STRANGE AIR
EPISODE ONE
Scene One
Malcolm Smith is on the air.
MUSIC: The theme for the radio show. It fades as Malcolm starts to speak.
MALCOLM:
Good evening. It is ten o’clock in the city of angels and that means it’s time for the very first episode of “Strange Air”. My name is Malcolm Smith and I welcome each and every one of you. For the next four hours, I will have the honor of being your guide to the unknown, the paranormal, the mysteries behind the veil.
On this show, we won’t be discussing politics. We won’t be discussing the Dodgers or the Lakers. And we won’t be discussing the traffic on the 405. Instead, we’re going to focus on those strange lights you saw in the night sky and those scary sounds that seem to be coming from under your bed.
There are people out there who feel the world has been drained of mystery. They say the internet has linked every corner of this planet and technology has revealed how every magic trick is done. They believe the unknown has become known. Well, I’m not one of those people. I believe those poor souls have lost their ability to experience wonder. They no longer see the doors that lead us to a secret world. They have chosen to close their eyes.
What about you? Are your eyes open? Do you have a story you’d like to share? Well, I’ll be here for the next four hours, and I want to know what’s on your mind. I want to hear your stories. I want us to be there for each other.
So let’s get started.
Caller one. You’re on “Strange Air”.
CALLER 1:
Hi, Malcolm. My name’s Peter and I’m in North Hollywood.
MALCOLM:
Welcome to Strange Air, Peter. And congratulations on being our first caller. What’s on your mind tonight?
CALLER 1:
This is going to sound a little crazy. You’ll probably make fun of me.
MALCOLM:
Let me to put your mind at ease. I have no intention of laughing at you or any of our callers. That’s not why I’m here.
CALLER 1:
Oh, good. I’m glad to hear that. Thank you.
MALCOLM:
You’re very welcome. Now tell us what’s going on.
CALLER 1:
Well, the thing is my mom has been visiting me every night now for almost two weeks. She just keeps dropping by.
MALCOLM:
And why is that crazy?
CALLER 1:
She’s dead.
MALCOLM:
Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. How and when did your mother pass?
CALLER 1:
She died of cancer about two years ago when she was sixty-seven.
MALCOLM:
That must’ve been difficult. I know what it’s like to lose a parent to a disease that has no respect for human life. You have my sympathy.
CALLER 1:
Thank you.
MALCOLM:
But now she’s back! Tell me something, Peter. When the ghost of your mother appears, what exactly are you seeing?
CALLER 1:
Uh, it’s not like she’s transparent or anything. She looks - physical. Solid…
MALCOLM:
Just like in your memories.
CALLER 1:
Right. And I can always tell when she’s about to show up because the temperature in my apartment starts to drop really, really fast.
MALCOLM:
They call that a “cold spot”. Ghost hunters believe it’s the best indication a spirit has entered the room. The theory is that someone who has passed, someone like your mother, has to use a great deal of energy to manifest in the physical world, the physical world being your apartment. And that’s what makes the temperature drop.
CALLER 1:
I didn’t know that. So you’re saying the dead can come back to our realm and have an effect on it.
MALCOLM:
That seems to be the case. Now tell me something, Peter. Does your mother talk to you?
CALLER 1:
That’s the worst part, Malcolm. When she’s here, I get the feeling she wants to communicate, like she wants to tell me something, something important, but her mouth never opens and…
(The sound fades away.)
Scene Two
Chase Smith is narrating her documentary.
CHASE:
What you just heard was the opening for the first episode of a radio show called “Strange Air”. The broadcast originated in Los Angeles and during the first few months, it was almost cancelled twice due to low ratings. But then, something happened. People started listening. And those listeners turned “Strange Air” into a surprising success with an extremely loyal following.
The host and creator of the show, Malcolm Smith, worked in radio his entire life, mostly in Southern California. He claimed the idea for “Strange Air” came to him in a dream. But this old press release from KXLA explains he was inspired by a close encounter during a camping trip. Which one is true? I’m not sure it matters.
Malcolm Smith created a radio world where no topic was too out there. Haunted houses, psychic predictions, alien autopsies were all open for discission and they were treated with the same respect as an election or a crisis in the Middle East. If someone heard a bump in the night, Malcolm Smith wanted to know about it.
His most loyal fans, dubbed “The Strange Crew”, were social outcasts, people who had been ridiculed for their views on the paranormal. But when they called in, they heard a warm and welcoming voice. They heard someone who sincerely wanted to hear their stories. Malcolm Smith knew how to listen. He made his callers feel like they had found a home.
Three years after the first broadcast, “Strange Air” was picked up for national syndication. The critics didn’t believe the show could remain popular under that kind of pressure. They were wrong. Malcolm Smith was able to attract fans in metropolitan cities, the deep south, farming communities, and he even had one extremely loyal fan in the swamps of Louisiana.
It seemed like everyone had a story they wanted to share about the paranormal. And if they didn’t have one, they were just as happy to listen.
As the show’s popularity increased, merchandising deals were negotiated, live appearances were scheduled, and CBS started developing a TV show based on “Strange Air”. It was an exciting time.
And then, it all went away.
What you are about to hear is the last episode of “Strange Air”.
Scene Three
Malcolm is on the air.
MALCOLM:
Our next call is from Seattle, Washington. Luke? You’re on “Strange Air”.
CALLER 2:
Hello, Malcolm. Thank you for taking my call. I’m a huge fan.
MALCOLM:
We seem to have quite a following in the Pacific Northwest.
CALLER 2:
I’m not surprised. There’s a lot of crazy up here.
MALCOLM:
So what’s on your mind, Luke?
CALLER 2:
I heard what you said about the dark woods that surround us and that really hit home. The woods up here are as dark as they come and about a month ago, I went into those woods just to get away from it all and I got turned around and it was starting to get dark and I could not find my way out…
MALCOLM:
That sounds like a frightening experience.
CALLER 2:
It sure was. But I got lucky. Someone found me.
MALCOLM:
And who was that?
CALLER 2:
Bigfoot.
MALCOLM:
I’m sorry, did you say Bigfoot? As in…
CALLER 2:
Yes, he just showed up and offered to show me the way out. I swear to God, I’m not lying. He had these really kind eyes and he pointed me in the right direction.
MALCOLM:
Like a spirit guide.
CALLER 2:
Exactly!
MALCOLM:
Well, it’s my understanding that Washington State has the most reported sightings in the country.
CALLER 2:
I have a friend at work who claims to have seen Bigfoot three times, but I never believed him.
MALCOLM:
I bet you believe him now.
CALLER 2:
Oh, yes. I most certainly do.
SOUND: A short burst of static.
MALCOLM:
And you’re saying Bigfoot is a “he”?
CALLER 2:
Excuse me?
MALCOLM:
You said “he” offered to show you the way out. Does that mean the Bigfoot you encountered was male?
CALLER 2:
Uh, I guess so.
MALCOLM:
You’re not sure?
CALLER 2:
Well, I didn’t really take a close look at his lower region.
MALCOLM:
(laughs) I don’t blame you.
CALLER 2:
All I know is everyone seems to think Bigfoot is some kind of monster, but I don’t believe that’s true. This creature saved my life.
MALCOLM:
So tell me something, Luke. What did Bigfoot look like? It’s my understanding…
SOUND: A short burst of static.
(Silence)
Scene Four
Chase is narrating her documentary.
CHASE:
What you just heard is difficult to explain because all we have is that audio file. There’s no video. But I can sum it up in three words. Malcolm Smith disappeared.
Let me say that again. Ten years ago, Malcolm Smith vanished from the face of the Earth. One moment, he was on the air in the middle of a sentence. And the next moment, he was gone.
But we all know that’s impossible. Human beings don’t just disappear into thin air. Or do they?
“Strange Air” was recorded in a small studio that had one door and one window. The window allowed Malcolm Smith and his engineer to see each other during a show. Unfortunately, the engineer was taking a call when the incident occurred. The moment he heard dead air, the worst thing you can hear during a broadcast, the engineer looked up and saw an empty studio.
At first, everyone assumed the incident was a publicity stunt. But it wasn’t. The police were called in to investigate. Psychics and other dubious experts tried to help. His family even hired a private investigator. But no one was able to come up with an explanation for the impossible.
Time passed. Days turned into weeks; weeks turned into months. And now it’s been ten years, and no one has heard from Malcolm Smith.
Eventually, with no breaks in the case, the police had to move on. The media, with nothing new to report, moved on. Everyone moved on.
Everyone except me.
Sadly, I never had that option.
And that’s because Malcolm Smith is my father.
Scene Five
Chase and Danny are watching the previous scene on a monitor.
DANNY:
Wow. That’s a powerful reveal. It works really well.
CHASE:
And we’ll cut from there to the shot of me walking outside, the one on Greene Street.
DANNY:
I can see it now. The USC Student Film Award for Best Documentary goes to Chase Smith!
CHASE:
Stop. I don’t care about any of that.
DANNY:
You should. It might help you find a job when we graduate.
CHASE:
Whatever.
DANNY:
Is there any pizza left?
CHASE:
Yeah, some.
SOUND: Danny opens a pizza carton.
CHASE:
Hey, wrong one. The half with veggies is yours. The good half is mine.
DANNY:
I don’t know how you can eat that.
CHASE:
Pizza with pepperoni and sausage is heaven on Earth.
(pause)
DANNY:
So do you think he believed in all that stuff?
CHASE:
Who? My father?
DANNY:
Yeah.
CHASE:
I think he believed more in the possibility than the reality.
DANNY:
Hmm. That’s a good line. You should use it.
CHASE:
Shit, you’re right. That is a good line.
DANNY:
Hey, are you coming tonight?
CHASE:
Did we have plans?
DANNY:
Oh my God, you always forget. I was talking about the Film Society screening.
CHASE:
Oh, right. What are they showing? Another boring art film?
DANNY
It’s “La Strada” and that movie is cinema at its best. Fellini won his first Oscar for directing it.
CHASE
Fellini? Who’s Fellini?
DANNY:
I can’t believe I’m in love with you.
CHASE:
Stop. I know who Federico Fellini is. He’s Italian, right?
DANNY:
Yes, that’s correct. He actually made that pizza you’re eating.
CHASE:
Which is especially delicious because it has sausage and pepperoni on it.
DANNY:
So what time did you want to start working tomorrow?
CHASE:
How about eleven?
DANNY:
Sorry, the morning’s out. I’ve got Screenwriting at ten.
CHASE:
So cut class. It’s our senior year. Who cares?
DANNY:
I don’t want to cut class.
CHASE:
I will go down on you right now if you cut class.
DANNY:
Chase, I can’t. They’re commenting on my script tomorrow. I have to be there.
CHASE:
Fine.
DANNY:
Are you upset?
CHASE:
No.
DANNY:
I’m not a science major, but I’m pretty sure the world revolves around the sun, not you.
CHASE:
Oh my God, I said I’m fine. What do you want from me?
DANNY:
Forget it. I’ll see you tomorrow around two.
SOUND: Danny picks up his backpack.
CHASE:
Danny?
DANNY:
What?
CHASE:
Thanks for your help. Seriously. I really appreciate it. You’re a talented editor.
DANNY:
I know. And you’re welcome.
(They kiss.)
CHASE:
Yuk, you have broccoli breath.
DANNY:
Say good night, Chase.
CHASE:
Good night, Chase.
Scene Six
Chase talks into her digital recorder.
CHASE:
Hi. It’s me. Chase.
Tonight, my gratitude journal is sponsored by a Smog City IPA, their flagship brew. And truth be told, I like it much better than the Amarilla Gorilla I had last night.
(drinks)
So let’s get started. I’m grateful I didn’t have to see another boring art film. I’m grateful that I’m healthy with no signs of a recurrence. And I’m especially grateful my last year of college is going so well, much better than I expected.
Oh there’s one more thing. I was able to stare at my father’s face for several hours today without crying like a little girl.
So what does that mean? Is something healing inside of me or is something dying?
(drinks)
You know what really sucks? I turned twelve a few weeks after my father disappeared. That’s how young I was. And I still don’t know what the fuck happened. Will a stupid student film help me figure this out? I don’t know. Doctor Blair thinks it will help me sort out my feelings once and for all so I can get on with my life. But hey, she wore a red blazer over a red blouse during our last session so I’m not sure I can believe anything she says.
The thing is I’m a good filmmaker. Fuck, yes. And the documentary I made last year about that assisted living community got an A+. (laughs) I unleashed my inner Sherlock Holmes on those crooks. But this film is different. It’s…personal. It couldn’t be more personal.
Daddy, I know you’re out there somewhere. People don’t just vanish into thin air. And I’ve got about ten years’ worth of questions and anxiety and anger and sadness that we have to talk about…
I still miss you.
Alright, enough. This is supposed to be a gratitude journal, not a bitch session.
Oh, wait! I just found a post-it stuck to my ass. And hey, it’s important. Two words. “Hemingway quote”. Hang on…
SOUND: She searches through her notes.
CHASE:
Here it is. I found this amazing quote today that really made an impression on me.
“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.”
That is just so perfect. And he’s right. I’m starting to think all the work I’m putting into my documentary is helping me get stronger. I’m not there yet. But I’m on my way. I’m definitely on my way.
And there’s one more thing.
I’m going to find my father.