Starring:
Mo McKynzie as Marisol Montgomery
Yodeet Nymberg as Nina Greene
Cody Smith as Aaron
Jacquir LaFond as Oliver
Chinna Palmer as The Stranger
B. Narr as Jack
Akanimo Effang as The Host
Director & Sound Designer: Nathan Gabriel
Writer, Creator, & Producer: Jade Madison Scott
Script Supervisor: Virginia Wilson
Beyond Underscorer & Dialogue Editor: Micahel Ronstadt
Theme Composer: Sterlyn Termine
Show Art: Julia Patrick
Special Thanks To The Team At Apollo Podcasts Who Comissoned This Episode For The Apollo Podcasts 2022 Creator Showcase
Introduction
HOST
Good Day. This episode you are about to listen to is a part of the Apollo Creator Showcase 2022. It was written by Small Victories creator, Jade Madison Scott. Do listen to all the episodes in the showcase and support all of the wonderful other creators by going to www.apollopods.com/jade. Hope to see you on Apollo. Now….oh! I do believe that’s Marisol.
EXT. BEYOND
Marisol jolts awake with a large intake of breath. She is hyperventilating and tries to calm herself. The Beyond is an otherworldly paradise. Larks sing. Bugs hum. It’s idyllic. Underscored by haunting cello music
MARISOL
Holy shit! What the…woah. Where-
STRANGER
Hello.
MARISOL
Ahhh!
STRANGER
Don’t be afraid-
MARISOL
I’m not afraid. You just snuck up on me, which is a real dick move by the way so…fix that.
STRANGER
Noted.
MARISOL
Okaaaayyy. Ummm, where the hell are we? Also, what the fuck are you?
STRANGER
I am a who not a what. As for where we are-
MARISOL
Oh, shit. Am I dead?
STRANGER
No. You’re asleep. Though you are, admittedly, being affected by some rather heavy sedatives.
MARISOL
So, this is like a drug trip or-
STRANGER
No.
MARISOL
Can you give me a straight answer then?
STRANGER
You were there. Now you’re here.
MARISOL
And what the fuck does that mean?
STRANGER
You were there. You are not there now. You are here now. This is as simple as I can make it.
MARISOL
Well, thanks for being a fucking useless piece of shit. What the hell. And why the fuck do you have so many eyes?
STRANGER
Everyone looks like this where I am from?
MARISOL
And where the fuck is that? What the fuck is going on? Where the fuck am I?
STRANGER
You seem agitated. I will leave until you have calmed-
MARISOL
Don’t you dare fucking walk away from me, buddy.
(Marisol takes hold of the Stranger)
STRANGER
Please let go of me.
MARISOL
I’ll let go of you when I fucking want to let go of-
(The Stranger grabs Marisol’s arm)
MARISOL (CONT'D)
Woah. Wooahhh!
(The Stranger flips Marisol on her back.)
MARISOL (CONT'D)
Holy shit. You flipped me. Motherfucker.
STRANGER
Are you hurt?
MARISOL
It’s gonna take a lot more than that to hurt me. Alright. You wanna fight? Let’s fight.
(Marisol rushes toward the Stranger. The scene fades into the steady hums and clicks of a hospital room.)
INT. HOSPTIAL ROOM
Nina is sitting by Marisol’s bedside. Oliver opens the door.
OLIVER
Got donuts and tea.
NINA
Thanks.
OLIVER
Any changes?
NINA
Nothing ever changes.
OLIVER
How metaphysical of you.
NINA
She hasn't woken up once in three days. What would you call that?
OLIVER
The best power nap of the modern era.
NINA
Oliver.
OLIVER
I’m the chief of morale. If she finds out that I let you sink into a depression pit, she’ll beat me up.
NINA
She’ll only find out if she wakes up.
OLIVER
Are you kidding? That’s Marisol Montgomery. That’s a fighter right there. Now take your green tea while it’s still hot.
(Oliver sets the tea and bag of donuts on the table.)
NINA
I don’t want it.
OLIVER
When do you have to head back to work?
NINA
I’m not going back until she gets better.
OLIVER
Okay, so, when she wakes up and finds out you got fired and you’re both homeless what-
NINA
I’ll ask my parents to cover my rent this month.
OLIVER
I’ll take sentences I could never say for 400, Alex. Sorry, that was not a comment befitting the chief of morale.
NINA
I can’t leave her alone, Oliver. In sickness and in health, right?
OLIVER
Well, you’re not married yet, but since you’re glaring at me right now I guess that wasn’t the right thing to say.
(Pause)
OLIVER (CONT'D)
You need to get sleep. Let life move on. She’ll come around when her body’s ready.
NINA
Wait. What was that? Did you see that? Her eyebrow twitched.
OLIVER
Nina.
NINA
Marisol? Can you hear me?
OLIVER
Nina, I’m serious. Go home. If anything changes I’ll call.
NINA
You swear?
OLIVER
Cross my heart.
(Nina lets out a deep sigh.)
NINA
I’m gonna get something to eat and take a nap then I’m right back.
OLIVER
I’ll keep your seat warm for you.
(Nina stands up.)
NINA
(To Marisol)
I’ll be right back.
(Nina leaves.)
OLIVER
Hey, shortstop. I got you a strawberry cake donut and if you don’t wake up in the next hour I’m gonna eat it. So, let that motivate you.
(Pause)
OLIVER (CONT'D)
Come on, Tiny. You can’t leave me like this.
EXT. BEYOND
Marisol pins the Stranger down.
STRANGER
Get off me.
MARISOL
Not until you surrender.
STRANGER
Get off-
MARISOL
No. Stay down.
STRANGER
How’s it feel?
MARISOL
Winning? Winning feels fucking great! How’s losing feel?
STRANGER
No. How’s this feel?
(The Stranger touches Marisol’s side. She tumbles to the ground.)
MARISOL
Ahhhh! What the fuck? Why’d you touch my side? What’d you do to me?
STRANGER
What did I do? You were stabbed.
MARISOL
You had a knife, you psycho?
STRANGER
No. What? Look.
(The Stranger snaps their fingers.)
INT. AARON'S LIVING ROOM
Aaron has just stabbed Marisol. Classical music swells in the background.
MARISOL
I...I think...my stomach is all warm. I gotta….I can’t really feel anything down there.
AARON
Don’t worry. Just stay awake, okay? Just stay, hello? Hi! Yes, hi, hello, um, there’s a girl, I stabbed a girl, she’s bleeding there’s blood everywhere. There’s blood fucking everywhere. I didn’t know she’d bleed this much.
MARISOL
(In The Beyond)
Hey, turn it off.
AARON
I’m gonna throw up.
MARISOL
(in the Beyond)
Turn it off!
(The Stranger snaps their fingers.)
EXT. BEYOND
MARISOL
Why’d you show me that?
STRANGER
You were stabbed.
MARISOL
No, that was….you sure I’m not dead?
STRANGER
I am most certain.
(Pause)
MARISOL
Am I gonna be okay?
STRANGER
That is a complex question.
OLIVER
(very faint and like he’s underwater; they speak over him)
I’ve kinda got something to tell you. I applied for this program, this study abroad program, I applied months ago, but I didn’t want to tell you in case I didn’t make it-
MARISOL
Who is that?
STRANGER
I do believe that is your friend.
MARISOL
He’s not in here, is he?
STRANGER
No, but you could go where he is. If you wanted to.
MARISOL
No.
STRANGER
That’s okay, too.
(Oliver’s voice fades away.)
MARISOL
Can I stay here?
STRANGER
Why would you want to?
MARISOL
I could have died.
STRANGER
You are no stranger to death.
MARISOL
I know, but two near-death experiences in five weeks? I’d like to be more of a stranger than that.
STRANGER
Staying here wouldn’t fix anything.
MARISOL
Wouldn’t it though? It’s so nice here. It’s so quiet.
(Beat. The chirping birds turn into the beeping of the hospital room.)
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM
OLIVER
I applied months ago, but I didn’t want to tell you in case I didn’t make it. I thought that’d be kind of embarrassing, but they got back to me. I just got the email and…well, I wanted to be with you before I opened it. You wouldn’t mind doing a drum roll, would you? Oh my God. Oh my God! I got in!! Tiny, I got in! I’m going to South Africa! I’m going to….Marisol. Marisol, you gotta wake up. We gotta celebrate. You gotta wish me goodbye. I can’t leave if you’re like this. Come on, Marisol. Wake up.
EXT. BEYOND
OLIVER
(In a booming voice)
Wake up.
STRANGER
You’re going to have to go sometime.
MARISOL
No, I don’t. And if you try to make me leave I’ll just run away.
STRANGER
You might be able to run from everyone else, but you can’t run from me.
MARISOL
You also thought you could kick my ass and look how that turned out. And, by the way, I’m not running from anything, so…correct yourself.
STRANGER
Why lie to me?
MARISOL
Alright, then, big shot. What am I running from since you seem to know everything?
STRANGER
Your father, for one-
MARISOL
Woah, woah, woah, hold the fuck up. I’m not running from him. He ran from me.
STRANGER
You ran away from home-
MARISOL
He kicked me out! And you can’t run away from home when you’re 19. That’s called being an adult.
STRANGER
And you haven’t gone back in 5 years because you’re being an adult?
MARISOL
He’s the one who isn’t talking to me. He doesn’t want to see me. He’s the one you should be, fucking, talking to, not-
STRANGER
You have no idea who else I’m talking to. And your brother-
MARISOL
Probably should've talked to him sooner, huh?
STRANGER
You're running from your brother too.
MARISOL
He’s dead. He doesn’t count.
STRANGER
You don’t believe that.
(Pause)
STRANGER
You really should go home, Marisol. You don’t need to run any-
(Marisol slugs them in the face.)
STRANGER
Oh?
MARISOL
You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.
(Marisol tackles Stranger. Their conflict turns into the hospital room soundscape.)
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM
OLIVER
I’m going to the cafeteria. Want anything….just checking.
(Oliver leaves. After a moment the door opens.)
AARON
T? Marisol? Marisol, you awake?
(Pause)
AARON (CONT'D)
I was waiting for him to leave so I could talk to you. Was waiting for a minute. You’re a popular person. Lotta love.
(Pause)
AARON (CONT'D)
You look….oh, you look so bad. Ummm, I brought you some flowers. I didn’t remember which ones you liked, so I asked the man at the flower shop which ones meant luck and health. Figured you could use as much as you could get.
(Pause)
AARON (CONT'D)
God, I’m sorry. I wish…if I could change everything, I’d make it so that we’d never even met. So that we never even knew each other and you never had to know me. And I’m glad, I’m glad you and Nina are gonna be together. If she makes you happy then that’s good. You deserve to be happy, and I hope you two have lots of kids and go on great vacations and get all old together and die sleeping next to each other, and I hope you never think of me again. I hope you’ll get to be okay. I hope you’re gonna wake up and this isn’t some coma or something. I hope you get to go home.
(Aaron sniffs.)
AARON (CONT'D)
But yeah. Here are your flowers and I guess I’ll just put ‘em over here. So…
(Aaron places the flowers on the table.)
AARON (CONT'D)
And, uh, if you wanna press charges I won’t fight back or anything. I’m done, Marisol. I’m done with all this.
(Pause)
AARON (CONT'D)
That’s all I had to say, I guess. Um, and, here-
(Aaron takes out his money clip, grabs a stack of bills, and places it next to the flowers.)
AARON (CONT'D)
I know medical bills can be a bitch, but that’s about a thousand in cash. Your girl’s probably got a lot more than that, but since I helped put you here….just seemed right.
(Aaron leaves. The beeps fade into the Beyond soundscape.)
EXT. BEYOND
The Stranger has pinned Marisol down. She is struggling.
MARISOL
Get off me! Get the hell off me!
STRANGER
Okay.
MARISOL
Wait? Really?
STRANGER
If you ask me to stop, why would I keep going?
MARISOL
When you asked me earlier, I didn’t let you go.
STRANGER
We are not the same.
MARISOL
What’s that supposed to mean?
STRANGER
Why do you sound upset?
MARISOL
Cause I am upset, asshole. You were being all judgy. I saw it in your….eyes.
STRANGER
And why would I be judging you?
MARISOL
Because you think I’m a bad person.
(The Stranger laughs)
MARISOL (CONT'D)
What? Why are you laughing at me? Stop laughing at me.
STRANGER
Apologies. I did not mean to offend. Your statement was a curious one.
MARISOL
You’re laughing cause it’s true, right? You do think I’m a bad person.
STRANGER
Do you think you’re a bad person?
MARISOL
Of course, I am.
STRANGER
Such certainty.
MARISOL
Just look at what I’ve done!
STRANGER
Yes, let’s look, shall we?
(They snap their fingers.)
EXT. THE NATIONAL MALL- NIGHT
The
JACK
I got your money do you have the….the snow?
MARISOL
When I was your age, your actual age, whatever that is, I would have been saved so much bullshit if Aaron saw that I wasn’t ready for any of this.
JACK
Do you want more money? For the coke? Like I could maybe get 750? Or 800—
MARISOL
Stop.
JACK
But—
MARISOL
No. No, ’cause if you keep going up you’re gonna hit a number I can’t say no to.
JACK
1000!
(Long Beat)
MARISOL
I….I’m sorry. I can’t.
(The Stranger snaps their fingers)
EXT. THE BEYOND
MARISOL
Okay, now show the rest of the stuff. Show the lying and the cheating and the-
STRANGER
Well, we both already know about that.
MARISOL
Exactly! Exactly! One good thing doesn’t change anything.
STRANGER
You seem very committed to this vision of yourself.
MARISOL
I’m trying to be honest.
STRANGER
And things can only be honest if they’re painful, is that it?
MARISOL
What’s your deal, huh? Why do you care so much?
STRANGER
That’s a silly question.
MARISOL
Well, I wanna know.
STRANGER
I like you. Very much, in fact.
(Beat)
MARISOL
That…..That’s stupid.
STRANGER
It’s true.
NINA
(distant)
Anything?
OLIVER
(distant)
She’s still napping. Well, I guess there is this. Someone left flowers and cash.
MARISOL
That’s them again, isn’t it? My friends?
STRANGER
Yes.
(Pause)
STRANGER (CONT'D)
Please go home, Marisol. At the very least, go back to them.
MARISOL
If I go back will I be okay?
STRANGER
I don’t know.
MARISOL
Well, that’s not what I wanted to hear.
STRANGER
It’s true. I don’t know.
MARISOL
So, I could go out there and just die instantly.
STRANGER
No. That seems highly unlikely.
MARISOL
At least that’s off the table.
NINA
(distant)
Marisol, please. Please, just come back.
(Beat.)
MARISOL
Okay. I’ll go, but can I have a minute here? Out there it’s so loud all the time but in here….can I have a minute?
STRANGER
Of course.
(Long beat fades into the hospital soundscape.)
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM
OLIVER
So, I’m thinking either a doctor left it or a fairy godmother decided to put in some OT-
NINA
We should give it to lost and found, right?
OLIVER
Nina, I love you, easily the stupidest thing you’ve ever said.
NINA
I mean, this feels illegal. Just a stack of….her eyes.
OLIVER
What?
NINA
Look! Look!
OLIVER
Oh shit!
MARISOL
(scratchy)
Hi…I bet I look awful, huh?
(Small Victories Theme.)
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM
HOST
I hope you enjoyed this special Small Victories episode we created for the Apollo Creator Showcase 2022. As I mentioned earlier this was created by Small Victories creator, Jade, but she is just one of the many creators represented in the showcase. There are, in fact, a number of other episodes by some of the best creators in the industry in the Apollo Creator Showcase. To find your next favorite creator, go to www.apollopods.com/jade. Thank you for your support and I’ll see you on Apollo. Now, the credits: B. Narr as Jack-
B.
I can get it. Right here. Right now.
HOST
Cody Smith as Aaron
CODY
Blood everywhere! There's blood fucking everywhere.
HOST
Yodeet Nymberg as Nina
YODEET
I don't care I'll ask my parents to cover rent this month.
HOST
Jacquir LaFond as Oliver
JACQUIR
Easily the stupidest thing you've ever said.
HOST
Chinna Palmer as The Angel.
CHINNA
I like you. Very much in fact.
HOST
Morgen McKynzie as Marisol
MORGEN
Well, thanks for being a fucking useless piece of shit. What the hell?
HOST
Composer, Sterlyn Termine. Assistant Sound Designer, Michael Ronstadt. Script Supervisor, Virginia Wilson. Director and Sound Designer, Nathan Gabriel. Writer, Creator and Producer, Jade Madison Scott. And Akanimo Effang as Host. Small Victories is supported by listeners like you. You can support us by subscribing to our Patreon and purchasing our merchandise from our store. Links to both can be found at www.wgcproductions.com. Please follow us @withgoodco on Instagram and Twitter to stay up-to-date.