Below we present the complete text of “The Werewolf and the Sidhe”, episode 3 of our new Fantasy Noir; The Girl in the Ivy Gate. This is a brand new (unpublished) series (introducing the characters Jess Allport and Cassie Torrens). If you would like to see these new stories advance from being drafts into polished publications then please consider supporting us by purchasing one or more of our previously published titles. Every sale directly funds the production of new stories.
THE GIRL IN THE IVY GATE
EPISODE #3 – THE WEREWOLF AND THE SIDHE
by Philip Craig Robotham
Cover Illustration by Miyukiko
Unedited Draft
Copyright 2016 Philip Craig Robotham
Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) Edition.
This play is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) International license. This play may not be commercially reproduced, performed, or sold. Non-commercial production, performance, and reproduction are allowed under this license so long as attribution is maintained. No derivative content or use is allowed. It can be freely shared in its current form (without change) under this license. If you would like to purchase one or more copies of this work (for your own personal non-commercial use, or to help financially support the author) then please return to https://www.weirdworlstudios.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Other works by this author can be found at the author’s website: https://weirdworldstudios.com or through select, online book retailers.
Serial #5: The Girl in the Ivy Gate
Jess is an ordinary girl at the very exclusive Seareach Boarding School. Most days all she has to contend with are the sneers of the trust-fund girls who want to look down on her for being a scholarship student. But when her best friend is killed in a dog attack at the full moon, just in time to make way for a new and unsettling female student to become enrolled, she finds herself teaming up with the nosiest girl in school to investigate a deepening mystery with some decidedly weird complications. Mysterious books, howls in the night, strangers meeting in the nearby woods, and a misdirected attempt at blackmail leads her through an adventure that could very well cost her more than her O-levels. Will she be able to uncover the secrets hiding within Seareach before the body count rises to include her own? Tune in to “The Girl in the Ivy Gate” and thrill as the investigation progresses towards its startling conclusion.
Episodes in the Host Your Own “Old Time Radio Drama” series are designed to provide a fun dinner party experience for 6–8 participants. Read along, taking on the role of one or more of the characters in the story, and listen as the exciting drama unfolds. This is the theater of the mind, where the special effects are only limited by your imagination, and your participation will build a memory that you’ll treasure for years to come.
THE GIRL IN THE IVY GATE
CAST LIST
NARRATOR: The Narrator
JESS ALLPORT: Scholarship student
CASSIE TORRENS: General Busybody
MISS CARTWRIGHT: Vice Principal
MISS TIZDALE: School Principal
HANNAH TRANSOME: New Student
SFX: SFX operator (1 required)
SCENE 11: INT – CLASSROOM (JESS, CASSIE, MISS CARTWRIGHT, MISS TIZDALE, HANNAH)
492. MUSIC: OPENING THEME – LET IT FINISH.
493. NARRATOR: Strange things are happening at the Seareach School. When Jess’ best friend is killed by a wild dog she sets out to uncover the truth. Following a suspicious new student, Hannah, into the woods, she and her friend, Cassie, encounter a huge and vicious dog only to be rescued by Norris, Hannah’s guardian. When she confronts Hannah she is violently knocked aside and decides to inform the school principal… but suddenly, she is unable to remember the details clearly and returns to her classroom.
494. SOUND: CLASSROOM MURMUR – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
495. MISS CARTWRIGHT: (TO BE READ UNDER THE DIALOG UNTIL INTERRUPTED BY THE KNOCK ON THE DOOR – THE FOLLOWING TEXT IS THE BACKGROUND NOISE OF A LESSON TO BE READ – BORINGLY – UNDER THE MAIN SCENE) In the second century of the Christian era, the empire of Rome comprehended the fairest part of the earth and the most civilized portion of mankind. The frontiers of that extensive monarchy were guarded by ancient renown and *disciplined valor. The gentle but powerful influence of laws and manners had gradually cemented the union of the provinces. Their peaceful inhabitants enjoyed and abused the advantages of wealth and luxury. The image of a free constitution was preserved with decent reverence: the Roman senate appeared to possess the sovereign authority and devolved on the emperors all the executive powers of government. During a happy period of more than fourscore years, the public administration was conducted by the virtue and abilities of Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and the two Antonines. It is the design of this, and of the two succeeding lessons, to describe the prosperous condition of their empire; and afterwards, from the death of Marcus Antoninus, to deduce the most important circumstances of its decline and fall; a revolution which will ever be remembered, and is still felt by the nations of the earth.
The principal conquests of the Romans were achieved under the republic; and the emperors, for the most part, were satisfied with preserving those dominions which had been acquired by the policy of the Senate, the active emulations of the consuls, and the martial enthusiasm of the people. The seven first centuries were filled with a rapid succession of triumphs, but it was reserved for Augustus to relinquish the ambitious design of subduing the whole earth, and to introduce a spirit of moderation into the public councils. Inclined to peace by his temper and situation, it was easy for him to discover that Rome, in her present exalted situation, had much less to hope than to fear from the chance of arms; and that, in the prosecution of remote wars, the undertaking became every day more difficult, the event more doubtful, and the possession more precarious, and less beneficial. The experience of Augustus added weight to these salutary reflections and effectually convinced him that, by the prudent vigor of his counsels, it would be easy to secure every concession which the safety or the dignity of Rome might require from the most formidable barbarians. Instead of exposing his person and his legions to the arrows of the Parthians, he obtained, by an honorable treaty, the restitution of the standards and prisoners which had been taken in the defeat of Crassus.
496. CASSIE: (FROM “*DISCIPLINED VALOR” – STAGE WHISPERING) Jess? Jess? How did it go?
497. JESS: What?
498. CASSIE: Your visit to Tizzy, how’d it go?
499. JESS: Oh, it was fine. Just a silly misunderstanding.
500. CASSIE: What?
501. JESS: You heard me. It was just a misunderstanding.
502. CASSIE: And your eye?
503. JESS: I fell down the stairs.
504. CASSIE: What are you talking about? Hannah punched you. I was there.
505. JESS: What?
506. CASSIE: Are you serious that you don’t remember?
507. JESS: Don’t remember what?
508. CASSIE: What about last night? In the forest.
509. JESS: How’d you know about my dream?
510. CASSIE: Jess, it wasn’t a dream. I was there.
511. JESS: (CONFUSED) No… what?
512. CASSIE: That wolf thing, and Hannah, and the man. It all happened.
513. JESS: But, it can’t have…
514. SOUND: BRIEF SHOOP SOUND TO INDICATE SPELL BREAKING – LET IT FINISH.
515. JESS: Good grief. I forgot… but how?
516. CASSIE: Tell me what happened?
517. JESS: It was Tizdale. She told me she’d take care of it and that, for my own sake, I should forget about it… and I did!
518. SOUND: KNOCKING ON DOOR, DOOR OPENS – INTERRUPTS MISS CARTWRIGHT – LET IT FINISH.
519. CARTWRIGHT: Oh, Miss Tizdale. Welcome. Girls, stand up please, we are being visited by our principal.
520. SOUND: CHAIRS PULLING OUT OF SEATS – LET IT FINISH.
521. TIZDALE: Thank you, Miss Cartwright. I’d like to speak to Miss Transome, please?
522. CARTWRIGHT: Oh, yes, of course. Hannah, would you please go with Miss Tizdale.
523. TIZDALE: You may leave your books behind. I shan’t keep you long. Your guardian is here to see you.
524. HANNAH: Yes, Miss.
525. SOUND: FOOTSTEPS. DOOR CLOSES – LET IT FINISH.
526. SOUND: GIRLS RESUME THEIR SEATS – UNDER
527. JESS: That’s strange. Miss Tizdale ordered Hannah’s guardian off the property.
528. CASSIE: Really? I don’t want to miss this. (BEAT) Miss Cartwright?
529. CARTWRIGHT: Er… Yes, Miss Torrens?
530. CASSIE: (HURRIEDLY) I need to visit the bathroom.
531. CARTWRIGHT: Can’t it wait?
532. CASSIE: No Miss. My period’s come early and I wasn’t prepared.
533. GIRLS: GIGGLES.
534. CARTWRIGHT: Oh dear! Yes, you’d better go then.
535. CASSIE: Can Jess come and help me out?
536. JESS: I know where her sanitary supplies are.
537. CARTWRIGHT: Er.. Yes. Yes. But hurry, please… and take your books.
538. SOUND: CHAIRS SCRAPE AND FOOTSTEPS TO DOOR WHICH OPENS AND CLOSES – UNDER.
539. GIRLS: GIGGLES.
540. CARTWRIGHT: Settle down girls. Let’s return to our lesson… (PICKS UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF AND FADE OUT).
541. MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.
SCENE 12: INT – CORRIDOR (JESS, CASSIE, TIZDALE, HANNAH)
542. SOUND: FOOTSTEPS IN CORRIDOR – ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
543. JESS: You’ve got no shame at all. Couldn’t you think of a better story?
544. CASSIE: It got us out of there didn’t it? And you want to know what’s going on as much as I do.
545. JESS: I thought you were a coward. How is it you’re willing to do this anyway?
546. CASSIE: I am a coward… but I’m also really curious. I sort of can’t help myself.
547. JESS: You might just end up wishing you could. (BEAT) Hey, Tizdale’s office is open and empty and… are those drag marks?
548. CASSIE: Do you think Hannah overpowered her?
549. JESS: Looks like. The marks are leading towards the basement. Hang on a second.
550. CASSIE: What are you doing?
551. JESS: Just throwing away this letter opener.
552. CASSIE: What? Now?
553. JESS: Um, yes. Miss Tizdale told me to…
554. CASSIE: If she wanted you to throw it away, then I want to see it. Hang on. There. Got it. Wow, this thing’s made of solid silver. I wonder why she wanted you to throw it away?
555. JESS: Oh, come on. We don’t have time right now.
556. CASSIE: Well, I’m keeping it.
557. SOUND: LIGHTLY RUNNING FEET – FADE OUT
558. SOUND: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.
SCENE 13: INT – BASEMENT (JESS, CASSIE, TIZDALE, HANNAH)
559. SOUND: CREAKING STAIR – FADE IN, ESTABLISH AND STOP.
560. HANNAH: Quiet, Cassie, I think they’re not far away.
561. TIZDALE: (QUIETLY, TO HERSELF, ALMOST WHIMPERING) Don’t change… Don’t change…
562. CASSIE: (WHISPERING) Is that Miss Tizdale’s voice?
563. JESS: I think so. Quick get behind those barrels.
564. CASSIE: Where is she?
565. JESS: Over there, in the corner. She’s got… She’s got Hannah in some kind of cage.
566. TIZDALE: (TO SELF) Calm down… Calm down… You don’t want to change before tonight. Changing now would ruin everything. Just breathe.
567. HANNAH: (MOANS) What? Where?
568. TIZDALE: Welcome back.
569. SOUND: BARS BEING RATTLED – LET IT FINISH.
570. TIZDALE: No, don’t bother. Those are iron bars. Be grateful I haven’t put you in iron chains. You’re just weakened rather than poisoned.
571. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) What have you done? You don’t think you can get away with this do you?
572. TIZDALE: Actually, I think I can. In fact, you’ve been incredibly careless.
573. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) What do you mean?
574. TIZDALE: Not attending meals, going off by yourself. You’ve blown your cover.
575. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) And you’ve revealed your hand. You’re the rogue werewolf.
576. TIZDALE: And you’re a fae investigator. We’ve both known that from the beginning. You were sent here by Finbarra as his emissary to look into whether a werewolf had gone off the reservation…
577. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) And you had! Why was that, by the way? Couldn’t resist trying human, just once?
578. TIZDALE: Nothing like that. One of the students found me in my cage one night. She threatened to expose me. Her family couldn’t meet the fees and she thought she could blackmail me into staying.
579. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) You could have altered her memories.
580. TIZDALE: I could have and did… but Julie was smart, she’d taken photographs of me changed and made recordings telling herself the truth. She snapped herself out of the glamor, by accident the first time, but she took precautions after that.
581. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) Hmpf. So you ate her. Don’t make excuses. You’re just weak.
582. TIZDALE: There’s a whole community of werewolves in this area. What made you so sure it was me?
583. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) I wasn’t sure. I just don’t like you. Not only are you impulsive, you’re also stupid. There’s no way you can get away with killing me without implicating yourself.
584. TIZDALE: Is that why you sent me the letter opener? That was stupid. It put me on my guard. Your carelessness has made it easy for me. That girl, Jess, gave me the key to it. She’s been following you. She saw you go into the woods and saw you turn. She doesn’t know you take on the form of a hound in order to scent out trouble. She thinks you’re the werewolf, and that’s the way she’ll tell it to the next investigator your masters send. So long as you’re dead before that happens, I don’t think it will be hard to convince them that you are the one who has “gone off the reservation”. You’ve been sent here as a representative of the realm of darkness. It wouldn’t be the first time that one of your kind violated the covenant. I’ll explain that you’ve been using your position as an investigator as cover for your own hunting of mortals. With Jess’ testimony, I think they’ll believe it. She thinks you hunger is due to bloodlust and not your inability to eat mortal food.
585. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) And what will you do when the next full moon rises? Do you honestly think, now that you’ve tasted human flesh, you’ll have the strength of will to resist?
586. TIZDALE: That’s my problem, but yes, I think I can.
587. HANNAH: (SNORTS DERISIVELY).
588. TIZDALE: Now, I’m going to go and get your book. That’s where most of your power is hidden isn’t it? (BEAT) What? No smart answers? Enjoy your last hours. You need to live long enough to commit one more killing this evening. Then I’m coming to finish you off.
589. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) One more killing? You disgust me. You’re an addict. Now that you’ve started, you won’t be able to stop.
590. TIZDALE: We’ll see… after tonight.
591. SOUND: FOOTSTEPS DEPART – LET THEM FINISH.
592. CASSIE: Cor, did you get that?
593. JESS: Shhh. Wait here.
594. CASSIE: What are you going to do?
595. JESS: No-one knows you’re a part of this. I want to talk to Hannah, but I want you to be able to snap me out of it afterwards if she uses that mind bending thing on me.
596. CASSIE: Okay.
597. SOUND: FOOTSTEPS – LET IT FINISH.
598. JESS: Hannah? Are you okay?
599. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) Where did you come from? No, scratch that. I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised. How much of that did you hear?
600. JESS: All of it.
601. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) And…?
602. JESS: You’re not human
603. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) That’s right. I’m a member of the Fae.
604. JESS: Like a faery?
605. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) (THROUGH GRITTED TEETH) Yes. But most of us don’t like that term.
606. JESS: Sorry. Can I get you out of there?
607. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) I don’t know, can you?
608. SOUND: CLANK OF BARS – LET IT FINISH.
609. JESS: It’s locked and I don’t have a key.
610. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) So that would be a “no” then.
611. JESS: You don’t have to be such a cow.
612. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) As far as I can work out, I’m only in here because you provided Tizdale with a plausible way to get rid of me, right?
613. JESS: Uh… yeah, I guess so.
614. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) Then I’ll be however I want. You need to get me my book.
615. JESS: What?
616. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) Come on, try to keep up. In order to blend in here I had to cloak most of my power. It’s been hidden inside my book.
617. JESS: The book that old man used to drive off the werewolf the other night?
618. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) That old man is my son, and probably wouldn’t appreciate you calling him that.
619. JESS: Just how old are you?
620. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) About six hundred and rapidly running out of patience.
621. JESS: If I bring you the book, does that mean you’ll try to mess with my memory?
622. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) If I could mess with your memory I wouldn’t have punched you in the face. Actually, you’re pretty annoying so I really might have, but then I’d have made you forget how it happened. Unfortunately, that isn’t one of my abilities. It is Tizdale’s though.
623. JESS: Alright, I’ll try to get the book… and some bolt cutters. We need to get you out of this cage as well.
624. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) You think?
625. JESS: Will you be alright while I’m gone?
626. HANNAH: (LABOURED BREATHING) Until tonight, I’ll be fine. The cage only weakens me. I’m not in any real danger.
627. JESS: Okay, I’ll try and get the book.
628. MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.
629. MUSIC: CLOSING THEME AND CREDITS – LET IT FINISH
CASTING SHEETS — MAJOR CHARACTERS
NARRATOR: Hello, I am your narrator. I introduce the cold stormy nights on which our stories take place, the dark alleys, and darker personalities who inhabit our fictional world. It is my job to set the scene and establish the serious tone of suspense and intrigue that will carry the story forwards. It is also my job to remind listeners of what came before in a calm, trustworthy voice and ensure that everyone is oriented to where we are and where we are going.
JESS ALLPORT: Hi, I’m Jess. I’m snarky and smart, but not mean. I’ve got a thick skin and a determined nature. It’s how I survive in this school full of snobs. I know my own mind and don’t give in to pressure from others. I also mind my own business… but when my curiosity is aroused I’m like a dog worrying at a bone. I’m not going to stop until I get to the bottom of it.
CASSIE TORRENS: A busybody. That’s me. And totally unsubtle. I mean, I’m totally not a gossip. I’ve still got friends and all, it’s just that, well, I’m curious about everything… and that puts some people off. If I want to know something I’ll usually just ask. Bluntly.
MISS TIZDALE: I am the headmistress of this school. It is my job to maintain the school’s reputation, keep the school running, bring in appropriate enrollments, do the hiring and firing. It’s the job I was born for and I’m very good at it. I can even fake a little concern for my students’ well-being when called upon to do so. Just don’t interrupt me right now. Can’t you see that what I’m doing is far too important for me to waste any real time on you?
MR NORRIS: My name is Norris. Just Norris. I am Miss Transome’s guardian. I may look and stand and sound like a butler, but I’m not. I’m polite, but firm, and I have powerful friends. It would be a mistake to cross me. I never say things twice.
HANNAH TRANSOME: I’m a complete cow to everyone. I don’t want to be at this school. I don’t want to make friends. I don’t want to take part in class or extracurriculars. I didn’t ask for this and I’m not happy that this is where I’ve ended up. I just want to be left alone to do what I’ve got to do until I can get out of here. And no, it’s none of your business what I’ve got going on.
MISS CARTWRIGHT: I’m the deputy-head. What do you mean, you think I’m a strange choice? Well, yes, the Head Mistress, does like to do things herself. And no she’s never satisfied. But that doesn’t make me a doormat. We compliment each other. She runs things and I… well I… I teach. And I talk to the girls. And I’m steady and dependable. True, it has been suggested that my classes are a bit dull… but one always knows what one is going to get when one enters my classroom. My methods are tried and true. (BEAT) What? Yes, I do think reading from my notes is an effective way to teach. I have prepared very thorough – VERY thorough – notes. You wouldn’t expect anything less from a school like Seareach, would you?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Philip Craig Robotham grew up in a house full of books and has held numerous jobs as a teacher, computer programmer, graphic and web designer, an e-learning consultant and, most recently, writer. He currently lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife and two sons. When he was younger and fitter he enjoyed martial arts, but in recent years his hobbies have tended towards more sedate fare (board games, movies, books, and role-playing games).
He is extremely grateful for the encouragement he receives from his biggest fans — his wife and two boys — all of whom read and enjoy his scripts and in general make his life worth living.
You can contact the author regarding performance rights (or simply to say hello) through his website: https://weirdworldstudios.com.
Don’t forget to check out the free sample portions of our titles at https://weirdworldstudios.com/product-category/our-products/.
This post and all its content is copyright © 2013 Philip Craig Robotham and has been released under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivates (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license. This play cannot be reproduced, shared, or performed commercially without the written permission of the author. The production of derivative content, merchandise, or creative works and materials is expressly forbidden under this agreement. However you may share, reproduce, and perform this play freely so long as authorship is acknowledged, no money changes hands, and the play is not modified in any way.
The Girl in the Ivy Gate
- The Girl in the Ivy Gate – Episode 1 – Death at Seareach
- The Girl in the Ivy Gate – Episode 2 – The Road To Amnesia
- The Girl in the Ivy Gate – Episode 3 – The Werewolf and the Sidhe
- The Girl in the Ivy Gate – Episode 4 – Bloodline
