TRANSCRIPT: 1.07 - The Herald

A PDF version of this transcript is available for download at this link.

EXT. FOREST - NIGHT

As before. The rain quiets a little. Camille, Lara, and Rose

stand among the trees. SodaPop wags his tail happily.

Rose is oddly calm, as if they just ran into each other on

the street or something.

LARA

Rose.

ROSE

Hello, Lara.

CAMILLE

Rose! Oh, Lara, I knew you'd help us

find her.

ROSE

You came to find me?

LARA

Um, yeah.

ROSE

But I'm right here.

LARA

I see that.

SodaPop barks happily.

ROSE

SodaPop found me. Is that why you

came?

LARA

No, I brought him. He missed you,

though.

ROSE

I missed him too.

(to SodaPop)

Good boy, baby. Oh, your hair is

getting so long!

(to Lara)

Do you still go to that same groomer?

What was her name -- Annie?

LARA

Um, no, we had to switch when we

moved out of the Hawthorne District.

We're up by St. John's now. I found

this place --

CAMILLE

Um, excuse me, I'm sorry, I don't

want to interrupt. But I'm so glad we

found you, Rose! You know the New

Moon is almost here.

LARA

Camille, not now.

ROSE

It's all right. I know all about the

New Moon. Are you going back to my

father's house? I'll walk with you.

She walks past them.

LARA

Yeah, let's...do that.

They follow her through the brush.

LARA (V.O.)

I can't tell you what it was like,

seeing her again. Almost

anticlimactic. Like we just walked

into the woods and...there she was.

Not hurt, not scared, just...fine.

LARA

Rose, are you okay?

ROSE

Of course. Why?

LARA

Well, do we need to go pick up your

supplies or a campsite, or...?

ROSE

I have everything I need.

LARA

But...where have you been?

Rose stops walking. The question seems to confuse her.

ROSE

I've been right here.

2.

CAMILLE

Rose, your father will be so excited

to see you. We've all been worried.

ROSE

But I'm fine.

LARA

Rose...how long do you think you've

been gone? Because it's been at least

two weeks.

ROSE

Two weeks? No, that can't be right.

CAMILLE

You must feel so much more connected

with the Hand of God. I bet you know

exactly how to call Oblivion now.

ROSE

I know everything I need to know.

LARA

Do you remember calling me?

ROSE

(very surprised)

Why would I call you?

LARA

You said you needed help, and that I

should come see you. You said you

wanted me to hear something?

ROSE

That doesn't sound like me.

LARA

I know. That's why I came.

ROSE

(pets SodaPop)

Well, as long as I get to see this

little fluffy-face.

SodaPop makes happy dog noises.

CAMILLE

There's still a lot to do before the

New Moon. We've been doing vision

ceremonies every day, but we still

haven't found all the materials yet.

3.

ROSE

I'm sure you're doing fine, Camille.

Camille falters.

CAMILLE

I didn't -- I didn't know you knew my

name.

ROSE

I know everything I need to know,

Camille.

CAMILLE

(to herself)

Wow.

LARA

Rose...

ROSE

Lara. Stop worrying! I'm fine.

SodaPop whines happily. Rose laughs.

ROSE

See? SodaPop knows.

He pants happily.

LARA

I guess.

ROSE

He still loves me, doesn't he?

LARA

Yeah.

LARA (V.O.)

She was so beautiful.

CAMILLE

Rose? I think we should hurry.

ROSE

Okay.

They walk faster.

FADE TO:

4.

EXT. BOONE HOUSE - NIGHT

They walk up a quiet street. SodaPop runs around

investigating smells, happy as can be.

CAMILLE

Almost home, Miss Boone.

ROSE

Hm.

LARA

Wait. Rose. Maybe you shouldn't go

back yet.

They stop walking.

ROSE

Why not? If it's really been two

weeks, I mean, that's plenty of time.

Lara can't think of what to say.

LARA

Um. Are you sure you don't want to

see a doctor? You could be dehydrated

from all that time in the woods.

ROSE

I feel fine, Lara.

LARA

But --

ROSE

Honestly -- I'm really sorry, I

didn't want to do this now, but -- I

don't understand why you're here.

LARA

You asked me to come.

ROSE

I really doubt that.

LARA

You left me a message.

CAMILLE

(conspiratorial)

She keeps saying her voicemails won't

play.

5.

LARA

Camille!

CAMILLE

Sorry. I'm not involved.

ROSE

Look, I...thank you for bringing

SodaPop. It's great to see him. But I

really don't think there's anything

for you to do here.

LARA

If...if we could just talk...

ROSE

I don't think we need to do that,

Lara.

LARA

But...

ROSE

Lara, there's nothing to say. Okay?

Go home.

(hesitates, softens)

I'll call you. Okay?

LARA

Okay.

Rose walks away. SodaPop follows.

LARA

SodaPop!

SodaPop hesitates. He sneezes, then runs after Rose.

LARA

Oh. No, you can go with Rose too.

That's...that makes sense.

Camille follows Rose. She stops.

CAMILLE

Listen, um, I guess we don't really

need you here after all.

LARA

Yeah. I'm getting that.

6.

CAMILLE

You should see my mom, though. The

doctor. She really wants to see you.

Okay?

LARA

Yeah. Okay.

ROSE

(calls)

Camille -- are you coming?

CAMILLE

Coming!

(to Lara)

Okay. Uh. Good night.

She runs off after Rose. SodaPop barks and whines happily.

LARA

Wait -- can I get a ride back to my

car? It's all the way back at the...

church...

The door of the Boone House opens and closes. They're gone.

LARA

Okay, yeah. I can walk.

EXT. FOREST ROAD - NIGHT

Night sounds. Lara walks on the gravel.

LARA (V.O.)

I just kind of...walked around for a

while after that. I figured I'd

eventually end up back at the cabin.

Lara's footsteps on the gravel.

An ANIMAL CALLS in the distance.

LARA (V.O.)

For the record, Rose was the one who

actually left in the end. She's the

one who moved out. Not that I was...

there just came a point where I

couldn't help her. I didn't know what

to do. Though, I don't know, maybe

that's not fair. See, something

happened in that last year we were

together.

7.

I still don't really understand it.

There was the thing with my brother

and my mom's house and the water

hammer. And then I started to notice

other things, too. I learned about

cold reading and cognitive biases and

illusory correlations... It was like

everything I thought I knew about the

world was coming apart. One after

another. I started to see why I'd

never been able to get conclusive

evidence of the things I thought I

saw. It was... consuming. So I guess

I was distracted. Because I didn't

really notice what was going on with

Rose until it was too late, I think.

Lara sings softly to herself.

LARA

(sings)

Creepy road in the middle of the

night, doo-dah, doo-dah... Creepy

road, no end in sight, oh, doo-dahday...

LARA (V.O.)

She started to get...erratic.

Disconnected. She'd disappear for

hours, sometimes overnight, and then

come back like nothing happened. We

started fighting over -- nothing,

anything, just dumb things. She was

distracted a lot, but wouldn't tell

me why. And she had these nightmares.

She claimed not to remember them, but

sometimes in her sleep, she said

things...and then during the day,

she'd say them again. Quietly. To

herself. God, if I hadn't been so

wrapped up in myself, I might have

put it together earlier. Something

wasn't right. Rose wasn't...well.

LARA

(sings)

Gonna walk all day, gonna walk all

night, on this creepy road I sing

this song, oh, doo-dah --

Twigs snap in the trees. Lara stops.

8.

LARA

Hello? Is someone there?

No response. She keeps walking, hums softly.

LARA

(to herself)

Why does anyone live in the woods?

LARA (V.O.)

By the time I thought to tell her to

see someone, it just...came out

wrong. It sounded like an attack. It

probably was an attack. Everything

was an attack by then. I was angry

and hurting; she was angry and

confused. We were in our own painful

little worlds, I guess, and there was

no way to communicate through that

anymore.

(sighs)

Anyway. One day she was just...gone.

Went to her parents' house. I thought

it might be good for her.

Another group of twigs. Lara stops.

LARA

Who's there?

LARA (V.O.)

I can see why she hates me, though.

LARA

Hello?

She gasps. Lara steps back.

LARA (V.O.)

So anyway. I was walking. It was

dark. And then it got really dark.

LARA

Where did this fog come from? I can

barely see the trees...

Lara walks around. She stops.

LARA

There was a tree. Right there. There

was...I'm on the road. Right?

She turns again, then turns back.

9.

LARA

No way.

LARA (V.O.)

I could see the road, somewhere far

behind me. Trees extended back the

way I'd come. But ahead of me...

LARA

Nothing. It's...it's nothing.

Drone/music rises as the nothingness approaches.

LARA (V.O.)

Absolute absence. Just this void of

darkness in every direction. But it

wasn't peaceful. It was...reaching. I

mean, I know it wasn't, but -- it

felt like it was looking for

something. Like it was reaching for

me.

LARA

This isn't happening. This can't be

real.

A trill of drone sound.

Lara turns and runs.

LARA (V.O.)

I didn't know what else to do. I ran.

Lara runs. Pants. She trips, stumbles, and sprints,

desperate. The rumble, the creepiness rises.

LARA (V.O.)

It was like a dream. Maybe it was a

dream. I ran and ran, but there was

nowhere to go. I swear, I pushed

until my lungs burned, until I

couldn't feel my feet, until...and

the road was still just as far away

as it was before.

LARA

(rasps)

Please...please...

(screams)

Somebody help me!

She slips, falls, scrambles in the dirt.

10.

LARA

Oof!

LARA (V.O.)

And just like that...

Lara sniffs.

LARA

(it smells awful)

What's that smell? Oh, god.

Two big, heavy FOOTSTEPS.

LARA

Oh my god.

LARA (V.O.)

I don't -- I don't think we need to

talk about what I saw next, actually.

I mean, it wasn't really there,

anyway. I probably swallowed some of

the hallucinogenic cult tea. And I

hadn't eaten or drunk anything for a

long time. It was just a random trick

of the imagination. Only a few

seconds long.

A softer version of the strange animal cry -- like a puma,

bear, and elephant trumpeting at once.

LARA

(quiet)

Bigfoot?

The heavy footsteps step toward her. A small, questioning

sound.

LARA

Are you...the Sasquatch?

Step. Step. And then it turns and LEAPS away, with a little

grunt.

LARA

Wait! Come back...

But it's gone. Quiet, tranquil forest night sounds.

LARA

Wow.

Lara slowly gets up.

11.

LARA (V.O.)

So really, we should just move on.

LARA

Oh. The cabin. I'm home.

She walks across the gravel. She stops. She turns around.

EXT. JAKE'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Lara knocks on the door. Jake answers.

JAKE

Lara? Are you okay?

LARA

We found Rose.

JAKE

Oh. Good.

LARA

Yeah, she's...she's...

(bursts into tears)

She's good! Everything's so good.

JAKE

Okay, uh, why don't you come inside?

LARA

Okay.

He pulls the door open. She walks into...

INT. JAKE'S HOUSE - ENTRYWAY

Jake closes the door behind Lara.

LARA

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. This day has

just been really...weird.

JAKE

It's okay, really. You want a drink?

LARA

Please. Mind if I take off my shoes?

They're pretty soaked.

JAKE

Of course! Make yourself at home.

12.

He steps toward the kitchen. Lara removes her shoes and

coat.

LARA

I've been out in the rain for hours.

After we found Rose.

JAKE

Wait -- Rose was missing?

Lara sighs.

LARA

Yes, Jake. Rose was missing.

JAKE

Is she okay?

LARA

She was in the woods. Just like

everyone said. And she was fine. Just

like everyone said.

JAKE

That's good, though, right?

(hands her a glass)

Here.

LARA

What is this?

JAKE

Whiskey.

Lara drinks it. She coughs.

LARA

Oh my god! This is awful.

JAKE

I can get you a beer if you want.

LARA

Nobody likes beer, Jake. It's just

the first thing we could afford and

now we all think it's what alcohol

tastes like.

JAKE

Even Pabst?

LARA

Especially Pabst.

13.

JAKE

(disagree noise)

Pshh.

LARA

Sorry. I'm...I'm out of my mind.

Lara takes another drink. She gags.

LARA

It's growing on me.

JAKE

Come on. I've got a fire going. You

must be freezing.

LARA

I am, actually.

They take a few steps. Jake stops.

JAKE

Wait -- Rose was missing?

Lara groans.

INT. JAKE'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

A soft fire in the fireplace. Quiet rain outside.

LARA

I went out there with Camille -- you

know her? Anyway, the reasons don't

really matter, I guess. You wouldn't

believe me if I told you.

JAKE

Come on, I'm a great listener.

LARA

Well, the point is that once we got

back to the Boone house, Rose just...

told me to leave. She doesn't want to

talk, she doesn't remember leaving me

a message. And now she's safe, she

has my dog, and she never wants to

see me again.

(drinks)

This whiskey is actually growing on

me. An acquired taste?

14.

JAKE

I guess so.

He refills her glass.

JAKE

That sucks, Lara. About Rose. And

SodaPop! Are you gonna get him back,

or...?

LARA

I have no idea. Maybe I should just

leave him here. He was always her

baby, anyway. He'd definitely rather

be with her than me.

JAKE

Come on, I've seen that dog with you.

He's your dog.

Lara sighs.

LARA

You know, Rose and I broke up, like,

a long time ago.

JAKE

I wondered. You know, she didn't even

tell us you guys were lesbians.

LARA

She's a lesbian. I'm...

JAKE

Oh?

LARA

Pansexual, I guess. I like who I

like.

JAKE

So like, women and men?

LARA

Women, men, neither, both. I like who

I like.

JAKE

Okay.

Lara slides the whiskey bottle over to Jake.

15.

LARA

Drink more. So it's not just me.

JAKE

If you insist...

He pours another drink.

LARA

I can't believe she didn't want to

see me. I mean, I can. But I just

feel so stupid.

JAKE

Listen, Lara, Rose...what's the nice

way to say this? She's got problems.

LARA

Well, now I just feel bad.

JAKE

Okay, how about she's got problems...

if she can't see how great you are?

LARA

I doubt that.

(drinks)

Good save, though.

JAKE

Come on! You're the Lara Campbell.

You solved the Brigittine Haunting.

Banished the Corwin House Entity.

LARA

With Rose.

JAKE

Okay, well, you've kept it going on

your own.

LARA

I guess.

JAKE

Do you know how cool it was to take

Lara Campbell on a Squatch Walk?

LARA

That was fun.

(beat)

Have you ever -- have you ever seen

Sasquatch?

16.

JAKE

Not yet. But they're out there. I

mean, you saw the tree markers.

LARA

So you wouldn't know if they look

kind of like...

JAKE

Like what? Did you see something?

LARA

I, um...no. I was upset and it was

dark and...I think it was just a

really mossy tree, actually.

JAKE

Did it smell like sulfur? Make a

sound like an elephant mixed with a

lion? Or a high-pitched, chirping

call?

LARA

It, um...no. I -- it was nothing.

JAKE

Are you sure? Because I could get one

of my lures, if you remember where it

was.

LARA

No. No. Let's just sit here and

drink.

She shudders.

JAKE

What are -- you shivering? Are you

cold?

LARA

It's fine.

JAKE

Of course you are, you're still

soaked from the rain. How long were

you out there?

LARA

I don't know, I had to walk back

and...

17.

JAKE

Here. My mom keeps sending me these

throw blankets. No idea what to do

with them.

He grabs a blanket.

LARA

They're throw blankets, right? Pretty

sure you throw them.

JAKE

Well, let's just put this one around

your shoulders. Don't want to spill

the drink.

LARA

Yeah...

A beat. A moment. They are very close to each other.

JAKE

There.

LARA

(softly)

Thanks.

JAKE

(clears throat)

I'll just, uh, I'll put another log

on the fire.

LARA

You can stay over here. On the couch.

With me. If you want.

JAKE

No, uh, that's...okay.

He pulls open the wood stove, adds another log.

LARA

Um. Cheers.

JAKE

Cheers.

They clink glasses. They drink.

JAKE

Actually it is warmer. Over here.

18.

LARA

Yeah.

A beat.

LARA

Jake?

JAKE

Yeah?

LARA

Do you want to kiss me?

JAKE

Uh...yeah.

LARA

Okay.

FADE TO:

INT. JAKE'S HOUSE - BEDROOM

Lara and Jake pull the door open, giggling.

LARA

So, this is the bedroom.

JAKE

This is where the magic happens.

LARA

(teasing)

Eww, that's not what you tell girls,

is it?

JAKE

It's a saying. People say that.

Lara laughs.

LARA

Okay, well, if I'm gonna...

She stops. Her tone changes.

LARA

Jake -- what is that?

19.

JAKE

What? Oh, yeah, that's a joke. I

don't actually like Justin Bieber.

See, my little cousin wanted to see

him live, and she didn't have anyone

to go with, so I said...

LARA

No, those black streaks in your

walls. All around the bed.

JAKE

What?

LARA

Right there. It looks like some kind

of...mold, maybe?

JAKE

I really don't know what you're

talking about.

LARA

You don't see that?

JAKE

See what, Lara?

LARA

You've been sleeping in this room.

Right there.

JAKE

Uh, yeah. That's my bed.

LARA

Oh my god. Oh my god.

JAKE

Okay, um, I'm sorry if the room is

kind of a mess, but I wasn't really,

you know, expecting anybody.

LARA

Jake, you have a serious mold

problem. Do you know what that can do

to you? Breathing that in night after

night?

JAKE

Lara, there's nothing there!

20.

LARA

Is this why...is this why you've been

so...

JAKE

What?

Lara sighs.

JAKE

Did I do something wrong?

LARA

No. I'm -- I'm sorry. I don't think

you're really in a mental state to do

something like this right now.

JAKE

I feel fine. I mean, yeah, I've had a

couple of drinks...

LARA

Okay, well, then I'm not in the right

state for this. You know, it's a

crazy day, and I don't usually drink

whiskey...

JAKE

I get it. Okay.

LARA

I can't stay here.

JAKE

Yeah. It's fine.

LARA

No, I -- I don't think you should

stay here, either. With the mold.

JAKE

I don't follow you.

Lara groans. She is too exhausted to deal with this right

now.

LARA

Okay. I -- I'm scared, okay? I'd just

feel better if you slept over in the

cabin tonight.

JAKE

You mean like...?

21.

LARA

Like, literally, can you just sleep

on my floor?

JAKE

You can sleep here on the couch if

you want.

LARA

No, it's...I don't know. I had a

weird day, and I think I saw

something in the woods, maybe, and

without SodaPop here I just...please?

Come over to the cabin with me.

JAKE

And sleep on the floor.

LARA

Please?

Jake considers.

JAKE

This is weird.

LARA

Yeah.

JAKE

You're sure you don't just want the

couch?

LARA

Please, Jake.

JAKE

(sighs)

Okay, fine. I guess.

LARA

Thank you.

JAKE

This is...not how I saw this going.

LARA

I know the feeling. Come on, let's

go. We -- I need to get out of this

house. Now.

JAKE

Lead the way.

22.

She hurries to the door, stops. Then continues out. Jake

shakes his head.

JAKE

Lara Campbell.

He sighs. He follows her out.

END OF EPISODE

...

Thank you so much for listening to Believer. This episode

was written, directed, and sound designed by Julie Saunders,

with voice acting provided by Mara Hernandez, Sara Gorsky,

Jason Markoff, Julie Saunders, and Archie.

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We’ll be back again in two weeks. Until next time, if you’re

standing outside and you sense a strange shadow cast on

everything, and you look up and the moon has turned a sickly

blood red, and you begin to feel something primal and

hungry…check the date. If it’s November 18th or 19th of this

year, you are experiencing the last lunar eclipse of 2021.

23.

Maybe have a glass of red wine and remember that while you

don’t need astrology to validate your own intuition, it

sometimes helps to know that Jupiter, Saturn, Venus and the

Moon are all visible at once and that…probably means

whatever you need it to mean.

See you next time. Bye now.

24.