WKA #10: "DETECTIVE FILES: BOO MEETS DENVER PART 2" TRANSCRIPT.pdf

WHO KILLED ALASKA
#10 - DETECTIVE FILES: BOO MEETS DENVER PART 2
written by
Cameron Cooper LeBrun

DENVER [narrator]
In the previous episode, we met Boo Curtis himself; the brother of Alaska. And meeting him was
surreal. Like it happened too quickly. Like there was some between-stage that never happened. I
was hearing the name Boo Curtis, and then I was next to him in the walking, talking world.
When you meet someone important for the first time, it becomes concrete too quickly. And then
you just don’t feel like anything’s happened. Maybe a person’s most interesting when they’re
only an idea.
Hm.
Boo is 5’10. Blond from a dye job, with strong black roots at the top of his head. He
wears a mask at all times, and he’s always got a set of ski goggles covering his eyes. I haven’t
asked about those goggles. I’ve heard he doesn’t like to be looked at.
He always reads as short or tall. When he’s hunched over, smoking a joint with his mask
pulled down to his chin, he seems tiny. But when he stands, his body seems so long. And I don’t
mean tall, I mean long— limbs like crooked branches.
Boo says he’s abandoning this case, which has been like a child to him for such a time
now. But unlike a child, the case doesn’t mind being abandoned. And I don’t mind it either.
Boo’s been a slow-burn problem for me and if I could solve this case without him— god— can
you imagine? I’d love that. But the situation’s tricky. Boo’s been burning evidence. I need to
either get Boo back on the case, or I need him to calm down and let me take over this case over
for him. And I don’t think Boo’s going to trust me with the reigns any time soon. Last we left off,
Boo was just screwing with Bobby’s memories. Let’s go there. now.
2

Snap.
BOOKSTORE.
BOO
What did you make me do?
DENVER
Hey, I didn’t do anything! That was all you!
BOO
I was following your cues.
BOBBY
What’s happening?
BOO
I was reading you, Detective Denver. I didn’t do this, I was just figuring out what was fucking
with you.
BOBBY
Guys, I’m fine, see! SMILEY FACE!
BOO
I’m not gonna be helpful for this. Sorry, Bobby. I’m gonna… go…
Boo walks away.
3

DENVER
Boo. When you make a mess, you gotta clean it up.
The door opens.
JO
Oh, shit— BOO! OH ABSOLUTELY NOT.
The door shuts.
DENVER [narrator]
This is going to take a lot of work.
4

DENVER [narrator]
Two years ago, Alaska Curtis was murdered in the woods of Stump Town, 20 minutes north of
Roslyn Estates. This is Long Island— the land of manicured lawns and alcoholic iced tea. To
find Alaska’s killer, I’m investigating the grown up children of some of the wealthiest families in
the United States.
Our six suspects are Jo Magaro, Emma Wooten, Logan Goldberg, Bobby Yorke, Boo
Curtis, and the disappeared Glory Johnson. And then there’s me— my name is Detective Finn
Denver. I’m a private investigator looking for the killer.
THEME SONG STARTS
DENVER [narrator]
Welcome to Who Killed Alaska: Detective Files, an original series by The Ghost Factory. This is
Episode 10: “Boo Meets Denver, Part 2.” Listeners be warned that this series may be
inappropriate for younger audiences, and content throughout may be alarming or upsetting.
Check the description for extra content warnings. Welcome to the Detective Files. Welcome to
the truth.
THEME SONG ENDS
5

OUTSIDE.
The storm is roaring.
JO
BOO!
DENVER
BOO! WHERE ARE YOU?
Tape recorder click.
DENVER [narrator]
So here we are, once again, in a blizzard. We’re looking for Boo Curtis. Again.
After ruining Bobby’s memories, Boo saw how much damage he did, panicked, and
exited stage blizzard. Very cool of you, Boo. That was a great solution.
But before we get to the Boo rescue mission, let’s begin from the middle, at the middle-
beginning. Let’s talk about Bobby. Let’s talk about a man with memories as mixed up as his
mama’s fresh chicken soup. Mmmmmm. Now I’m thinking about soup.
6

BOOKSTORE.
DENVER
Alright, Bobby, I’m back!
BOBBY
Did Boo do something to me?
DENVER
Did Boo do something to you…
BOBBY
You guys were talking like Boo manipulated me.
JO [walkie-talkie]
Finn, do you want an update?
DENVER
Hold on. That’s just my walkie-talkie…
Walkie-talkie sound.
DENVER
I’m gonna have to talk to you later, Jo.
JO [walkie-talkie]
Sure. Talk later.
DENVER
Bobby, you remembered a lot of things today.
7

BOBBY
For sure.
DENVER
You said some things that sounded concerning… and didn’t sound real…
BOBBY
Can you be more specific?
DENVER
Uh. Uh. No. That’s not what I’m saying— Bobby, it’s possible Boo affected your memories.
BOBBY
How?
DENVER
It’s fine. Just, I think he manipulated you into thinking some things happened that didn’t happen.
BOBBY
Boo wouldn’t do that to me! We’re friends. We’re practically best friends. Him, me, and Glory!
GLORY
Glory.
DENVER
AH! Sorry. I forgot she was here.
GLORY
Glory.
BOBBY
I’m just gonna sit down.
8

DENVER
Sure.
BOBBY
Boo… did Boo… how did Boo affect my memories? Like I saw my hand slip. I saw my hand
slip off my wrist, Finn.
DENVER
You remember it that way, but that doesn’t mean it happened.
BOBBY
It’s okay, Finn. I can fix this. I can fix it…! Where did I put it?
Bobby starts rifling through his things.
DENVER
What are you looking for?
BOBBY
Oh! Silly me. I’m wearing it!
DENVER [narrator]
Bobby grabs onto a necklace swinging at his neck. It’s a chain necklace with a purplish stone in
the shape of a crescent moon, and Bobby holds it up.
BOBBY
With this, I can fix it. Finn, can you keep a secret?
9

DENVER
Sure. Definitely, I guess.
BOBBY
I don’t know how to explain this perfectly so I’m gonna make up some words to get the feel of it
right. No matter what the frickle-frack, I can put back together the pieces. Like the pieces of my
mind. Years ago, I learned about the power of self-hypnosis. You can do anything. It’s like a
superpower. Like you can be whoever you want. You can think and feel whatever you want. I’ve
heard you can even get smarter— but I never really wanted that. You look like you’re thinking.
DENVER
A bit?
BOBBY
Good! This is an important thing. It’s good to think about very carefully. All I need to do is
hypnotize myself, and then I can undo what Boo did. I can get rid of the fake memories.
DENVER [narrator]
Hello! Later recorded narrator Denver here. Let me tell you exactly what I’m thinking in this
moment.
BOBBY
Finn?
DENVER [narrator]
A few months ago, I wasn’t a superstitious person. But these days, I believe in people who aren’t
people, and I believe in human bodies without souls. I’m resurging a bit into my pre-university
Catholic beliefs. Not to say I’m becoming Catholic again. I don’t have a belief system. Maybe
10

that’s the problem. I’ve gotta be open to ghosts— I know that. But how about the new age stuff?
Crystals? Healing energy? I don’t think I believe in it. The new age stuff definitely feels like it’s
made up by people, who have opinions and politics. What would James Bond do in this
situation? Oh shit Bobby is talking to me.
BOBBY
Hey, Finn? Finn? Finn? Hey, Finn? Hey Finn? Finn?
DENVER
Sorry! I was spacing out!
BOBBY
Your eyes went friggin’ glazed! Crazy. Do you wanna watch me hypnotize myself?
DENVER
I’d be happy— to observe.
BOBBY
Shweet! So, first I take off my necklace… Now this beautiful thing here is a moonstone. It’s cut
like a moon, which is cute. It’s charged right now, and like here’s what you do: if you leave it in
moonlight, now this isn’t what most people do, but if ya leave it in moonlight, you can get more
of a gentle charge than you get with sunlight. And moonlight also cleanses the crystal, so it’s a
two-for-one deal.
DENVER
Then what do you do with the crystal?
11

BOBBY
Well! I hold it up… and I start swinging it like a pendulum… And now… Ohmmmm…
Ohmmmm… Ohmmmmm…
A pause.
DENVER
Bobby?
BOBBY
It’s not working.
DENVER
Should I leave? Will that help?
BOBBY
I think I’m too tense. I dunno, I just. I can’t calm down right now. Hold on. Uh. Hold on. Hold
on. Hold on. Uh. Normally this works.
DENVER
Gotcha.
BOBBY
Would you mind doing something to help me out?
DENVER
I wouldn’t mind.
12

BOBBY
We need some, some noise that I can just space out to.
DENVER
Okay?
BOBBY
So try making repetitive noises.
DENVER
Okay, uh. Uh. Ohmmmmm… Ohmmmm… Ohmmmmm…
BOBBY
Alright, alright. Ohmmmmm… Ohmmmm… Ohmmmmm… This isn’t working.
DENVER
Do you just wanna talk about it instead?
BOBBY
No no no no no. Let’s try a different sound. Let’s try— Ooh, ooh, ooh! Try reading a book!
Bobby gets up out of his chair and starts walking around the bookstore.
BOBBY
Not this one. Not this one. Oh. Oh, this— this is actually one of my favorites!
Bobby walks back.
13

BOBBY
Finn, try this! This book, it is so relaxing!
DENVER
Uh… okay… You want me to read this? Like right now?
BOBBY
Yeah! Yeah!
Denver opens the book.
DENVER
Well, people say I have a voice for narration.
BOBBY
Well there you go!
DENVER
No chapters… no introduction… Okay, first page. Here we go. “Books are interesting because
you don’t know what you’ll find in them. Movies are for boring people.”
BOBBY
Ohmmmmmm… Ohmmmmmm… Ohmmmmmm…
DENVER
“You don’t have any time to wonder. You don’t have any time to not know. It’s all
entertainment.” Then it just says C-U-R-S-E down the page. “This book is not a book. This is a
curse. It is the worst curse imaginable: the curse of knowledge and excessive wisdom. Most pain
14

begets joy through transformation. And most fear begets the serenity of void; true happiness. But
this knowledge cannot beget joy, because this knowledge is not a trauma. Turn the page. Or if
you’re cowardly enough to listen to a narration, then press pause and then decide to press play, in
order to form a mutual contract with these words. Do it. Now. You decide to continue. It
approaches. The new page.”
Page is turned.
DENVER
“There are people who are not human. When I contemplate them, the word ‘Outsiders’ feels
about right. I met a man who lived in the sewage system, knee-deep in shit. He had half an eye
left, and the canyons of his skin traced a trash bag’s wrinkles across his chubby face. He was the
oldest 40-year-old man I have ever known. Outsiders. That man called them Outsiders. It felt
right to him. He never knew I called them Outsiders, and I was using that word long before I’d
met him. I, too, never learned the word. I just knew it. Outsiders. Outsiders. A word in English.
What are they called in France, in South Africa, in Taiwan? But the phonetics don’t matter.
Outsiders are the only concept to ever predate human perception. The only word to ever predate
language. The Outsider begins in Purgatory. It enters our world by wringing out the soul of an
infant, mincing it, bleeding it, devouring it, and finally, replacing it. The Outsider convinces
itself that it is a human being. But it will always know that its own body is a stolen thing. The
Outsider owns nothing, belongs to nobody, and befits nowhere. It does not know that it is an
15

Outsider. Another world lingers shadow-like in its memory, impressing everlasting alienation
from everyone, everything, and most of all, themselves, who only exist to fake humanity.
The Outsider can appear in two places: one, in the body of a human being, or two, it can
appear to be the human hand. Have you ever seen your hand twitch without you? Have you ever
dreamed that a stranger’s hand was in your bed, only to wake up slapping your own wrist? Or
maybe, in a drunken stupor, you’ve looked down at your own palm, and you found it strange.
Maybe your hand is yours. Or maybe, you have the hand of an Outsider. I wish I could tell you to
remain calm. But that would be cruel of me. Find the sharpest knife you own and—”
Denver shuts the book.
DENVER
What the fuck? Hey, what the fuck is this! Bobby? Bobby? Hello? Yoohoo? Bobby.
Denver snaps.
DENVER (conv2)
Holy shit. It worked. He’s in a trance. What do I— BOBBY?
BOBBY
Anyway, what were we talking about, Finn?
DENVER
Bobby, you seem… better.
16

BOBBY
I’m feeling better all the time! Yessirree!
DENVER
So the hypnosis worked.
BOBBY
I didn’t— You can’t tell me that that I hypnotized myself. No no no. Do not tell me that. Shut up.
DENVER
Okay. Then we’ll never discuss this again.
BOBBY
Good.
DENVER [narrator]
So that’s the story with Bobby.
17

OUTSIDE.
DENVER [narrator]
Now let’s hop back to the beginning beginning. This happened before Bobby hypnotized
himself, but after Boo messed with Bobby’s memories, and after Boo ran out into the snow. That
probably doesn’t make sense. This was unnecessarily complicated. It’s fine. Don’t worry about
it. The point is, Boo ran out after he messed with Bobby’s memories.
JO
What happened? Is there something being put down on the ground I’m not picking up?
DENVER
You talk funny. But maybe. That was really high-level gaslighting. Boo implanted false
memories into Bobby’s head, and I think he did it on purpose. It was almost definitely on
purpose.
JO
Oh, like with psychic powers! Wow!
DENVER
No? Wha— no. I’m saying he gaslit Bobby. He asked the right questions and it made Bobby
change his memories. But I think he didn’t expect Bobby to respond like this. Bobby probably
has unique relationship to his memories.
JO
All it took was the right questions?
DENVER
Keep leaning against the wall. Or keep your hand out. I’m worried you’re gonna fall.
18

JO
I’m fine. So you’re saying all Boo had to do was ask the right questions?
DENVER
That’s right. We’ve really gotta find him.
JO
Oh yeah. Boo said I’m the only dangerous thing in this storm, and you know what? I am. I really
am. He oughta be afraid of me when he’s doing shit like those things you said and stuff!
DENVER [narrator]
It’s funny, to hear Jo talk like that— like she’s quoting a tough guy from some tough guy flick
for tough guys. I wonder how much she means it.
JO
BOO! BOO! BOO CURTIS, BOO!
DENVER
BOO!
JO
Boo!
Jo starts running in the snow.
DENVER
Oh my god! Is that him!?
19

JO
Boo! Boo, wake up!
BOO
I’m awake.
DENVER [narrator]
We find Boo half asleep, slumped against his car. His face is covered as always, but the russet
hands hanging out of his coat have turned pale— almost gray. Jo slips her heating pack into his
coat. And despite his whining—
BOO
I’m fine, I’m fine… I can, I’m—
JO
I’ve got him.
DENVER [narrator]
Jo picks Boo up in a firewoman carry.
JO
Let’s just head to my place!
DENVER
It might be better for Boo if we go back to the bookstore!
JO
Don’t worry about it, let’s go to my place! It’s nearby!
DENVER
Okay…!
20

JO’S HOUSE.
A sea of cats is meowing at Jo.
JO
I’m home! I have people with me!
ROMEO
Jesus Christ, Josephine, where’ve you been? I was sitting here calling you over and over and you
didn’t answer!
JO
There’s no reception— what am I supposed to do!? Daddy— I have a guy on my shoulder, and
you’re trying to “tough love” me right now.
ROMEO
Answer your phone, Josephine. Answer when I call you.
Jo sighs.
DENVER [narrator]
She puts Boo down on the radiator like a pair of wet socks.
JO
Are you done with your little temper tantrum?
Boo clears his throat.
21

BOO
Not yet—
Boo makes a break for it and Jo grabs him. They tussle a bit.
DENVER [narrator]
Boo tries to make a run for it and Jo grabs him by the collar.
JO (unison)
YOU’RE PRACTICALLY FROZEN! YOU’RE AN ICICLE! WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS
TRYING TO RUN FOR THE DOOR? ANSWER ME!
DENVER (unison)
Okay. Okay. Uhhhh.
BOO (unison)
I NEED TO GO! I HAVE TO LEAVE!
DENVER [narrator]
Their legs cave under them and they wrestle on the floor—
DENVER
Don’t knock over the table!
DENVER [narrator]
—up until Jo drags Boo across the house, all the way to an empty bedroom.
22

BOO [muffled]
What are you doing!? Let me out!
JO
Boo, what is wrong with you!?
DENVER
We can’t keep him locked in there!
JO
Do you wanna die!?
DENVER
Wait, why does it lock like this? Your doors lock from the outside?
JO
Oh no no no, if you’re suicidal, I’m gonna fucking kill you! My cousin was suicidal! I am not
prepared to do this with you!
DENVER
Jo! We don’t say that! We do not say that!
JO
What’s wrong with Boo?
DENVER
You know him better than me!
JO
Like he’s always giving “I need therapy” energy, but this isn’t that, he’s different right now.
23

DENVER
Ok, say more, say more.
JO
He showed up to a party that I was at even though I didn’t invite him to come, which was really
stalkerish honestly. And it’s not like we’re friends—
DENVER
No, say more about “different!”
JO
No, he’s different because he’s planning something!
DENVER
How do you know?
JO
I know. I can read people. He’s planning something. Don’t ask me what that means, that’s all I’m
getting.
DENVER
Let me— Let me talk to him. I think I can get him to calm down.
JO
Please do! God, go ahead. Actually, I’m gonna check on my baby sister, she hates it when we
yell…
Jo walks off.
24

DENVER
Boo! Why are we running into a blizzard?
BOO [muffled]
I—
DENVER
What’s going on?
BOO [muffled]
There’s something I have to do, man. Please. The clock is ticking on my plans, so please just
unlock the door.
DENVER
Huh. So I don’t understand why this wasn’t mentioned. Because you could’ve said that you have
plans and Jo wouldn’t lock you in a room like this.
BOO [muffled]
You’re holding me illegally, by the way.
DENVER
What’re your plans?
BOO [muffled]
My plans are in Stump Town. (pause) At the lake.
DENVER
So these’re plans you don’t wanna talk about.
25

BOO [muffled]
Alright, well. You drive a hard bargain, but I guess since you’ve got me locked in a room, I’ll tell
you. So. A couple months ago, I found Glory and I brought her home.
DENVER
Mm.
BOO [muffled]
And it was so funny because I was arrested after that.
DENVER
Yeah.
BOO [muffled]
Which was— a very funny time in my life. Nobody asks me about it, interestingly enough.
Mostly because Boo Curtis in jail is A, unimaginable, and B, absurd.
DENVER [narrator]
And it’s that easy. Boo is suddenly so talkative. I wonder if he’s had anyone to talk to, about any
of this.
BOO [muffled]
My co-workers, for example, still ask me where I went, even though they were already briefed
about it.
DENVER
What do you say? When they ask you where you went?
BOO [muffled]
I say, “Don’t worry about it.” This is all relevant by the way.
26

DENVER
I’m following.
BOO [muffled]
So my cell was C27. Is it strange to hear me say that?
DENVER
I don’t, I dunno.
BOO [muffled]
C27 was my cell in the Correctional Facility. My cellmates weren’t a fan of my particular way of
speaking and holding myself, which I respected, so I kept to myself. But! There was a crack in
the wall. And on the other side of that crack, there was an old guy. His name was Rodney. I guess
he was my friend. He was the only one who believed me about Glory. When he was younger, he
was a spiritual advisor, which is a lot like a psychic.
And one night, he told me his secret— if you perform a certain set of actions in a specific
order, you can go back in time. It’s a ritual. It’s witchcraft. I didn’t have anything to write with,
so I visualized the instructions in order to write them down on my brain. The next day, Rodney
stopped speaking. Then they came to collect his body. Which is to say, Rodney died. I used to
play around with witchcraft when I was younger but I’ve never heard of magic that can kill you
like that. This is the real deal.
I’m going to meet Alaska and Glory again. And Detective? If you get in my way— I’ll
fucking kill you. I expect you to let. Me. Out.
DENVER
JO! Jo, you can come back now!
27

BOO [muffled]
Unlock the door, Detective.
The doorknob is jiggling.
JO [approaching]
What’s happening? What’s wrong?
DENVER
I think it’s time to call the police.
BOO [muffled]
LET ME OUT!
JO
The police won’t come! It’s a blizzard! Why? Why?
Boo starts beating on the door.
DENVER
We at least need to warn them! Boo could hurt somebody! Or much worse!
JO
The police aren’t coming!
BOO [muffled]
I NEED TO SEE THEM AGAIN! JUST LET ME OUT!
28

DENVER
Then we need to open the door.
JO (unison)
NO!
BOO (unison) [muffled]
YES!
DENVER
We can’t hold him here. This is a kidnapping.
JO
If he goes out there, he dies!
DENVER
I don’t know what Boo’s capable of right now, and we can’t keep pulling him out of the snow
over and over.
DENVER [narrator]
And then… Jo pushes me against the wall.
It’s sudden. Violent.
JO
You don’t know what I’m capable of right now. This isn’t your fight. Back away.
DENVER
You just attacked an investigator.
29

JO
Back away.
DENVER
That’s not a good look.
JO
Back away.
DENVER
Why do you care so much?
JO
Because I do. Back away.
Denver sighs through his nose.
DENVER
Fine.
Jo lets go. Denver takes a few steps.
DENVER
Boo.
BOO [muffled]
Detective Denver.
30

DENVER
I’m really gonna hope that was an empty threat. Let’s say it was. Let’s both say that.
BOO [muffled]
You could take Jo in a fight.
JO
You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.
DENVER
I won’t, Boo. I won’t. Goodbye.
DENVER [narrator]
He’s Jo’s problem now. At least I’m not risking a kidnapping charge.
31

AD
BOO
What up, guys? Boo Curtis coming at you live from a cramped little room. This day sucks but
you know what might make it better? An ad read. Ahhh cheering in the back for the ad read.
Yeah, no, everybody’s eating and enjoying larger spaces than the one that I’m currently in. So.
Woo. First off, if you’d like to support us you can visit Patreon.com/WhoKilledAlaska. You can
get bloopers, bonus episodes, and a whole lot more. Now, we wanna shout out our current
patrons, so shout out to LavendarKozzy, Rick Troxel, grinleysspa, and Sarah.
Let’s see. Um. Y’know, you’d think being in a small room and being alone with your
thoughts would open you up to thinking of clever ways to set up an ad but you’d be shocked how
much of it is freaking out about how small the room is. A lot of it is freaking out about how small
the room is. So that’s fun. This is great. I’m having a good time. I hope you’re having a fun time
listening. If you’d rather be looking at things instead of listening, you can visit out our social
media pages, @WhoKilledAlaska on Instagram and Twitter. You’ll see all awesome stuff that
you can check out and enjoy. You know what I don’t enjoy is being in here. That’s the end of that
thought. I mean really there’s not much more to say except this is a living nightmare. I know you
can hear me out there. I hope you’re enjoying your lunch! Cause it sucks in here. Anyways, this
has been an ad read. Thank you, and god help me.
32

JO’S HOUSE.
Denver is re-packing his bag.
DENVER [narrator]
I get my things together and decide to go check on Bobby.
JO
I don’t like seeing a civilian go out in the blizzard alone.
DENVER
I’ll be fine.
JO
You don’t have to leave the house. I have endless hot drinks and all that.
DENVER
I have a present for you.
JO
And I love a surprise. What’s this for?
DENVER [narrator]
I’ve given Jo a microphone. While we’re separated, we’ll both be able to record.
DENVER
Document things, okay? And keep an eye on Boo. Make sure he doesn’t do anything crazy. And
you’re smart. You don’t have to be rough with him, you know that.
JO
I know.
33

DENVER
I know you know. You’ll figure it out. If you need me, I’ll be on walkie-talkie.
The door is opened. We hear the blizzard.
DENVER [narrator]
I go out and brave that storm like the brave boy I am. And then I go off and check on Bobby.
Meanwhile, Jo’s getting busy.
34

JO’S HOUSE.
JO
Finn, do you want an update?
DENVER [walkie-talkie]
I’m gonna have to talk to you later, Jo.
JO
Sure. Talk later. Alright, Zoom is loading… It’s loading… it’s loading…
BOO [muffled]
Zoom? You’re kidding. Say you’re joking.
JO
There he is. He’s in the waiting room. Logan! Hi! I can’t hear you. I can see you but I can’t hear
you.
LOGAN [Zoom meeting]
Helloooo! Can you hear me?
JO
Logan! Isn’t the blizzard so insane?
Y’know, it is so sad that this would happen on National Innovation Day, one of the most
important days of the year. Also, happy National Innovation Day. According to
NationalToday.com, if you want to pursue a career in technology, then this day is for you. What’s
goin on?
35

JO
Uh-huh… uh-huh… This is the most insane day of my life. Boo is locked in this room behind
me. If you hear banging or yelling, it’s because he’s locked in this room.
BOO [muffled]
Hello, Logan.
What did you do?
JO
Boo, I think I know what’ll cheer you up. Would you relax if I solve Alaska’s death right now?
BOO [muffled]
Oh my god, why didn’t I think of that? Good luck with that!
JO
Yeah, well, I think we just weren’t putting enough effort in. So my thought is, we should solve
his brother’s death and he’ll probably calm down.
You wanna solve it right now?
JO
Oh yeah. Right now.
Sure! I have a hot pocket toasting right now, so I might need a couple minutes’ break later so I
can eat the hot pocket. Do we wanna solve Alaska’s death before or after the hot pocket?
36

JO
Mmm, we can solve his death in a hot pocket’s toasting amount of time. Yeah, so we can start
now. Oh, but I wanna add a rule to make it fun. Whenever someone says the word “the,” as in T-
H-E, they need to gargoyle for fifteen. Do you know gargoyling?
Uhhh, I’ve heard people say it… Is it like where you squat on the edge of a chair and you try to
look like a gargoyle?
JO
That’s EXACTLY what it is! That is literally exactly what it is, that’s right!
Alright, let’s do it! Gargoyling!
Boo is banging on the door.
BOO [muffled]
LET ME OUT! THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING! I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS! WHO PUT ME ON
THIS PLANET JUST TO BE IN THIS SITUATION!?
Logan laughs.
37

JO
Okay. Moving on. While I was with the detective guy, he showed me a video that Bobby took.
Here, I’ll send it.
Sounds gucci. Wait, Jo, who am I? Who am I? (deep voice) I’m in my apartment alone, waiting
for something to happen.
JO
Ok, click the link in the chat.
So it looks like we have Boo sitting by a fire… looking very edgy.
JO
That’s him burning evidence. Look in the fire at what he’s burning.
Is he burning a napkin?
JO
That piece of cloth is a piece of evidence that has to do with Alaska’s death.
Wait a sec. That’s mine. I sewed that together— Boo, how did you get my handkerchief!?
BOO [muffled]
Your— yes! I noticed you had it, and I realized I needed it.
38

It was lost for so long! That’s messed up— I thought my dad took it and I said to him— oh, god.
YOU SET IT ON FIRE? THAT WASN’T YOURS!
JO
(laughing) So it is yours! Dude, you don’t have to cry about it!
You’re right! It doesn’t matter to me.
JO
What’s this thing that Boo burned?
That’s my handkerchief, in the video.
JO
You said “the.” Gargoyle for fifteen.
(laughing) Oh shit! Gottem!
JO
So what makes this handkerchief evidence?
Mmmm I don’t remember. What do you think?
JO
Did you ever tell Boo that you had this? Did he know what it was?
39

The handkerchief never came up. He shouldn’t know about it.
BOO [muffled]
FINALLY!
JO
“The” handkerchief?
Gargoyling for thirty!
JO
Boo, any hints? (pause) Yeah, that’s what I thought. He’s not gonna help us. Boo must’ve known
it was evidence when he saw it. There’re stains all over it— those’ve gotta be bloodstains, right?
My underwear looks like that when I get period stains and I wash the blood out. You can still
kinda see the stain even though you washed it. And I can imagine Boo being suspicious from
that.
So then Boo figured it was blood, and that’s why he took the handkerchief. He wanted to see if it
was connected to Alaska. I totally can’t feel my legs anymore!
JO
Did you really sew this thing? I sew, and this looks good.
40

I can sew when it comes to the little things that just have to get done, y’know? I’m honestly more
of a knitting guy. With this handkerchief, I just sewed the cloth together to make it square. If you
look at it, it’s frayed on the edges. I didn’t do anything about that.
JO
I am seeing that now that you say that. So. So, you took a piece of cloth and you sewed it to
make it double-sided or something?
Exactly.
JO
The left and right edge of it look torn up, and then the bottom edge is— oh, it actually has a
seamline. So you didn’t sew that part.
I guess I didn’t!
JO
Okay, fine, keep playing dumb, I don’t even need help. I’m hot on this right now. So this was a
piece of fabric ripped off from something else.
Like a sleeve?
JO
Ohhhh like a sleeve. Like a sleeve. That’s exactly what that is. And it’s a thick fabric, because it
takes a second before it burns. And it’s definitely a long sleeve. And then the top edge doesn’t
41

even have a seam, so it’s folded over like you fold a towel. And you were able to sew it like that,
you sewed it because it’s a long piece of fabric.
Just curious. It doesn’t look familiar to you at all, does it?
JO
No. Should I know something?
No, no. Totally not. Go back to analyzing.
JO
So your sleeve was covered in blood. Logan— wow. And you never hurt your arm, you got shot
in the leg— OH, this is what you used! You wrapped this around your leg when you got shot?
The night that Alaska died!
That would make sense! So how did I tear off…
JO
Yeah?
How did I tear off… (pause) Did I tear off my sl…?
JO
That’s what I was about to say. Like how did you tear off your sleeve.
Right!
42

JO
Because— yeah, yeah, you can’t just tear off part of your shirt… You need to be a bodybuilder or
something to do that. You’d need to at least have a hole to start with and then you can rip from
the hole. So it’s about how you made a hole, right?
Oh! That sounds about right!
JO
How did you make a hole in your shirt? In Stump Town… Easy! You brought scissors! Just
kidding. You brought a knife. No, just kidding again. You… used someone else’s knife? You kind
of used someone else’s knife. How do you kind of use someone else’s knife— YOU WERE
STABBED IN THE ARM!
YES, THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED! I GOT STABBED IN THE ARM!
JO (unison)
OHHHHH FUCK I FIGURED IT OUT!HE GOT STABBED IN THE ARM! HE GOT
STABBED!
LOGAN (unison) [Zoom meeting]
NOBODY EVER FIGURED IT OUT, AND OF OUT OF ALL PEOPLE, YOU FRIGGIN GOT
IT!
JO
YOU GOT STABBED IN THE ARM!
43

I GOT STABBED IN THE ARM!
JO
YOU GOT STABBED IN THE ARM!
I GOT STABBED IN THE ARM!
JO
HE GOT STABBED, STABBED, STABBED, IN THE ARM! OHHH YEAH! YOU GOT
STABBED!
HOLY SHIT IT HURT!
JO
OHHHHH SHIT YOU GOT STABBED IN THE ARM!
LOTS OF BLOOD! VERY STABBED!
JO
BOO, I SOLVED THE MYSTERY!
LOGAN (unison) [Zoom meeting]
STABBED STABBED STABBED STABBED!
JO (unison)
YOU ARE ONE STEP CLOSER TO SOLVING WHAT KILLED ALASKA! BITCH, I AM
YOUR GOD NOW! WORSHIP ME! Come on! Oh, don’t be a dick about it! You know I did
44

good! You are a pain in the ass, but I’ll tell you what. I’ll even forgive you for that weird thing at
the party where you showed up even though I didn’t invite you and— Listen, I can’t apologize,
‘cause I didn’t do anything wrong, but I am gonna forgive you, and uh. Yeah. I mean I know you
wanna keep hanging out, and that’s okay with me.
Is Boo still there?
JO
Yeah. Yeah!
Do you wanna check?
JO
Dude, hop off my dick right now. I locked Boo in here myself.
Jo unlocks the door. Opens it.
We hear the sounds of the outside and the blizzard.
JO
Here comes the twink— oh my god. Oh fuck this guy. This is exactly why I wanna kill him.
Why does it sound like you’re outside?
45

JO
He BROKE MY FUCKING AC UNIT OUT OF THE WALL! THERE’S A GIANT AC-
SHAPED HOLE IN MY WALL NOW!!!
Dude, that sucks! Sorry to hear that!
JO
Finn, are you there?
What’s going on?
What’re you gonna—
The laptop is closed.
JO
Boo’s out!
Okay. Well I know where he’s going. Wait where you are. We’ll find him on the walk to Stump
Town.
46

JO’S HOUSE.
DENVER
Ready to go?
JO
Ready.
DENVER
Shoes?
JO
Tied.
DENVER
Heating pack?
JO
Equipped.
DENVER
Sunscreen?
JO
On.
DENVER
Mentality?
JO
What do you mean?
47

DENVER
This could be trying. Turning back’s gonna be difficult, and this is extremely dangerous. And
keep in mind that when we actually find Boo, we might not be able to help him. Trying might not
be enough, and we need more than confidence. Be ready to not be okay.
JO
I’m ready.
OUTSIDE.
DENVER
IT’S GOING TO BE A LONG WALK TO STUMP TOWN!
JO
I KNOW!
DENVER
THIS’LL TAKE HOURS!
JO
WE’RE FINE! WE’LL FIND HIM COLLAPSED SOMEWHERE BEFORE THEN!
DENVER [narrator]
We don’t.
DENVER
THESE ARE HIS FOOTSTEPS. I’VE NEVER BEEN SO SURE.
JO
HOW IS HE STILL GOING?
48

DENVER [narrator]
Boo must be running on adrenaline right now. I’ve heard of people doing incredible things when
they’re equal parts terrified and determined— feats of human strength. Incredible things. But he
was already half-gone when I saw him last. He has to be on the brink right now. First of all, he’s
gotta be on the brink of unconsciousness, but in a blizzard, what comes after that is… is death.
STUMP TOWN.
DENVER [narrator]
It’s been a three hour walk to Stump Town. Boo has been out there, somewhere. He’s on the
verge of death. I know it. And this was inevitable. Once he gave up on this timeline, he couldn’t
be contained. But deep down, he’s hoping to be saved. And if there’s one thing me and Jo have in
common, it’s this way of life. We have to save him.
DENVER
JO. I WANNA TELL YOU SOMETHING. I HAVE AN IDEAABOUT WHAT’S WRONG
WITH BOO. SOMEONE ONCE SAID THAT BOO IS AN OUTSIDER, AND THAT MEANS
THAT BOO DOESN’T FUNCTION LIKE US. I STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY HE
WAS SO CRUEL TO BOBBY IN THE BOOKSTORE. WHEN HE GOES THROUGH
TRAUMA, HE DOESN’T HANDLE IT LIKE MOST PEOPLE DO. HE’S A
COMPLICATED… UM, PERSON. IF THAT’S WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN OUTSIDER, I
THINK IT’S GETTING BIGGER. AND WORSE.
JO
WE’LL DO WHAT WE CAN.
49

JAIL HOUSE.
DENVER [narrator]
We step into the Jail House. The building where Alaska died.
JO
What is this…
DENVER
It’s the ritual.
DENVER [narrator]
We find the inside of the Jail House painted black. He painted every wall and every chink of it.
DENVER
He said it’s witchcraft.
JO
To do what?
DENVER
To go back in time and make sure the past two and a half years never happened. He really…
can’t accept it after all…
JO
There’s a book here.
She picks it up. Flips through.
50

JO
He just wrote on one of the pages.
Denver’s footsteps.
DENVER
Show me.
JO
It looks like instructions.
DENVER [narrator]
Step 1: Write your name on the back of your hand. When you enter the other world, this will
become your protection from foreign entities. Foreign entities fear names, which is why they
only eat and replace the nameless.
FLASHBACK.
BOO
C… U… R… T… I… S.
DENVER [narrator]
Step 2: Go to Stump Town. Stump Town is not a forest. Stump Town is a close relative of the
other world. While in Stump Town, burn every item keeping you tied to this time. While you
51

watch them burn, think on the destruction of your present and your future. You will never be able
to return to this time again. Accept that you will have permanently unresolved feelings.
FLASHBACK.
BOBBY
The thing in the fire? That’s evidence? That’s valid.
BOO
It’s the rag Logan used to stop the bleeding when he got shot by the killer.
DENVER [narrator]
Step 3: While in Stump Town, find your access room. On the walls, paint a line for every day
you plan to go back.
FLASHBACK.
BOO
924… 925…
DENVER [narrator]
Step 4: The storm will come for you. When the storm comes, prepare to enter the other world.
FLASHBACK.
Just a few seconds of the roaring storm.
52

DENVER [narrator]
Step 5: Remember that everything is going to be okay very soon.
FLASHBACK.
Boo is sobbing.
DENVER [narrator]
Step 6: Say goodbye.
FLASHBACK.
GLORY
Pistachio and tangerine ice cream.
BOO
Sh, this might be our last day together. Let’s just… be calm, and… sleep.
DENVER [narrator]
Step 7: Return to your access room at Stump Town, taking careful note of which doorway you
entered through. Cover all your lines in a thick sheet of paint. You have now completed your
access room. When you exit, do not use the doorway you came through, or you’ll become
trapped in the other world, which is timeless. You must complete the ritual today, or you’ll
become trapped in the other world, which is timeless.
53

FLASHBACK.
Boo breathes heavily and unevenly. Hypothermia and fear.
DENVER [narrator]
Step 8: When you leave your access room, you’ll find yourself in the other world. The other
world will look exactly like our world, except you and everything else will be exactly upside
down. Due to the nature of gravity, you are unlikely to notice.
STUMP TOWN(?)
BOO
C’mon, c’mon. Stay awake… awake… awake…
DENVER [narrator]
Step 9: Your guardian will come to you. Wait for them. Then use the rope to securely tie your
guardian to your ankle.
STUMP TOWN(?)
A collar and leash jangle. Alice barks.
BOO
ALICE! Oh, good dog! Oh, Alice…
54

DENVER [narrator]
Step 10: Find a body of water.
STUMP TOWN(?)
BOO
This is it.
DENVER [narrator]
Step 11: Make sure your guardian is securely tied to you.
STUMP TOWN(?)
Tying of rope.
DENVER [narrator]
Step 12: Enter the water. Step 13: Sink.
JAIL HOUSE.
Denver shuts the book.
DENVER
We need to go to the lake!
55

STUMP TOWN(?)
Denver and Jo are panting as they run.
DENVER [narrator]
Beyond the trees and the snow, we finally see a human shape at the edge of the frozen lake. He’s
pounding at the ice with the blade of a shovel. Over and over again. I don’t know how he found
Alice, but she’s next to him, barking at him.
We hear the distant pounding. Alice is barking.
BOO [distant]
JUST! FUCKING! BREAK!
JO
WAIT!! STOP! STOP, YOU’RE GONNA BE OKAY! JUST STOP IT! STOP!
DENVER [narrator]
And then, we hear it.
A loud crack.
DENVER [narrator]
A crack. Boo steps forward. He disappears in the camouflage of trees and ice, so instantly, and
his dog disappears with a whine and a whimper, and they’re gone, straight away, they’re gone.
56

JO (unison)
Oh, Boo. Boo. No, oh my…
DENVER [narrator] (unison)
I thought that me and Boo Curtis would never be friends again, after we knew who we were. I
thought I would need to be drunk out of my mind to be friends with Boo Curtis. But maybe, we
can be friends again, for just a few seconds longer, under the surface of freezing cold water, on
the verge of death.
A splash of water.
DENVER [narrator]
But no. Never mind. It’s Jo who jumps in the water. It’s not me. It’s not me.
The following is what Jo heard while she was swimming in the freezing lake. I can’t
explain this. I don’t know what it means. This is exactly the audio from Jo’s microphone,
unedited. Starting now.
Snaps.
57

BENEATH THE WATER.
Jo makes a sound. Muffled.
BOO [odd reverb]
Can anybody hear me? So this is what it feels like when your soul leaves your body. Probably
not a good sign. I wonder if it’s Alaska and Glory at the bottom of this lake. Or just. Some dark
place where I’m supposed to die.
She opens her mouth. Jo tries to breath. Choking.
BOO [odd reverb]
Can anybody hear me? I want to go back now. Time doesn’t have to be linear. Please make an
exception.
Song: “Foolish & Learning.”
BOO [odd reverb]
Maybe… for once… for the first time in human history… someone can win because they should.
Maybe, for the first time, it can be easy. Because that should be allowed. Because we’re tired of
struggling. All of us. Why is life about effort. I want sleep. The things that we love make us
suffer. They teach us to stop loving because of how badly the work mangles us. And then the
only good left is nostalgia. The only good feeling is wanting. Even wanting the bad times back.
58

Because all those years ago, at least I could feel something. If I can’t get what I want… then
maybe… it’s time… to let it crush me.
A strange and distorted voice appears. So distorted that its vocal qualities are impossible
to decipher— but clear enough that we hear every word.
ALASKA [?]
Who am I?
BOO [odd reverb]
(gasping) ALASKA?
ALASKA [?]
Is that me? Am I Alaska?
BOO [odd reverb]
DID IT WORK? WHAT YEAR IS IT?
ALASKA [?]
Year? What’s that? Who am I?
BOO [odd reverb]
Oh, Alaska…! No, no, don’t worry about who you are, you’re here with me now… It’s been a
while…! Are you happy, where you are?
ALASKA [?]
My memory is, uh, blurred out… but… I’ve been so happy, Boo…
59

BOO [odd reverb]
Oh! You’ve been happy! You’ve— Boo? You know me? Even though you don’t know who you
are?
ALASKA [?]
Of course, Boo. I, I can’t forget. You’re my brother, remember?
BOO [odd reverb]
If I drown at the bottom of this lake, I’m glad this’ll be my last moment alive.
ALASKA [?]
Oh. Oh no. But I don’t want you to die.
BOO [odd reverb]
I don’t think I have any strength left. There’s nothing I can do.
ALASKA [?]
It’s probably… very hard to be Boo Curtis all the time… You might want to stop and die here.
There are so many times and places out there… so many people… with so many lives…
You might want a different body, and you might want a different name. You might want a
different kind of Boo, that isn’t really Boo. Like a Boo that doesn’t hurt as much. You’re looking
down at so many worlds and so many lives, and so many non-Boo Boos. When you were bored
doing homework, or you locked the bathroom stall at work and cried, or when you missed
somebody and cracked open the ice and dropped into this lake, it was always you. When you
look out the airplane window and see all the people with all their lives, and all their beautiful
lights on in their kitchen windows, it is you that gets to look down and love looking. It’s always
60

been you. Out of all these lives, would you really want a life that’s not your own? Sometimes it’s
painful, and sometimes it’s sad, but… please. Never stop being Boo Curtis.
BOO [odd reverb]
Alaska… In my mind, I can see so many lives I could live… I look so much happier in all of
them, but for, for some reason, all they make me wanna do is… (sobbing) go home. I wanna go
home! Alaska. I can’t stop being Boo Curtis after all. I WANT MY LIFE! EXACTLY THE WAY
IT IS!
STUMP TOWN.
The blizzard is calming now. A bird can be heard singing in the distance.
DENVER
DO YOU HAVE HIM?— Boo? How— how did you—
BOO
I’m okay. I have Jo, too. Do you know CPR, by any chance?
DENVER
Um. Yeah. Yeah.
BOO
Cool. You can go ahead and take her. C’mon! Take ‘er.
DENVER
Yeah, uh— yeah. Yeah.
61

Denver pulls Jo’s body out of the water.
Someone else surfaces— it’s Alice!
BOO
ALICE!
She barks and licks at Boo’s face.
BOO
(happy and giggling) Alice, I’m so sorry!! Next time something crazy and magical happens, I
won’t get you involved! Promise!
Now, the snow is stopping. More birds come along to chime in.
BOO
Oh, there was no time travel, by the way! That old guy was a fucking liar. I guess he tricked me
into working on my stupid mental health. Oh. Look at that timing. The sun is finally coming out.
What a sunrise. It’s a brand new day.
Jo coughs.
62

JO
It’s evening, idiot.
BOO / DENVER
JO!
BOO
Are you okay?
JO
No thanks to you.
DENVER
She almost died trying to save you.
A ringtone.
JO
Just in a… day’s work… We’re not friends, though… I’m gonna sleep now.
DENVER
Oh, hold on, that’s my phone. Bobby?
BOBBY [phone]
OH MY GOSH! FINN! I’M SO SORRY, ALICE GOT OUT AND I AM SO SORRY I
COULDN’T CALL YOU SOONER BUT THE STORM STARTED MESSING WITH MY
RECEPTION AND I COULD NOT GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU, MAN. I’M SORRY.
63

BOO
It’s cool! She’s here now! She found us.
BOBBY [phone]
You’re kidding. That should not be possible.
DENVER
Yeah… it isn’t…
JO
(choking still) Whatever. It’s been a weird day.
BOBBY [phone]
For real, though!
BOO
I’m gonna talk out loud for a sec. Think out loud. Um. I don’t think I loved Alaska until he was
gone? I mean he was a d-bag. He beat the crap out of me and such a lot more than a brother’s
ever supposed to. It took him dying for me to be like, hey, I love him and, and all. But that
doesn’t mean I have to regret that.
DENVER
Hey, Boo…? Can I ask you something?
BOO
What’s cracking?
DENVER
What was at the bottom of that lake?
64

BOO
Mm.
Beat.
BOO
The world, kind of. In a non-literal kind of way of it, a bit. The world was down there. It was like
uhhhh, sitting in an airplane? All the way up in the sky, and looking down and seeing everyone
you’ve ever met, and all the people with beautiful lives you’ve never heard of, and, and then
you’re there. You’re there in the sky. And when you see them, and all their, uh, lights in their
kitchen windows, it’s like. You’re not alone anymore. And you’ll never be alone, ever again.
65

CREDITS
THE GHOST FACTORY
WRITER/DIRECTOR/HEAD - Cameron LeBrun
SCRIPT EDITOR - Nikolas Harter
FORENSIC CONSULTANT - Elise Pearson
MUSIC - Thor Speeler, Cameron LeBrun
SOUND DESIGN - Avery Callahan, Andres Buitrago, Chris Zagortchev
SOUND TEAM MANAGEMENT - Manas Kunder
MIX & MASTER - Manas Kunder
ART - Bella Wynne, Lock Reinhardt, and doritofalls
BOBBY YORKE - Kyle Vincent Parker
LOGAN GOLDBERG - Trent Trachtenberg
JO MAGARO - Sally Roberts
BOO CURTIS - Alex Redd
GLORY JOHNSON - Lindsay Zana
DETECTIVE FINN DENVER - Joseph Kitembo
ROMEO MAGARO - Dave Maynard
PATRONS - Rick Troxel, Grinleysspa, LavendarKozzy, Sarah
66

WKA #10: "DETECTIVE FILES: BOO MEETS DENVER PART 2" TRANSCRIPT.pdf

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