Visions (A Podcast Project Script)

"Visions" is a psychological "who-done-it" thriller, made for a storytelling class in 2016. The audio version is available to listen to on my voice acting channel here:

CASEY: We don’t have much time. Please, you have to listen to me. For those of you who haven’t been listening into my other broadcasts, my name is Casey Smith. About a year ago, I was in a terrible car accident and was presumed dead. Amazingly, doctors at the hospital brought me back with some new experimental surgery. I mean, I had nothing to lose, right? I was more or less dead.

Anyway, since the surgery I’ve been able to see the future. I’ve…seen and felt things in my mind, and they’ve really happened. For some reason, my visions typically show me minor crimes around town. I guess every psychic has a niche. So I talk about them here. Some of you have even seen for yourselves…the things I’ve predicted have come true in the past, right? I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.

Hear me out, okay? I had another vision just now and I think something awful is about to happen downtown. I saw…flames everywhere, and smoke so thick you couldn’t see the sky, and it was so hot…please, I think it means there’s going to be a huge building fire on Main Street! Evacuate the area or something just…get out of there! Please, you have to believe me! This is bigger than anything I’ve seen before.

...

Look. I know that seeing the future is supposed to be impossible and everything, and I know some of you must be skeptical. I would be too! I wouldn’t believe me either if I hadn’t seen these things come true before! I…hold on, I think I’m getting a call. (Pause) Hello?

CALLER 1: You’re crazy. Quit screwing around before you cause a panic downtown. 

CASEY: I’m not crazy! Listen, my visions almost always come true, and if this one does a lot of people could be in danger! I can’t let that happen while I can still warn them! Maybe they should be panicking!

CALLER 1: You’re insane… (hangs up)  

CASEY: (Sighs) Okay, whatever. I didn’t expect everyone to listen. But…please, some of you have to believe me. If you’re in the downtown area, get yourself to safety. This could happen at any time and I don’t want anyone to get hurt. I couldn’t help but feel responsible.

I…I can tell, something inside me can tell it’s going to happen soon. If you’re downtown, please leave the area as soon as possible!

…I’m getting another call.

CALLER 2: I’m not really buying into the whole psychic thing, but if you have a reason to believe something bad is going to happen shouldn’t you go to the police?

CASEY: …Yes! I’m actually planning to leave very soon for the police station. If you’re listening in, there’s no need to call, I’m going over myself right now. Don’t worry about it, just let me handle it.

Okay? Just…don’t call the police. I should be the one to report it anyway. I’ll report back soon. (Click)

...

CASEY: I’m here! I…I never made it to the station, I could sense something happening after I left the house, and then I saw the smoke. Oh god, please…if you’re downtown get out of there! I can’t have anyone getting hurt. (Sighs)

I could hear sirens already on the way back, I think the fire department is on their way. Someone must have called. Hold on, I’m getting a caller--

CALLER 2: (Cautious) Hey, were you just downtown…?

CASEY: What? No--

 

CALLER 2: (Confused) I just saw you on Main Street a few minutes ago. I recognized you from your profile picture, it was definitely you.

CASEY: That…that’s impossible, like I said, I left for the police station, and I saw the smoke from the street, so I came back here. It couldn’t have been me.

CALLER 2: I’m sure that I saw you.

CASEY: I assure you that there’s no way I could’ve been downtown at the time, I was only gone a few minutes. It’s a five minute walk from my house, at least, just to get there.

CALLER 2: Casey, you haven’t been broadcasting for almost fifteen minutes now…

CASEY: I…stopped to call the fire department when I got home, that’s why I was gone so long. Anyway I…I told you to leave! Why were you still on Main Street? You could’ve been hurt!

CALLER 2: I work at the convenience store across from the factory. Casey, you said earlier that someone else had already called, so why would you call?

CASEY: Right, I uh…I didn’t know someone had already called.

Caller 2: That doesn’t make any sense, you heard the sirens on your way home but waited to call anyway until you got home? How could you not have known? 

 

CASEY: I just wanted to make sure. It makes perfect sense to me. (Angrily) You should have left when I told you to!

CALLER 2: Honestly this sounds really suspicious to me. I KNOW I saw you, your eyes were all glazed over, and I lost sight of you on the other side of the factory.

CASEY: (Nervous laughter) You have no reason to be suspicious! It must have been someone who looks like me, I was nowhere near the factory; I already told you that!

CALLER 2: No, I’m sure of what I saw. You’re wearing a purple hoodie, right?   

CASEY: (Stammers) I mean…I had no reason to be there! Sometimes…the doctors said that one of the side effects of the procedure might be a weird type of seizure, and sometimes I sort of…black out so…I guess it’s possible I wandered downtown for a few minutes. Not a big deal. If you’re suggesting I had something to do with this--

CALLER 2: You’re straight up changing your story to make excuses! You know what? I think you were the one to set the fire.

CASEY: That…that is utter bull! How dare you accuse me of doing this, I have done nothing but try to warn you about it! You have no proof besides the fact that you might have seen me during an episode.

CALLER 2: I’m calling the police. (Hangs up)

CASEY: No, don't call…d****t! (More frantic) Anyone who’s still listening in, you have to believe me. I haven’t done anything, I have no reason to. You heard my story, for all we know this caller could’ve been bullshitting the whole thing. Why would I bother to warn you if it had been me? I tried to stop it! Hold on. (Click) Hello?

CALLER 3: Hi. I’m a psychology major at the local college, and I think I can answer your question.

CASEY: Finally. Can you tell the rest of my listeners that that last caller was completely crazy?

CALLER 3: Not really. I’d like to talk about you. My dad’s a policeman, is it okay if he listens in?

CASEY: I…I’m not really comfortable with that right now.

CALLER 3: It would be more suspicious if you refused.

CASEY: Fine! Fine I have nothing to hide! Nothing. 

CALLER 3: Alright. Assuming you are responsible, which I don’t know for sure yet, you could have a few reasons to warn us ahead of time. I don’t believe in psychic abilities, so let’s just say you planned this and the foresight is all a ruse. Firstly, you might feel guilty and didn’t want anyone getting hurt. Secondly, you wanted to get rid of witnesses. Am I wrong?

 

CASEY: (Audibly nervous) That…you’re wrong, that’s crazy, you’re crazy. I didn’t do this…(Sirens) Oh god, the police are really coming! I didn’t do this! You’re all liars!

POLICEMAN: Ms. Smith, we’ve been watching you for a while. Last month you were seen vandalizing an abandoned building, but we haven’t taken action until now. Thousands of dollars in damage has been done to the factory, and several employees have been injured. We have to investigate claims of you being on the scene.

CASEY: That’s a lie.  

(Sounds of knocking, police calling)

POLICEMAN: It would be easier if you confessed now.

CASEY: Alright! But it's not my fault! It was the surgery, not me! It makes me want to destroy things, I can’t control the impulse. I can't control it! And you’re right! You’re right, okay? The psychic thing is totally made up! I didn’t want any witnesses. I didn’t want people getting hurt on my account. It helps when I act on the impulses, but I didn’t want anyone else involved!

POLICEMAN: But you never told this to anyone, or sought help. You put people at risk and didn’t try to stop yourself from committing crimes.

CASEY: Because I didn't want this to happen! I didn't want to be in trouble, I don't want to go to jail! 

(Sounds of door breaking down)

CASEY: (Fading into the distance) No! Please, it's not my fault! Just let me go! No!  

...

CALLER 3: You have that recorded, right?

POLICEMAN: Yeah, we got it.                       

 

 

 

Author's Note

Disclaimer: This story is entirely fictional, and I do not claim to have any formal knowledge of neuroscience, law enforcement, or psychology. The story, therefore, may contain inaccuracies.