Episode 1.12: A World Beyond
Written by Elizabeth R. C. Lundberg
Produced by Rae Lundberg
Content Warnings (Click to expand)
Homelessness, injury/blood, death mention, crude language
NICHOLAS: (as the intro plays) At the edge of Gilt City, dreamers make their homes in ancient bowers, and all await the arrival of the Night Post. [THE VAN RUMBLES, CHANGING SPEED AS THEY DRIVE WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN.] CLEMENTINE: Thanks for coming with me. I know there are better things you could be doing with your time. MILO: Not really. I spend all my time working, worrying, or trying to sleep. CLEMENTINE: I’m sorry we haven’t found anything more about Ashley. MILO: It’s not your fault, is it? CLEMENTINE: I wish I’d gotten to know him better. I’m too wrapped up in myself, and I forget it’s important to have people in my life. MILO: I’m starting to worry I never knew him. Why would he keep so much from me? CLEMENTINE: To protect you. We all have secrets, and want to keep our loved ones safe. It’s easy to make the mistake of pushing people away. MILO: I want to be able to tell you that Ashley wasn’t like that, but I guess I know better. CLEMENTINE: He did--he does--love you. You shouldn’t forget that. MILO: Yeah. CLEMENTINE: Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring it up and make you feel worse. [THE VAN STOPS. SOUNDS OF PASSING CARS, BIRDS, AND VOICES CAN BE HEARD.] MILO: Don’t worry about it. So do you want to tell me why we’ve driven out to this pawn shop voted most likely to sell cadavers and moonshine out of the back door? CLEMENTINE: It doesn’t look like the most reputable place, does it? We’re apartment hunting! I mean, I am. You’re here for moral support. MILO: Oh, then I support you driving off before someone sees us sitting out here and decides to do something about it. CLEMENTINE: I’m sure it’s fine, right? The place for rent is upstairs. And the stairs should be around the back. [VAN DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES. FOOTSTEPS ON SIDEWALK.] MILO: Lead the way. Oh, uh, “staircase” is a generous description of that structure. CLEMENTINE: You’re right, better watch your step. (climbing stairs) This balcony is nice, don’t you think? I could keep plants out here. MILO: I’d give you some of ours, but I think they're all dead now. Ashley’s the only one who manages to keep things alive. CLEMENTINE: I’m sure he won’t blame you when he gets back. [A DOOR KNOB RATTLES, BUT THE KEY WON’T TURN.] MILO: If he comes home, I won’t care if he’s angry. Do you need help with that? CLEMENTINE: No, I think I can-- (door squeaks open) Ah, got it. After you. [STREET NOISES FADE AWAY AS THEY HEAD INSIDE.] MILO: Are they going to move all this stuff out of here? Some of this furniture looks like it might disintegrate if you touch it. CLEMENTINE: I don’t have much, so I thought it’d be good to have a place that was fully furnished, but this is just--full of furniture. And... MILO: The smell? CLEMENTINE: The smell. MILO: (unconvincing) It’s not the worst. CLEMENTINE: You don’t have to honey-coat it. I can smell it, too. MILO: Ugh, I think I’m going to throw up. Hold on, I’ll get the window. (raises wooden window) Oh, that’s not better. I-I mean, at least the windows open, right? CLEMENTINE: That’s always a plus. Come here, and check out the bathroom. It’s huge! You could farm salmon in this bathtub. MILO: If that’s something you wanted to do, I guess you could. CLEMENTINE: And this mirror? It’s gorgeous. MILO: And it’ll fit in the back of the truck. If we leave right now, I’ll help you carry it out. CLEMENTINE: If the smell is getting to you, I don’t mind if you want to wait outside. I’ll let you know if the previous tenant is hidden away here somewhere. MILO: No, it’s not that bad. I’ll open the front door. At least then we can get some air moving through here. CLEMENTINE: I’ll try not to take too much longer. Milo leaves Clementine alone, and she stares at her reflection in the mirror. CLEMENTINE: I guess this is it. [MILO LEAVES. A MOMENT LATER, A CRASH FROM THE OTHER ROOM.] CLEMENTINE: Are you okay in there? [VOICE SLIGHTLY MUFFLED, MILO CAN BE HEARD PICKING UP SHARDS.] MILO: Yeah--yeah. It was a jar of a...mysterious, viscous substance? I-I’ll try to get the worst of it up. CLEMENTINE: Look, Clementine, you’re okay. You can move on, try to make some human connections. It’s good to have other people around. It’ll keep you from doing some nonsense, like...talking to yourself in the mirror. (deep breath) I can’t stop thinking about what happened at Maggie’s. I wonder if the other me is still out there. And at least I don’t have a lot of other exes for it to harass. What was that thing? I thought I was supposed to be coming into my own by now, but I still look like this. I haven’t been taking the best care of myself lately, but--ugh, I hate caring about my looks. Having your heart broken does a number on your self esteem. Half the clothes I wear used to be my dad’s, and...I might’ve stolen my mother’s face when I was born. Apparently I’m her double. How am I supposed to belong in this pale, bony body? It’s not like I ever see the sun. I might as well be a skeleton sinking into the warm, algae-colored water. I’m still not sleeping enough, and it shows. It looks like--there’s something about this mirror. Maybe it's a trick of the light or my tired eyes, but...I think she’s watching me back. MILO: Everything alright in there? CLEMENTINE: Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry, I’ll be just a moment. MILO: I think I found the source of that smell, and it is not pleasant. I-I don’t think you should live here. CLEMENTINE: Yeah, I-I think you’re right. (to herself) Ugh, what’s the matter with me? I can’t even do perfectly normal things. Maybe it’s in my blood. I’m only equipped to deal with working at the Post, and... I’m not even great at coping with that. Oh...this glass is f-freezing, it feels-- [SINISTER TONES RISE IN THE BACKGROUND. CLEMENTINE YELPS IN SURPRISE.] CLEMENTINE: Umm, uh...uh, Milo? MILO: What’s the damage--oh my god. CLEMENTINE: My hand, it’s--it’s stuck. I touched the mirror, and-- MILO: Your reflection...it’s moving on its own. Um...it looks like she’s trying to pull you in. CLEMENTINE: I’m aware. MILO: Okay, not sure how you managed that, but I-I’m sure we can get you out of there. CLEMENTINE: In a hurry, please. It feels like my skin is being sliced open if I try to move, and...it’s cold. (glass cracking) Its fingers are on me, and I-- MILO: I--just, just try and stay calm. Can you just slip it out? CLEMENTINE: What, like I got my hand stuck in a jar? No, I can’t slip it out. (glass cracking) MILO: All right, I--I have an idea. Close your eyes and brace yourself. CLEMENTINE: What are you-- (mirror shatters) --shit. MILO: That’s a lot of blood. CLEMENTINE: A lot of my blood. MILO: Hold on, here’s a towel. Well, it might have once been a towel. Try not to think about what’s on it. Oh god, that’s a lot of blood. CLEMENTINE: I have a first aid kit in my truck. Let’s get out of here before I bleed out. [TRUCK DOOR SLAMS SHUT.] CLEMENTINE: It should be under a seat somewhere. MILO: Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital? What if you need stitches? CLEMENTINE: I am not going to spend the money I’ve got saved up for a place to live on a visit to the hospital. I’ll be fine. I don’t think any of the cuts are that deep. MILO: And the blood loss? CLEMENTINE: It’s not that much blood. Who knew you were so squeamish? MILO: (sarcastic) Oh, you’re right. Blood--who needs it? CLEMENTINE: Exactly. No need to worry. Wanna drive us to our next stop? Here’s the address. [FAMILIAR SOUNDS OF DRIVING THROUGH THE CITY.] MILO: So this is your truck? I like what you’ve done with it. CLEMENTINE: It’s not much, but it’s home--at least for a little while longer. MILO: You have to be looking forward to a new place. Even the places we can afford on our salaries have to be nicer than being cramped up in here. CLEMENTINE: Yeah. MILO: I didn’t mean any offense. CLEMENTINE: I know it’s unusual. My house burnt down. At first sleeping in the truck was out of necessity, and then I guess I got used to it. MILO: And now? CLEMENTINE: There’s enough going on without waking up feeling like my spine’s been shoved into a letterbox, you know? MILO: Falling asleep seems like a luxury now. I can’t stop thinking about how much the Post takes. What’s going to be left of us when it’s taken all it can? CLEMENTINE: Our letters. The work we’ve done to keep people from the dark. We’re walking routes that’ve been walked for years. That’s gotta mean something, right? MILO: I’d rather have my husband. CLEMENTINE: It’s up here. Park wherever, and we can walk the rest of the way. [THEY PARK AND GET OUT. BOOTED STEPS ON ASPHALT MINGLE WITH TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIAN SOUNDS.] MILO: Alright, I’ll follow your lead. MILO: Do you ever get used to it? CLEMENTINE: Used to what? MILO: The way that people look at us. It’s not like I wear my uniform when I’m not on route. I try not to be seen in it at all. CLEMENTINE: Really? I don’t mind the uniforms. MILO: Says the woman who looks like a carnival stilt walker. Some of us aren’t trying to show off our calves all the time. CLEMENTINE: You could always make unregulated alterations to your uniforms, like Val. What are they going to do, fire you? MILO: (sigh) I wish they would. CLEMENTINE: Don’t we all? Oh! I didn’t realize. This is Val’s building. MILO: (mocking) Oh, I didn’t realize. I’m dying to know what the deal is between you two. How long have you worked together? Shouldn’t you be shacked up with some giant dogs or a three-legged lizard by now? CLEMENTINE: What gave you that impression? Val and I--I mean, we’re friends, and coworkers. It’s easy to feel close to other pigeons, right? They’re the only folks who understand what it’s like. MILO: Friends? Just friends? (unconvinced) Okay, sure. CLEMENTINE: I am sure. Let’s power through this stop. I don’t think I want to live this far in the city, but--we should still have a look. The apartment is on floor seven. [TWO SETS OF FOOTSTEPS ECHO IN A LONG STAIRWELL.] MILO: Why not move further into the city? Don’t you deal with enough weird shit on your haunt without living so close to whatever’s out there? CLEMENTINE: My Dad’s house was on the outskirts of the city, and I never minded it. I was alone a lot as a kid, and sometimes I went exploring where I shouldn’t’ve, but I learned early that the Skelter isn’t all bad. If you have some respect for it, it’ll pay you back in kind. MILO: I’d prefer not to be swallowed up by the earth at a moment’s notice. CLEMENTINE: How often do you think that happens? MILO: Definitely more often than I’m comfortable with. CLEMENTINE: I’m not saying the Skelter isn’t dangerous, but...I like having more space. The city--it’s loud, and there’s too many people. It’s like there’s not enough room to think. Especially in a place like this. VAL: Have you got something to say about my place, Clem? MILO: Yeah, she said it was shit. CLEMENTINE: I did not! VAL: (catching up) You’re not wrong. CLEMENTINE: How did you know we were here? VAL: Easy, I followed the sounds of the large gay man. These walls are made of whispers. It's simple to tell when people are coming and going. MILO: That’s kind of creepy. VAL: I know. What’s the occasion? You walked right past my floor, so this can’t be a social call. CLEMENTINE: Milo is graciously helping me look at non-Post vehicle related housing options. I figured my last favor was too big of an ask to bother you again. VAL: But that was so much fun! Shit, Clem, what happened to your hand? Didn’t get it caught in a mailbox, did you? CLEMENTINE: If only. MILO: Some kind of mirror Clementine tried to pull her in through the glass. But I shattered the mirror before anything worse could happen. CLEMENTINE: Yeah, it’s, uh--it’s been a fun day. VAL: See, you should’ve invited me along. I have lots of experience with dark Clementines. (pause) Let me give you the grand tour. What floor is it on? Seven? Oh. Well, at least you’ll pay less rent. CLEMENTINE: Why’s that? VAL: You’ll see. CLEMENTINE: That’s encouraging. [FOOTSTEPS DOWN AN EMPTY HALLWAY. A DOOR KNOB RATTLES BRIEFLY BEFORE THE DOOR SQUEAKS OPEN.] MILO: Oh, you don’t have to worry about being locked out, will you? CLEMENTINE: Safety first, huh? VAL: (ironic) Here it is: the grand tour. CLEMENTINE: It’s kind of claustrophobic, don’t you think? MILO: More space than the back of a Post truck. CLEMENTINE: I guess you’re technically right. VAL: Look, you’ve got a view of the building next door. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends, because you’ll hear everything your neighbors do. CLEMENTINE: I’m sorry. No offense, but--I hate it here. I might as well ask Nicholas if there’s a storeroom I could move into. MILO: Great idea, you wouldn’t have to commute. CLEMENTINE: I’ve wasted your time. I’m not very good at-- (sigh) well, any of this. I don’t know how to be a real person. After my Dad died, Maggie was there for me, and now...I’m not sure how to do things on my own. VAL: Yeah, but--you’re not alone, are you? You’ve got us. MILO: For what that’s worth. VAL: We’ll help you find a place to stay. If you’re still open to creative housing solutions, maybe we can find a nice barn to refurbish. CLEMENTINE: That would--that would be nice, actually. I’m sorry, I--I didn’t mean to get overwhelmed. I’ve... been inside my head a lot today. MILO: And inside of a mirror. It’s been a long day, and it’s not even that late. CLEMENTINE: Do you have time for one more stop? VAL: I’m going to assume I’m invited, so my feelings don’t get hurt. CLEMENTINE: Of course. If you guys want to wait out in the hall, I’ll...be right with you. MILO: Gotcha. Can we stop for a coffee on our way? I’m not used to being awake for this long during the day. [AFTER THE OTHERS STEP OUTSIDE, CLEMENTINE SINKS DOWN ONTO THE FLOOR.] CLEMENTINE: This is so embarrassing. Why am I freaking out? I haven’t felt like myself since we...we saw the other me at Maggie’s apartment. Or...maybe even before that. We still don’t know what that thing was, or what it wants, except--to ruin Maggie’s opinion of me. [INTERIOR OF THE MAIL VAN, BUMPING OVER UNEVEN ROAD.] MILO: Are you sure we haven’t passed it? CLEMENTINE: It shouldn’t be much longer. But, it’s further out than I expected. VAL: Can’t complain about the scenery. Except for the sinkholes you can’t see from the road. MILO: You can’t see much from the road at all, except ancient trees and those creeping vines. It makes me glad my route isn’t all the way out here. CLEMENTINE: It’d be a lot more driving, but...I’m not sure I’d mind. Some distance from the city is good, right? VAL: (sigh) I don’t think I’ll ever get enough distance from that damn city. CLEMENTINE: The turn is right up here, down that gravel way. I know it's out of the way, but...wouldn’t it be nice to have some distance from all that noise and light? MILO: Yeah, and if you get dragged off into the night, no one would ever know. CLEMENTINE: But, I’m never home at night. VAL: I don’t even see a structure out here. Are you sure we’re in the right place? MILO: I think I see something down there. Looks like a dilapidated outhouse. CLEMENTINE: Oh, that’s the place! Let’s go. [THE VAN ROLLS TO A STOP AND THE SLIDING DOOR OPENS. THEIR FOOTSTEPS CRUNCH ON DIRT AND GRAVEL.] MILO: I’ve never seen someone so excited about a building that looks half-consumed by trees. VAL: And to think she hated my building so much, I thought she might cry. CLEMENTINE: I wasn’t going to cry. But I might, if I had to move in. (pause) Look at this little porch, it’s lovely. MILO: I guess, but you’ll need someone to haul away all this junk. Unless you’re going to keep the rusted grill, that push mower, and all those busted tires. VAL: And ruin the charm of the place? All Clementine needs now is a rotting mattress to absorb some of this mud. CLEMENTINE: It’s a better view than a neighbor's living room. No prying eyes, no weird looks from strangers. [CLEMENTINE STRUGGLES WITH THE DOOR, FINALLY SHOVING IT OPEN WITH HER SHOULDER.] CLEMENTINE: Ah! There. After you. MILO: (pause) There’s a dead possum in here. VAL: It’s a real pioneer place, huh? With a woodstove and everything. CLEMENTINE: It has potential. And there’s lots of natural light. VAL: How do you expect to sleep all day with the sun glaring? CLEMENTINE: With the right curtains, it could be dark as night in the bedroom. I’d need to get some furniture, and do plenty of cleaning, but...it feels cozy in here. MILO: I wouldn’t get ahead of yourself. I’d still check the cabinets and closet for anything living. VAL: He’s right, you don’t want any roommates that aren’t paying rent. Who knows what kind of critters could be holed up in here? CLEMENTINE: It’s not been empty for that long. It can’t be that bad. MILO: And how much are they charging you for this place? CLEMENTINE: Not much. It’s under budget. MILO: I’m not surprised. At least you’ll be able to save money while you’re being murdered. CLEMENTINE: You’re just as likely to get murdered in the city as you are out here. It’s less convenient for someone to drive all the way out here just to hack me up. VAL: I’ll install a new deadbolt for you, Clem. MILO: Who knew you were such an expert in privacy, Val? VAL: I’m good with locks. CLEMENTINE: I bet they’re way easier to install than they are to pop open. MILO: Should we head out before it gets too late? CLEMENTINE: Probably. I’m sorry for monopolizing your entire day. I’ll lock up and meet you out there? [VAL AND MILO WALK BACK TO THE TRUCK.] MILO: Fuck. It’s those vines again. VAL: We weren’t gone long at all, and the truck’s already fucked. MILO: I’ll try to cut away the worst of it so we can get out of here. [AS MILO STARTS SAWING AT THE VINES, CLEMENTINE JOINS THEM.] CLEMENTINE: Oh, wow. VAL: How are you supposed to park here all day? CLEMENTINE: I’ll try parking closer to the road and walking down here. Maybe it’s being protective. MILO: What is “it”? These vines? CLEMENTINE: Mm...the Skelter? We’re not too far out, but we could’ve upset things the way that we barrelled down here. MILO: (sarcastic) Oh, okay. That makes total sense. I’ve got the truck cleared off. Let’s get out of here before we’re covered in vines. [COMMOTION AS THEY ALL CLIMB IN. THE ENGINE STARTS AND THE TRUCK DISTURBS SOME CROWS AS IT PULLS AWAY.] VAL: What do you think? It’s got to be better than the back of your truck. CLEMENTINE: Yeah, I like it. It’s been hard to think of living anywhere since the house burnt down, but...there’s something special about this place. Maybe eventually it could feel like home. MILO: Better move now before Nicholas has to give you a lecture about misappropriation of Night Post property. CLEMENTINE: I’m sure he knows already. I have a feeling that he knows most everything that goes on at the station. He’s probably too polite to say anything. VAL: Maybe. Maybe he doesn’t care. CLEMENTINE: We’re not his responsibility when we’re not on the clock. I don’t care much about where I stay, to be honest, and--it’s better than an empty house. VAL: Now you have a place to bring girls back to, you shouldn’t have to stalk your ex. MILO: Oh, Clementine, you didn’t-- VAL: We both did, actually. You’d be surprised what we get up to when you’re not around. CLEMENTINE: We didn’t stalk her. And I’m not much of a “wanna come back to mine?” kind of person. VAL: That’s right, you’re more of a writes sappy letters to every woman I’ve ever had feelings for type. CLEMENTINE: If I knew enough about your dating life, I’m sure I could come up with a cutting remark, too. VAL: I know. Why do you think I put on this enigmatic front? MILO: Is anyone going to fill me in on the stalking Clementine’s ex misadventure, or am I going to have to assume that it ended salaciously? VAL: Well, after some breaking and entering-- CLEMENTINE: It was light-entering. There wasn’t any breaking required. VAL: I got to meet Clementine’s charming ex-girlfriend, and it turns out that Clementine’s secret love letters were secretly delivered by a carbon copy of Clem, who showed up and tried to burn the place down. MILO: I’m glad I missed it, that sounds-- CLEMENTINE: It was a nightmare. But...something told me I should go and check on her. VAL: Your prophetic dreams. [AS THEY ENTER THE CITY, THE ROAD EVENS OUT AND THEY DRIVE FASTER.] CLEMENTINE: I don’t think that they’re prophetic or anything. But, I mean, it’s just like intuition, right? I know I made things worse, but I honestly only wanted to help. MILO: Wow. I’m not saying I’ve never done anything embarrassing in the name of love, or dick, but that’s a lot. VAL: I tried to tell her to move on and put herself back out there. You know, maybe ask dark Clementine out on a date. CLEMENTINE: I can’t think of anything I’d like less than putting myself out there. MILO: I haven’t been a pigeon for long, but even I know it’s depressing not to have a life outside the Post. After I finish my route, I spend hours trying to get to sleep, and before I know it it’s time for my next haunt. All of my days kind of blur together. I hope Ashley didn’t feel like this, before...well, you know. You should aim for a better work-life balance, that’s all. VAL: My philosophy for work-life balance is to work as little as possible. CLEMENTINE: Oh, we know. You’re right, Milo. But, it’s not like pigeons are highly desirable, and I don’t go anywhere except the office. Who am I supposed to meet? MILO: There’s always the personals, or maybe a match-making company? VAL: Your options would be a lot wider if you weren’t so hung up on Ms. Maggie. CLEMENTINE: I know, I know, but...it’s hard. She was there for me at a time in my life when...no one else was, and I thought--she was my entire world, I guess. And I didn’t see a future without her in it. I--can’t figure out what I’m supposed to do now. (pause) Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make this whole day about me. Can I...treat you both to something to drink? VAL: Now you're speaking my language. I know a place. And now you know, right? There is a world beyond your ex. NICHOLAS: (as the outro plays) Thank you for joining us on tonight's route. You can find the couriers of Station 103 at nightpostpod.com or on Twitter @nightpostpod. If you're satisfied with your postal service, please rate and review us. Send a letter to your negligent landlord, and tell them about The Night Post.