Opening theme begins

Leon:

Wasting Company Time presents Tell No Tales, season two. Episode Eighteen: The Devil

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[SFX: Footsteps as Leo paces]

Frank

Sit down, Leonardo.

Leo

No. You can’t make me.

Frank

I cannot. But pacing is not helping anybody.

Leo

It’s helping me.

Frank

Mx. Matkins is stable. They are sleeping. (EARNESTLY) Please, Leonardo, sit down and let me talk to you.

Leo

(BEAT) Fine.

[SFX: Leo walks over and pulls out a chair]

Julia

I think I’ll stay standing if that’s alright with you. You said you had a theory, Frank? Because I swear to god if you’re holding back on us…

Frank

I developed a theory before I examined Mx. Matkins, but it was just that – a theory. I did not wish to concern you until I had more evidence.

Julia

Well, I’m concerned!

Frank

That much is clear. I had just confirmed the theory when you all came barging into the lab demanding to speak to my father.

Leo

Wait. You confirmed it? It’s what we thought?

Julia

We? You two have just been, what, theorising behind our backs? Why didn’t you say anything- why didn’t–

Leo

It was an insane theory, Julia. I wasn’t sure… Is it, Frank? Is Riley being possessed?

Frank

I believe so, yes.

Julia

P o s s e s s e d ?!

Frank

(WITH AN ALMOST AUDIBLE EYE-ROLL) Yes, Ms. Wilde, that is what they said.

Leo

Frank, be nicer, it’s an insane thing to wrap your head around.

Julia

Spoken like someone who’s clearly already wrapped their head around it!

Leo

So we found out… Or no, Frank already knew so, I suppose I found out, recently, via a… deeply upsetting encounter with a spirit, that some ghosts are capable of, um, a bit more than we had been led to believe. A ghost capable of possession, for example, might be considered a category seven.

Julia

(DAZED) Seven. Out of?

Leo

Out of, uh, seven.

Julia

Shit. So what can the others do, then?

Leo

Well, uh, a category four would be um. Visible. That’s the kind I met, recently. A category five would also be audible. And a category six might leave… ectoplasm?

Julia

Like in the lab the night we broke in. So this is a Frank thing, he’s making all these extra categories-

Frank

Again, with the blame.

Leo

That was my first thought, too. But no. I mean, yes, but no. These categories exist in nature. Or used to. Still do, but it’s rare. I think Frank said a category seven hadn’t been seen in centuries?

Frank

Correct.

Leo

Right. And the category four I met, she’d been left alone for a really long time. So she was a unique case. But I think… the spirit plane’s decline definitely has a part to play in why they’re so uncommon now. I mean, remember Mary Barker? She died in, what, the 1800s some time? But her hold on the plane had slipped severely by the time I spoke to her. Frank has been… studying the extra categories, yes, but only replicating what already occurs in nature.

Julia

Right, so you’re totally blameless then? Sweet, innocent little Frank Williamson, just playing in the dirt that was already there? So how do you explain Riley’s wound then? Because that wasn’t from some random category seven they found out in the wild. That was from the amalgamation horror we found in your lab.

Frank

I do regret the part I played in Mx. Matkins’ injury. However-

Julia

The part you played? it was entirely your fault!

Frank

Now that is simply untrue. My experiments were safely contained behind several security measures. Your decision to blow up [my front door and start investigating was hardly my]–

Julia

Oh you little piece of shit don’t think I won’t deck you just because you sign my fucking paycheck.

Leo

Guys! Guys. Please. I- this isn’t helping anyone. It isn’t helping Riley.

Julia

What do you suggest then.

Leo

Frank. Any ideas?

Frank

I am… honestly at something of a loss. The last Mortui Non Morden director to deal with a possession case was… must have been Pickering, retired in 1893. I’m sure the knowledge was retained for some time, but as we’ve established, I did not acquire the usual knowledge of my predecessors.

Leo

So we try Whitley again.

Julia

Sure and he’ll be just as much help as the first time.

Leo

Well, we try again and we try again harder. What else can we do?

Frank

In the meantime, since my father will not be ready to speak to for a number of days, I would suggest reaching out to the spirit possessing Mx. Matkins.

Leo

What?

Julia

We can do that?

Frank

You have already spoken to it, have you not? The first night Mx. Matkins spent here.

Leo

Yeah. Yeah I suppose we did. So what, we just let them sleepwalk again? Frank that spirit had it out for you personally, I don’t think that’s safe.

Frank

With Mx. Matkins’ consent, I suggest we try a more controlled environment. I had considered it when the sleep trial was unsuccessful last night.

Julia

What would you consider a controlled environment in this context?

Frank

Well, to put it bluntly, a strong dose of sleeping pills and many, many restraints.

Leo

That could work.

Julia

Yeah, good luck getting Riley’s consent.

Leo

Riley’s been through a lot recently. They’re been exhausted, and angry, yes. But at their core they’re sensible. My whole life, Riley’s been the voice of reason to counteract all of my bad decisions. They’ll agree to do this, once we explain.

Frank

Should we wake them?

Leo

Yeah. Yeah, I suppose we should.

Frank

I shall fetch the restraints.

Julia

Of course he just, has restraints lying around.

[SFX: Recording ends]

Riley

Possessed? Like in a sci-fi film?

Leo

Turns out there’s more truth in them than we thought.

Riley

Yeah, good to fucking know. So what, exorcism time, right? Now that we know what it is, we can fix it?

Leo

Uh, yeah so that’s the next problem. We don’t know how to get rid of it yet.

Riley

Why’s nothing ever bloody simple around here?

Leo

It will be. We’ll speak to Whitley again soon and he should know what to do. But in the meantime, we want to speak to the spirit possessing you. Uh. Again.

Riley

Again? It spoke to you? Oh, shit, when I sleepwalk?

Julia

Yeah, apparently.

Riley

Well that would have been real helpful to know about yesterday during the failed attempt at a sleep trial.

Leo

Well, we were thinking, we could try again. This time with sleeping pills. And, uh, restraints. For your safety. And Frank’s.

Riley

And both of yours.

Leo

Riley, you wouldn’t hurt [us]-

Riley

No, I wouldn’t. But this thing playing sooty and fucking sweep with my insides might. Headaches I can handle. I want this out of me before I hurt someone.

Leo

If it even wants to hurt anybody, it might not! That’s what we want to find out tonight. If you’re willing.

Riley

Willing’s a stretch. But I want it fixed. So do what you need to do to fix it.

Leo

Thank you. Take these. They’re strong. Frank’ll be back any minute with restraints. And then we wait, I suppose.

Riley

Oh my god. Frank and restraints in the same sentence? New sleep paralysis demon’s been unlocked. (PAUSE, THEN RESIGNED SIGH) Bone apple teeth, I guess.

[SFX: Riley takes the pills, then fade to silence to show passage of time. When audio fades back in, Leo is pacing. Eventually there is a slight rustle of bedsheets]

Leo

(OFF TO ONE SIDE) Riley? (BEAT, THEN MORE CENTRAL) Julia, they’re moving.

Julia

(GROGGILY) Hm? What?

Leo

You’re sure the restraints will hold, Frank?

Frank

They are very secure.

Leo

Okay. Okay good.

[SFX: Recording begins]

Riley?

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

Not exactly.

Leo

Good. Who are you?

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

So, you worked it out then. Much too clever for your own good, aren’t you?

Leo

What’s your name?

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

My name? Yours first.

Leo

You already know it.

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

Yes, but only second-hand. It’s polite to introduce yourself personally.

Leo

My name’s Leo Quinn.

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

Yes. Little Leo Quinn. That’s how they see you, you know. The small, crying child they found on the playground at school. You never grew up, not in here (MOVES TO TAP RILEY’S HEAD BUT NOTICES THE RESTRAINTS) Oh. Well, that was smart. I can’t seem to move my arms. A little rude as far as first impressions go, but I suppose I’ll let it slide, since I intend to gouge out your boss’s eyes the first chance I get.

Frank

I would ask why you intend to do such a thing, but before we exchange pleasantries, it is considered good manners for you to introduce yourself in return.

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

Oh, and how could I ever display poor manners to the thing who calls himself Frank Williamson? You and I are kindred spirits, after all.

Frank

You were one of the amalgamated spirits in my lab, I presume?

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

One of. Some of. Who can be sure any more. I am Nathaniel Gilbert. The other spirits, who can say how many of them became me. But they are all Nathaniel Gilbert now. You did that to them. You did that to me. Much like the atrocities you’ve committed on your own soul. You are maybe the only other person in the world who knows what it’s like to suffer as I have. And still, you did this to me.

Julia

Nathaniel Gilbert. When were you born? Don’t look at me like that, you’ve been in Riley’s head, you know they’re going to work themselves into the ground to research you. And you also know they’re going to succeed. The only question is how long it takes them. And how many sleepless nights before you can rear your ugly little head again.

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

A compelling point. I was born on the 28th May, 1941. I lived a too-short but exceptional life as a man of the Lord, and I died in 1996. I was returned to this earth, despite all my faith in my God’s plan for me. Then I was snatched away to be used by the devil himself.

Frank

You flatter me.

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

I will send you back to hell, you vile abomination.

Leo

Yeah, sure, but right now, you’re a bit tied up, so maybe just play nice for a minute ok? You want to kill Frank. If you were part of his lab experiments, I honestly don’t blame you. But what about Riley? They never tried to hurt you. They were in that lab to investigate Frank, to uncover what he was doing and expose him. So why hurt Riley?

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

That was sheer accident. When your friend shot us, I was sent reeling. Into, it appears, Riley. It took me some time before I could adjust to the new surroundings. But for the first time in thirty years, I have a body again. It is not an opportunity I intend to waste.

Leo

So, let’s say you kill Frank.

Frank

(WITH WARNING) Leonardo…

Leo

No, let’s just hear him out for a minute. Let’s say we cut you free right now, you gouge his eyes out or whatever. What then? Would you leave Riley alone?

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

That would make this easier for you all, wouldn’t it? But no. I will not stop at Frank. I’ve seen Riley’s thoughts. They fear Frank. But mostly they fear how much you seem to respect him. So you are complicit. You would be next on my list. Along with pretty little Julia. Obnoxiously intelligent, according to Riley. Irritating little know-it-all. She’s complicit too. And then, finally, Riley. All complicit the moment you stepped foot in this lab and left Frank alive. But you’re not yet so corrupted as Frank. Perhaps I’ll be doing you all a favour by killing you now. Sending your souls onward to heaven before the devil can tempt you further.

Julia

Okay well you’re full of shit, good to know. And for what it’s worth this pretty-little-know-it-all is just about at her limit with people deciding they know what’s best for her. The only thing making me want to side with Frank right now is you, actually. Which must make you an incredibly hateful little man if I can hate you more than I hate the devil himself.

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

(EERILY CALM) Then you can die by his side, if you so choose. It makes no difference to me. You will all die at my hand eventually. The order is of less consequence.

Leo

If you can get past Riley, that is.

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

Yes, that has been proving difficult. They have been rather resilient these last few months. But I’m getting stronger every day. I’m even beginning to feel more alert during the daytime. Have you noticed their anger? It’s always been there, simmering away. I’ve been helping bring it to the surface of course. Soon, it will be my anger, not theirs, that surfaces. Soon, it will be my actions, not theirs, that control their waking hours.

Leo

No. No, they’re- you can only control them when they’re asleep.

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

True, for now. But several months ago, I could not even do that. Several months ago, I was but a shadow in the back of their mind. Look how far I’ve come. Who’s to say I can’t grow even stronger? And how long do you think that might take? Weeks? A month? Maybe a few months? You could take your chances. But how much are you willing to stake on getting it wrong? (BEAT) But what else could you do? Keep your little friend locked up while I rot their brain? Or better yet, try to kill them. Do my work for me while I’m set free from their body and claim their murderer as my next host.

Leo

None of us would ever think of hurting Riley, and you obviously already know that. We don’t even want to hurt you. We just want you to leave them alone. Frank isn’t even experimenting on anyone any more, he stopped as soon as I came to work with him. Does that mean anything to you? You won’t be saving a single life by killing him, all you’ll be doing is getting revenge, is it really worth it?

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

(GENUINE FURY BREAKING THROUGH THE MASK) Of course revenge is worth it! You might understand, if you’d been in my position. We suffered for so many years in agony. You cannot imagine the pain of sharing your entire self with not only another, but dozens of others. The tortuous confusion of never knowing where yourself ends and the next person begins.

Leo

“We suffer as one.”

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

Exactly. So you heard our cries. And yet you did not save us. You only shot at us, saved yourselves. And you wonder why I want you dead.

Leo

I didn’t- I… I tried, I-

Frank

Leonardo has done nothing but good for as long as I have known them. Your grudge is with me, leave them be.

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

That is simply untrue though, isn’t it? The devil’s right hand. That’s what Riley thinks of them. They see the way you interact with your protege, Frank. they see the way you care for them. They notice, every time you call them Leo, in staunch defiance of your own obstinate rule to use nothing but the most formal terms for those around you. Riley is very observant, and they notice it all. And they do not like what they see. (WITH RILEY’S VOICE AT THE FOREFRONT) What must my friend have become? – they wonder – for Frank Williamson to so readily dote on them? Because it cannot be anything good. And I am inclined to agree.

Leo

I can’t- I need to leave.

Frank

Leonardo, he is trying to hurt you, he has no other goal than to cause strife right now, you cannot believe him.

Leo

Riley, I need you to wake up.

Frank

Leo.

Julia

Do it, Leo. We have his name now. We know his intentions. I don’t want to listen to another word this bastard has to say.

Leo

Riley. Riley, wake up please.

Frank

Leonardo, Riley’s body still needs sleep. You cannot wake them every time-

Nathaniel (Possessed!Riley)

You think waking your friend can get rid of me? I will be here, watching your every move. Regardless of whether you can hear me-

Leo

FOR CHRIST’S SAKE RILEY, WAKE UP RIGHT NOW!

Riley

(SLURRED) The fuck?

Frank

They are still under the effects of the sleeping pills. You will not be able to keep them awake for long.

Riley

(STILL SLURRED) We do it? We get em?

Leo

(VOICE BREAKING) No, but we know their name. We know… They’re asleep again.

Julia

You go take a breather, Leo. I’ll keep an eye on them. And Nathaniel, if he comes back.

Julia

Sure. Yeah. Thanks.

[SFX: Footsteps, door opens, quickly followed by Frank’s footsteps, door closes behind him]

Frank

Leo?

Leo

I’d never noticed. Until he pointed it out. You don’t even call Riley or Julia by their first names. You refused to shorten my name for years.

Frank

Moments of weakness?

Leo

Yeah, that’s not- that doesn’t make it better. What if he’s right, Frank? What if-

Frank

He is a crazed fanatic with the singular goal of murderous revenge on anybody he deems in any way related to me. Ms. Wilde clearly despises me, yet she is on his list too. His opinions are meaningless. His threats are our only concern.

Leo

Yeah, maybe. Yeah. We just need to fix it. We just need to get him out of them, that’s all. Then it’ll all be fine. I need to- yeah, I’ve got to go.

[SFX: Footsteps running down the hall]

Frank

Leonardo! Damnit.

[SFX: Door opens]

Ms. Wilde, a little help. Leonardo seems to have gone rogue.

Julia

Of course they have.

Closing theme begins

Leon:

This episode of Tell No Tales was written and produced by Leon Egan. In it, you heard the voices of Asher Amor-Train as Frank, Leon Egan as Leo Quinn, Shannon Kelly as Julia, Phil Thompson as Riley, and Ty Von as Nathaniel Gilbert. If you enjoyed this episode, we’d love it if you let someone know. It doesn’t have to be us, but it would be a nice ego boost if it was. You can find us on Twitter or Tumblr @tellnotalespod and as always, links and information about transcripts can be found in the show notes. Tell No Tales is distributed by Wasting Company Time Productions, under a Creative Commons attribution non-commercial share-alike 4.0 international license. Thank you for listening, and remember: the dead don’t bite.

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