(theme music plays)
MASON
Hello listeners, I’m back from lunch with a vengeance—and a guest! Say hello, Esme.
ESME
Hello, Esme.
MASON
Very funny. Anyway, this is Esme, they’re our newest member here at the mall camp. Tell us a little about yourself and your stay here, Esme!
ESME
I only arrived a few days ago, just me and Scout. Scout’s a very good boy who won’t hesitate to bite a zombie for me, but I’m not much of a fighter myself, so I just help out by scavenging within the safety of the mall and helping Tairam keep track of rations and things.
MASON
It’s probably for the best. We have plenty of fighters, surprisingly enough, but not many people who can put up with Tairam when he’s in survival mode.
ESME
(surprised) You knew him before he was in survival mode?
MASON
Sort of. He went to my parents’ church. I think he’s the only person I know who hasn’t given up on god after all this nonsense.
ESME
Faith is important at a time like this. And anyway, he’s not so bad, you know, even in ‘survival mode.’ He just cares about the group and wants to make sure we have enough to eat and drink so we can make it to the evacuation.
MASON
I know, I know, and I totally respect the guy for stepping up and taking a leadership role in the middle of this mess. But that doesn’t change the fact that he would’ve vetoed your dog if Lily and Xander hadn’t formed a connection with it in point-two seconds and then gotten loud about it.
ESME
(gasp) I knew he didn’t like Scout!
MASON
He likes Scout, he just doesn’t like feeding Scout.
ESME
(sadly) I guess that’s reasonable, but he’s all I have left of my family. My parents and I lived over on the west side of the city, but Scout and I were on the opposite side of town by the space center when the apocalypse really hit Kitmouth. We weren’t able to go back for them, we just had to hunker down where we were and try to survive. God, I hope they’re okay…
MASON
(comfortingly) Hey, maybe they’re already safe and sound on the moon colony! The west side got evacuated pretty early on.
ESME
I hope so.
MASON
Oh, hey, we’re getting another call! I bet it’s the survivor again.
[call picks up]
WILL
What’s up, it’s me, reporting live from the Dart Street gas station.
ESME
I used to live near Dart Street!
WILL
(surprised, not mean) Who the hell are you?
MASON
Did you miss the entire segment we just did explaining that?
WILL
Oh, you’re here too. Good.
MASON
Well, yeah. I run the station. Is there a reason you want to talk to me instead of Esme?
WILL
Shit, I don’t know. It’s just… (embarrassed) I associate good things with you now that you’ve helped me out of a sticky situation. I don’t know this Esme person yet.
MASON
You barely know me.
WILL
But I know you’re trustworthy and willing to help, and that’s enough.
MASON
Hmm.
[quiet, footsteps]
WILL
[quietly] This gas station is… surprisingly well stocked. How has this place not been ransacked yet?
ESME
Careful. If there are more supplies there, that means no survivors have been in, which means no one’s cleared the place of zombies. Could be dangerous.
WILL
It’s the apocalypse. Everything’s dangerous.
MASON
But you’ll be careful?
WILL
…But I’ll be careful.
MASON
Great! So, Esme, while I still have you… what do you think of the camp so far?
ESME
It’s great! The kids love Scout and Scout loves the kids, and everyone’s been so welcoming.
MASON
Even Tairam?
ESME
(sincerely) Especially Tairam! I was so afraid I wouldn’t be able to help out much, but he makes sure to give me jobs that don’t scare me.
MASON
Yeah, we kind of have an ‘each according to their means’ thing going on here.
ESME
There’s a surprising amount of free time, too.
MASON
You can only count the same eight cans so many times before your brain starts turning to mush.
ESME
For the record, we have more than eight cans. We’re not going to starve. Tonight, at least.
[grappling sounds]
WILL
Shit!
MASON
Whoa, what’s wrong?
WILL
Esme was right, there are zombies back here!
MASON
Do you know how to fight?
WILL
I know how to hit things, is that good enough!?
MASON
I guess it’ll have to be!
[growling, sound of bat hitting the zombies]
WILL
[panting] Okay… I think we’re good.
ESME
I did warn you.
WILL
I did not take you as seriously as I should have. That’s on me. Luckily, I think this place is clear now… Hell, maybe I should just stay here for the night.
MASON
Not if you want to get to the mall in time for the evacuation!
WILL
Good point. I’ll just pack up as much as I can carry and then get going.
MASON
You will need somewhere to sleep though, eventually.
WILL
I’ll be on the lookout.
ESME
Oh, Tairam’s texting me, I have to get back to work! (amicably) Nice meeting you, stranger!
[footsteps, door closing]
WILL
Uh, nice meeting you too?
MASON
You never told us your name.
WILL
Oh. It’s, uh, it’s Will. Hey, how come you never have to get ‘back to work’?
MASON
I’m disabled. This is about as much as I can do, honestly. Oh, but I also keep watch through the window into the parking lot.
WILL
There’s a window in the recording studio?
MASON
Yeah, it’s usually curtained but still, I get what you mean. This place wasn’t exactly top-dollar, even before the apocalypse took hold. [pause] Speaking of keeping watch… [dial sounds] Hey Tairam, Daethie and her gang just got back, but it looks like they’ve got some zombies trailing them.
TAIRAM
[through phone] Are the zombies making it into the parking lot?
MASON
Yeah, Jule and Aaron are on it but they might need backup… Nevermind, Daethie jumped out of the car and she’s helping them out.
TAIRAM
[through phone] Okay, thanks for telling me. Talk to you later.
MASON
Later, skater!
[pause]
WILL
So Tairam’s okay with you being in the recording studio all day?
MASON
Eh. He doesn’t like it exactly, but he knows I can’t do anything else. He’s a good guy, really, he’s just a little too used to the capitalist lifestyle. What about you? You must have had a job in your old camp, right?
WILL
Actually, I was never with a group. I hid out in my house until I ran out of supplies, and even then I only ventured out because I happened to dial in to your station on the radio.
MASON
I thought you discovered us in the radio shop?
WILL
[embarrassed] No, I, I listened to you before then. I just happened to be in the radio shop when I realized I really needed help, and you were the only person I could think of to call.
MASON
Aw, that’s sweet, I think. How far away are you now?
WILL
From the mall? Still a good ways, I’m just now leaving Dart Street. In fact, I should probably hang up, I see some zombies up ahead and I want to avoid fighting them if I can.
MASON
Yearning for peace in the apocalypse, huh?
WILL
Hey, I used to be a pacifist before all this shit went down.
MASON
Woof. Guess pacifism doesn’t really fly in the apocalypse.
WILL
It flew for the first few weeks. Anyway, I have to go. I’ll call back later.
MASON
Stay safe!
[call drops]
MASON
As for us, I think it’s time for some music to wind down a little. Up next, one of my favorites from this whack-ass station’s repertoire…
(theme music plays)
(static noises)
Come on, tell me more about your monster world!
Right. October is one of the written worlds; places that exist because we need them to tell stories. It might be the oldest, because it serves one of the deepest needs. It is a world… made of monsters.
Here we go!
Gargoyles, working construction, and gremlins in the machinery. Trolls and the linnworm and werecreatures in the forest. Gillfolks in the rivers and kaiju beyond the mountains. The moonkin and the pooka, and I know at least one skeleton by name!
I’m gonna stop you before the jabberwock and the jubjub bird. I get the picture. It’d sure be something if that were a place we could actually go. Wouldn’t it, Karo?
Yeah, it sure would be.
Waiting for October, a queer supernatural audio drama from Monkeyman Productions. Find us in all your podcast apps; the story starts this Halloween.