Part 8

INT. "CURIO SHOP"–DAY

VANESSA has three pieces of paper in her hands. She stands in the middle of the shop and LUCY nervously stands behind her. There is a crowd of children surrounding the SHOP KEEPER. Some kids are burning some goat drawings in the far corner of the shop and are snickering to each other.

VANESSA: It has to be Goat Man! I mean three cryptic notes about the new marks? Who else could it be?

LUCY: Are you sure? You never know, other people can be crafty.

VANESSA: Yeah, but Goat Man is the only one we know who can do a bunch of stuff like this!

LUCY: Is Goat Man a wizard or a god? Like we don't know what exactly he does honestly...

VANESSA (thinks for a moment): He's a goat.

LUCY: That doesn't really help...

VANESSA: Well, Conner and the others found this note and I'm going to ask the shop keeper about it.

LUCY (uncomfortable): I don't trust him. I don't like being here in general really.

VANESSA: I don't either. That's why I haven't changed my mark yet. But, no worries! We just have to tough through it.

LUCY: Wait, you're still a wandering soul?

VANESSA (shows her arm): Yep!

LUCY: Wow, almost everyone is getting an orb.

VANESSA: Yeah well, I'm only here for answers. I don't need to explore what everyone else is doing. Anyways, I already know everything about the items. Collar gives you path of the goat, box gives you path of the machine, and orb gives you the path of the void. Says so all in these weird notes here and the items themselves!

LUCY: I don't trust the notes either... They showed up too perfectly. Plus the writing is all...creepy.

VANESSA: It seems like Elgin life for you. Everything is just creepy in general. Hell, even half the things we do are creepy. Burning drawings of goats? Visiting a rusted statue of a robot? Tattoos?

LUCY: Tattoos aren't creepy.

VANESSA: Yeah, but can you explain why we're obsessed with them?

LUCY: To feel special? I don't know.

VANESSA: We're creepy, I'm telling you.

LUCY: Okay...

VANESSA: Time to ask Curio shop guy what's going on–

JORDANIA: Hey Ness! What brings you around here?

VANESSA: Are you up to something? I know that smile anywhere.

JORDANIA (feigns hurt): What? Me? Up to something? I'm starting to think that a certain someone has alienated all my friends.

VANESSA: Then what are you doing here?

JORDANIA: To watch chaos of course. Nothing more fun than that! What about you two?

LUCY: We were just thinking of asking the shop keeper some questions.

JORDANIA: The guy is swamped with little snots. You guys think you'll be able to ask him anything?

VANESSA: We'll yell at them to get out of the way.

LUCY: What?

JORDANIA: Oh, this'll be fun to watch.

VANESSA (yells): Get out of the way! We need to find out if the old guy here knows anything about the flying notes! Who wants to see that first?

The crowd stops and stares at Vanessa. People look at each other nervously. Jordania is amused and Lucy is horrified. Vanessa doesn't wait for anyone to say anything and makes her way to the shop keeper. She sticks the notes in front of the shop keeper's face.

VANESSA: Can you tell me what these path things are about? And the marks too?

SHOP KEEPER: Paths and marks? I do not know much about those. I only know that people walk them.

VANESSA: But we need to find a way home. Will these help?

SHOP KEEPER: I'm afraid I can't help there. I only sell wares. Nothing more, nothing less.

VANESSA: Why did you make this place then?

SHOP KEEPER: This place? (Pause) I didn't make it. It was already here. It always has been. Like nature itself. Just needs someone to operate it.

VANESSA: But how–

LUCY: Vanessa, I think it's time to stop. Everyone else wants to ask questions too.

Vanessa pauses and looks at the crowd of angry faces. She sighs before making her way back to Jordania and Lucy.

JORDANIA: You tried at least.

VANESSA: Yeah, but we're still so lost.

LUCY: Something will come up soon. You just have to wait–

GOAT MAN walks into the store and looks around in confusion. The bustling store suddenly goes quiet and everyone looks at him in confusion. The shop keeper takes a few steps forward with a smile on his face.

LUCY (CONT'D): Or not.

GOAT MAN: Why did I get brought here? I have nothing to do with the vendor.

SHOP KEEPER: You can come and go from wherever you please. They can only follow. (Chuckles)

GOAT MAN: Creepy person, don't put me in here.

Shop keeper narrows his eyes at Goat Man slightly but retains his welcoming smile.

SHOP KEEPER: Creepy? Curiosity can be creepy. It can even be repulsive. Nature is many things. It only takes a monster to see one though.

GOAT MAN: If I am not needed, I'll take my leave.

SHOP KEEPER: Well, it's always a curious day when we have such a...unique visitor to the shop. It's odd since you're an end and I'm just a beginning.

GOAT MAN: I just go where I'm summoned, so I'll leave them to it. As for the rest of you...(Looks at the group of children) I would be cautious on the summonings.

Goat Man walks out and closes the door behind him. Jordania runs after him to look outside but there are no signs of him ever being there. Jordania walks back to the girls before shrugging.

JORDANIA: I just confirmed he's still magic.

LUCY: That conversation was weird though.

VANESSA: Goat Man is supposed to be an end? Are the paths going to lead us to him?

JORDANIA: Don't we see him often? If we can go home then he would've done it now, right?

LUCY: Maybe it's not that easy.

VANESSA: Yeah, like he needs some things before he can send us back.

JORDANIA: Wouldn't he straight up tell us?

LUCY: You got a point...

VANESSA: It doesn't seem like he really wants to help either since not everyone gets answers from him.

RANDI slams the door open with paper in hand.

VANESSA: Oh no. What does Randi want?

Randi marches up to the shop keeper and everyone instantly backs away in fear.

RANDI: Do you have a key? I need a key.

SHOP KEEPER: A key? I'm afraid there's no key for sale here.

RANDI: Have any idea where to find one then?

SHOP KEEPER: You remind me of someone who came looking for maps. Very curious people. I like curious people.

Jordania raises an eyebrow at the comment.

SHOP KEEPER: Usually, things lead here, not the other way around. I have a key to close the shop of course, but I'm not about to sell my whole shop.

RANDI: Damn it! Another dead end!

LUCY: What is happening? Why are you working up, Randi?

RANDI: I got another letter from this quiet mystic person, saying stuff about a place of worship, catacombs, and workshops? I don't know. I feel like I'm in some kind of wild goose chase.

JORDANIA (teases): Maybe you went to the wrong Curio shop.

RANDI: Can it, Jordan.

JORDANIA (playful): Uh oh, looks like I pissed off someone.

VANESSA: We got another clue?

RANDI: Yeah. There was something about a book too. I don't understand half of this crap. The handwriting is trash.

VANESSA: A book?

RANDI: Letter says that the person read a book to get a key but the keys didn't work? Saying they're underground doing something. Thought someone saw them.

LUCY: I wonder if we can have our hands on this book in the letter.

JORDANIA: Let me get this. (Yells to shop keeper) Oh, shop keep! You got a book I can read? I'm so bored lately!

SHOP KEEPER: Hm, well there is one book that can be borrowed every so often. The last renter hasn't returned it yet.

VANESSA: Seriously? We can't even read it?

SHOP KEEPER: It's kept in a special case usually. (Points)

They all walk over to the empty glass display case. Words are carved into the wooden stand for the display case.

LUCY (reads): Is it a record of something? A warning? It feels ominous. I tried to read the words. Sometimes the letters come together and make words. Some of them hurt my eyes to look at. They feel wrong. Like I should never walk that path. Feels like a journal. Maybe of someone who walked the path before? What did they find? Where are they now?

JORDANIA: That's a weird thing to carve in the wood.

VANESSA: It's like a diary for sure.

They all chatter and Lucy looks into the reflection of the display. The statue of the man in agony is facing her direction and her eyes are fixated on it. The expression seems to become more tortured every second Lucy stares at it. She snaps her attention away from it and looks towards the group. Her breath is shaky.

LUCY: This is just too much for me. I hate this place. I want out.

RANDI: So we aren't getting a key?

VANESSA: Wait, how do we know this isn't a false lead?

JORDANIA: The letter mentions it right? It's all we got.

LUCY: I'm going to leave. I don't want to deal with this right now.

RANDI: Everything alright?

LUCY: I don't know. I just need to leave.

Lucy leaves in a hurry and the rest watch her.

JORDANIA: This would be a bad time to say that it was my idea to summon Goat Man, wouldn't it?