ACT ONE – THE DECORATION
Festive holiday music plays as the intro to the radio show.
BRAD QUINN
Merry Christmas Eve, Lamplight Bay! For those of you just joining us, no, your ears aren’t deceiving you. I’m am not the incredibly talented Aubrey Blake. My name is Brad Quinn, and I’m doing my best to fill in for Aubrey tonight.
Longtime listeners may know that we have a little tradition here at WLDH. Every Christmas Eve we give the hosts the night off, and the station manager gets off his butt to actually work for a change. Yours truly just so happens to be that lucky station manager, so let’s all hope that I don’t manage to screw things up too badly over the next few hours. Be gentle, Lamplight Bay. I haven’t been behind a live microphone since college.
I’m not too worried, though. I’ve got my fantastic producer Kelly Overton here with me tonight. Merry Christmas, Kelly, and Merry Christmas to all of you listening.
It’s the top of the hour, and that means it’s time for a weather update. Kelly?
KELLY OVERTON
Good evening, Brad, and Merry Christmas. I’m Kelly Overton with your official WLDH weather update brought to you by Henderson Tires. I hope you’re ready for a white Christmas, because it just started snowing here at the station a few minutes ago. We’re looking at light flurries turning into heavy snowfall within the hour. The snow will continue into the early morning hours, with an overnight high of 26 degrees.
This has been your local weather, and I’ll be back with an update in an hour. Brad?
BRAD QUINN
Thanks, Kelly. Well, you heard her, folks. If you’ve got any extremely last minute Christmas shopping to get done, you’re going to want to do that as fast as possible so that you can get home before the heavy snow starts.
Let’s go ahead and get in the mood for this special night. Here’s [INSERT SONG NAME] by [INSERT ARTIST NAME], on 95.7FM, the Signal.
Song plays. When the song is coming to an end, it fades into BRAD QUINN’s talking.
BRAD QUINN
That was [INSERT SONG NAME] by [INSERT ARTIST NAME]. I’m Brad Quinn, filling in for Aubrey Blake tonight here on 95.7FM, the Signal.
The holiday season is a time for family, and all of us here at WLDH consider each and every one of you to be family. From all of us, thank you for your support throughout the year.
If you’ve got any special requests, give us a call or send a request through the website and we’d be happy to play whatever holiday song is your personal favorite.
Kelly is holding up a piece of paper and waving at me from the booth. What have you got for us, Kelly?
KELLY OVERTON
I just received an email from the sheriff’s office. They’re asking that people avoid the area around Town Square while they take care of a minor power outage. Apparently the lights on the big tree have gone out.
BRAD QUINN
The Christmas tree going out on Christmas Eve. Not the kind of thing you want to have happen, but Sheriff Tucker and his people are the best there is and I’m sure that they’ll have everything back up and running in no time. Thanks, Kelly.
Let’s keep things rolling right along with another song. It’s [INSERT SONG NAME] by [INSERT ARTIST NAME] on the Signal, 95.7FM.
Song plays. Like the first time, when it’s over it fades into BRAD QUINN talking.
BRAD QUINN
That’s one of my absolute favorites. If you’ve got your own favorite that you’d like to hear tonight, give me a call.
On the phone right now we’ve got Renee Kidman. She’s a bartender at Holcolmb’s Tavern, and she was closing up shop for the night when the lights on the tree went out. Merry Christmas to you, Renee.
RENEE KIDMAN’s voice is slightly distorted, as she is calling in on a cellphone.
RENEE KIDMAN
Merry Christmas, Brad.
BRAD QUINN
So the message we got from the sheriff’s office wasn’t totally clear. Is it just the lights on the tree that are out, or are the businesses nearby affected as well?
RENEE KIDMAN
I think it’s just the tree. Holcolmb’s is the closest business, and we still have power.
BRAD QUINN
That’s good to hear. Can you tell if the sheriff’s department has arrived yet?
RENEE KIDMAN
Yeah, they’ve been here for about ten minutes now. Sheriff Tucker and one of his officers went back behind the tree. I think that’s where it’s plugged in or whatever.
BRAD QUINN
Sheriff Tucker himself is on the case, listeners. I’ve known him for a long time, and he’s a man that gets things done. I imagine that he’ll have thin-
RENEE KIDMAN
Wait, there’s something going on. They just came back around… Ah, there we go, the lights are coming back on now. Oh… Oh shit. Holy shit!
RENEE KIDMAN’s tone has changed from calm to panicked.
BRAD QUINN
Hey, whoa, Renee, we can’t have that kind of language on the air. What-
RENEE KIDMAN
Holy fuck! He’s fucking dead!
There’s an audible click as the line is disconnected.
BRAD QUINN
I apologize, Renee, but we had to cut off the call. This is a family show, and we’re also bound by FCC regulations.
There’s a short pause, and when BRAD QUINN speaks again he is backed away from the microphone and his voice is faint.
BRAD QUINN
Did she say that someone’s dead? Yeah? Call the sheriff’s office, see if you can find out what’s going on.
BRAD QUINN returns to his position in front of the microphone, and his voice’s volume returns to normal. He is clearly a bit rattled.
BRAD QUINN
Sorry about that, listeners. Why don’t we head over to a commercial break? No, wait, I forgot that we’re commercial-free for the evening. Can you tell that I haven’t done this in years, folks?
Let’s, uh, let’s play another song. We’ll be right back.
Song plays. When the song is over, it fades into silence for a moment before BRAD QUINN is heard, once again away from the microphone.
BRAD QUINN
Who told you that?
Pause.
BRAD QUINN
I’m not saying that on the air unless we have confirmation. Tucker’s number is on file, call him. What? Oh, hell.
There is the sound of a BRAD QUINN sitting back down in his chair and quickly getting his headset back on.
BRAD QUINN
Hello again, listeners. This is Brad Quinn, filling in for Aubrey Blake tonight on 95.7FM, the Signal.
So, those of you that aren’t just joining us heard a pretty disturbing call a few minutes ago. I want you to know that we’re looking into it now, and as soon as we hear anything I’ll let you know. Right now we don’t know anything one way or another about what is or isn’t happening, so let’s all hope it was just a prank. One that was in very poor taste.
In the meantime, I recommend staying away from the downtown area. The last thing we heard from the sheriff’s office was that there was a power outage that they’re working on. There hasn’t been an official update on that yet, so let’s give local law enforcement some space so they can do their jobs.
One thing that we do know for sure is that the snow is really starting to come down out there. I took a look out the front window here at the station, and I could barely make out the cars in the parking lot.
It’s the kind of blustery winter night where you just want to curl up in front of a warm fire with loved ones and sip some hot cocoa. Maybe go with something a bit stronger than cocoa. No matter what you choose, it’s all about enjoying each other’s company.
Let’s all get back into that cozy holiday spirit with [INSERT SONG NAME] by [INSERT ARTIST NAME].
The song plays. When it ends, there is a moment of silence before BRAD QUINN returns to the air.
BRAD QUINN
Uh, I apologize for the momentary awkwardness here, listeners. Bear with us for a couple more minutes. Here’s another song.
Another song plays after a brief moment’s hesitation. The song is abruptly cut off about two-thirds of the way through.
BRAD QUINN
Welcome back, listeners. This is Brad Quinn, filling in for Aubrey this Christmas Eve on 95.7FM.
I have some unfortunate news to share with you all this evening. We have received word from the Lamplight Bay Sheriff’s Office that Mayor Walter Hill has died.
Short pause.
BRAD QUINN
I’m sorry, folks. I know that’s not the kind of news you want to hear, especially on a holiday. There isn’t much more to what we’ve been told by the sheriff’s office, just them asking that you stay away from the downtown area if at all possible for the time being.
That’s not all that I have to pass along to you, though. We’ve received multiple unconfirmed reports that Mayor Hill’s death is the result of a homicide.
While I stress that has not been confirmed by the Lamplight Bay Sheriff’s Office, one of 95.7FM’s own, Dennis Connolly, is currently on the scene. You know Dennis as one of the hosts of our weekday morning show Up Too Early. Are you still on the line, Dennis?
DENNIS CONNOLLY answers BRAD QUINN, his voice coming over the air via a cellphone.
DENNIS CONNOLLY
Yes, Brad, I’m still here.
BRAD QUINN
Thank you for taking time out of your vacation to call in. I’m sure that this is the last thing you want to be doing tonight. Can you tell us what’s happening?
DENNIS CONNOLLY
About half an hour ago, forty-five minutes at most, the power in Town Square went out. The buildings around it didn’t seem to be affected, but inside the square all the lamps and other lights went out. That includes the Christmas tree.
A few minutes after Sheriff Tucker and a deputy arrived to check things out, the lights came back on. When they did, that’s when the mayor was found.
BRAD QUINN
And where was the mayor found?
DENNIS CONNOLLY
That’s what is really fu… really messed up about the whole thing. The mayor’s body was found tied to the Christmas tree with what looked like cables. Wait, no, they weren’t tied. Sorry, I’m still trying to wrap my head around things. The mayor’s body was about eight or nine feet up off the ground, and the cables were pierced through his arms and legs. He was up there like… like he was on display. There was blood everywhere.
BRAD QUINN
That’s probably as graphic as we want to get on the air, Dennis. What happened after the body was, um, discovered?
DENNIS CONNOLLY
There was someone standing at the base of the tree under the mayor. I don’t know if it was a man or woman. The person was dressed all in black, with a hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants. They were wearing this…
Have you seen those LED masks before, Brad? The kind that you can program the lights to form pictures or do animations? The person was wearing one of those, and the mask lights were running this animation of snow falling from the top of the mask to the bottom on a loop.
The person was just standing there, the mayor’s blood dripping down onto him or her and not moving a muscle. Everyone just stared at them for what seemed like forever before Sheriff Tucker ran forward and tackled them to the ground. The person didn’t put up any kind of fight, not even when Tucker cuffed them and put them in the back of his car.
BRAD QUINN
Good God.
DENNIS CONNOLLY
It was the freakiest thing I’ve ever seen. Just the damnedest thing.
BRAD QUINN
So… So, um, what’s happening now?
DENNIS CONNOLLY
Tucker left with the killer. I mean, that had to be the guy that killed the mayor and strung him up, right?
BRAD QUINN
I think Sheriff Tucker would say that it’s too early to say that for sure, and he’d probably caution us against jumping to conclusions. What’s going on with… with Mayor Hill?
DENNIS CONNOLLY
The fire department got called in, and right now the deputy and a couple of firefighters are using ladders to get the mayor down from the tree. They’re going really slow. I think they’re trying to make sure that they don’t, uh, damage the body any more than they have to. Oh, crap, I have to go, Brad. We’re being told that we have to clear the area.
BRAD QUINN
Not a problem, Dennis. Stay safe out there.
There’s a soft click as the phone line goes dead.
BRAD QUINN
Folks, I have to be honest. I don’t know what to make of any of this.
I’ve never heard of anything like this before, certainly not in Lamplight Bay. It’s like something out of… No, you know what? It’s best not to go down that rabbit hole.
Short pause.
BRAD QUINN
For those of you just joining us, here’s a quick recap of the horrible news we’ve received this evening. Mayor Walter Hill, who was re-elected last month, is dead, the victim of what appears to be a homicide. The sheriff’s office has taken someone into custody, although it is unknown if this person is the person that actually committed the murder. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
We’re going to take a short break. We’ll be right back.
One song plays, and then a second one. When the broadcast returns to the studio, instead of BRAD QUINN behind the microphone, it is KELLY OVERTON.
KELLY OVERTON
Welcome back, listeners. This is 95.7FM, the Signal, and I’m Kelly Overton. Brad Quinn will be back with you in just a few minutes and I can go back to my nice comfy production booth, but until then I’m happy to be here with you great folks.
Typically we do weather updates at the top of the hour, but the storm has really picked up. The Lamplight Bay Sheriff’s Office has issued a Level 1 Snow Emergency for both the town and the surrounding areas. Snow and ice accumulation are causing roadways to become slick and hazardous, and anyone out and about is encouraged to exercise caution.
The National Weather Service has updated its predicted accumulation overnight to five inches, with as much as eight inches possible. Winds of 40 miles per hour are expected, with gusts reaching 55 miles per hour.
Long story short, if you’re at home stay there, and if you’re not you’ll want to consider getting there as soon as possible.
This has been your weather update on 95.7FM, the Signal, brought to you by Henderson Tires.
Brad is coming back into the studio right now.
There’s the sound of a piece of paper exchanging hands near the microphone before there’s a short pause. When KELLY OVERTON speaks again, it’s slightly away from the microphone.
KELLY OVERTON
This is from the sheriff’s office?
BRAD QUINN’s voice comes from further away from the microphone.
BRAD QUINN
No. Those came in from listeners in the email and through the text line.
KELLY OVERTON
Should we wait for-
BRAD QUINN
I couldn’t get through. Go head and read it.
There’s a brief pause as KELLY OVERTON returns to the microphone.
KELLY OVERTON
Over the last few minutes, we’ve been receiving messages from listeners about some strange sightings in the area. There are… six separate reports of sightings of individuals dressed all in black and wearing LED masks. This is the same description that we were given for the person present at the tree in Town Square where Mayor Hill’s body was found.
As I said, it’s six reports so far, but as I’m speaking I’m watching more emails coming in on my screen. None of these reports are in the vicinity of Town Square. They seem to be scattered around Lamplight Bay.
We are just as in the dark as to what’s going on as you are. I wish there was something more that we could tell you, and as soon as there is we will. For now, though, keep yourselves safe out there. Go home, lock your doors, and use good common sense.
We’re going to take a short break, try to get everything that’s coming in sorted out, and hopefully when we get back we’ll have more to pass on to you. Stay safe, Lamplight Bay.
Song plays, and ACT ONE ends.
ACT TWO – THE SIEGE
When the music from the end of the first act ends, it fades into BRAD QUINN’s talking.
BRAD QUINN
Welcome back to Christmas Eve on 95.7FM, the Signal. I’m Brad Quinn, and my producer Kelly and I are filling in for the usual crew this evening.
Obviously, this hasn’t been the kind of Christmas Eve that anyone is used to. It’s also one that I’m sure we all wish wasn’t happening at all.
The original plan for tonight was to play some Christmas music, take some requests, and have a relaxing evening with our listeners. That’s typically what happens on these holiday shifts. It’s part of the reason that we give our usual radio personalities the night off, along with wanting to give them time with their families as a thank you for everything they do throughout the year.
That obviously isn’t what’s happened so far this evening. There’s something… abnormal going on in Lamplight Bay tonight. Mayor Walter Hill is dead, an unknown person is in custody, and other figures dressed the same way as that person are now being reported in multiple places.
To add to that, we’re in the beginning stages of what can best be described as a blizzard. To top everything off, the phone lines here at WLDH just went down. We still have internet access and we’re still able to transmit, thankfully, but we can’t make or receive calls. The storm has taken away the cellphone option as well.
We’ve promised that we’d provide more information when we received it. That has now happened, and just like we promised, we’ll be passing along everything that we know.
There needs to be some, um, some context before I do that, though. The information that we have has come directly through an email from Sheriff Tucker. Along with it came a short note asking that it be read on-air, and that any reports that we receive involving any, and I’m quoting here, “strange events” be detailed on-air as well.
We’re not the only station to have gotten this email. I spoke with a colleague at a different local radio station, and he received it as well. If I had to take a guess, I’d say that everyone broadcasting did.
Brief pause.
BRAD QUINN
I have to be honest here. Normally I wouldn’t be complying with this request, and as station manager I wouldn’t allow anyone else to, either. This is a family station, not a news station, and this is some very… unsavory content. We would only be broadcasting the general story rather than the exact details.
That’s what we’d do normally. This is obviously not a normal situation.
I don’t want to speculate too much, but the sheriff’s office wouldn’t be asking us to do this unless it was extremely important. Given what happened to Mayor Hill this evening, I don’t think it’s much of a stretch to think that this being done in the interest of public safety even if we don’t know the exact details.
So we’re going to comply with Sheriff Tucker’s requests. I very much advise listener discretion.
Brief pause, and BRAD QUINN takes a deep breath.
BRAD QUINN
All right, here we go.
The following is a note that was presented to the sheriff’s office by the suspect they took into custody.
“Mayor Walter Hamilton Hill. Age 58. Thief. Death by skinning and gutting.”
Pause.
BRAD QUINN
There are two more attachments included with the email. The first is a series of financial documents that appear to show funds being removed from a number of public services and deposited into Mayor Hill’s private accounts. Some of you may have heard the rumors of possible embezzlement somewhere in the town government, but there had never been any proof of that before now.
The second attachment is a series of pictures that… I’m sorry, please give me just a moment.
Pause.
BRAD QUINN
I apologize. These pictures are hard to look at. They show Mayor Hill’s dead body before it was, um, displayed in Town Square. The skin has been removed, and there’s… His body has been cut right down the middle to expose his internal organs.
There’s another pause, but instead of silence there is the sound of BRAD QUINN taking a series of deep breaths.
KELLY OVERTON
Brad? Brad, I’m so sorry, but we’ve just gotten an email from a listener about another… another one.
BRAD QUINN
What?
KELLY OVERTON
It’s… another killing.
BRAD QUINN
Jesus. Okay. Go ahead.
KELLY OVERTON
Should I read it word-for-word, or…?
BRAD QUINN
Just summarize it, I guess.
KELLY OVERTON
Okay, yeah. Okay. Um, this is coming from Ellen over on Hyatts Drive. She was letting out her dog when she noticed that her neighbors’ back door was standing wide open even though it was snowing. She went over to check on them and found them dead in the kitchen. God. Their bodies were covered in bruises and contorted into unnatural positions. There’s more details here if you want them.
BRAD QUINN
No. I think everyone gets the idea. Does it say who the… the neighbors were?
KELLY OVERTON
Harold and Donna Lake.
BRAD QUINN
I’ve got another, uh, statement that has just come in with those names on it.
“Harold Carl Lake. Age 46. Abuser. Death by bludgeoning.
“Donna Elaine Lake. Age 44. Abuser. Death by bludgeoning.”
There’s something else attached here…
Short pause.
BRAD QUINN
These are foster care records for a number of children over the past ten years, all of which have been assigned to the Lakes. Each one includes medical records showing injuries to the child. All of the injuries are marked as being accidental. It seems pretty obvious what is being suggested here, though.
KELLY OVERTON
Brad, look at the email.
BRAD QUINN
Yeah, I see it. Folks, we’re starting to get swarmed with reports. Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to take a break to allow us to get as much of this organized as possible. I know playing Christmas music with all of… this going on seems tone deaf, maybe even crass, but it’s all that we have to work with. Please just bare with us, and we’ll be back as soon as possible.
The station goes to break. Two songs play before BRAD QUINN returns to the air.
BRAD QUINN
Welcome back, listeners. This is Brad Quinn, and you’re listening to 95.7FM, the Signal.
We are still working on sorting all of the information that we’ve received. To give you an idea of how we’re handling this, we’re trying to match reports of…
Jesus. I’m sitting here trying to think of a delicate radio-friendly way to say ‘murders’.
You know what? This isn’t fair to the people who have lost their lives, and it’s not fair to everyone that’s sitting in their cars or homes listening to this while fearing for the lives of themselves and their families.
From this moment on, we’re done playing pretend. People are dying from some sort of organized killing spree, and while maybe some people could stay above it and maintain journalistic integrity, whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean, I can’t.
We’re going to read these reports and statements. We’re going to do that not because it’s our jobs, but because I’m convinced that the sheriff’s office asked us to in an effort to prevent even more loss of life. That’s the only reason I can think of that they’d be wanting any of this made public.
Brief pause, followed by a sigh from BRAD QUINN.
BRAD QUINN
Anyway, as I was saying, we’re putting together incoming reports with the matching statements coming in from the sheriff’s office. It’s not perfect, but it’s as close to verification as we’re going to get. We’ve got three so far.
Kelly, go ahead and read the first one you’ve got.
KELLY OVERTON
Ted Taylor was found by a coworker at Revelry Storage. He was found on the ground in front of the entryway gate. His body was described as swollen and puffy, and there was foam coming out of his mouth. Here’s the statement we were given.
“Theodore Garvin Taylor. Age 39. Poisoner. Death by toxin.”
It came with pictures of… I don’t know for sure, but I think this is a drug lab, and it looks like it’s set up inside of a storage garage.
BRAD QUINN
It really seems like these killers are targeting criminals, or maybe it’s more broad and it’s people that have done bad things. Like some kind of sick vigilantes. I wonder if they-
KELLY OVERTON interrupts BRAD QUINN.
KELLY OVERTON
Brad, look at the cameras.
BRAD QUINN
Sorry, what?
KELLY OVERTON
Brad, look at the fucking security cameras.
There is a brief moment of silence.
BRAD QUINN
I’m not seeing…
KELLY OVERTON
Are you fucking kidding me? The lobby feed.
BRAD QUINN
The internal camera feeds? I was looking outside. Oh fuck!
KELLY OVERTON
What do we do?
BRAD QUINN
Uh, fuck, I don’t… Call the police.
KELLY OVERTON
We can’t, the phones are down.
BRAD QUINN
Then email them. Send up a fucking smoke signal, I don’t fucking care, just get them here.
KELLY OVERTON
He’s moving.
BRAD QUINN
Damn it. Where did he go?
KELLY OVERTON
I don’t know. There are… blind spots all over the place.
BRAD QUINN
Fuck. Lock your door.
There’s a thump as BRAD QUINN puts down his headset and pushes his chair back. He locks the studio door that leads into the hallway. There’s a scraping noise as he picks back up the headset and puts it on.
BRAD QUINN
Listeners, we have a major situation. The security cameras here at the station have picked up someone inside the building. It’s a large man wearing black clothes and a LED mask displaying falling snow, the same description we’ve received of the people carrying out the killings tonight.
We have locked ourselves into the studio and production booth, but these locks weren’t designed to keep out anyone that really wants to get in. They’re meant to stop people from accidentally coming into the studio while someone is on the air.
If anyone out there is able to get in contact with the sheriff’s office, please, tell them that we need help at the WLDH building. They know where it’s at. Please, we need immediate help.
Kelly? Kelly, what’s wrong?
KELLY OVERTON
Something… Something was just slid under my door. The one that goes into the hallway. It’s a piece of paper.
There’s a pause.
BRAD QUINN
I think you’d better check to see what it is.
KELLY OVERTON
Yeah, I fucking know that! Shit, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…
BRAD QUINN
It’s okay. I get it. Do you need me to come in there and do it?
KELLY OVERTON
No. No. I’ve got it. Oh fuck. It’s got blood all over it. It’s a note.
BRAD QUINN
What does it say?
KELLY OVERTON
It says, “Tyler Marcus Brighton. Age 51. Thief.” Isn’t that…
BRAD QUINN
The night janitor for the station. Yeah. Fuck. Is there anyone else in the building? I can’t think of anyone.
KELLY OVERTON
I can’t, either. I think everyone was gone for the holiday.
There’s a knocking sound in the background. BRAD QUINN and KELLY OVERTON stop speaking. There’s a long moment of silence, followed by another knock. This one is louder and firmer. When they start to speak again, their voices are hushed.
KELLY OVERTON
You can see him on the camera in the hallway. What’s he doing?
BRAD QUINN
He’s writing something. I don’t…
KELLY OVERTON
I can’t make out what it says. It’s too pixelated.
BRAD QUINN
It says… It says to open the door or he’ll kill Mary.
KELLY OVERTON
Is that picture on his phone screen…
BRAD QUINN
Yeah.
Short pause.
BRAD QUINN
That’s my house’s front porch.
KELLY OVERTON
What… What do we do?
BRAD QUINN
Well I can’t fucking let them kill my fucking wife, so I guess I’m fucking letting him in.
BRAD QUINN takes a deep breath.
BRAD QUINN
The door between the studio and the producer’s booth swings into the booth, right? Push everything you can in front of it. Barricade the fuck out of it. And make sure that you keep us on the air no matter what.
KELLY OVERTON
Yeah. Okay, yeah.
There are a loud series of noises as KELLY OVERTON barricades the door by pushing heavy equipment and boxes in front of it. This goes on for about a minute before she returns to the microphone, breathing heavily.
BRAD QUINN
Are you done?
KELLY OVERTON
I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.
BRAD QUINN
Okay. I’m letting him in.
There’s a thump as BRAD QUINN puts down his headset and goes over to the door. When he speaks, his voice is quiet and coming from the other side of the room.
BRAD QUINN
Fuck.
There’s the sound of a door opening. There’s a long moment of silence before KELLY OVERTON is heard, her voice quiet and panicked as she keeps repeating herself.
KELLY OVERTON
Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God…
When BRAD QUINN speaks, his voice is away from the microphone.
BRAD QUINN
Yeah, okay. Whatever you want.
There’s a scraping noise as BRAD QUINN picks back up his headset and puts it on.
BRAD QUINN
I’m back on the air now. I didn’t turn off the headset before I let you in. There’s a second microphone right there. There isn’t a headset for it, it’s just a mic, but Kelly will get it on air for you.
There’s the sound of a chair being pulled back as the masked figure sits down at the table.
BRAD QUINN
Kelly, go ahead and make his mic live.
When Kelly speaks, it’s once again the quiet and panicked tone.
KELLY OVERTON
Oh God, oh fuck, oh fuck…
BRAD QUINN
Kelly, I know you’re scared, but if you don’t get this mic hot right fucking now he’s going to kill us. Snap the fuck out of it!
When Kelly speaks this time, there’s still panic in her voice but it’s normal volume.
KELLY OVERTON
Fuck, yeah, okay. What mic is that? Three? Okay, it’s on.
There’s the sound of someone tapping on a microphone, as if he’s testing to see if it’s working.
BRAD QUINN
You’re on the air. I can hear you tapping through my headset now.
The MYSTERIOUS MAN’s voice is partially muffled by his mask. His tone is even and measured, and he speaks as someone that is in charge of the situation that he’s in and knows it. He is intelligent and articulate, not some crazed killer.
MYSTERIOUS MAN
Excellent. Good evening, Bradly Ryan Quinn and Kelly Sophia Overton, and good evening to everyone in Lamplight Bay.
ACT TWO ends.
ACT THREE – ESCALATIONS AND ENDINGS
There is a long pause before BRAD QUINN speaks.
BRAD QUINN
May… may I asked why you’re here?
MYSTERIOUS MAN
Not yet, you may not. After all, I just wished you a good evening. The polite thing to do is to wish me the same.
BRAD QUINN is clearly flustered when he replies.
BRAD QUINN
Uh, yeah, of course. Good evening, um, sir.
MYSTERIOUS MAN
There. That wasn’t so hard, now was it? I often wonder when common courtesies became so uncommon. If a person waved hello at you at the grocery store, it used to be second nature to wave back and return the greeting. Now people ignore the friendly gesture and even feel harassed by it.
Jacob Carter Fogly. Age 25. Liar. Death by tearing out of throat.
BRAD QUINN
I… What was that?
MYSTERIOUS MAN
Another death to report, sadly. Lamplight Bay is keeping us quite busy this evening.
BRAD QUINN
Keeping you…
MYSTERIOUS MAN
Busy, yes. That’s what I said. Do try to keep up.
Annette Teri Fogly. Age 23. Adulterer. Death by immolation.
KELLY OVERTON
Annie Fogly? Christ, she babysits for me.
MYSTERIOUS MAN
She did. The past tense is now the correct tense.
Silence.
MYSTERIOUS MAN
Brandon Connor Novak. Age 19. Voyeurism. Death by severe cranial trauma.
When he speaks, BRAD QUINN’s voice is strained.
BRAD QUINN
Why are you doing this?
MYSTERIOUS MAN
There must be a record.
BRAD QUINN
A record of what?
MYSTERIOUS MAN
A record of the punishment of committed sins. The innocent must know that their town is finally being cleansed of the filth.
Rebecca Ann Wallace. Age 44. Prostitution. Death by disembowelment.
KELLY OVERTON
Wait, hold on. Rebecca’s not a prostitute. She does volunteer work, for God’s sake.
MYSTERIOUS MAN
She also used sex to advance her career at her place of employment, as well as to acquire money and gifts from multiple suitors. The punishment was just. That’s why we sent proof with the first declarations, to show you that we are righteous.
KELLY OVERTON
I don’t believe it.
MYSTERIOUS MAN
Your belief is not a requirement for us to perform our duty.
BRAD QUINN
Your duty?
MYSTERIOUS MAN
Some of the others simply call it a goal, or say that we’re providing a needed service. I like to believe that it’s a duty. It should be everyone’s inherent duty to improve the world around them, don’t you agree?
There’s a short uncomfortable pause.
MYSTERIOUS MAN
I’d like you to answer the question, Mr. Quinn.
BRAD QUINN
I… I believe in helping your community, but not like this. This is murder.
MYSTERIOUS MAN
No. This isn’t murder. This is course correction.
During the Christmas season, everything is all bright lights and uplifting songs and a repeated narrative of happiness and peace. There’s this sense that this time of year is somehow different, somehow better, than the rest.
That’s not true though, is it? The lights and decorations are simply plastered on top of our decaying society. It’s nothing more than lipstick on a pig. What lies beneath is still rotting under its seasonal coating.
The holiday season is a time of lying and hypocrisy. It’s playacting designed to make everyone feel better about themselves and the people around them.
We expose the truth. More than that, we face that truth, and unlike the weak and cowardly we actually do something to improve society.
Adam Edward Grady. Age 39. Deceit. Death by repeated stabbings to the back.
Pause.
MYSTERIOUS MAN
You believe that I’m insane, don’t you, Mr. Quinn?
Pause.
BRAD QUINN
Truthfully?
MYSTERIOUS MAN
I always want the truth.
BRAD QUINN
I don’t think you sound insane. I think you sound like a brainwashed cultist.
MYSTERIOUS MAN
Interesting. There has been no brainwashing, Mr. Quinn. Simply enlightenment from a great man far wiser than both you and me.
I must be going now. There is much to do, and I am called back to my duty. Continue to read the declarations of cleansing that are sent to you as you receive them.
BRAD QUINN
My wife…
MYSTERIOUS MAN
You have done as you were told, and she has not committed a sin worthy of our attention. She will not be harmed.
There is the sound of a chair being pushed back as the MYSTERIOUS MAN stands up. After a moment the sound of the door to the hallway being opened and closed is heard. For a moment there’s only silence. When KELLY OVERTON speaks, her voice is quiet.
KELLY OVERTON
He just left the building.
BRAD QUINN
Thank God. Thank fucking God.
KELLY OVERTON
I thought he was going to…
BRAD QUINN
Yeah. Yeah.
KELLY OVERTON
I can’t… I can’t stop shaking.
BRAD QUINN
I… I need… Go to a break. I don’t care what it is. Just… just go to a break.
There is a momentary pause before a song plays, and then a second. When the broadcast returns to the studio, BRAD QUINN’s voice is a bit stronger and more steady than it was before the break.
BRAD QUINN
I was about to say welcome back, listeners, but somehow that doesn’t feel like the right thing to say given everything that’s happened.
In the interest of full disclosure, I’m currently indulging in a bottle of fine whiskey that the station owner gave me for Christmas. I had been planning on saving it for a special occasion, but let’s face it, if there was ever a time to get shitfaced, it’s now.
Also in the interest of full disclosure, during the break Kelly and I thought about just saying fuck it and getting the hell out of here. Our cars are buried under snow, though, and somehow I don’t think that the people watching the station would give us time to dig them out. They are out there, too. We can see those LED masks of theirs moving around the edges of the property.
Oh, good, look, another statement has come in. Fucking fantastic.
“Harold Samuel Charleston. Age 72. Abuse against children. Death by dismemberment.”
Wonderful.
There’s a brief pause, followed by the sound of a glass with ice being set down on the table.
BRAD QUINN
You know what the worst part of all of this is? Well, not the worst part, but you know what I mean. A bad part.
A bad part of all of this is that there might be a few kernels of truth in that psychopath’s ramblings. Maybe we do use the holiday season to hide from or ignore the bad shit that we do all year. If you fuck your coworker at least once a week behind your wife’s back, does buying that wife an expensive gift in a neat little package make up for that betrayal?
No, of course it doesn’t. It just makes it easier for you to lie to yourself. You can point to the gift and say, “See? I’m good to her, I bought her this great necklace.”
KELLY OVERTON
Brad…
BRAD QUINN
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know.
“Gregory Terrance Hatch. Age 45. Murderer. Death by crushing.”
Greg Hatch. He works down at Henderson Tires, the repair shop that sponsors our weather updates. Good to know the guy that changes my car’s oil killed someone. Fucker.
Brief pause, followed by another clinking of ice in a glass.
BRAD QUINN
Here’s another one.
“Irma Prudence Manningham. Age 88. Liar. Death by asphyxiation.”
That brings up an interesting question. How bad do you have to lie to wind up on these psychos’ naughty list? It can’t just be little white lies. If it was, everyone would be killed off. Is it repeated lying, or is it telling a lie so bad that it leads to something awful? Just trying to figure out where the goalposts are, folks.
KELLY OVERTON
Brad, come on, we can’t-
BRAD QUINN
Can’t what, ask questions about the guidelines the nutjobs are using before they murder people? Of course we can! It’s only fair. They unilaterally declared that it was okay for them to invade personal privacies to make their kill list. It’s only fair that I be able to do some poking and prodding of my own.
Besides, it’s not like it matters. I can ask all the questions that I want, but there’s no way to get any answers to them. It’s all just speculation. Flaccid and pointless speculation.
Pause.
BRAD QUINN
“Manuel Carlos Sanchez. Age 24. Abuser. Death by blow to skull.”
I’d say that we’re all fucked, but we’re past that now. We were all fucked the moment our beloved funds-syphoning mayor was strung up like a pig in a butcher shop window. We just didn’t know it yet.
“Carolyn Rita Smythe. Age 39. Liar. Death by crushing of windpipe.”
Some of these killings are strangely poetic. I wonder if that’s on purpose or just a coincidence?
“David Benjamin Parsons. Age 51. Blackmailer. Death by stabbing.”
That’s a new one. Blackmail. Not the most inspired way of killing someone, though. What do you think, Kelly?
There’s a long pause, with no answer.
BRAD QUINN
Kelly?
Another pause with no answer. There’s the sound of a chair being pushed back as BRAD QUINN starts to stand up to check on his producer. Before he can leave the desk, however, a MASKED MAN speaks over the microphone in the producer’s booth.
MASKED MAN
Kelly Sophia Overton. Age 28. Adulterer. Death by slit throat.
BRAD QUINN
What the fuck?
There’s a loud crash as the door to the studio is kicked in. BRAD QUINN yells in surprise as he scrambles away, his headset falling off and thumping down onto the ground. There’s sounds of a brief skirmish. This is followed by another thump, this time heavier. It’s the sound of BRAD QUINN’s body falling lifelessly to the floor. There is a moment of silence before the MASKED MAN speaks, his voice quieter as it is away from the microphone.
MASKED MAN
Bradley Ryan Quinn. Age 41. Adulterer. Death by broken neck.
The sound of the MASKED MAN slowly moving through the studio can be heard. He comes close to the microphone, and his breathing, muffled by his mask, is picked up by it. After a moment, there is a click, and the final Christmas song plays before fading out.
THE END