Hearthville Serial: Book 8 Episode 3

                                             FADE IN:

INT. ELLIOT'S OFFICE AT THE COLLEGE - DAY

ELLIOT DUDDLEY is standing looking out the window at the
pretty college girls and handsome young men walking about.
He fumbles with a cigarette packet from his pocket and pulls
out a cigarette.  He puts the cigarette into his mouth.  He
pulls a book of matches from his pocket and pulls a match
from the book.  He strikes the match and lights his
cigarette.  He shake the flame of the match until it goes
out.  He drops the match into an ashtray on a small table at
the window.  He begins to puff on the cigarette.  He rubs
his crotch area.

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          Looking at those young women makes
          me so horny.

QUENTIN DARKO enters the office.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          You know smoking will kill you.

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          According to Professor Wilcox
          nicotine helps protect people from
          covid.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          Smart man.

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          Yeah.  I have been ordered to fire
          him.  I don't want to.  George, the
          current Victor, will have a fucking
          fit if I do.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          How is George handling Victor being
          caged?

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          About like me.  Going through the
          motions and trying to stop my
          emotions.  How in the hell are we
          going to defeat Satan and Belial.
          It was bad enough when you all were
          just having to fight the space
          alien witches.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          Arthur Ramsey has asked me to ask
          you to free Jossette.

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          No.  He wants his grandmother Nette
          freed.  They are not the same
          person. I have no intention of
          freeing Nette or Barnabus.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          Okay.  Say she is Nette.  Why do
          you hate her so much?

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          She and Artorious murdered Victor
          in cold blood.  And then when we
          were trying to bring him back to
          life, Donny Maxtone was murdered.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          Do you know why they murdered
          Victor?

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          Not exactly.  I don't believe any
          of their lies or stage theatrics.
          So I am guessing they were working
          for the Witches Council.  Nette of
          course wanted to take control of
          Jossette's body and managed that.
          Nortorious was probably after
          someone's body but his plan failed.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          Artorious has been helpful to us at
          times.

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          Artorious is an excellent liar
          because at times he convinces
          himself that his is the more noble
          cause and that he is the good guy.
          On some level he does not want to
          be a bad guy.  But Nette is evil
          and that is what she wants to be.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          What about you, Elliot?  What do
          you want to be?  You have not
          always been what I would call the
          good guy in the lives we've led.
          Even when I walked in you were
          thinking about seducing one of
          those college students down there.

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          I really need to learn to not talk
          to myself when I think I am alone.
          But I do love the sound of my own
          voice.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
                (laughs)
          Do you still love your wife Ellen?

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          I now have my memory back but her
          memory is still muddled and
          confused.  It was not Victor's
          magic that took her memory.  I
          guess it was the Witches Council
          who stole her from me.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          Are you saying that you don't still
          love her?

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          With amnesia I was happy.  We were
          happy together in our simple life
          with our children and our confusion
          and ignorance. But now.  I am not
          happy.  I am angry.  And even
          though now I should feel less
          confused, in some ways I feel more
          confused. Part of my confusion
          comes from my awakening not just in
          body but in mind.  I feel things
          now that I did not previously feel.
          Yes.  I want to cheat on Ellen with
          some young thing.

Quentin's phone starts to play music.  He pulls his phone
out of pocket.  He looks to see who is calling him.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          Oh fuck.  It is Alice Malokey.  I
          wonder what she wants to cuss me
          out about now or how I've wronged
          her darling husband or son.  I
          would like to fuck her darling
          Stephen up the ass until he cries.

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          You serously do not want to do
          that.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          No.  I have to call her back.  And
          apologize for whatever I've done
          wrong.

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          Well.  Maybe you should go answer
          her in person and get down on your
          knees.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          Yeah.  I guess.  Although I would
          much rather fuck Stephen in the ass
          than kiss her ass.

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          What do you have against her son
          Stephen?

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          As a hunter Stephen has no fucking
          sense. I don't like his father Phil
          either but at least I can reason
          with him when they've captured
          someone I want freed.

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          Oh. Okay.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          Stephen cares more about pleasing
          the Witches Council than doing
          right.  Phil knows it is all
          bullshit but still he plays the
          party line.  But Stephen doesn't
          play.  He is too dang serious.

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          My son Stewart can also be overly
          serious.  He considered football
          his life and now he can't play.  I
          took him to the doctor earlier
          today and we had hopes but the
          doctor said no.  Even though he is
          doing better, if he starts back
          playing he could make the injury
          worse.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          I am sorry.  Couldn't you use a
          little magic to help him?

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          Now that I know things, I've
          thought about it.  But I was always
          so proud that Stewart was able to
          be a star football player without
          magic.  And I don't think either
          Witches Council would approve.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          I guess since I now run the Earth
          Witches Council I should not
          approve either but he was so damn
          good.  I hate that he can't play
          any more.

                      ELLIOT DUDDLEY
          I appreciate that.

                      QUENTIN DARKO
          Well, let me go see what Alice
          Malokey wants.  I am sure I have
          done something wrong.

INT. BARE MANSION - DAY

13 year old NAT WILKINS and 13 year old  BILLY BINGO are in
Nat's bedroom watching television.

                      NAT WILKINS
          Daniel is nice enough to mom and
          me. I like him.  But I've kind of
          noticed that a lot of people don't
          like him.

                      BILLY BINGO
          He is the law.  That makes some
          people nervous even if they have no
          reason to be nervous.

                      NAT WILKINS
          So you don't think he is an asshole
          as I suspect.

                      BILLY BINGO
          Oh.  He is definitely an asshole.

Nat laughs.

                      NAT WILKINS
          Do you have any idea what my mom
          sees him?

                      BILLY BINGO
          Well. Obviously he is not an
          asshole to her or you.  And he is
          rich.  He may not be much liked by
          a lot of people, but I bet he is
          respected and sometimes that is
          more important than being liked.

                      NAT WILKINS
          So are you looking forward to going
          hiking with Daniel and mom in the
          Hotville Swamp tomorrow.

                      BILLY BINGO
          It should be fun.  I hope there are
          lots of snakes and alligators that
          I can get pictures of.

Daniel BARE enters Nat's bedroom.

                      DANIEL BARE
          Billy, your mom tells me she has
          caught you drinking liquor.  She
          tells me that you have gotten fall
          down drunk.

                      BILLY BINGO
          I also smoke and cuss like a
          sailor.

                      DANIEL BARE
          You know smoking can kill you?

                      BILLY BINGO
          The government only tells people
          that because there are diseases
          that smoking prevents.  Also it
          helps stop people from getting fat.
          Looking at you, I'd guess you need
          to smoke more.

Daniel Bare sticks his head out the bedroom door and
screams.

                      DANIEL BARE
          Natalina, I have no idea what to
          say to Billy.

                      BILLY BINGO
          Tell me that when I grow up women
          will love me and that I will get
          lots of pussy.

                      NAT WILKINS
          Get lots of Venereal Disease, go
          blind, go insane, and then your
          dick will fall off.  It is best to
          love just one woman.

                      BILLY BINGO
          I think I would like a Harem.

                      DANIEL BARE
          Go to the Beauty Shop with your mom
          and after sitting with those women
          talking, there is no way you'd want
          a harem.

                      NAT WILKINS
          Yeah.  Men aren't really born gay.
          They turn gay when they go to the
          Beauty Shop with their mom.

                      DANIEL BARE
          I didn't say that.

                      BILLY BINGO
          I am pretty sure you did.

                      DANIEL BARE
          I've got to get out of here.

NATALINA walks into the bedroom.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          Daniel, did you tell them that our
          trip to Hotville has been called
          off.

                      NAT WILKINS
          Why?

                      DANIEL BARE
          A boat exploded on the Hearthville
          Lake today. I've got to investigate
          it.  I am sorry boys, but I am just
          going to be too busy.

                      NAT WILKINS
          Well. Obviously we will miss you
          being with us but can't mom take us
          without you.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          No.  I am not going into that swamp
          without a man being with us.

                      BILLY BINGO
          Oh my God.  Your mother just lost
          the right to call herself a
          feminist.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          I have never called myself that. I
          like to have a  man to kill snakes,
          spiders, and also take out the
          garbage.

                      DANIEL BARE
          And here I am thinking the only
          thing you want me for is sex.

                      BILLY BINGO
          No.  She wants you for your money.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          Billy.  You know that is not true.

                      DANIEL BARE
          It is okay if to some degree it is
          true.  I don't expect any woman
          would give me a second look if I
          were living under a bridge.  I
          don't want to be poor and I
          wouldn't want a woman who wants me
          to be poor.

                      BILLY BINGO
          I can't believe mom turned down
          that money from Victor Duddley.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          Your mom loves your father.

                      BILLY BINGO
          So if you were mom, you would have
          turned the money down?

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          Hell no.  But my sister and I are
          two very different women.

                      DANIEL BARE
          What?  Are you saying Victor wanted
          to give Maureen money to have sex
          with him?

                      BILLY BINGO
          No.  Gross.  It would have been a
          business investment to help her
          start a flower shop.

                      DANIEL BARE
          So, what does Maureen loving her
          husband Frank have anything to do
          with her turning money down from
          Victor.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          Frank can be jealous.

                      BILLY BINGO
          He can also be missing in action.
          He needs to get his ass home.  If
          mom had accepted that investment
          maybe dad could have quit working
          for David Jenkins out in the Gulf
          of Mexico.

                      NAT WILKINS
          Changing the subject.  I want to go
          to Hotville tomorrow.

                      DANIEL BARE
          I am sorry.  I've got too much
          stuff on my plate because of that
          boat explosion.

                      BILLY BINGO
          Don't you have people who work for
          you?  It is not really a
          complicated case, is it?

                      DANIEL BARE
          I can't talk about it.

                      BILLY BINGO
          So Nat I guess we are going to have
          to hack into the computers at the
          police department to find out what
          is going on.

                      DANIEL BARE
          Unbelievable.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          You better not.  If I catch you and
          Nat doing such a thing, I will give
          you two a spanking.

                      BILLY BINGO
          Yeah.  I am not planning on being
          caught.

                      NAT WILKINS
          You just told them what you were
          planning.

                      BILLY BINGO
          Where would be the challenge if
          they didn't know what I was
          planning?  

INT. BARE MANSION, DANIEL AND NATALINA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

NATALINA WILKINS, is sitting at an antique vanity / dresser,
looking in the mirror and combing her hair.  DANIEL BARE
comes out of the bathroom from taking a shower.  He has a
towel wrapped around him.  He is using another towel to dry
his hair.

                      DANIEL BARE
          Nat and Billy are something else.
          I hate that we will not be able to
          take them to Hotville tomorrow.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          We will go some other time.

Daniel Bare walks over to the glass french doors that open
to an upstairs balcony from the bedroom.  He opens the
doors.

                      DANIEL BARE
          It is warm tonight.  I think I
          might want to sleep outside under
          the stars.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          Well.  You can do what you want.
          But I am going to sleep in the bed
          under the covers.  I feel a chill
          in the air.

Daniel Bare closes the french door.  He turns and looks at
Natalina Wilkins.

                      DANIEL BARE
          There was something supernatural
          involved in that boat explosion on
          the lake.  Some kind of demon took
          control of Bachus' body.  I've got
          to form a Hunter Group to go after
          the demon.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          Is that going to put you in danger?

Natalina Wilkins stands up and looks at Daniel Bare.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          Do you have any idea what kind of
          witch summoned the demon?

                      DANIEL BARE
          No.  I don't if Professor Wilkins
          was killed because of his covid
          research or something personal  I
          don't know if the murder was
          sanctioned.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          And the summoning of a demon?  Who
          would sanction that?

                      DANIEL BARE
          Satan.  Belial.  Perhaps even the
          Space Alien Witches Council.  I
          don't know.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          Do you think the demon will try to
          kill other people?

                      DANIEL BARE
          Yes.

INT. BARE MANSION, NAT WILKINS' BEDROOM - NIGHT

BILLY BINGO has his phone. He makes a call.

                      BILLY BINGO
          Hey Jimmy.  This is Billy.

INT. HARRIS HOME, JIMMY HARRIS'  BEDROOM THAT HE SHARES WITH
HIS OLDER BROTHER TOMMY HARRIS - NIGHT

JIMMY HARRIS has pillow behind his back as he is sitting in
bed.  A bowl of popcorn is on a bed stand between his bed
and the bed of his brother TOMMY HARRIS.  Jimmy has a phone
in one hand and is flipping the pages of a comic book with
the other hand.  Tommy Harris is flipping the channels of
the TV. Jimmy throws his comic book aside and reaches for
some popcorn.  

INTERCUT PHONE CONVERSATION:

                      JIMMY HARRIS
          I came by your place today.  Your
          mom said that you are not home.

                      BILLY BINGO
          I am with my cousin Nat at the Bare
          Mansion.

                      TOMMY HARRIS
          Tell Billy it is not nice to brag
          that he is sleeping in a mansion.

                      JIMMY HARRIS
          Shut up.

                      BILLY BINGO
          What?

                      JIMMY HARRIS
          Not you.  My brother.

                      BILLY BINGO
          Well. Don't be rude to him.  I've
          got a big favor.  I want you and
          your brother to drive down to
          Hearthville tomorrow and then we
          will take a boat out to Hotville.
          Nat and I had planned to go hiking
          with Daniel but Daniel  called the
          trip  off because of work.

                      JIMMY HARRIS
          Tommy.  Did you hear that?

                      TOMMY HARRIS
          Yeah.  We can do that if mom and
          dad say it is okay.  Also, Billy
          and Nat have to get permission.

                      JIMMY HARRIS
          Tommy says that we can do that but
          only if we all get permission.

                      BILLY BINGO
          I am sure we can get permission.
          Tell Tommy not be drunk or stoned
          when he talks to Daniel and my
          aunt.

                      TOMMY HARRIS
          You tell Billy I will be talking
          with sense and he'd better be doing
          the same.

                      BILLY BINGO
          Yeah.  I heard Tommy. I have not
          had a drank since I've been here.

                      JIMMY HARRIS
          If my parents say no, I will call
          you.  Otherwise we will be seeing
          you early in the morning.

                      TOMMY HARRIS
          Not too early.

                      JIMMY HARRIS
          Well, as early as I can my sleepy
          head brother up and on the go.

                      BILLY BINGO
          The drive will take the two of you
          a good hour so do not get too late
          of a start.

                      TOMMY HARRIS
          Understood.

                      JIMMY HARRIS
          Understood.

END INTERCUT

INT. BARE MANSION, DANIEL AND NATALINA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

DANIEL BARE  is down on the floor doing pushups. NATALINA
WILKINS is in the bed reading a story on her Kindle. NAT
WILKINS enters the bedroom. Natalina Wilkins puts the Kindle
down.

                      NAT WILKINS
          Can Tommy Harris take us for hike
          in the Hotville Swamp?  We promise
          we will stay on the hiking trail.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          No.  Tommy Harris is just a
          teenager and I know he and Billy
          are friends but from what I hear he
          is on the wild side.

                      NAT WILKINS
          What if we promise we will only go
          with a tour group.  You know.
          Where a park ranger will lead us
          along the trail.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          I will go with you and Billy can
          invite Tommy and his brother Jimmy
          Harris to come with us.  I will
          call Maureen.  She and Bess might
          want to come with us.

                      NAT WILKINS
          Okay. Love you.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          Love you back.  Now you and Billy
          go to bed and go to sleep.  

Nat leaves the bedroom. Natalina picks up her phone from the
bed stand.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          Hey sis.
                (pause)
          No.  Billy is okay.  I am sorry I
          am calling late.  Nat and Billy are
          insisting that we go for a hike in
          the Hotville Swamp tomorrow.  I
          know it is late notice.
                (pause)
          I know.  It is fine.  Billy is no
          trouble.  I am glad to go with them
          on the hike.  Daniel was going to
          take the boys.  That had been the
          plan.  But he is working on an
          investigation and can not go.
                (pause)
          I was wondering if you and Bess
          would like to go with us.  Billy
          has invited Tommy and Jimmy Harris.
                (pause. laughs.)
          Okay.  We will be looking for you
          in the morning.  Drive safely.
                (pause)
          Bye.

                      DANIEL BARE
          Was she thrilled with your call?

                      NATALINA WILKINS
                (laughs)
          Maureen was just worried that Billy
          was getting too much for us.  But
          actually I think she liked the idea
          of us going on an outing tomorrow
          with Bess and the boys.

                      DANIEL BARE
          What did she think about Tommy and
          Jimmy going with you?

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          She likes Tommy and Jimmy.  Jimmy
          and Billy do a good bit of
          skateboarding together.  And Tommy
          has helped Billy with some school
          projects.

                      DANIEL BARE
          Billy needs help with school
          projects?

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          Sometimes.  You know, Billy and
          Bess fight a good bit of the time.
          They are not like Maureen and I
          were growing up.  We loved doing
          things together.  But Bess does not
          like Billy.  I guess she loves him
          but she does not like him.

                      DANIEL BARE
          I was jealous of my cousins Johnny
          and Lilly when they came to live
          with us.  When I think back, I
          could kick myself on some things.
          I guess is like me.  She enjoyed
          being an only child.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          I would have hated being an only
          child.

                      DANIEL BARE
          But back to the subject.  Why would
          Billy need any help with a school
          project?  I would be shocked if he
          couldn't teach the teacher a few
          things.

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          That is true.  I don't know.  But
          anyway, Maureen likes for Tommy to
          help Billy with school work
          sometimes.

                      DANIEL BARE
          I know it is a subject that you
          prefer we avoid.  But I am going to
          ask anyway.  Are Tommy and Jimmy
          witches?

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          I don't know.  I don't think so.  I
          think they do know that Billy is
          special.  That is if their memory
          of that  has not been erased.

                      DANIEL BARE
          Special.  That is a word.  How do
          you think Billy is handling Iapetus
          being caged?

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          I don't know.  You know, like
          Victor, Billy has an alter he goes
          into that behaves like any other
          human.  I think since Billy has
          been here we have mostly been
          dealing with his alter.

                      DANIEL BARE
          And so his alter needs help with
          schoolwork and stuff?

                      NATALINA WILKINS
          Maybe.  I don't know.  I may invite
          all of them, including the Harris
          boys to spend the night here.  Will
          that be okay.

                      DANIEL BARE
          Sure.

Daniel Bare rolls over on his back from doing pushups.

INT. LEROY BARE'S SPACESHIP - NIGHT

LEROY BARE puts a small bottle down.  He mumbles a magic
spell while waving his arms.  PROFESSOR WILCOX, MINI WILCOX,
and BACHUS WILCOX each fly from the bottle in puff of smoke.
They look around with scared looks on their faces.

                      PROFESSOR WILCOX
          Is this a spaceship?  Are you a
          space alien.

                      LEROY BARE
          No.  I am just a witch.  We use
          spacecraft juse like the space
          alien witches.

                      MINI WILCOX
          You are a witch.  Did you kill us?

                      LEROY BARE
          No.  I am trying to save you.

                      BACHUS WILOX
          But we are dead.  You didn't save
          us.

                      LEROY BARE
          I am trying to save you from being
          caged by Satan or Belial or the
          Space Alien Witches or whoever
          killed you.  I am going to take you
          to Whitehead and Bare Town.  You
          should be safe there.

On the monitors there are images of fire and smoke.

                      MINI WILCOX
          He is taking us to hell.

                      LEROY BARE
          What the hell?  What the hell has
          happened to Whitehead and Bare
          Town. I guess I know.  Belial is
          going to do to earth what was done
          to Pluto Viso.  Oh my God.

On the monitors embers of hot coal can be seen.  And there
is fire burning buildings.  And then the site of circus like
animal cages can be seen with human souls screaming for
help.

CAMERA focuses on the face of Leroy Bare.  Tears are
streaming down his face. He is crying.

                      LEROY BARE
          Hades is becoming hell here on
          earth.  It is happening.  It is
          happening.  Oh God, Amelia, can't
          you wake.  We need you.  We
          desperately need you.

                      PROFESSOR WILCOX
          I don't understand.  

                      MINI WILCOX
          We've died.  And we are going to
          hell.  I told you we should not
          have gone to that spouse swapping
          party.

                      BACHUS WILOX
          I sucked a man's cock once.  Just
          once.  And I did not like it.  Now
          I am going to hell for that.

                      LEROY BARE
          No.  You are not evil.  Satan and
          Belial are evil.  And Bachus, why
          in the hell wouldn't you enjoy
          sucking a man's cock.  That is just
          stupid.

                      BACHUS WILOX
          He was fat.  And ugly.  But somehow
          he knew I had cheated on the test.
          And I didn't want to be thrown out
          of college.  So I agreed to suck
          his cock.

                      LEROY BARE
          Oh.  Anyway, that was his bad.  Not
          your bad.  

                      BACHUS WILOX
          I agreed to do it.  And now I am
          going to hell in a spaceship flown
          by a gay man who likes sucking
          cock.

                      LEROY BARE
          I want to help everyone here but we
          are in danger.  We've got to get
          out of here.  I've got to find a
          safe place.  Oh my God.  This is
          all worse than I could have
          imagined.

                      MINI WILCOX
          For our sins, is that how we are
          going to spend our eternity?  Are
          we going to end up like those poor
          souls in a circus bear cage
          screaming for help?  Will that be
          our eternity.

                      LEROY BARE
          It is not about your sins.  There
          are no sins.  We are biological
          animals and like all animals we do
          good and we do bad, but what is
          good and bad?  It is sure as fuck
          not for Satan and Belial to decide.

                      MINI WILCOX
          But what about God?  He must hate
          us.  He is not saving us.  He is
          not saving those poor souls.

                      LEROY BARE
          God, Amelia, is sleeping.  She
          would try to save us just like she
          tried to save the people of Pluto
          Viso.  But she can't.

                      PROFESSOR WILCOX
          Are you sure God can't?  Are you
          sure God is sleeping?  Maybe God is
          just playing opossum.