The Cellar Letters

Episode Two - The Arrival

Written and produced by Jamie Petronis and Jay Sayers

Summary

Steve moves in, they explore the basement together.

Cast

Jamie Petronis as Nate

Jay Sayers as Steve

Nala as Bella

Content Warnings

sudden loud noises

Nate

I can't sleep. That uh … that stuff in the basement just … it's weird.

Why was that door locked? Why wasn't I given a key to it? Why are there so many cabinets down there? There are at least 15 against that back wall.

Are they all filled with letters? Who wrote them? Why - why did they write them? And who were they writing to?

I don't know, I just... I have a lot of questions. And now I'm just sitting here wide awake.

(sighs)

Alright, alright! I'm gonna do it. I am going back down there. I need to grab a few more of those letters.

Bella! Bella, wake up girl come on!

(clink clink of a leash)

(beep from the recorder it’s been turned off)

(beep from the recorder, it’s been turned on again)

Okay, okay I'm gonna do this. Okay.

(creaking door)

Alright.

(click of the light switch)

The light bulb still doesn't work. Remind me to replace that in the morning.

Alright I'm walking down now.

(walking sounds)

Okay I'm at the back door. Still a bunch of cabinets. Still very creepy.

(stressed) Okay, okay I'm just gonna grab a few random ones then I'm out.

(cabinet sounds)

God, I can't read anything down here.

Okay I think I'm good

(more cabinet sounds)

okay

(door slamming)

Fuck! Enough. It must be a draft or something. (exhales) Not that scary. Okay, I'm done.

(beep from the recorder it’s been turned off)

(beep from the recorder, it’s been turned on again)

Nate

Okay, just got upstairs. I grabbed a few so we'll see how this goes. The first one says … there's a One in the corner. It says:

“203 Sycamore Drive

I’m- I'm not sure if this is going to the right person. I don't even know if this is a real address. I found it on some online message board. I've been having some experiences. Things that I can't explain. After writing about some of them, the others on the board suggested that I talk to you. They said you might be able to help me or I don't know begin to explain

whatever it is that's happening. It all started about a week ago at least that's the first time I actually remember something happening. It was Saturday the 12th. I just got back from the grocery store. I was grabbing some snacks and some drinks for my daughter who had a few fr-”

(loud knocking)

Shit! Hello? Hello?

Steve

Hey uh Nate? Um, do you want to get the door bud? It's getting a little cold out here!

Nate

Shit...uh yeah! Yeah I'll be right there!

(beep from the recorder it’s been turned off)

(beep from the recorder, it’s been turned on again)

Nate

Sorry man I completely forgot you were coming tonight

Steve

Yeah. Eh...it's fine uh instead of booking a hotel, I actually stopped at every cracker

barrel instead

(he closes the door)

It was delicious, I ate about a thousand biscuits so I need to use the bath...

whoa! Is this the place?

Nate

Yeah! this is it! It's pretty nice huh?

Steve

Um yeaaaah sure!

Nate

I mean you could always go back to cracker barrel since you love that place so much…

Steve

Yeah no fuck that. Um Nate are you recording this?

Nate

Yeah I forgot to tell you I'm doing that whole podcast thing?

Steve

A podcast thing? So what is it about? No let me guess. (he starts speaking in an Australian accent) It's about a man...no a boy who travels across the country because of a pandemic, when really it's about a star-crossed lover-

Nate

Steve- stop!

Steve

(teasing) no no no….

Nate

Seriously enough! Let's just go get your stuff and we'll give you the grand tour

Steve

Hey, listen to me not many people could have gone through what you went

through and then move across the entire country to start a new life-

Nate

Can we just not talk about this now? I'm trying to record this thing

Steve

Okay? Well stop recording then.

(beep from the recorder it’s been turned off)

(beep from the recorder, it’s been turned on again)

Steve

(sighs, disbelieving) Okay let me get this straight: So every night you hear knocking and then you call a man named Jim.

Nate

Jim is the landlord. Now he says it's just the pipes, nothing weird apparently but it's still pretty freaky.

Steve

So you go downstairs into a dark basement and you get freaky with Jim's pipes eh?

(both laugh)

Nate

(amused) Stop! I’m being serious. If you don't believe me just read this. This was in the cabinet that I opened.

Steve

134 West Valley road I think she's ...oh! (laughs) Maybe, maybe I should read it all creepy.Right here we go.

(he clears his throat)

I've been seeing her more and more lately. When I'm walking to the kitchen. When I'm

heading to bed she's there and she always looks the same: pale; white gown that looks like it's from a different time; deep, dark eyes. I feel like I'm going crazy. I'm scared. (he’s slipping into a mocking tone, like he’s reading from a romance novel) I think I'm even starting to hear her. It sounds like she ... it (screaming) uh!

Nate

Why did you have to do that?

Steve

Come on this can't be real!

Nate

It is real. You really don't believe me? Come with me.

(door creaking, walking sounds)

Look: see there's your door!

Steve

(mocking) yeah I see the door I don't need to go to the door to see a door.

Nate

I want you go check it out you're so big and tough go check it out

Steve

well I... I don't know. I don't have to be big and tough right now I don't want to go see a door

Nate

what’re you scared?

Steve

I'm not scared.

(scared noises, walking, he opens the door)