WAITING FOR OCTOBER S1 – E1 – “Pumpkin Patch”
by D.J. Sylvis
ANNOUNCER: There is a world – one of many that touches ours – known as October. One of the archetypes; one of the realities that is a source for our stories. It is not difficult to reach, if you know the way – you can experience their wildness for yourself, adventure there, and live, and love. But be wary – perhaps more than any other existence, here there be monsters …
Note – there may be advertisements inserted at this point in the episode.
SCENE ONE
SOUND: Lakeshore background, evening (ongoing)
SOUND: Some splashing footsteps
YVONNE
(sputtering a little)
Someone might have warned me, “Keep your mouth closed.”
KARO
I didn’t think.
CHARLENE
My apologies, dear. You’re all right now? Watch your step.
KARO
Here, I’ve got you.
CHARLENE
It’s the mud, terrible stuff, no solid rocky shoreline like my lake. You can barely call it a pond on this side, I twist myself in knots turning around to cross back again! No hurry, of course. You’ve been my only patron today.
KARO
Thank you –
CHARLENE
Not that I’m complaining. “They also serve who only stand and wait,” right, Karo? I’ve been waiting quite a while to see you again.
KARO
Yeah. Things have been … you know.
CHARLENE
(a bit of a laugh, this line is somewhat pointed)
But it’s lovely to see you back! And with a friend – it’s your first visit to October, isn’t it? I can always tell. What’s the agenda for your inaugural expedition?
YVONNE
(a little flustered)
I don’t know … I want to see everything! Karo’s told so many stories –
CHARLENE
She must have.
KARO
I thought we’d start with the pumpkin patch.
YVONNE
I’m going wherever you lead me! It’s your world, you know what you’re doing. I’m still wrapping my head around the whole thing
CHARLENE
Of course, of course. Take your time, feel the flow, you’ll adjust. The pumpkin patch is a good place to begin. And all things considered, fairly safe.
YVONNE
Fairly?
KARO
It’s all good, I’m here for you.
CHARLENE
I mean, look at the world you’ve come from! It’s just part of my job to warn newcomers. You’ll be fine. “The moon is rising, Auncle Lantern is in the fields, all’s right with the world.”
SOUND: A bit of a splash
CHARLENE
Now, I should get myself back. There’s a group of Girl Guides camping by the lake tonight and a fog rolling in – I don’t want to miss that combination!
YVONNE
(laughs)
Definitely not!
CHARLENE
Enjoy your visit, dear. Karo knows how to find me when it’s time to return! Ta ta!
SOUND: A gigantic splash, then the water settling again
KARO
Dammit. I had a souvenir for her, too. She likes trinkets.
YVONNE
Where does she keep them? I guess she has a whole lake.
KARO
Let’s head down this way.
SOUND: Quiet footsteps, bare dirt into grass and out again, ongoing (note Yvonne uses a cane)
SOUND: The lakeshore background fades into a more general countryside background (ongoing)
YVONNE
Keep a hold of my hand.
KARO
Sorry, the path is a little rough.
YVONNE
It’s not that. I’m … we’re really here, Karo. Together. You brought me here.
KARO
(teasing a little, sings)
“A whole neeewwww world …”
YVONNE
(laughs, then a little pause taking it in)
It’s not that different. I don’t see any monsters yet, though we were escorted across by a sea serpent – lake serpent, I guess. She looked more like a pliosaur, close but not exactly. What did they call her back in town, Champ?
KARO
Don’t bring that up. Her name is Charlene.
YVONNE
We met Charlene, but so far the rest of it isn’t too …
SOUND: Her footsteps slow and stop
YVONNE
Except this isn’t quite what twilight usually looks like … the light is different some way I can’t quite put my finger on. And those trees across the way – I can’t identify the species. And …
SOUND: The sudden fluttering of a lot of wings, not far away
YVONNE
Oh! That … is a lot of bats all at once.
KARO
It’s okay. They’re not gonna …
YVONNE
I know! I know about bats … if their behaviour’s the same. I’m okay, honey, just a little rattled.
KARO
That’s fair. The difference kinda hits you, and then it’s …
YVONNE
It’s a lot. But not in a bad way. I still want to see. I love you.
KARO
I love you. Keep on going?
YVONNE
Keep going.
SOUND: They both start walking again
YVONNE
I don’t mean to … it’s your place. It’s just a little weird to me.
KARO
It’s weird to everyone, including people from here.
SOUND: Corn stalks shaking a little in the wind as they pass by
YVONNE
This cornfield is a little creepy, but they always are at night. Who was that Charlene mentioned. Auncle Lantern?
KARO
You might meet xir tonight. Xe is kind of a guardian, keeps an eye on the fields.
YVONNE
And what kind of a … monster … is xe?
KARO
Hmm. Auncle is a Construct, but that might not help. You know all the movies that have a scarecrow with a pumpkin head? Think of that, but … more than that, too.
YVONNE
Maybe xe’s related to the Kunekune? Those are fun, they kinda remind me of the turnip guy from Howl’s Moving Castle.
KARO
I haven’t seen that one.
YVONNE
What? Okay, that’s going on the list.
(after a moment)
The pumpkins don’t mind being guarded by a scarecrow who wears one as a head?
SOUND: General walking sounds stop during the next line
KARO
I think they’re related. I wouldn’t call Auncle the Great Pumpkin, but xe’s pretty good.
YVONNE
(under her breath)
This is like walking into Ray Bradbury’s head.
KARO
And here we are!
YVONNE
Looks like a regular pumpkin patch.
KARO
It is.
YVONNE
They’re not gonna bite, or sing, or start flying around our heads, are they?
KARO
(teasing)
You ruined the surprise! Come through this way.
SOUND: Some moving around, footsteps in very soft earth, vines rustling a little
YVONNE
I had to ask. I’m waiting to see what comes next in this story. Is it gonna be the werewolf packs, or a mermaid or the goblin farms … “Oh, Yvonne, that’s not a mountain on the horizon, that’s Godzilla …”
KARO
The kaiju are beyond the mountains. Though you can hear them sometimes …
(brief pause)
I’ve been trying to ease you into things. I thought, a nice moonlight walk, a picnic in the pumpkin patch …
YVONNE
Points for alliteration.
KARO
I’ll spread out the blanket.
SOUND: Some rustling from the blanket
YVONNE
Give me a little help sitting down?
KARO
I’ve got you.
SOUND: The ground crunching slightly as they sit down, vines rustling
YVONNE
It is nice. It’s beautiful here. I love the Moon; we’re lucky that it’s out tonight.
KARO
That is something you’ll really like on this side. The Moon is always out.
YVONNE
Stop it. How would that even work?
KARO
It’s true; you can always see the Moon. It moves around a bit, and sometimes it changes colour …
(a bit more intimate)
I chose tonight because of that.
YVONNE
What colour will it turn to?
KARO
Well … when it gets to midnight … where’s my watch? I knew I forgot something …
YVONNE
When it’s midnight …
KARO
On the night of the equinox, when the seasons change …
YVONNE
But the equinox was a few weeks back? Right, not here.
KARO
(continuing, presentational)
At midnight on the equinox, the Moon turns …
YVONNE
Yes?
KARO
Blood orange.
YVONNE
Don’t you mean blood red?
KARO
Not in my world.
(after a moment)
Are you hungry? I promised you a picnic, the basket’s right here.
SOUND: Opening the picnic basket, rummaging around through it
YVONNE
Oh, that’s how you’re gonna be. Distract me with food. Where’d you get all this stuff?
KARO
I called ahead.
YVONNE
You can call ahead to another universe?
KARO
I asked another one of the crossing guards to send a note for me.
YVONNE
“Crossing guards.” Oh, that’s good.
KARO
I wasn’t sure the shop was still open, but … here we are.
SOUND: A bit of rustling as Yvonne unwraps a tart
YVONNE
Here we are indeed! Oh my gosh, these tarts are tasty. I can’t tell what they’re made of?
KARO
These are jella fruit, it’s something only from this side. And we’ve got egg salad sandwiches – just don’t ask where the eggs came from.
(they laugh)
Vonnie, your face! I’m teasing, you know we’ve got farms, and livestock, and everything.
YVONNE
Of course. And you’ve got potato chips!
SOUND: Cellophane crinkling
YVONNE
With a little cartoon dragon on the bag. Wait, are there dragons?
KARO
Sometimes. That’s more of a fantasy thing, there’s a whole other place for that, but there are crossovers.
YVONNE
Right. Let’s stick to one world at a time.
(brief pause)
I know, you said there are cities and technology – in my head, I guess I’m still thinking of Frankenstein or the Wolfman, with spooky castles and horse-drawn wagons. But if there’s a chip bag with a corporate mascot …
KARO
October can be all sorts of things, all at the same time. It just depends on where you are, what’s going on, what story you’re a part of.
YVONNE
I’m part of your story now, love.
KARO
(a little nervous)
Maybe I should have told you more, before we … I figured finding out your themfriend comes from a monster universe might need some time to settle in. I didn’t want to bury you in details.
YVONNE
Honey, I’m a librarian – infodumping is one of my favourite things. But you told me plenty. All those nights curled up together in your bed or mine, reflections from the streetlights flickering on the walls … telling me stories, answering my questions, and when the little laughing what-ifs became more serious, no really, what if … you kept on telling me.
KARO
And you never flinched, not even once.
YVONNE
I grew up on C.S. Lewis, Nalo Hopkinson, Holly Black … you picked the right girl for this.
KARO
No question there.
YVONNE
I did think it would feel … darker, you know. Not that I’m complaining.
KARO
There’s lots of ways to make a monster.
SOUND: Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howling
YVONNE
You timed that perfectly. Is there anything to drink handy?
KARO
Wine or water? No Dracula jokes, please.
YVONNE
(leaning into the impression)
I vould never … drink vine.
SOUND: Pouring a glass of water
KARO
Don’t make me leave you here. You don’t know what happens if we leave someone unguarded in the pumpkin patch …
YVONNE
Would I be adopted? If I stay overnight, do I become one of the monsters? Do I get to choose which one?
KARO
Nobody really gets to choose.
YVONNE
(not really hearing)
What happens in the pumpkin patch, Karo? Tell me all the secrets! Wait, isn’t there a dance called the pumpkin patch?
KARO
You’re thinking of the cabbage patch.
YVONNE
Maybe you brought me to the wrong farm altogether.
SOUND: The wolf howling again, but much closer
YVONNE
(a bit nervous)
Okay, you turned the volume up a little loud on that one.
KARO
(focused, but not concerned)
It’s some of the Wilds running around – it’s a big night for them, too.
SOUND: A few barks back and forth behind the next lines, getting closer
YVONNE
Right, the Wilds … I remember them.
KARO
Nothing to worry about.
SOUND: Growling, very nearby now, continuing until Grey speaks
YVONNE
Do they know that? I’m gonna grab my cane, just, you know … in case …
SOUND: Karo standing up
KARO
Who is it? Who’s there?
GREY
(distant, half-growling)
Who’s in there? You’ve got one chance to identify yourself before I call the pack and we –
KARO
Hang on! It’s Karo, Karoline, I’ve been away but all the Wilds know me, just ask around and it’s –
GREY
(closer now, less growly)
Karo? Karo? You’re back?
SOUND: A person crashing through the vines
SOUND: The ‘oof’ from both sides as the two hug
GREY
Little Karo!
KARO
Careful now, you’re still bulked up.
SOUND: A bit of a transformation as Grey changes, muscles transforming, bones creaking
GREY
(still a little breathless, voice clearer now)
Karo, I can’t believe it! And this one’s with you?
KARO
This is Yvonne. My girlfriend –
GREY
I better tell the guys.
(he howls suddenly)
YVONNE
And there go my ears.
GREY
Sorry, we’ve just – there’s been some scary folks crossing over lately, and I caught your scent first so I … anyway, Grey, pack leader, pleased to meet you.
YVONNE
Yvonne, library assistant … from Earth, I guess.
GREY
Right. And Karo! Karoooooooo!
SOUND: Another fierce hug, a little “oof” from Karo
GREY
I wondered if you’d ever come back.
KARO
I’ve visited a few times.
GREY
And you never called! It’s been since … We were in witch school together, you should have seen Karo back then. They wanted to run with us but those little legs …
KARO
(a little embarrassed)
She doesn’t need to hear all that.
GREY
And then you just vanished, like … out of nowhere. Nobody knew why.
KARO
Yeah. It’s good to see you, Grey. Should have known you’d be out tonight.
GREY
Of course, with a Moon like this! But we’ve got a new guy – Troy, you’ll have to meet him – he’s running a little wild, still getting used to the changes. We’re keeping an eye on him.
YVONNE
It’s his first time becoming a wolf?
GREY
No, he picked that up fast. But he’s only been on T for a couple of weeks now, it’s really starting to kick in, and … you know, he’s a little out of control.
YVONNE
Oh, sure.
GREY
We’ve all been through it. But I better get back out there!
SOUND: Grey transforming again
GREY
(more growly again)
Karo, we’ll catch up soon? Text me! I’m so glad you’re back!
SOUND: Crashing through the vines again
KARO
(calling after him)
Not exactly back, but … he’s gone. Asshole.
SOUND: Another howl, far in the distance, fading
YVONNE
That was a werewolf. I just met a real, wild, werewolf.
KARO
Well, wild. Grey is one of the pack leaders – so he’s more half politician, half beast.
YVONNE
And you went to witch school together! You have never mentioned witch school.
KARO
(unconvincing, uncomfortable)
It’s not as great as it sounds – you don’t go there to become a witch. It’s just run by the Council, the humans over here, they’re mostly witches, so witch … plus school. A lot of folks send their kids for a while.
YVONNE
But you never finished?
KARO
I decided to … explore elsewhere. Are you still hungry? There’s candy down here in the bottom, they always put candy in these baskets.
SOUND: Rummaging around, wrappers crinkling
YVONNE
(letting them change the subject)
Skeleton bones! I remember these from trick or treating when I was a kid. I’m surprised you didn’t wait until Halloween to bring me over. That must be a thing!
KARO
(kinda obvious)
Ahhh, Halloween isn’t really that big on this side.
YVONNE
You’re kidding me! You’re telling me that in this world, you don’t –
(Karo can’t help it, they laugh)
You are kidding me. Karo!
KARO
Of course I’m kidding, dork. You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen Paolo – he’s one of the biggest, scruffiest weres – dressed up like Toto for the parade.
(brief pause)
I’ll bring you back then, if you want. But tonight we’ve got the moon, the change at midnight, so I …
(bashful)
I always wanted to be here, with someone … special, when the moon changed. To kiss my girlfriend at midnight in the pumpkin patch.
(brief pause)
I know, I know, obviously I’m the dork.
YVONNE
You’re the sweetest dork. My monster love.
KARO
Yours.
SOUND: A bit of clothes rustling as they move closer
YVONNE
Tell me there’s no Halloween on this side.
KARO
I never missed the parade when I was little. That’s really when you see everyone together – the Wilds, the gill folk, Moonkin, cryptids, sometimes even a unicorn …
YVONNE
Fuck me, there are unicorns!
KARO
Well, not after that comment, potty mouth.
YVONNE
This place, Karo. I don’t know what to think. It looks real, it feels real …
SOUND: A quiet kiss
YVONNE
You taste real.
KARO
Maybe you should check again, to make sure.
SOUND: Another soft kiss
KARO
It is real, as much as anywhere. But it’s also made up … so things are a little bit loose and blurred around the edges.
(brief pause)
I’ll have to take you to meet the Endling some time, they’ll do a better job of explaining it all. I mean, they’re the one who wrote things.
YVONNE
I’m … gonna let that one slide. For now. If we’re gonna get into some meta discussion about authors and the essence of reality, I should be a lot less distracted. And I’m liking these distractions. Come here.
SOUND: A bit of rustling, maybe some gentle breathing
KARO
(very distracted by now)
Keep an eye on the moon. We don’t want to miss it.
SOUND: The quiet fluttering of bird wings in the background, almost too low to notice
YVONNE
(just as intimate)
We’re not gonna miss the moon, it’s right there in the corner of my … eye …
SOUND: Feathers rustling a bit more loudly now
YVONNE
Umm, I think we’ve got another visitor.
KARO
What?
YVONNE
There’s a bird sitting over there, a big bird. I’d swear it’s watching us.
KARO
(alert now, but more annoyed than concerned)
Oh. Ignore him, maybe he’ll go away.
YVONNE
That’s a little hard to do …
KARO
Do your best.
RAVEN
(energetic)
Karoline! Karolina, Karo-line-from-my-favourite-song, Karoline Says! I didn’t know you were here walking on the Wild Side!
YVONNE
(laughs unexpectedly)
You know about Lou Reed over here?
RAVEN
How could I not? He wrote a whole album about me!
SOUND: Fluttering of wings as he comes closer
RAVEN
Raven. Not the Raven in some mythological way, just a Raven. But famous for a certain midnight dreary.
YVONNE
For real? I thought there weren’t actually characters over here … Karo?
KARO
He’s a character, I can’t argue with that. Back off, bucko.
RAVEN
I’m only trying to –
KARO
I know what you’re trying to do. Not another word.
(to Yvonne)
It’s not midnight yet, it’s far from dreary, and he is not who he says he is. He’s basically a dick.
SOUND: Some minor fluttering
RAVEN
That is so unfair. Maybe two of those things are true.
KARO
Leave us alone, Grip …
RAVEN
I thought introductions were in order; I was speaking to Grey and he mentioned your return –
KARO
Probably to get you off his back –
RAVEN
As well as the fair and debonair maiden by your side.
YVONNE
(laughing, a little unsure)
First time anyone’s called me a maiden, I’ll tell you that.
KARO
He’s not even really a raven, it just gets him in good with the literary crowd. If he starts telling you that he’s actually Poe in this body, keep an eye on your wallet –
SOUND: Agitated fluttering
RAVEN
And keep an eye on your heart with this one! Chances are you’re not the first dear child that should have been thy bride.
KARO
I’m gonna find a good sized rock and then you’re –
YVONNE
Karo, don’t. I know a shit disturber when I hear one. I’m not buying what he’s selling.
RAVEN
That’s fine. I know where I’m not wanted.
KARO
And yet …
RAVEN
I just thought, in the interest of fair play, someone should offer a warning. Before you find yourself entangled too deeply in our Karo’s … pumpkin patch.
KARO
You are pushing it!
SOUND: Wings fluttering
RAVEN
(a bit agitated now, mixing in a few caws)
Speaking as someone who was drawn into another’s story, you deserve to know the dangers. The world you live in changes you, bit by bit, paragraph by page. These fictional places might be flexible, but once they sink their talons into you –
KARO
(really angry now)
Enough!
SOUND: Karo grunts as they throw a rock
SOUND: Raven squawking, flapping his wings throughout his exit
RAVEN
Heed my words! Or don’t, whatever. Enjoy your night, Karoline!
(to himself as he flies away)
“For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams …”
(calling back)
Eat my shorts!
(For a few moments, we just hear the night in the background, as they absorb what happened.)
YVONNE
Karo …
KARO
I wasn’t really aiming or anything, I just wanted to scare him off.
YVONNE
He wasn’t going to change my feelings about anything –
KARO
(nervous, speeding up in a staccato pace as they go)
There’s no trick to this, Yvonne. I promise. You can visit, tonight, a lot of nights, and nothing’s gonna happen to you. I’ve heard the real Poe went back and forth so often, it was like a daily commute. I just wanted you to be here, I wanted you to … see the world and see me, know me, the way I am here … but you can cross back and forth all you want, or … not, whatever you need, I just wanted to …
YVONNE
(gently)
Whoa, there. It’s okay, love. I get it. I’m with you.
KARO
I just wanted to show you the moon.
YVONNE
I know you did. But … this is all more for you than just the moon.
KARO
I’m not asking anything of you, Vonnie. I’m not … I’ve got a place with you, in your world. We’ve got a place.
YVONNE
(after a moment, absorbing things)
And you’ve been there so long. So many years. “The world you live in changes you …”
(gently)
Are you feeling like you’re too much in that world?
KARO
It’s not too much.
YVONNE
You keep telling me that October is this fictional place, it’s flexible, it keeps changing. But I can tell there’s a lot that’s still here for you … something big that’s pulling you back.
KARO
That’s … you’re not wrong.
YVONNE
It’s okay for this to be more than “just one visit.”
KARO
I don’t know what it is. I don’t know what I want it to be. I just wanted you here, part of it.
YVONNE
And here I am.
SOUND: For a few moments, we listen to the noises of the night
KAIJU 1
(far in the distance, general roaring)
YVONNE
What was that? Is that the …?
KAIJU 2
(similarly distant, crying out in the night)
(A few more kaiju lines continue in the background.)
KARO
It’s the kaiju doing their thing. They’re frisky; it must be almost midnight.
YVONNE
We better get ready, then. Snuggle in close, themfriend. Get your eyes on the skies.
KARO
You’re so great.
SOUND: A bit of rustling as they settle in together
YVONNE
So how does this moon thing happen, anyway? Is it like an eclipse or does it change all at once, like some sort of filter?
KARO
I’m not completely sure. I haven’t seen it since I was a kid.
YVONNE
Well, we’re gonna find out in just about … T-minus four minutes. That’s right, you never thought to ask, “Yvonne, do you have a watch?”
SOUND: They both laugh a little
KARO
(a bit anxious again)
Just so you know – we can still leave any time you want. I’ll show you how to get Charlene’s attention, or there are other crossings, the Mothman is a friend … if you ever feel weird about this, or feel like you’re changing, or feel like I’m changing …
YVONNE
We can work all of that out.
KARO
You’re sure you’re okay spending time inside … basically a story?
YVONNE
As long as you’re with me.
KARO
(sighs)
Gods, I love you.
YVONNE
(she chuckles)
I love you. Can I get another fictional kiss?
SOUND: They kiss again
YVONNE
Now, show me your moon.
KARO
Okay.
SOUND: There is a slight background hum that builds, not too loud but definitely swelling, for a moment or three
YVONNE
Oh. So that’s how it happens.
SOUND: Far in the distance, a series of howls fill the air; we can hear the kaiju calling out again; perhaps we hear some bats passing by, or some other spooky noises in the woods
(For a long moment, we listen and the background hum continues.)
SOUND: The background hum fades out again
SOUND: Countryside background ends
(The episode ends.)
PRODUCERS: Thank you so much for listening to our show!
Waiting for October was written by D.J Sylvis, with sound design by Caroline Mincks and music by Trace Callahan.
This episode featured Robin Regalado as Karo, Tina Case as Yvonne, Whitney Frisk as Charlene, Dallas Hawthorn as Grey, Leeman Kessler as The Raven. And of course, Josh Rubino and Cat Blackard as … the Kaiju.
Our co-producers are D.J. Sylvis, Tina Case, and Sarah Müller. Our associate producers are Fool & Scholar Productions, Kathleen Lucas, Marcus Briggs, Martin Chodorek, Rebekah B.
A special thanks to our Patreon supporters who have helped make all of our stories happen! If you’d like to support our work or celebrate the folks who make it happen visit our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/monkeymanproductions.
If you enjoyed our show, you might like Luminaris Brimstone, Witch Investigator – a comedic fantasy adventure that’s pretty much what’s promised in the title – Luminaris wandering the world, solving mysteries through her own brand of saucy, sorcerous mayhem. Check it out wherever you listen to podcasts!
And keep checking us out as well! Next episode will be the first of our monologues, diving deeper into the story of Charlene and her world beneath the waves! Until then, don’t forget to howl at the moon, and watch out for that Raven! Bye for now.
Note – there may be advertisements inserted at this point in the episode.
