WAITING FOR OCTOBER S1 – E7.5 – “Yvonne”
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 …
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SCENE ONE
SOUND: Hillside background, afternoon; some mechanical noises and voices in the distance (there’s a junkyard nearby) – ongoing
SOUND: A bit of wind in the trees for a moment, rattling the leaves
YVONNE
(calling out)
You’re sure the next bus is coming soon? Bergen?
(to herself)
She can’t hear me. She probably can hear me – but she’s done for now. Which I mean, that’s okay, if you’re listening. That was a lot of people time for someone who generally keeps to herself. And I appreciate you carrying me, literally and metaphorically.
SOUND: Somewhere far back there, a door slams
YVONNE
I did say I wanted an adventure on my own. I shouldn’t mind a little quiet time at the end here.
SOUND: A little bit of quiet tapping
YVONNE
And still, I keep checking my phone. I should have downloaded more podcasts before I crossed. Another four-parter from Behind the –
SOUND: All at once, the bushes around her erupt with the sound of a dozen or more small creatures (bildads), grunting and chittering
YVONNE
Whoa! Oh, hey, bildads! What’s the hurry? Is it the Lindworm again? I’m a long ways from that forest … I think. Anyway, they’re gone, off to Fast and the Furious their way downhill.
SOUND: The bushes rustle one more time, and a single bildad walks out slowly
YVONNE
Awww, are you okay, buddy? Looks like you fell behind.
SOUND: A bit of sad grunting and then it plops down at her feet
YVONNE
Sure, take a little rest there. No gnawing on my cane, though.
SOUND: A bit of wind in the trees again, Yvonne rustling a food wrapper; the bildad grunts
YVONNE
I’d share, but I don’t know what’s okay to feed you. I’ll … just put it away again.
(after a minute)
You don’t happen to have a bus schedule on you? It doesn’t matter, it’d probably say, “Shows up when you least expect it.” When the story dictates. It’s one hell of a way to live. That’s all you know though, huh – this is normal for you. Or maybe you don’t even notice – you just keep your head down, shuffle through the forest, however it changes. Eat and sleep and snuggle up with your sweetie beneath the always-moon until another day. Once you catch up, that is. Which doesn’t seem to worry you too much at the moment.
(she sighs)
I wish I was better at that. The catching up and the not worrying. This is supposed to be every nerdy kid’s dream, right? Falling into another world, having adventures with your true love by your side … or even on my own, I just saw the kaiju up close, face to face! Isn’t that something you’d just …
(brief pause)
It wasn’t really on my own, I never would have made it without Grey guiding me, and Bergen doing the heavy lifting, of course.
(pause, a bit of a modulation)
I wouldn’t even know this place existed without Karo – they’re my magical item, my enchanted wardrobe. My life would be absolutely everyday without them. Keeping my head down, shuffling through the library, eating and sleeping and … I don’t know about the snuggles, I was never very good at finding those until they showed up.
SOUND: A very little bit of gnawing against wood
YVONNE
Hey now, I said not the cane. This whole bench is made of wood, chew on that.
(brief pause)
They showed up in my life and it was like … a harvest moon, a full eclipse, a dimensional event long before they started slipping in stories about October. Our first date, we sat on a bench and they held my hand, and it was like … a key turning the lock. Just holding my hand.
(brief pause)
The second date, they waited outside the Pine Hills branch and walked me to my bus. Well, to the stop – I let bus after bus go by, so I wouldn’t have to stop listening to their voice – oh, that voice. And then … everything changed, and there were more dates; aquariums and plays and late dinners, an overnight at my place, an overnight at their place … My world was just opening up, and they were such a huge, important, bright and beautiful part of that …
(she sighs)
And all they want is for me to be the same thing to them. But I’m dragging my feet and complaining. Bitching to a bildad. Doesn’t that just make me the shittiest girlfriend ever?
(brief pause, she groans a little)
SOUND: Yvonne shifting and flexing her legs
YVONNE
Don’t mind me, my knees are acting up, I just need to stretch a little. I’m surprised that’s all they’re doing, after the day I had. I did take some pain pills on the way down. I hope you guys don’t know what this feels like.
(brief pause)
I’m usually better at keeping it under wraps; this was my first time climbing a mountain. I’m glad Karo didn’t see that I had to get carried partway up. And back down after.
(brief pause)
My parents were big hikers; they probably still are, they just don’t bring it up these days. Not that we talk a lot, but … it’s a particularly sore subject. Get it, sore subject? Don’t look at me like that, I’m hilarious. When I was a kid, and they’d visit, they were always, “Let’s go camping, let’s walk the Appalachian trail, we’re gonna take her to Shenandoah this summer,” and I was all gung-ho, it was Grandad who had to sit them down and remind them that they only found out I had arthritis when they brought me home shaking and sobbing after a weekend on the trail – I thought everyone hurt that much, they told me “Just push through it,” so I kept on pushing. Even after I had meds and a therapy plan and this gal to lean on – I see those teeth marks, pal – I don’t think they ever got it. I just needed to keep pushing.
(brief pause)
But I don’t know, maybe they had a point after all. When they stopped coming around, all I had was school, my grandparents, my housework … keeping my head down, shuffling through the days, hanging on to my cane for dear life. That went over really well at school, you can imagine … do bildads have school? Do you have bullies? I tried leaving this at home, but I limped without it and that only made things worse. I wish I’d been … better at pushing.
(brief pause)
I never told Karo any of that. I mean, they know about me, it’s hard to hide all this business, but I’d been managing for most of my life by that point. I can get along … until they pull too far ahead and I have to admit that I’m slowing them down.
(brief pause)
That’s when it comes around to the same thing again. They’ve got this special heritage, this special world, this big destiny of their own over here … and I don’t want to be the NPC in their adventure. I don’t want to be the one who slows them down.
SOUND: Yvonne stands up; the bildad squeaks a little
YVONNE
I’m done waiting for this damn bus. Do you want to walk a little? It works for Karo.
SOUND: She starts walking (remember the cane); the bildad follows
YVONNE
(gets a little breathless in parts as she’s walking)
I know they’d say I’m not any kind of a problem; they can want more than one thing. They can need a life here and understand I’ve got to find my own place in it all. At least, I think so. They didn’t try to stop me.
(brief pause)
And it was good! I found out big things. I’ve got … some sort of power in this world, I can affect things here. I’m still wrapping my head around that in a big way, though it’s not exactly what I was looking for.
(after a moment)
Mind you, I can’t wait to tell Karo and see what they think and … I don’t want this to end. I don’t want to let go of October, or of all the amazing monsters here, or … any of it.
(brief pause)
In books, it’s always some kid like me who finds their way to another world … as if being obsessed with stories, living your life through them is what pulls you in. I know what stories are, what they’re meant to be. I spend every day classifying and organizing stories, putting them in their place.
SOUND: She stops walking, catching her breath; the bildad pauses too
YVONNE
But that’s my problem; this isn’t my story, this isn’t my place. It belongs to Grey and Bergen and the Lindworm and Hodag and Charlene and – maybe the Council, I’m reserving judgment about them – it belongs to Karo.
(holding back tears)
I know it belongs to Karo, even if they’re not sure how or where or why just yet. I want it for them, as deep as I want anything. I really, really do.
(a deep, ragged breath)
But … dammit, I just figured out my world. I’ve got a story there – this is one hell of a twist, but it can’t be all she wrote. I’ve got the library and the house – next year the water heater needs replacing – and since meeting Frederick I’ve been thinking about adopting a cat, and next time my parents come around I might say yes to a short hike and see how that goes … and I still want Karo to share all those things. But how that happens, if it can still happen …
(after a moment)
It’s such a mess. You see what a mess it all is? Where do I start to …?
SOUND: After a pause, the bildad grumbles and chitters a little
YVONNE
I’m not sure what you’re saying, but I appreciate the sympathy.
SOUND: More chittering, and suddenly the bushes rustle, and other bildads can be heard again
YVONNE
Oh, hey. It’s … your group. Your friends. You caught up.
SOUND: Some excited chittering back and forth in the background
YVONNE
I guess that means you’re gonna –
SOUND: Before she can finish, they all dash off together into the forest
YVONNE
Right. Fair enough. I hope you have a good rest of your day … no worries at all.
(brief pause)
I mean, you’re not the one that I need to be talking to, right?
(another moment)
Pull yourself together, Yvonne. Time to hobble back to that bus stop; hopefully the damn thing will show up sooner than later.
SOUND: We hear her start to walk back, fading out as the scene ends
SOUND: Hillside background fades out as well
(The scene ends.)
(The episode ends.)
PRODUCERS: Hi! Thank you for listening!
Waiting for October is written by D.J. Sylvis, with sound design by Caroline Mincks, and music by Trace Callahan. This episode featured Tina Case as Yvonne.
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 patreon.com(backslash)monkeymanproductions
Today our Crowdfundr shoutout is to Sean & Jennifer Chrest.
Deej here with another recommendation for your drama-loving earholes – and this one has captivated me from Episode One – The Night Post! This is a podcast series about the couriers of a haunting, damaged city at odds with the ancient, arcane frontier that surrounds it. It’s dark and queer and absolutely incredible.
Next time in our story, we’re bringing you the season finale! Karo and Yvonne come back together after their individual journeys and … where do they wind up together? You’ll find out very soon. Hold on tight to your friends and your stories until then!
Note – there may be advertisements inserted at this point in the episode.
