Graveyard Shift

Host: 00:00:10

DRAMA:AN AURAL EXPERIENCE Season 1 Anthology Episode 7 Graveyard Shift Please wear headphones for the best experience.

Him: 00:01:07

I didn't set out thinking I'm going to be a security guard when I grow up, but it's not a bad job. Stable work, nice benefits, and generally pretty reasonable hours.

I enjoy the graveyard shift because it's quiet and you can typically just watch Netflix and not deal with the daytime stuff.

I had been working security for 10, maybe 11 years primarily for the city, and I've typically been stationed at the front of offices or somewhere in the back, monitoring screens, stuff like that.

I had only run into actual problems three or four times, typically someone trying to break in somewhere, a fist fight, but never anything like last night. It's fresh in my mind, so I figured it would be best to share it here with you. There's this overnight guy who typically works the bridge. Now.

It's a little booth that seems like it's in the middle of nowhere. You have to drive down a hill in this path in the middle of a bit of forest land over the tracks and down toward the water.

There's a little red lighthouse that I've seen during the day. It's adorable. The only lighthouse in Manhattan, actually. I recommend going to check it out, but during the day. At night.

At night it's a different story. I drove down there with another guy, someone who's used to doing the transport. He could have warned me or should have warned me.

I guess I would have warned someone. I didn't think much about it. I've been watching this new reality show.

I like cooking and baking shows and I was halfway through the first season so I figured I could finish it that night. The sun had already set and when we pulled up to the booth I got out and looked up to the bridge. It looks epic perspective down on the ground there.

The other guy had packed up his things and sized me up. You the new guy? He asked with a half smile. Just for tonight, but you never know, I said as I checked out the area behind me.

I've already seen about three of them, so you're in for a wild ride tonight. Three of what? I asked. Best you get inside the booth, he said as he hopped in the car.

I didn't even blink and they were already going back up the hill and over the tracks. Cicadas rattled in the distance and there was a stillness in the air. I set up my things in the booth and thought about what he said.

You're in for a wild ride tonight. I thought maybe he was just trying to scare me. But I went outside anyway. Everything seemed still, quiet.

The lighthouse was in the distance, and just over the river was where Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton. I remember that from history class. The cicadas grew louder and the air was getting cold.

After a few minutes of walking around, I decided to head back into the booth. I turned on my show and one episode in everything seemed fine. I occasionally looked up and everything was fine.

Then maybe halfway into the next episode, I saw something out of the corner of my eye and sat up straight and turned off the show. I thought it might have just been a flicker of light from something in the water, but I wasn't taking any chances. I thought about what he said.

I've already seen about three of them. I looked out the window in front of me. Nothing. Then the window behind me. Nothing.

I had this weird feeling that I wasn't alone, but I didn't feel nervous. It was getting really hot in the booth, so I opened the door and stepped outside.

The cicadas were still rattling, and then they stopped and it was silent. In the distance, I heard some movement but couldn't see anything. It might be an animal or something.

Raccoons fumbling in the trash by the picnic tables. A possum, maybe even a skunk. I didn't feel like it was a threat, so I went back into the booth and cracked a window. Still no cicadas.

I started up my show again, and maybe five, ten minutes into watching, there was a noise. A tapping noise. Tap, tap, tap. It was on the window, but no one was there. Tap, tap, tap. Hello, ass. Nothing. That's when I got nervous.

Maybe it's the wind. I can't be the wind. Tap, tap, tap. I looked up, stood up, moved around and did a 360. Nothing.

I walked outside and moved around the parameter of the booth, but didn't see anything. Everything was quiet. I turned my gaze over to the lighthouse and couldn't believe my eyes.

A woman was there, standing by the lighthouse by herself, all alone. She was wearing a dark blue dress and it was flowing with the wind. I called out to her, ma' am, the park's closed. She didn't move.

She was dark, even under the light. I called louder, ma' am, the park is closed.

I shined a flashlight on her and she turned around, held up one hand and started walking up the path slowly. I watched her walk and turn to go up the hill. There was something about the way she walked. A heaviness, sadness.

I wanted to go up to her to see if she was all right, but something just seemed off. After a few moments, she disappeared up the path and into the woods. It's not safe, I thought.

A woman dressed like that walking up the path in the middle of the night. I wanted to go up and help her, maybe walk over the tracks and up the hill, make sure she was safe. But I was told not to leave the booth unguarded.

I went back into the booth to radio Central, but as soon as I picked up the intercom, I looked out and the same woman was back in the same spot right there by the lighthouse. How did she. It didn't matter. I came out of the booth and watched her. Ma' am. I yelled. Ma' am. She didn't turn around this time.

Her dress was blowing in the wind. Ma' am. I locked the booth and started toward her. I made it about 15ft toward her, and then she turned around.

You stood there for about 10 seconds, taking each other in, and just as she did before, held up one hand and started up the path. Something came over me. I'm not one to scare easily, but terror swept through my entire body and I knew I should just let her go.

I walked back to the booth, unlocked it and went back in and watched as she made her way up the hill. I waited and watched the spot. Would she come back? Would someone take her place? I've already seen about three of them.

After a few minutes I shook my head and started my show again, just like before. Five minutes in. Something else. Not a tap this time, but a tick. Like someone had tossed a small piece of gravel at the booth. Tick. Then again.

Tick, tick, tick. There was nothing in front of me, nothing behind me. Tick, tick, tick.

It grew louder, more intense, like it was hailing or as if there were 20, 30 people outside, all throwing pellets of gravel at me. I reached for the intercom and dialed fiercely. Someone picked up. Hello? Hello? This is. This is.

Nothing. The noise outside stopped. A car slowly turned down the path and I stepped outside. It wasn't the person who drove me down like last time.

It was a man wearing a security unit form. I'm here to take over for you. Take over? But I'm supposed to be here until it's six. Six? How could it be? I pulled out my phone and looked at the time.

Six on the dot. Time flies when you're having fun. He. I gathered my things from inside and I saw him staring at the lighthouse out of the corner of my eye.

Can I just ask you one thing? I started to ask him. He turned around, held up one hand, just like the lady had done, and smiled. That'll be all, he said. Thank you for filling in.

I got in the car and the driver drove me up the hill. We went on the same path the lady had walked up.

I didn't speak to the driver, but looked in the woods and down the tracks as we went over the little bridge. I had so many questions but didn't feel comfortable asking any of them. I have even more questions today, and will surely have tomorrow.

I'm back to sitting at a desk tonight, but wonder if tomorrow I might be asked to go back to that booth, or maybe even sometime next week. They often rotate us in and out to the same places. If I get stationed there, do I decline the assignment or do I go back?

And what if she's there again? What if she's always there, permanently trapped in a cycle of looking out over the river and going up the hill?

What if we're all trapped in our own cycle, just trying to make it up that hill?

Host: 00:13:35

DRAMA: AN AURAL EXPERIENCE Season - 1 Anthology. Episode 7: GRAVEYARD SHIFT starring JASON VEASEY as "HIM", Written by Jeffrey James Keys, Original Score by Manuel Pelayo and Giancarlo Bonfanti. Marketing Director Madeline Corcoran, Associate Producer Matthew Solomon. Directed Executive Produced by Aaron Salazar."AKS IMMERSIVE"