Spirals, shocks, and a Really Bad Idea
Episode 3 of Letters to Georgia is here! Almost didn’t think I’d make it in time this week with all the recording and editing messes I’ve had.
As always, it can be found wherever you normally get your podcasts, as well as in this post and in the Letters to Georgia tab on the side!
Thank you for listening, Sabrina
Introducing a new character this week- Diane
003. “Spirals, shocks, and a Real Bad Idea”
Int. Kitchen, morning.
RACHEL is pawing through the yellow pages, absently recounting her week (car still not working, vid chats with Margot) looking for her neighbors number while journalling. She is tapping her fingers and there is a dial tone. Message receipt for Rosa Stone.
RACHEL
Morning Diane. Cleaned out some of my boxes proper and found you- what’s it been? Six years since getting you for recording lectures? - Anyways, no more phone or laptop recordings for me.
Well, good news is I was able to paint my bedroom earlier this week. Bad news is I then managed to leave the bucket open a crack somehow and it all dried up when I was halfway down the hallway though so I’m stuck like this until tomorrow when the new bucket supposedly arrives. I’ll believe it when I see it.
Ahh, here we go, Stone, stone, stone…. Sorry, looking for the neighbors numberrrrrrrrr, yes. Multitasking. Fabulous. Here we go, that… looks like their address, yeah, 9187. Rosa Stone, sweet.
Buttons as she calls. Faint ringtone.
Hello?
Hi Rosa, this is RACHEL Bardin. I just moved into the little yellow next door to you, where Georgia used to live?
Oh hello dear, so pleased to hear from you! Thought that was a moving truck we saw last month!
Oh, yeah- I’ve been here a couple weeks now but haven’t had a chance to make it over to introduce myself in person, so firstly hello! Secondly sorry about that, please feel free to call me back at this number if you ever need anything!
And thirdly, I’ve been getting some weird mail and was wondering if you’ve experienced something similar or have seen anyone around on the road. Nothing threatening or dangerous - I think- just… weird? I can’t really describe it.
Weird mail… can’t say I have. Georgia was a little weird herself, but I can’t think of anything specific. Would you like to come over for tea and a chat sometime?
Oh! Oh really, thats…
Yeah, I would love to swing by for a visit, would tomorrow afternoon work?
Of course dear, I have all the time in the world for visitors.
Sweet, yeah, I’ll be free by four, see you then! Bye!
Ext. front yard. RACHEL is on the grass with the newest letter. There are birds singing.
RACHEL
Right right, Diane- I need to rewatch that and ope! Glue that eye back on, sorry. Back to proper ~*journaling*~. Back to it! Paint mess, but my bedroom is all put together which is great. And caught a rat in the basement! The noise is gone! Finally!
What else, what else... Ordered some awesome light blocking curtains, I've been trying to close all of them at night these days.
Margot says I shouldn’t lean into this paranoia, and that really I shouldn’t pay any attention to the mailbox- though Coops been encouraging me to destroy it- and that I really need to get on fixing my bike and car, oh and that journaling should be ~*emotional too not just your antics Rachel*~.
Which, I mean, yeah, I agree. I need to get my bike fixed. I’ve been a little distracted, won’t lie. Mom’s been coaching me through clearing out a little garden area in the back- and yesterday I got the last of the blackberries out from around the green house. Hopefully it dries out soon so I can have a little bonfire with them once they’ve dried, maybe get Cooper out for that too, celebrate my victory together.
Also have been digging into Ben Shiller. [Whisper] Haven’t told Margot that. But can’t find too much, just a doctorate studies bio and a filed missing persons from a year ago. No luck finding any family members or social media or anything, even on the missing person’s report, just a number for the police department. Not sure I’m ready to dig deeper into the college lane, that feels like crossing some kind of boundary I’m not ready to look at.
But I do have another letter this week. [Flapping sounds, as it waving around the envelope] Showed up this morning. Coop feels bad he isn’t here to help out with this, so I’m still sharing everything with him.
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Hello hello again Cooper, I’ve got another letter today. Still haven’t seen anyone put anything in the mail box… I’ve been “accidentally” lining up my runs with regular mail delivery. No luck though. It’s not the mail lady, her name is Sharon unless it’s Robert making the rounds because of, something about child custody? She was friendly but talking a mile a minute. Doesn’t know what to think of the second mailbox, she seems to forget about it the second she stops looking at it. It’s the weirdest thing.
Found this letter first thing this morning, and yeah, before you go gripe at me I’ll confess- I was looking at the moon. No changes, but I don’t trust it completely, especially since I did some digging and Benjamin Shiller, he sent the letter, he’s been missing for awhile now. [Trails off] I can’t think about that right now.
Anyways, I must have missed whoever brought it by last night… maybe I should invest in a trail cam? You can come out and help me with your fabulous electrical skills! [She cackles or snorts] I am joking of course, you can supervise and be in charge of margarita’s, I’ll wire up the camera.
ANyways, this week’s letter looks atrocious. It’s a super battered invite envelope, taped up in the corners, several layers of label address-y stickers on the front- it must have been reused, and it’s stuffed. The writing is horrible, I can hardly read it. Pencil chicken scratch, it’s smudged and half of the page is scribbled on too, like someone let a 5 year old with a pack of markers to it and they just went ham.
[Tape tearing] It’s not even sealed right, there’s tape across what’s left of the back flap. Ope, here it goes-- AHH !! [Shocked noise, like she got electrocuted]
Ow, must have had some kind of static built up, the paper shocked me! Let’s try this again [Paper unfolding] Wow, and I thought you had some chicken scratch, Cooper. This is gonna be rough. It’s in pencil still, and there’s two pages of just… scribbles. Wonder if they had their toddler help with the decoration. [Snort and more paper sounds]
This handwriting is so slim, there’s hardly any proper spaces- no dear blah blah blah, sincerely bloopskin, just writing interspersed with really… pretty, swirly doodles. [Starts to fall into a daze but snaps out of it] I’m not sure how far I’ll get in this.
“Sing sing crystal clean old men, sing sharp swing high to the heavens above in all their light and glory. Behold the sun eye above all glistening in the littlest dew drops and fiercest moon beams. She never truly leaves us.
[Getting easier] Dance away, silver steed and becken unto us our fill. Leaf in shadow leaf in sunlight, mountains fall and remain the same the sun shines on she will outlive us. All in glory. I am my truth. Oceans beckons in my veins, our veins, our wings, vast in the light. Bring healing though lost after light, lost after dark.
[Grows stronger, some kind of interference growing in the background] Sing stranger and knock on my door for everlasting opal glory. Sun beyond suns, a million stars do no justice there are none who equal your blaze. Crystal quartz clear singing from high places from low places, caverns and canyons no human minds may go. A tree grows taller rooted in the deepest hollows of hell. Descend, descend. Sing the glory of bones in moonlight. Our time here is short and we must be full of glory for it and to sing the songs of our ancestors to an eternal flame. Sing in the deep, sing in the highest. Glory brilliance, high strung wonder relax in the forest, be still by the waters. Bones to the earth sing softly and deft. [Gets quieter] I don’t feel so good. [Phone clattering, silence]
There is a whirring sound in the background, steps.
PHONE
Voice memo sent.
Fade in telephone ringing. RACHEL is slowly gaining consciousness, fumbles for the phone, COOPER is frantic on the other end.
RACHEL
Ugh, Coop? [They are frantic on the other end] I, yeah, yeah-- yes, I’m okay. Just got dizzy, and needed to lie down. Didn’t realize I hit the send button, sorry. [Pause, Cooper is double checking]
Pinky swear on my mother’s life Cooper I’m okay. [Pause] Yeah I know I sound like crap. It was weird, I won’t lie. [Pause, asking about it] I don’t know, there’s these swirly doodles all over the letter, I think seeing them among the writing made me dizzy. [Pause] What? I sounded possessed? I-- hmm. Maybe I should stop reading these. [Pause] Yeah yeah, no need to get sassy.
[Long pause] I’m sorry I scared you Cooper, thank you for calling to check up on me.
C: Any time RACHEL, you really worried me. Should you still be reading those letters?
Yeah, I should probably stop. Hmm… I wonder if there’s a way to remove the mailbox, can’t receive mail if there’s no place for it to go.
C: Do you have a chainsaw?
What?? No I don’t have a chainsaw, I can just remove it with a screwdriver and hammer like a normal person you goose.
C: Chainsaw would be more satisfying though. Take a nap, then get rid of the thing, please?
Oh yeah, definitely taking a nap, everythings a little-- spinny still. Thanks, Coop. I’ll let you know when it’s gone. Oh, while I have you, I know it’s still January - BUT - I found some potential logs for my halloween costume, let me know which one’s best? I’ll send you a pic later, okay? [Pause, snort again] What would I do without you, Coop?
[Cooper hangs up, recording ends]
Ext. Porch, evening. Keeping a wary eye out for the moon, RACHEL is drinking tea, the mailbox next to her on the porch. She is considering if it’s worth it to burn the thing or just leave in the trash can instead. She is leaving a message for her mother
RACHEL
[Muttering] Moon, go home. Oh hey Mom! Just calling to check in, got your text earlier, sorry I missed you tonight! I’m doing alright, just replaced my old trash mailbox. Can’t decide whether it’s worth it to just toss the thing or if I should save it for a bonfire later this week, weather’s supposed to be nicer and I uncovered a pit in the backyard under one of the blackberry patches.
Anyways, you mentioned coming out for dinner one of these nights? I’d love the company! Haven’t managed to meet any of the neighbors yet, most of them must be busy, but I’m heading just up the road for a tea visit tomorrow. Wish I was that busy, but grateful for space to really spruce this spot up, it is gorgeous.
I’m running out of space here, love you lots, call me back when you get a chance I have kale growing questions! Bye!
[Hangs up, recording ends]
