Work Text:
[CLICK]
[SOUNDS OF PAPERS RUSTLING, AN IRRITATED ARCHIVIST]
ARCHIVIST
[muttering] Has to be here somewhere… Christ, where did Tim put it?
[KNOCKING ON DOOR]
ARCHIVIST
[annoyed] Yes?
[DOOR OPENS]
GANSEY
Hello there! I was told this was the office of the Archivist? Jonathan Sims?
[HE SOUNDS JUVENILE AND AMERICAN, HAS TO BE AROUND FIFTEEN YEARS OLD. WHAT THE HELL IS THIS KID DOING IN THE MAGNUS INSTITUTE?]
ARCHIVIST
I… yes. Who are you? How did you get in here?
GANSEY
I’m Gansey! Richard Campbell Gansey III. I was just talking to a few of the staff here… Martin, I think? Really nice guy! He said to come and talk to you—
[THE ARCHIVIST GROANS]
ARCHIVIST
Of course he did. Look, kid, I’d love to talk to you about… whatever it is, but as you can see, I’m very busy right now. Now, are you here to make a statement, or are you just going to waste my time?
GANSEY
[not even fazed] Oh, a statement! That’s right, your institute records stories of people’s supernatural experiences, right? Do you happen to have any having to do with the Welsh king Owen Glendower? It’s actually quite interesting, his story, you see—
ARCHIVIST
We might. But as you can see, I don’t exactly have the time at the moment to go sifting through statements and look for anything mentioning your… Welsh king. There might be something in the library, but unfortunately that’s off-limits to visitors. Now, if you don’t have a statement to make, I’m going to have to ask you to leave...
GANSEY
Oh. Well, actually, I think I might have something… it’s funny, actually, it’s why I’m looking for Glendower in the first place…
[HERE, THE CONFIDENCE IN GANSEY’S TONE SOUNDS JUST A TAD BIT FALSE, AS IF HE’S CONCEALING SOME DISCOMFORT. IT’S BARELY NOTICEABLE, THOUGH; IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON TO SEE UNDER HIS MASK]
ARCHIVIST
[surprised; he hadn’t actually expected something] You do? Ah, well, I suppose I could take a live statement right now…
[RUSTLING AS THE ARCHIVIST FUMBLES FOR THE TAPE RECORDER]
ARCHIVIST
[unsurprised] Ah. It’s already on.
GANSEY
A tape recorder? That’s—interesting, I’ve always wanted one of those—
ARCHIVIST
Could you please state your name and the subject of your experience?
GANSEY
Oh. Yes. Richard Campbell Gansey III. I’m from Virginia, I’m staying with my friend Roger Malory to learn more about the ley lines here in the UK. My encounter was… about five years ago, when I was ten. I was visiting the home of a family friend in the summer.
ARCHIVIST
Recording date June 9th, 2017. And use full names, please.
GANSEY
Of—oh, the friend. Chad Paige, you might have heard of him, he owns this business down in—
ARCHIVIST
That’s all I need to know, thank you.
GANSEY [STATEMENT]
Oh. Okay. Well, as I was saying, I was at a party at Mr. Paige’s.
I’m allergic to bees. Like, deathly allergic. I carry Epipens with me everywhere, but even just one sting could kill me before I even get it out in time.
I know it sounds like I could die at any moment. But... I mean, when’s the last time you were stung by a bee? It was a while ago, right? They’re really fine as long as you don’t bother them.
[PAUSE]
But, well, of course, sometimes you don’t always know.
Mr. Paige has a really nice backyard, and he lives right next to the woods. I used to love playing there with his kids all the time. And, well… I was really too young at the time to find any of the adults’ conversations interesting. So… I wandered off. Into the woods.
It’s not like I hadn’t done it before, we played hide and seek in there all the time. My parents could probably find me easily if I needed to.
But I got excited. I wasn’t looking where I was going. I remember… taking a step and feeling this sharp prick in my sock, and then I looked down and saw I was standing in a hornet’s nest.
[HE LAUGHS, DARKLY]
I knew I was dead, right then, even before they were all over me, crawling up my clothes and into my ears…
[GANSEY’S VOICE TREMBLES JUST SLIGHTLY]
Sorry. I… well. I was alone, and I was covered in… covered in hornets. There was no possible way I could have survived that. And I didn’t. I died.
ARCHIVIST
[disbelieving] You… died?
GANSEY
[absolutely positive; he’s gotten this reaction countless times before] Yes. I know I did. I felt it, felt my heart stop. And… I know you won’t believe me, but I know this is the reason why I’m here and still alive today.
I heard… a voice. I’d never heard it before, but I’m sure I know who it came from.
“You will live because of Glendower. Someone is dying on the ley line when they should not, and so you will live when you should not.”
And then my heart restarted again, and I was fine. I ran all the way back home, and… well, no one in my family of course believed me. They thought I was hallucinating. They still think I was. But I know I wasn’t, I couldn’t have...
It had to be Glendower who spoke to me that day. I know it was. And that’s why I’m searching for him. Legend says that he’s not dead, just sleeping somewhere buried on the ley line, and I’m going to find him and wake him and ask him why he saved me.
[PAUSE]
ARCHIVIST
I see. Well, I know at least you weren’t under the influence of any drugs, but I have to ask. You’re sure you weren’t dreaming? Daydreaming, even? Children can have such wild imaginations, after all.
GANSEY
No. I wasn’t. I know I wasn’t because I can still feel them sometimes, crawling all over me… the pain was so vivid. I know everyone else thinks I’m making it all up. I doubted myself, too, for a long time. Malory was one of the first people to ever believe me. But I believe I am telling the truth. I believe that Glendower did this for me for a reason, and it’s my duty to find him. I owe him that, at the very least.
ARCHIVIST
I understand. You realize that there’s no concrete way to prove this, though.
GANSEY
I know. I know that, and it bothers me every day. You just—just trust me. Do you? Believe me?
ARCHIVIST
I…
[HE HUFFS]
It’s silly. Under any other circumstance, I would have dismissed this completely. But I think I do.
GANSEY
Really?
ARCHIVIST
I don’t believe I’ve ever taken a statement from a child before. Statements from childhood, yes, but not from anyone who was a child at the time of giving the statement. I can’t think of a reason why someone like you would find their way to the Archives unless they actually had a statement to give. Hallucinations are still a factor, yes, but it’s odd that you’d hold onto something like this for so long.
GANSEY
Oh. Well, actually, I originally came here to see if you had anything on…
ARCHIVIST
Glendower. That’s right. I suppose I can take a look.
[CLICK]
---
[CLICK]
[FOOTSTEPS]
TIM
Is that—
[FOOTSTEPS STOP]
TIM
Martin!
MARTIN
[from afar] Yes?
TIM
Who’s that kid in Jon’s office? Did you let him in there?
[MARTIN COMES OVER TO JOIN TIM]
MARTIN
Oh! I, yes. He said he was doing some research on… a Welsh king, I think? His name is Gansey. Really bright kid. I figured Jon might know something, considering that statement we did a week ago…
TIM
And you didn’t kick him out? How did he get down here, anyway? I thought visitors weren’t allowed in the Archives.
MARTIN
Oh, I think Rosie let him in. He was so polite, I figured it wouldn’t hurt…
[TIM SIGHS]
TIM
Of course. Well, I suppose it’s fine, as long as we keep it on the down-low… I’m just worried Jon’s going to tear him to shreds.
[REALIZATION FROM MARTIN]
MARTIN
Shit. You’re right. Well… he seems fine so far, at least?
[CLICK]
---
[CLICK]
GANSEY
—and they carried his corpse along the ley line from Wales all the way to Virginia . That’s where they say he’s buried now. Isn’t that crazy?
ARCHIVIST
[enthusiastic] The corpse roads. Of course!
GANSEY
I’ve never heard that word before. Is that what you call them here?
ARCHIVIST
It’s one of the words for them, yes. I think the psychic—
[DOOR OPENS]
MARTIN
Hey, Jon, you’ve been in here a while, I was just wondering if you wanted—oh.
GANSEY
Martin! Hello! Apologies, I was just having a fascinating conversation with Jon about Glendower. Thank you for helping me out, by the way. He seems to know a lot!
ARCHIVIST
[sheepish] Ah, well. Just a few things I’ve picked up through statements. Sorry, Martin—did you need something?
MARTIN
It’s nothing. Sorry to bother you two.
[CLICK]
---
[CLICK]
TIM
Martin.
MARTIN
What?
TIM
Quit staring at Jon’s office, would you? I get that you miss him and all, but… jeez.
MARTIN
I’m not—look. He’s just—he hasn’t left all day! What can be so important?
[PAUSE]
TIM
Martin…
MARTIN
What.
TIM
You’re not seriously jealous of a fifteen-year-old?
MARTIN
[lying] I— no!
TIM
And you were so nice to him earlier.
MARTIN
I just—it’s been hours!
TIM
I have to admit, I’m surprised too. I haven’t seen Jon this excited since he taught us about emulsifiers at your birthday party.
[MARTIN SIGHS]
[CLICK]
---
[CLICK]
ARCHIVIST
Well. That was one of the most insightful conversations I’ve had in a while. I suppose I may have… underestimated Gansey at first, but you don’t get people like that down here every day. I really shouldn’t have been talking to him in the first place.
[HE HUFFS]
Maybe I just… saw a little of myself in him. I wish someone had indulged in my interests at that age. Anyways. I’m getting off topic.
I’m not going to go out of my way to contact the people in the United States that Gansey provided, but I was able to talk to Roger Malory through the number that he gave me. Apparently he’s fairly well known in that… Glendower circle. He was terrible to talk to over the phone, and was little help.
Really, this statement was the ultimate dead end. Gansey was not only an American, but his experience could very easily be dismissed as a hallucination. He had no witnesses, no evidence, nothing to show me that could be used as proof. And yet… I wanted to believe him.
[SIGH]
Maybe I’m growing soft.
The ley lines Gansey mentioned are also known as corpse roads in the supernatural community. As he detailed, they are… magical pathways that wrap all around the world. There’s one here in the UK near where Malory and Gansey are staying, and one in Virginia where Gansey apparently died.
The reason why they are known as corpse roads is because every St. Mark’s Eve, April 24th, the spirits of those who will die in the next year are visible to some with certain… supernatural abilities. I believe they are connected to a ritual of the End.
Obviously the End must have had something to do with Gansey’s… resurrection. Ironic how killing him and then bringing him back to life ultimately strengthens its hold on him and ability to feed on his fear. Very unique breed of trauma.
The only thing I don’t understand is… Glendower? That doesn’t make sense; he’s interesting, sure, but I’m quite positive he is just a long dead corpse of a Welsh king. As powerful as the End is, even he shouldn’t…
[SOUND OF STATIC RISING AND A DISCOMFITED SOUND FROM THE ARCHIVIST AS HE BEGINS TO KNOW .]
It wasn’t Glendower. It was the boy, the boy who was dying on the ley line when he should not be. The seventeen-year-old boy who was beaten to death with a skateboard by his best friend. He— ah!
[SHARP HISS OF PAIN FROM THE ARCHIVIST AS THE STATIC FADES OUT. HE’S OVERWHELMED WITH TOO MUCH INFORMATION AT ONCE]
ARCHIVIST
[breathless] I… I understand now.
Glendower… I believe… I was right all along. Owen Glendower, or Owain Glyndŵr as the Welsh call him, is long dead, unfortunately. It was the boy who brought Gansey back to life… Noah Czerny, I think?
He must be an avatar. I… why am I thinking of time travel?
[SIGH]
This poor boy has no idea what he’s dealing with.
[CLICK]