tree and running. Humbaba lets out another roar.) (As she’s running) Gotta be a way out of here! Gotta be a way out!

Humbaba: (in the distance) You will never be able to run fast enough man spirit! In THIS verse it is I who possess all authority! Your spirit will break! And I will revel in the glory of my mighty dominion over a singular existence! HAHAHAHAHA!

Tanya: Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!

(Sound of Tanya running fades out)

(Sound of Matti walking through the graveyard)

Matti: (mumbling to himself) Paska! Victu! Perkelle! Ripoli! (suddenly stops walking. Sound of the repeating ghost can be heard in the background) What? (sound of him walking quickly. Sound of the repeater ghost gets closer. Stops walking).

Repeater Ghost: You’re soon too, you know.

Matti: What the hell is this! I was walking in a single direction! How am I back here?! (Sound of him walking around a little bit). It’s a circle. It’s all a circle. It’s just one giant loop. I have a feeling no matter what direction I walk I’ll just end up back here… (takes a few more steps and lets out an angry sigh). (Shouting to the sky) WHAT DO YOU WANT HUMBABA?! WHY HAVE YOU PLACED ME HERE?! WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?! (silence) Nothing?! You coward you dare not even face me when I am in a weakened state?! (silence.)

Repeater Ghost: You’re soon too, you know.

Matti: Bah! What?! What?! Is it in the graves Humbaba?! Do you expect me to dig my own grave and find something there?! Fine! I’m digging! I’m digging! (sound of Matti bending over and digging in one of the graves. After a moment he scrapes something). I found something Humbaba! Is this what you want?! (sound of him brushing dirt away). It’s a coffin! Hmmm, I wonder what’s in here Humbaba?! Let’s see! (Sound of him prying the coffin open) Well! It’s empty! You freaking genius Humbaba! You gave me an empty coffin! HAHA! What a great clue! I totally know what’s going on now!

Repeater Ghost: You’re soon too, you know.

Matti: Gah, Paska! (Sound of him standing back up and walking away from the grave. Suddenly a sharp throbbing noise is heard. Struggling.) Gah! Ngh! (Throbbing noise goes away after a moment.) Jesus… The lines. They’re growing faster. I feel them trying to take over my body now. (Sound of him looking at his body) They’re at the top of my chest now. (Moment of silence as he thinks) Of course! Humbaba is trapping me here! He’s put me in a cage. He wants to trap me here until the possession has finished taking me over. Damnit! (sound of him breathing heavy as he thinks) Come on, think Matti… How do you get out of here…

Repeater Ghost: You’re soon too, you know.

Matti: God… whose to say there is a way out. (Sighs) Well… I suppose I have to try to find it though. What else am I going to do? Let’s see here. There was no exit when I dug up one of the graves. He probably wants me to think it’s the furnace so that I’ll try to crawl through it. That’s probably why he put it there with that residual spirit. He’s trying to confuse me. It keeps saying “you’re soon to you know” and then shovels heads into the furnace… as if to suggest that if I stick my head in the furnace too something will happen. He’s hoping I think it’s a clue to an exit, but it’s a lie. I’ll probably just end up getting burned and having the possession process speed up in my weakened state. Hmmm…

Repeater Ghost: You’re soon too, you know.

Matti: The stream! Maybe there’s an exit in the same stream I entered from! (sound of Matti walking over to the stream). In I go…
(Sound of Matti jumping into the stream. Sound of the graveyard fades out).

(Sound of the mountain comes in. Sound of Wolfgang digging out of the snow from the Avalanche).

Wolfgang: (Digging himself out) Gah, Bah! (Pulls himself out). This is the 2nd time I’ve had to dig myself out of being buried alive in the same day! God, am I hurt? Am I cut? Do I have the red lines on me? (sound of him looking himself over and patting himself down. Stops patting himself and sighs) Phew, I’m not. Still in control… ok. Now, where am I? (sound of him standing up and looking around). Further down the mountain. Whatever yelled and brought on the avalanche is probably not far behind. I gotta get out of here.

(Sound of the woman popping out from beneath the avalanche too)

Woman 1: (Sound of her popping out from beneath the snow) Aaaah! No! Humbaba has discovered our freedom!

Woman 2: His rage will consume us all!

Woman 3: We must beg for his forgiveness or we will all be banished to the black curtain!

Wolfgang: Beg for his forgiveness? I just freed you! Come on, there must be some form of feminism in this place!

Woman 4: Unless we are able to quickly escape, the lord of intestines will rain a thousand horrors down upon our heads!

Wolfgang: Well fine, then how do we quickly escape from here?!

Woman 5: We would have to find and destroy his aura, but, oh, there is no time.

Wolfgang: Right! His aura! Like you said before! Well, come on, let’s try looking for it at least! (sound of him starting to walk around and look)

Woman 2: It is hopeless! Such a search could take ages!

Wolfgang: Fine! Then we die… or… whatever it is that happens to you here… but we at least have to try! Even if it’s futile, what’s the point in just giving up?! (Stops walking) Hey! Wait! What’s that! Up on the top of the mountain! Look, there’s something shinning up there! Is that his aura?

(Sound of the woman walking up to him and looking)

Woman 1: It is unknown.

Woman 3: We have not seen such a shine before.

Woman 5: perhaps it is! Perhaps his aura was hiding beneath the snow of the mountain this whole time!

Woman 2: And the avalanche revealed it!

Wolfgang: Well, come on then! Let’s go get it!

Woman 4: Yes! We must! Quickly!

(Sound of them scrambling up the mountain)

Wolfgang: (scrambling) Come on! We can get there quickly! We aren’t too far away from the top!

Woman 3: (scrambling) We are nearly free!

Woman 1: (scrambling) I can almost feel the glory of the great beasts tendrils around my spirit!

Wolfgang: (scrambling) Yeah… You guys are really weird.

Woman 5: We have reached the top.

Wolfgang: There it is! The thing that’s glowing!

(Sound of them running up to it. They stop running)

Wolfgang: …Oh… it’s another frozen woman…

Woman 2: (pause) AAAAAH! NOOOO!

Wolfgang: What? What?

(sound of the woman in ice breaking out)

Wolfgang: She broke out the ice.

Woman 4: (Terrified) Ma-Tur!

Wolfgang: Who?

Ma-Tur: You DARE to betray our lord Humbaba! You would destroy his aura?! You would weaken him now? During the time of his greatest conflict against the rival?!

Woman 1: We are sorry Ma-Tur! We did not know! We only wished for freedom!

Woman 2: Please forgive us Ma-Tur!

Wolfgang: So you’re not the aura then?

Ma-Tur: You think Humbaba would be foolish enough to leave his sacred aura in the presence of such insolent women? His aura is well hidden, far away from any of those so eager to betray him.

Woman 3: Please do not punish us Ma-Tur! Tell us what we must do!

Ma-Tur: Such pathetic displays. But I suppose that’s why the lord of intestines has kept you frozen. (Sound of her pacing a little bit) But you wish to win favor with him again don’t you?

Woman 5: Yes! Please! We will do anything!

Ma-Tur: Then claim this foreign spirit that stands before me! This bad influence which has swayed you into deviance. Use your hands and tear at his body! Gouge at his eyes! Damage his spirit so that Humbaba may possess him! And if his spirit will not yield to Humbaba’s will, drag him screaming to the black curtain!

(silence for a moment)

Wolfgang: Oh… come on… like you guys are going to fall that right?! …Right?

Woman 2: We must do it.

Woman 3: Yes, we must regain favor with Humbaba, or suffer greatly.

Woman 1: It is the only way to spare ourselves from the wrath of his horrors.

Woman 4: We will tear the individuality from your existence!

Woman 5: Attack!

(Sound of them all starting to walk towards Wolfgang).

Wolfgang: (Sound of him backing up) What? Huh? Hey! Wait! Wait! I was trying to help you!

(Sound of the mountain fades out)

(Sound of the graveyard fades in.)

Repeating Ghost: (After digging for a moment) You’re soon too you know.

(Sound of Matti emerging from the stream)

Matti: (Crawling out from the water) Bah! Gah! Ok… I found something. (Sound of him pulling himself onto land and taking a few step. Sound of a bag rustling). What is this? What have I found here? (Sound of him feeling up the bag). It’s a leather sack. (More feeling around) There’s something in here. What is it? (Sound of him opening the sack. He pauses for a second. He then pulls something out of the bag. Struggles as he pulls out the heavy weight). Gnah. (pause as he looks) …It’s a severed head… A severed lion’s head. …Why would there be a severed lion’s head hiding in the stream? Hmmm.

(Moment of silence as he thinks)

Repeating Ghost: You’re soon too, you know.

Matti: (Putting things to together) Huh…wait… Humbaba? …Humbaba… Why are you hiding your head here away from everyone else? Where there is normally no one to find it? This is special to you isn’t it? (Pause. Sound of him walking over to the repeater ghost at the furnace.) …Well… for lack of a better idea of what to do… I guess I’ll see what happens if I throw this in the furnace. (Sound of Matti throwing the Lion’s head into the furnace. Sound of it exploding into flames. A loud lion’s scream is heard and the ground shaking). HAHAHA! DIDN’T LIKE THAT DID YOU, YOU BASTARD! Now you’ll think twice next time you think you can safely put Matti Ineninen in the same place you had your head! I’m not as stupid as I seem! (Sound of dirt moving next to him. Matti turns around.) A hole just appeared in the grave I dug up. A hole that goes through the bottom of the coffin and down into ground. It goes down into darkness. (Sound of him walking up to the hole). Alright, here’s hoping that this doesn’t lead me to someplace worse than here! (Sound of him jumping in).

(Sound of graveyard fades out)

(Sound of mountain fades in. Sound of the women still walking towards Wolfgang)

Ma-Tur: Get him brides! Show him the consequences for playing with the destiny of Humbaba.

Woman 3: Yes!

Woman 2: We will bring his spirit to his knees.

Wolfgang: (backing up) Whoa! Whoa! Just… just wait a second now! (sound of a lion’s scream) What was that?

Ma-Tur: Humbaba! His aura!

(sound of rocks sliding next to Wolfgang)

Wolfgang: What? (sound of him turning and looking) A hole in the side of the mountain! (Sound of him running towards it).

Ma-Tur: Stop him! Do not let him escape!

(Sound of the women chasing after Wolfgang)

Wolfgang: (running) Oh please, oh please be an exit! Gah! (sound of him jumping into the hole.)

(Sound of women stopping running)

Woman 1: He escaped!

Ma-Tur: (hisses)

(Sound of mountain fades out)

(Sound of forest fades in. Sound of Tanya being chased by Humbaba.)

Tanya: (running) Oh man! Oh man! Gotta get away!

Humbaba: (running) You will never escape me man spirit! I am almost upon you!

Tanya: (running) Gnaaah!

Humbaba: (sound of him suddenly stopping and jerking. He let’s out a loud lion’s yell) AAH! MY AURA! MY AURA HAS BEEN DESTROYED!

(Sound of wood moving)

Tanya: (running) A hole in the base of that tree just swung open! Going for it! (Sound of her throwing her throwing her self into the hole).

(Sound of the forest fades out)

(Sound of the central verse fades in. Silence for a moment. Suddenly the sound of Tanya, Matti and Wolfgang getting spit out of the cave.)

All: (as they are thrown) AAAAAAAH!!! (landing) Oof!

(Silence for a moment as they lay there. Suddenly sound of Tanya getting up)

Tanya: (Getting up and running over to Wolfgang) Wolfgang! Are you ok?

Wolfgang: (Getting up) Yeah… Yeah I think I’m ok. Matti?

Matti: (Getting up) Yeah… I’m still here. At least for now.

Lost Soul: You made it out.

Tanya: Hey! (sound of her running up to the lost soul) Take this you salty bitch! (sound of her punching the lost soul)

Lost Soul: Gah! (sound of her falling down).

Tanya: And take this too! (sound of her jumping onto the lost soul and starting to punch)

Lost Soul: (as getting punched) Aaah! Aaah! (lost soul continues to yell as she gets punched)

Wolfgang: She’s beating the ghost up.

Matti: Tanya, what are you doing?

Tanya: (as she punches) Getting information the old fashioned way! Hey you! I was in the forest with Humbaba! He didn’t want to possess me! Why?! Why does he want me?! Why does he want me unpossessed?

Lost Soul: (as getting punched) Aaaah! Please! Stop! The beatings pain me!

Tanya: (as she punches) Tell me what I want to know!

Lost Soul: (as getting punched) No! Please! I cannot say! Humbaba will punish me!

Tanya: (as she punches) Well you know the rules lady! I need information, you can’t lie and I can keep punching without running out of stamina!

(continues to punch for a moment)

Lost Soul: (as she punches) The beatings! They are too much! I will tell you! Please stop!

Tanya: Good! (sound of stopping punching and getting off of the lost soul) Well?

Lost Soul: Humbaba wishes to control the ship known as Macedonia. However to truly control the ship he requires an entity with both the skill and humanity needed to play the melodies. You possess both of these attributes, however if he were to possess you, you would lose your humanity.

Tanya: Well… ok then.

Matti: Lost soul, leave this place. Never seek us out again!

Lost Soul: (growling) You will regret the day you stood against Humbaba! You will all suffer for destroying his aura when he is ruler of all existence! (sound of Lost Soul disappearing).

Wolfgang: (sound of Tanya walking back over the two of them) Well, that was interesting.

Tanya: I keep telling you, I’m a classy lady. I don’t know why you refuse to believe me.

Wolfgang: So what happened in there? I was on this mountain, with these women who were trying to attack me. They kept saying we could escape if we could find Humbaba’s aura and destroy it, but it wasn’t where I was at. They kept talking about something called “the central verse” too. I’m assuming that must be this place, since this is where we were before we entered the cave.

Matti: So that must have been what I destroyed. I don’t know what happened, but we were clearly in some kind of… territory… or territories… controlled by him. I found his head hidden in a stream and destroyed it. When I destroyed it the doors back to this place must have opened up.

Tanya: I was in a forest and Humbaba himself was there. He was a lion. He kept saying he wanted me to help him gain control of something called “the Black Curtain” and stuff about a “singular existence.”

Wolfgang: Yeah! The women I was with kept talking about this “Black Curtain” too.

Tanya: Any idea what that is Matti?

Matti: No… no idea. I’ve never heard of it before.

Tanya: Well… either way… he said he wouldn’t possess me. I guess we know why now. That’s probably why we keep getting this “powerful” spirits crap from them too.

Matti: Maybe.

Wolfgang: That’s good news though right? It means that they won’t be able to control the ship without you Tanya. It probably means that Monroe is stuck too.

Tanya: Yeah… so what just happened then? When you destroyed the aura, did it kill Humbaba?

Matti: I doubt it. I don’t think things really die here…

Wolfgang: Yeah… and one of the woman on the mountain said that destroying the aura would weaken him. But she didn’t say it would kill him.

Tanya: Oh! I just remembered! Humbaba said that Daytras was in danger. That his soul was going to get torn apart into non-existence unless we unfreeze him. I guess non-existence may be what death is here?

Matti: Oh… maybe it is… maybe there is death in the spirit world then…

Wolfgang: Oh boy, we better get him unfrozen soon then. And not to mention that we need to get this corruption out of Matti fast. Look, the red lines have spread to his neck.

Tanya: Right. How far are we from the ship now? (sound of her take a few steps and looking around). Oh… It’s right here. Right above us.

Matti: (taking a few steps) Oh yeah… I guess the cave really did bring us closer to ship.

Wolfgang: How do we get up there?

Matti: Here. (sound of him grabbing one of the tendrils. It squishes.) We can climb up one of these red rope things that are hanging all over the place. Then we can make our way over to the ship.

Tanya: Good plan. Come on.

(Sound of them grabbing and starting to climb the tendril)

Wolfgang: (as they are climbing) The woman on the mountain referred to something called the “tendrils of the great beast”. I wonder if these are it.

Matti: (climbing) Maybe… it makes the most sense I suppose.

Tanya: (climbing) What’s the great beast?

Wolfgang: (climbing) I don’t know. They talked about it in very high regard though. Sort of like it was their savior or god or something.

Tanya: (climbing) Weird.

Wolfgang: (climbing) Yeah. …Hey… that thing above us. Where all of the tendrils are coming down from. That big bubbling, spiraling thing that is the sky. Maybe that’s the Great Beast?

Tanya: (climbing. Uneasy) Nnnn… This conversation is starting to freak me out. I don’t want to think about it.

Matti: (climbing) Just keep climbing you two.

Wolfgang: (climbing) Right.

(They keep climbing for a moment).

Tanya: (climbing) Hey Wolfgang.

Wolfgang: (climbing) Yeah?

Tanya: (climbing) Who has a better ass? Me or the mountain women?

Wolfgang: (climbing) Oddly enough I wasn’t looking when they were trying to attack me.

Tanya: (climbing) …. I’m going to take that as me.

(Musical interlude. Sound fades in and they are still climbing.)

Matti: (climbing) Here, we made it to the ship.

(sound of them stopping climbing)

Tanya: Right. Come on, get off onto the top of the ship.

(sound of them climbing off onto the top of the ship)

Wolfgang: Ok. How do we get inside.

Tanya: Follow me, there should be a hatch near here actually.

(sound of them walking on the top of the ship)

Wolfgang: Matti, the lines have grown to your chin.

Matti: I noticed.

Wolfgang: So how do you pass the corruption onto Daytras anyway?

Matti: Well… I got it by being bit. Maybe I need to bite him.

Tanya: Here. (Sound of them stopping walking. Sound of Tanya bending over and opening a hatch). Everybody jump in.

(Sound of them jumping into the hatch and into the ship)

Wolfgang: Alright… We’re back… Let’s find Daytras… and try not to get possessed in the process.

CREDITS/COMMERCIAL/OUTRO

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