SEASON 1/EPISODE 6: Heads Will Roll
Content Warnings: Animal death, animal eating habits, animal mating habits, animal violence, animal injury, human death, body horror, gore, surgery, drowning, violence, a haunted house using a hanging as a prop, references to an attempted suicide, mental illness
SCENE 1
EXT. DUSK. SLEEPY HOLLOW CARNIVAL HAUNTED HAY RIDE.
Adventurous music plays
Corny lightning.
P.A. Announcement
Face your FEARS. Don’t lose your head. Hua-ha-ha-ha-haaa.
FLYNN
Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from all the big bad monsters.
SEBASTIAN
Sure you will.
Corny rain. A machine jumps out. It giggles.
FLYNN
Ah shit!
SEBASTIAN (CONT’D)
You were saying?
FLYNN
Shut up.
COACHMAN
Hello, travelers, are there only four of you? How… disappointing. Well, step inside. You’ll just have to do.
You hear the four of them shuffle onto the hayride. SEBASTIAN trips.
SEBASTIAN
Oof. Ow.
FLYNN
(Amused)
You okay?
SEBASTIAN
(Amused)
Yeah.
COACHMAN
The Headless Horseman rides tonight. Didn’t you hear? He roams these hills in search of a head, but I’m sure you’ll be fine. He won’t hurt a hair… Well, apart from the ones on your head! The veil between our world and his are beginning to blend together. The spirit world is bleeding into ours and the Horseman’s brought some friends along
for the ride.
ANNABETH
(Whispering)
Will it be this corny the whole time?
SEBASTIAN
Hey. Shush.
COACHMAN
And remember, most of all: keep your hands, arms, legs, and heads inside the vehicle.
FLYNN crosses over.
FLYNN
You spoke too soon.
COACHMAN
Off we go… Yah!
The horse goes and begins clopping down the road.
BECCA
Flynn. Why are you inching towards the
middle?
FLYNN
The sides are uncomfortable, okay?
ANNABETH
Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to grab the carriage… yet.
SEBASTIAN
Hey, what’s up?
FLYNN
Just wanted to hold your hand.
SEBASTIAN
Or I could do this. Better?
FLYNN
Yeah. Much better.
ANNABETH
Hey, fake town up ahead.
A thunderclap.
BECCA
And there go all of the lights.
COACHMAN
Hold on. The horse is scared of this part.
The sounds of screams in the distance. The sounds of a murder.
COACHMAN (CONT’D)
Ghosts! We’ve gotta get out of here!
More unearthly wails and screams.
COACHMAN
Oh no! There pushing us out towards the bridge! As soon as we cross we’re in
the Horseman’s land!
The horse cross from dirt to wood and the horse slows down. You hear the creaking silence of the wood as it moves through the wind.
COACHMAN (CONT’D)
Here’s where Ichabod Crane died. They sayhis ghost still wanders this place.
Silence. Ghostly sighs.
COACHMAN (CONT’D)
Of course… He’s not the only one.
A creak of wood. A louder one. Then footsteps along the roof. Then you hear the
ceiling come down.
ANNABETH
Oh fuck!
You hear the swinging of a rope as a man tries and fails to breathe. The rope stays still.
SEBASTIAN
The makeup is really… really good. Jesus.
A clap of thunder. The horse hooves transition from wood to dirt again. A crow
caws off in the distance and you hear the fluttering of wings as it flies away. The caws become more intense.
COACHMAN
That’s the Horseman’s church. They say he was buried there. The ghosts love having company here. They like it when you stay forever.
BECCA
Wha- How are you doing that with your eyes?
COACHMAN
What?
BECCA
Your eyes- That’s really cool. The purple contacts. How are you getting them to glow?
COACHMAN
Th-Thanks.
Another pop-out scare. The Horseman laughs off in the distance.
COACHMAN (CONT’D)
It’s him! We have to go! Yah!
The horse skidaddles. You hear the sound of swatting branches and people popping out. You hear the sound of an axe swing and hit wood. Laughter maniacally crying out. Then comes the sounds of flames and a “pumpkin” squashes against a tree.
BECCA
(Laughs)
Woohoo!
COACHMAN
Watch your heads!
SEBASTIAN
Wait-When did you put that mask on?
COACHMAN
What?
FLYNN
What mask?
SEBASTIAN
The mask he’s wearing!
COACHMAN
How can you-- Who are you people?
The driver yanks on the reigns.
BECCA
What are you doing?
FLYNN
Hey! You’re going to hit the--
The horse yells. The group gets launched out of the cart after a loud crash
and a splinter of wood.
Silence.
SCENE TWO
EXT. DUSK. THE FOREST.
SEBASTIAN
Shit. Everyone okay?
FLYNN
Ye-Yeah. I think so.
FLYNN
Where’s the coachman?
SEBASTIAN
I don’t know. We need to make sure he’s okay. He could be hurt.
FLYNN
Wait! Don’t. He wasn’t wearing a mask, Sebastian.
SEBASTIAN
What?
FLYNN
You said he was wearing a mask. They looked just like anyone else to me.
SEBASTIAN
What do you mean?
FLYNN
I think he’s a fae.
SEBASTIAN
No, that can’t be right.
FLYNN
Yeah.
SEBASTIAN
No… No, that’s not… That’s not possible.
FLYNN
Why not? If mermaids are real, then why not?
SEBASTIAN
Because I don’t know what they are.
FLYNN
That can’t be where you draw the line.
SEBASTIAN
I’m not drawing a line.
FLYNN
Then why not just call it out like it is?
SEBASTIAN
Because that doesn’t make sense.
FLYNN
Do other people-looking fae exist?
SEBASTIAN
No. I mean, maybe elves-- but we haven’t even found out if they ever existed or not.
FLYNN
Then it’s not a stretch.
SEBASTIAN
It’s still a stretch. We would have no idea how that fae works or what they can do.
FLYNN
We can start with the basics. You gave us all iron, right? You and I have the necklace, Becca and Annabeth have the bracelets. Hey-- What about his eyes? Did you see them?
SEBASTIAN
Yeah. They were purple and glowing.
FLYNN
Then how did Becca see them? She can’t do what you do.
SEBASTIAN
She probably just got lucky.
FLYNN
The veil isn’t a guarantee.
SEBASTIAN
Exactly.
SEBASTIAN and FLYNN walk up to ANNABETH.
ANNABETH
(To horse)
Sh... Hey, there, you’re going to be just fine. No sprains… Just a few scratches.
SEBASTIAN
Where’s Becca?
ANNABETH
I thought she was with you.
FLYNN
The coachman.
ANNABETH
The coachman-- What’s up with the driver? He okay?
SEBASTIAN
He might be a fae.
ANNABETH
What? What kind of fae are…
SEBASTIAN
I don’t know.
ANNABETH
Shit. Shit. Becca said she saw you and she ran after you.
SEBASTIAN
Me? She ran after me?
FLYNN
She ran after him.
SEBASTIAN
He can shape-shift.
ANNABETH
Or-- Or just control how we see him.
FLYNN
None of those sound good.
SEBASTIAN
Shit. What if it’s both? And-- What if Becca and I saw through it?
BECCA screams.
FLYNN
The churchyard. That came from the churchyard.
BECCA
What the hell are you?
COACHMAN
What the hell are you? How could you and your friend see me?
BECCA
I-I don’t know.
COACHMAN
You don’t know? You don’t know? Which one of you has the sight? I don’t make mistakes.
BECCA
The-- The veil’s not a guarantee, right?
COACHMAN
(Laughs)
Oh… I knew you knew more than you were letting on.
You hear sick and twisted crunching noises.
COACHMAN (CONT’D)
Let me show you just how right you were.
BECCA screams some more. The COACHMAN roars. A fist pounds into the pavement, another knocks into a gravestone.
ANNABETH
Becca!
BECCA
Annie!
SEBASTIAN
Hey loser! Have you gotten your iron today?
SEBASTIAN grunts. You hear the clink of his necklace and then sizzling. The COACHMAN screams.
COACHMAN
Fuck. Off!
SEBASTIAN gets whacked by the COACHMAN.
FLYNN
Sebastian!
COACHMAN
Awww… Look at the four of you… So cute and tiny. I could just eat you up. Let’s start with you…
FLYNN
Sebastian! MOVE!
SEBASTIAN
What? Oh shit!
The COACHMAN yells as a fist comes down and breaks a headstone.
SEBASTIAN
Flynn! My bag!
FLYNN
Where is it?!
SEBASTIAN
Over there!
FLYNN runs over as another fist comes down.
ANNABETH
Come on, I’m getting you out of here.
BECCA
What? No. Seb and Flynn--
ANNABETH
They will be fine. The church. Now.
ANNABETH lifts BECCA up. BECCA whimpers in pain.
BECCA
My-My leg.
ANNABETH
Can you walk?
BECCA
Yeah.
ANNABETH
Good.
ANNABETH wraps her arm around BECCA and pulls her over to the church. ANNABETH shuts the door.
ANNABETH
Shit.
BECCA
Did you expect it to be a real church or something?
ANNABETH
Kind of.
A switch is flipped. A fluorescent light kicks on.
BECCA
What the hell?
ANNABETH
Why is everything covered in webs?
BECCA
I-I don’t know. I hate spiders. I really, really hate spiders.
ANNABETH
Well, I guess the good news is that hulked out scrappy doo out there doesn’t have eight legs.
There is a sound of SCUTTLING off in the corner. A small squeak.
BECCA
Annie?
ANNABETH
Oh hell no.
You hear the sound of thousands, hundreds of thousands of little legs skittering across the room.
BECCA
Open the door. Open the door.
ANNABETH tries.
ANNABETH
I can’t.
BECCA
Annie open the door, please.
ANNABETH
It’s locked!
The lights flicker. The bulbs pop. ANNABETH breathes in frustration, BECCA in fear.
BECCA
Annie?
Nothing. The skittering is closer
BECCA (CONT’D)
Annie I can’t feel you! Annie! Annie!
Cut to. The sound of another gravestone crumbling over. FLYNN is digging through the bag.
FLYNN
What am I looking for?
SEBASTIAN
The thing that doesn’t belong!
FLYNN
Thanks! That’s so helpful!
SEBASTIAN
Can’t tell you what it is because then he’d know! It doesn’t belong there!
FLYNN
That’s a lot of things! Oh- Oh! I got it!
The sound of rushing air. Flynn gets knocked aside.
COACHMAN
Enough!
SCENE 3
INT. SEBASTIAN'S APARTMENT
The soundscape changes. The edges of this world are frayed and dark. Then you hear the sound of a shower going off.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
What? The… What am I doing at the apartment? Hello? Seb?
Nothing. FLYNN takes a step forward. The sound of the shower drizzling continues.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Hey. Seb. You left the shower running. Seb!
Nothing. Just the drizzling shower. Flynn walks closer and the sound of wood turns into the sound of a puddle.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Seb… Please. Seb, answer me. Seb.
Flynn keeps walking.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Stop.
Keeps walking.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Stop. No. Not again. Please, please. Not again.
The door creaks open. The sound of the shower keeps on going.
FLYNN (CONT’D)
Sebby, no. No, no, no, no. No. Please no.
Cut to. (Weird schh-luck noise for cut) ANNABETH breathing as she wakes up. A heartbeat monitor is going off. It becomes erratic.
ANNABETH
Shit- Shit. I’m losing her.
You hear the whining of a dog.
ANNABETH (CONT’D)
No. No. Don’t wake up. Don’t wake up. I need more anesthetic! I need more! Where is everyone? I need help here!
The monitor flatlines.
ANNABETH (CONT’D)
Fucking dammit! No!
Annabeth groans in frustration. Silence. And, then, a heartbeat. And then another.
ANNABETH (CONT’D)
What the…
You hear the noises of scrunching flesh. The animal keeps whining.
ANNABETH (CONT’D)
Why won’t you die? Why won’t you die?
SCENE 4
EXT. DUSK. THE FOREST.
SEBASTIAN
Flynn! Flynn! I’m right here! Flynn!
FLYNN
(Crying)
No, no, no. No!
COACHMAN
Oh… He’s a little distracted right now. So are the rest of your little friends.
SEBASTIAN
What the hell did you do?
COACHMAN
Something scary. Of course… It’s all distance-based. You’ll be getting the worst of it.
SCENE FIVE
EXT. DAY. RAINFOREST.
The sound of a rainforest, water rushing, crying, screaming. The COACHMAN’s voice morphs into something higher overlaying with their deeper usual tone.
COACHMAN
Why’d you leave me?
SEBASTIAN
You’re not real. You’re not real.
COACHMAN
Why did you do that to me? You were my friend.
SEBASTIAN
Shut up! You’re not him!
COACHMAN
Do you know how much it hurt when it took me under? Its claws digging into me as it forced my mouth open. How much it hurt when all of that water came rushing in and burned my lungs?
SEBASTIAN
Please. Stop! I’m not scared of you!
COACHMAN
I felt it bite into me. Feed on me.
SEBASTIAN
Shut up!
SEBASTIAN screams and punches the COACHMAN.
COACHMAN
(Laughs)
Oh… This’ll be fun.
SEBASTIAN plummets into water with a splash. He is underwater. You hear him thrashing about. All of a sudden, in the distance, you hear crying. It comes closer.
COACHMAN (CONT’D)
Oh… Poor little Sebastian Verwood. My, oh my, do I love feeding off of you. Your pain. Your guilt. I took a look at your tiny little brain and, boy, did I like what I saw. At first I thought you were scared of the thing that killed your friend, then what your friend went through… but, no… No… What scares you the most… Is when people learn what you did to him.
Imagine what will happen when I tell Annabeth… Or Flynn. I know your little secret. Never mess with a boogeyman. It’s too bad… I’d have been fine feeding off of your fear on the hayride, but I can’t have someone knowing who I am, now can I?
BECCA
Yeah screw you too!
BECCA yells and a shovel makes contact with the COACHMAN’s head.
COACHMAN
AHH. Did you really think that’d work?
FLYNN
No! But this will!
FLYNN grunts and throws salt onto the COACHMAN. A circle of salt is poured around the COACHMAN.
COACHMAN
No! No!
ANNABETH
Oh shut up! You lost. Get over it.
FLYNN
You can’t cross a salt circle unless one of us breaks it.
SEBASTIAN
Flynn.
FLYNN
Oh thank god. Oh thank god. I was-- I’m just happy you’re okay.
SEBASTIAN
I love you.
FLYNN
I love you, too.
BECCA
What do we do with him?
SEBASTIAN
The boogeyman?
ANNABETH
Aw, Jesus, are you kidding me? A boogeyman?
FLYNN
Makes me wonder what happens if we leave him out until daylight.
COACHMAN
What-- No. No. Please. Not that. Please. Please not that.
SEBASTIAN
Then what? What are we supposed to do with you?
COACHMAN
I just feed on people around Halloween and then I move onto haunted houses elsewhere. I could-- I’ll do anything you want. Just-- Just don’t kill me. Please. I’m sorry. When I read his mind I thought you were hunters.
ANNABETH
Hunters?
COACHMAN
Th-There are people out there killing people like me.
FLYNN
Maybe they should.
ANNABETH
What people?
COACHMAN
I don’t know who they are. They just come and kill fae who make themselves known. Please, please, I just want to leave.
BECCA
Excuse us. Are you joking? We can’t make a deal with this thing. The-- The things it
did to me.
SEBASTIAN
He… He was scared.
FLYNN
I don’t care. He could have hurt us or killed us or worse. I say he goes up in smoke.
SEBASTIAN
We aren’t doing that. We can’t.
ANNABETH
No, we can’t.
BECCA
What?
ANNABETH
We scared him, he acted out. If he’s willing to make nice, I say we make nice.
SEBASTIAN
Flynn, Becca… Is this okay with you?
BECCA
Yeah.
SEBASTIAN
Flynn?
FLYNN
You do whatever you want. I’m… going to go for a walk.
FLYNN walks away.
ANNABETH
Seb, what did he mean, by reading your mind--
SEBASTIAN
He just saw what I do for a living and probably got confused.
ANNABETH
Yeah, I imagine it’s easy to put the two together if you’re already scared of someone finding out what you are. Have you heard of this before? Hunters?
SEBASTIAN
No. I’ll have to ask around and see.
ANNABETH
Okay. Sounds good.
SEBASTIAN
I’m-- I’m going to go after Flynn. Should I, you think?
BECCA
Yeah.
SEBASTIAN
Okay. Okay. I’ll, um, be right back.
SEBASTIAN rushes to catch up.
ANNABETH
We’re going to… release you.
COACHMAN
Thank you. Th-thank you.
ANNABETH
Under one condition.
COACHMAN
Anything.
ANNABETH
You come in for check-ups.
COACHMAN
I come in for what?
SEBASTIAN runs through the leaves.
SEBASTIAN
Flynn! Wait!
FLYNN
What?
SEBASTIAN slows.
SEBASTIAN
What… What happened? What did you
see?
FLYNN
He showed me April. Last year
SEBASTIAN
Oh.
FLYNN
Yeah.
SEBASTIAN
Flynn… That wasn’t… You… can’t blame yourself for that. That was me. That was my fault. Okay? Look at me. Look at me. I’m okay now. I’m in a better place now.
FLYNN
I know… But… Seeing you like that… I’ve never been so scared in my life. I- I just… It felt so real. It felt like it was happening all over again.
SEBASTIAN
Hey. Hey… I love you. I won’t do that again. I wouldn’t ever do that again.
FLYNN
(Not reassured)
I just… I need--
BECCA
Hey lovebirds!
FLYNN
Hey there.
BECCA
Turns out we have… three more hours left of this carnival and I’d really like to wash off the memory of being almost eaten by a giant spider with a load of cider. You guys with me?
SEBASTIAN
I think a drink and some candy would be good right now. Just no apple bobbing.
BECCA
Alright! It’s settled. No bobbing for apples, spiders, and only fun rides from now on. Cute stuff.
ANNABETH
And we can check back on our pumpkin.
SEBASTIAN
Gourd-asaur.
BECCA
Yeah, gourd-asaur.
FLYNN
And what about Oogie-Boogie?
ANNABETH
He agreed to come in for weekly tests at the clinic and, then, once he leaves New York state after November, we’ll move on to a bi-monthly basis. It’ll be cool to see just how his abilities work.
SEBASTIAN
Think he’ll keep up with that?
ANNABETH
He was… actually pretty willing to try. I don’t think it’ll be a problem.
SEBASTIAN
How’s the horse?
ANNABETH
They’ll be more than fine. Just a little spooked. I’ll send by a friend of mine to double check on them.
SEBASTIAN
Sweet. Alright, come on, let’s go win a carnival prize or two. I’ll get you a teddy bear.
FLYNN
(Distant)
Sounds good.
BECCA
Hey, Seb?
SEBASTIAN
Yeah?
BECCA
Did you really say “hey loser have you gotten your iron today?”
SEBASTIAN groans. Everyone else laughs.
END OF EPISODE.
CREDITS:
The Viridian Wild is created, written, and produced by Davis Walden with creative consulting by Nicole Miller. This episode was directed by Nicole Miller. Our music is composed by Daryl Banner. This episode features the voice of Davis Walden as Sebastian, Leslie Gideon as Annabeth, Tara Santora as Becca, Kyle Nishimura as Flynn, and Ryan James as The Coachman. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as The Viridian Wild or email us at theviridianwild@gmail.com. Learn more and find transcripts of this episode at theviridianwild.com. We would like to thank our first Adventurers joining us on this journey: Joe and Mandy Walden. You can support Sebastian’s study of the magical world around us on our patreon at www.patreon.com/theviridianwild and gain access to bonus material such as bloopers and book recommendations. The Viridian Wild is a product of Always in My Head Productions. Till next time, happy trails! We will see you in the summer of 2020.