The Witching Hour on WZDN Elizabeth Oakley 

Created using Celtx INT. RECORDING BOOTH - NIGHT A rock n' roll beat begins. Volume gauges pulse with the beat. A CLOCK reads 2:03 AM. A hand taps the microphone. It's DOMINIC (16, gangly, wearing DJ headphones). DOMINIC Good morning ladies, gentlemen, ghosts, and ghouls. You're listening to the Witching Hour on WZDN! You just heard No Wake by Hollow Notes, and coming up now is Wall-Eyed by Gamers, Haters, Others and Mothers. Don't forget to call in to the station with your song requests, hopes, fears, what you ate for dinner, and your favorite childhood memory at 235-9979. That's 235-9979. And hey, I hope you're having a great night. Dominic kicks back from his desk. He spins around in his chair and air-drums for a few beats, before removing his headphones and exiting the booth into... INT. WZDN RADIO STATION - NIGHT ELSIE (15, short, bleach-blonde curls and ripped jeans) sits on an overturned crate, sifting through old photos. She nods her head to the muffled music. ELSIE I tried to learn this song when my mom made me take guitar lessons. DOMINIC And how did that work out? ELSIE Bad! I blame the guitar, it was a hand-me-down from some dead dude. Way too big, and haunted, probably. DOMINIC I thought you were into haunted stuff. ELSIE This was an old guy. If I find a ghost or a demon or whatever and I can't have a supernatural romance with it, what's even the point! 

2. Created using Celtx DOMINIC I guess that makes sense. I don't blame the guy, if I were a ghost I would haunt a guitar. ELSIE You can't even play the guitar, Dom. When I get murdered, I'm gonna haunt like a sword or something. DOMINIC Hey, you don't know how to use a sword, either! Elsie shrugs. ELSIE Hey Naveen, if you were killed in a terrible passion, what would you haunt? NAVEEN (16 and already jaded, Indian) pops out from behind the shelves. He is struggling with a stack of photo albums. NAVEEN You, specifically, for making me find all these books. ELSIE Aww. DOMINIC What are you doing with those, anyway? ELSIE I love... history. There is an awkward silence. Eventually, Dominic shrugs and turns back towards the recording booth. NAVEEN There are still like four songs left, do you wanna come get snacks with us? Dominic looks around, embarrassed. DOMINIC (sotto) But what if I... 

3. Created using Celtx NAVEEN What? DOMINIC But what if... I get a caller? Elsie snorts. NAVEEN Dude, it's two in the morning. The only person listening is your uncle, and that's just to make sure you don't say any swears on his station. Dominic looks down and fiddles with his headphones. Elsie has not stopped laughing. DOMINIC I'm gonna stay anyway. You two have fun. He re-enters the booth. Naveen looks at Elsie, who shrugs. INT. RECORDING BOOTH - NIGHT Dominic sits back down in his chair. He looks at the station's old rotary phone for a beat before putting on his headphones, closing his eyes, and nodding along to the music. The phone rings, scaring him, and he rips off his headphones. The phone rings again, and Dominic jolts before picking it up. DOMINIC Hello? CALLER It was a perfect summer day. We picked more blackberries than we could eat and laid out in the field with their stains on our hands and mouths and dresses. When it got dark, we climbed up into a cedar tree and watched the lightning bugs rise from the valley. DOMINIC ... Excuse me? 

4. Created using Celtx CALLER My favorite childhood memory. You asked. I can't remember what I had for dinner, it feels like a long time ago. I have both too many fears and too many hopes to list them all here, but I hope this will do. Oh, there's one. DOMINIC Oh! That's... thank you. It's a lovely memory, and I mean, I barely remember what I had for dinner, either. The caller laughs, and it echoes ethereally. Dominic can't help but laugh along nervously. He's blushing. CALLER I'm not trying to tell you how to do your job, but don't radio shows usually take calls between songs? Dominic looks down and sees that the music is still playing. DOMINIC Oh, shoot! I'm supposed to put you on hold, and then, uh, answer on air, I think? I haven't actually ever- CALLER Hey, hey, you're alright! What if... I call back next song. And then you can do it right? DOMINIC That's, okay, yeah. I would like that. The caller laughs again before hanging up. Dominic leans back in his chair, smiling uncontrollably. He puts his headphones back on and jams wildly to the music. INT. CONVENIENCE STORE - NIGHT The ding of automatic doors cuts off the music. They slide open to reveal Elsie and Naveen. They go to the chip aisle, and Naveen inspects bags of chips. NAVEEN Chip sizes in America are so big. 

5. Created using Celtx ELSIE Well, that's the party size. NAVEEN (squinting) Where is the party? ELSIE (distant) In my mouth! Naveen looks up from his chips and notices that Elsie has wandered away. NAVEEN What are you doing... Elsie looks up from where she squats in an aisle full of occult items. She is holding a ridiculous number of candles. ELSIE I am... crafting. NAVEEN You are not crafting. Elsie inhales and brings her hands to her face, dropping more candles each time she gesticulates. ELSIE Okay listen Naveen, will you be cool? Like will you be cool for TWO SECONDS? NAVEEN People think I'm cool... ELSIE SHHHHHH. SHH. I need these candles to summon the radio ghost. Naveen turns around and walks away. Elsie runs to catch up with him in the cashier line. ELSIE Wait, please help me. I've got proof! NAVEEN Just like you had proof that your sleep paralysis demon was real when you kept trying to make out with him? 

6. Created using Celtx ELSIE That was a completely different situation! Just look at this. Elsie pulls out some of the photos from the radio station. They all feature a shadowy figure in the background. NAVEEN So it's got a weird shadow. ELSIE They've all got the SAME weird shadow! Naveen rolls his eyes. NAVEEN If your dad finds out you're doing occult stuff in the station again, he's not gonna let us run the show in there anymore. ELSIE Which is why YOU'RE not gonna tell him. Or Dominic. I'm swearing you to secrecy. The customer in front of them leaves. Elsie and Naveen walk up to the counter. NAVEEN You know, whatever. I don't even care, I just wanted some chips. Buy your stupid candles and I'll cover for you. ELSIE You know I actually didn't bring my wallet with me... She places her candles on the counter next to Naveen's chips. Naveen groans. INT. WZDN RADIO STATION - NIGHT Dominic exits the recording booth with a giddy smile on his face. It vanishes when the door on the other side of the room opens. He and Elsie stare each other down. Elsie inches awkwardly forward, Naveen walks normally beside her. ELSIE He... llo 

7. Created using Celtx DOMINIC Hi. ... How was the convenience store? ELSIE It was. Normal. Dominic looks at Naveen. Elsie also looks at Naveen. Naveen holds up his hands and backs away. NAVEEN I don't have any emotional stake in whatever this is. Naveen walks behind the shelves and into the next room. Elsie and Dominic intently watch him go. There is a beat of silence before the cousins look back at each other. DOMINIC Awesome. ELSIE Cool! Dominic returns to the booth and Elsie follows Naveen. INT. RECORDING BOOTH - NIGHT Dominic puts on his headphones and leans into the mic. The music fades out. DOMINIC Welcome back to the Witching Hour,everybody. That was No Bad Vibes by Onion King. We're about halfway done with our program for tonight, but it's not to late to call in with your song requests, favorite flavor of ice cream, and the most exciting phase of the moon. But those lines are busy, busy, busy, so you better call quick to if you want to get through! Dominic queues up the next songs and puts his headphones around his neck. The phone rings, and he answers. DOMINIC You've reached the Witching Hour, please hold. He presses hold and slams the receiver down, grinning. 

8. Created using Celtx INT. WZDN BACK ROOM - NIGHT Elsie is carefully setting up candles in a circle. Naveen is eating chips in the middle. NAVEEN Are you sure you're doing this right? ELSIE I've got, like, four Pinterest boards about summoning, I know what I'm doing. You really shouldn't be disrupting the circle like this, make yourself useful and go get some of those photo albums. Naveen's whole head rolls with his eyes, but he complies. INT. RECORDING BOOTH - NIGHT Dominic counts down four beats until the song ends and picks up the phone as soon as possible. DOMINIC Thanks for holding, you're on air with The Witching Hour! What's your name, caller? CALLER I'm Adelaide, and I like the moon when it is new and rimmed with a circle of light, because it feels like the world is beginning anew, and like everything will be okay when it does. My favorite flavor of ice cream is Rocky Road, because of the marshmallows. Dominic sniffles and wipes away a tear. DOMINIC Nice... It's, ah, good to hear from you again. ADELAIDE It's good to hear you, too! Or talk to you, rather, I've done a lot of hearing you. DOMINIC You've listened to the show before? 

9. Created using Celtx ADELAIDE Every week. Long time listener, first time caller and all that. I listen to a lot of radio hosts, it kinda comes with the territory, but you? I can feel how much you love what you do. It makes me love it, too. INT. WZDN RADIO STATION - NIGHT Naveen enters the main room of the station with his chips. He scans the floor for photo albums and picks up a few before noticing Dominic speaking on the phone in the booth. He freezes, and then retreats quickly into... INT. WZDN BACK ROOM - NIGHT NAVEEN Elsie, I think someone actually called the- what are you- don't paint on the floor! Elsie is crouched on the floor, completing an elaborate SUMMONING CIRCLE in RED PAINT. ELSIE Shhhhh it's washable. NAVEEN Do we really have to keep doing this?I wanna find out who called in. Elsie grabs his face. ELSIE We don't have TIME for that! Be a dear and light some candles. She brings her hands down, streaking Naveen's face with red, and tosses him a LIGHTER. Naveen sighs. INT. RECORDING BOOTH - NIGHT DOMINIC And since then I can't even LOOK at a beehive. Dominic and Adelaide both laugh. 

10. Created using Celtx ADELAIDE Oh! I forgot to give you my song request last time. DOMINIC Yeah, shoot. ADELAIDE Can you please play Spectral by Cass & Co.? DOMINIC For you, my dear, anything. Dominic grins as he hangs up the phone. The music kicks up. INT. WZDN BACK ROOM - NIGHT Naveen lights the last candle. Elsie holds a hand over the circle and gazes intently forward. ELSIE Radio ghost, I summon you! Nothing happens. Elsie shuffles into a different spot. ELSIE Radio ghost I summon you. Elsie and Naveen try many configurations of standing around the circle and telling the radio ghost that they summon it. Elsie flops dejectedly onto the ground. ELSIE I just wanna kiss the radio ghost... She throws an arm out to the side to emphasize her words, knocking over a candle. It sets the paint on the circle on fire. Elsie's eyes go wide. The fire follows the patterns of the summoning circle, and once it completes, it turns electric blue. EXT. WZDN RADIO STATION - NIGHT The radio tower crackles with the same electric blue light. It travels down the spire. 

11. Created using Celtx INT. RECORDING BOOTH - NIGHT Dominic is nodding to the music when the phone rings aggressively. It crackles with the blue light. INT. WZDN BACK ROOM - NIGHT Elsie tries to beat out the flames with a blanket. Naveen throws a cup of water. Neither have any effect. ELSIE I'm so grounded, I'm so grounded, I'm so grounded, INT. RECORDING BOOTH - NIGHT Dominic removes his headphones and gingerly picks up the phone. DOMINIC Hello? INT. WZDN BACK ROOM - NIGHT Naveen hands Elsie a fire extinguisher, and she blasts the ring. ELSIE Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh! INT. RECORDING BOOTH - NIGHT The phone crackles with energy. Dominic flinches and holds the receiver away from his face. A blue lightning bolt arches out of the phone and into the air with a boom. INT. WZDN BACK ROOM - NIGHT Elsie is still going to town with the fire extinguisher when the boom rocks the entire radio station. Her eyes go wide, and she and Naveen scramble for the door. INT. RECORDING BOOTH - NIGHT The arc of blue lightning expands into a flash, and then contracts into a HUMANOID FORM (??, blue, ghostly). The face is still coming into focus when the figure begins to giggle. 

12. Created using Celtx Dominic's eyes go wide as he recognizes the sound. He leans towards the ghost for a better look. The details of the caller materialize as she puts her hands on either side of Dominic's face and pulls him in for a kiss. They share a tender beat in the now scorched recording booth. Elsie opens the door, covered in paint, fire extinguisher foam, and scorch marks, and sees Dominic kissing the radio ghost. ELSIE Oh come on!