Tower 4 - S1E2: Dreams

Episode Date: October 19, 2020

Mike and Amber have formed a quick bond. While Mike wants to focus on his writing, it is nice to have someone to talk to. Especially after his creepy first night. The next morning, Amber helps Mike find some coffee and explains to him the day-to-day of fire watching. It seems like it'll be boring for the most part, but that's what Mike wants. Nothing but time to work on his book. But after three days pass, another weird interference comes over the radio. Is this a repeat of the first night..? Music:"Bittersweet" and "Ghost Story" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Seven Land Productions Presents Tower 4 Season 1 Episode 2 Dreams Dreams Shit. Did you find it yet?

No, not yet. If it's not there, it may be in the shed. You mean the shack? What? That's what Gene called it. What a weirdo. Sure. Outside, by the outhouse.

It'll be there. Trust me. Before Gene was a ranger, he was a lookout. He knows how it is. So if the coffee's not in the food storage in your room, then check the shed. There are three wooden crates down there, all locked. They use the same key, but not the same key to get into the shed. But they're on the same key ring, probably hanging by the door.

Okay. Let me know if you find it. I grab the keys on a small metal hook on the door frame. When I walked outside, I took a deep breath. The air was so crisp. I clipped the radio to my waistband and headed down the long stairs that wrapped around the tower's legs. The tower was much taller than I realized when I'd arrived last night in the dark. The shed was about 10 yards from the tower.

It wasn't large at all, maybe 8 by 10 feet. I walked around it and found the weird L-shaped wooden alcove attached to the back. I looked inside and saw a hook with a clear-inty bag hanging from it. A hose hung limply from the bag. Oh, man, this was the shower. Well? Hold on. Haven't looked yet. What's taking you so long? The anticipation's killing me.

Does he have coffee? Did Gene forget to stock the coffee? Will he have caffeine withdrawals if there's no coffee? I need answers. One second. I was just admiring this shower set up. Doesn't even come with a door. How about that? Fun. Good thing I'm not self-conscious about my body. body really you think you're going to be showering and some self-righteous moose is going to show up

start silently judging you and your fat rolls hey i have a bit of a stomach but i do not have rolls yeah that's why it's taking you a half hour to reach the shed which is at most two long strides from the tower i told you i was checking out the amenities i guess the shower can be considered an amenity out here. You have the privilege of using the bathroom yet? No, not yet. But I did piss from the tower this morning. Why is that something every guy does the first day? Is it really? Well, Gene, Vic, and even Jerry mentioned it.

It's a power move. A claim of the surrounding forest? A warning to all fires. Ah, now it makes sense. I walked over to the outhouse. which was situated between the shed and a large rock. It wasn't locked, but I had to unlatch the door. I looked inside and it was small, cobwebs clung to each corner of the low ceiling.

What a cozy little toilet, but it's missing something. More bugs? A light. Will you go to the shed? Fine, fine. I went to the shed and unlocked it. Inside was a bunch of random items that were surprisingly stored in organized fashion. Three large crates sat on top of each other.

The back wall was lined with more water jugs. There were already ten jugs in the tower, large water cooler jugs. In here there were ten more. I'm glad there's a lot of water. The crates, Mikey, the crates. I'm getting to him. I stepped inside to see a hanging light bulb. Hey, the shut-ass power.

There were a few empty milk crates of fishing pull and a tackle box, propane, and two lanterns on the floor. On one of the shelves were two toolboxes of first aid kit, several bottles of bug spray, and another shower bag. I stood on the edge of the crates and hoisted myself up to look at the top shelf. It was an empty shampoo bottle, an empty gas can, a tin can filled with nails and screws, and a bow. I pulled it out from behind all the other junk. It wasn't a store-bought bow. It looked like it had been crafted out here. The wood was chipped and stringing, maybe fishing line?

I couldn't tell. There's a bow in here. You good at archery? Not really. last time I handled one of these was in Boy Scouts I missed the target every time but my friend Heath won the bullseye contest among our troop he was awarded the Swiss Army pocket knife

Good for your candy bar friend There are no arrows There shouldn't even be a bow Hunting is illegal here I wonder if Jerry was shooting at squirrels Oh no You know what I just realized? Your last name is Archer Yeah

And you're holding a bow Oh okay clever I opened the first large crate there's a lot of dried food but no coffee pulled the crate down and set it to the side I opened the next crate

beef jerky, MREs, protein bars, dried fruit and what's this? Seattle's best. Hey, Seattle's best? You found it. I expected to find some generic off-brand kind. They spring for the good stuff when it comes to coffee. Although it kind of bothers me that Seattle thinks it has the best.

What do you mean? It's Seattle being cocky. They're not saying they're the best coffee out of all coffee. They're just saying this is the best coffee to come out of Seattle. Really? But it's an apostrophe S. So? Doesn't that mean Seattle?

is best? It's claiming ownership. That it's best. No, that they own the best coffee. See? Proved my point. Cockey. But it's not saying Seattle is best.

It's saying this is Seattle's apostrophe S. Best. You're confusing me, Mikey, and I'm bored with this combo. Glad you found some coffee, though. Thanks. It wasn't just some. There were nearly a dozen bags.

I grabbed five and threw them in one of the empty milk crates. I thought about taking some more snacks, but the cupboards in the tower were already stocked with nuts and fruit and other dried foods. Before I went upstairs, I took a moment to admire the fine craftsmanship of the electrical wiring. Of course, I was being sarcastic. The electrical box was located in the inside of one of the tower's leg. wires ran up the leg, taped and tied in certain spots to keep it flush against the wood. It ran up into the tower's floor.

The bottom of the box had one long tube that ran into the ground. I wondered how far the wires traveled. They must attach to some electrical system that maybe ran along the highway. I doubt they ran a cable all that way from the ranger station, but no wonder it lost power often. I wouldn't be surprised if part of the wiring was attached with old chewed bubble gum. Hey, Mikey. I shifted the crate under my left arm as I snatched the radio from my waistband. Yeah?

You don't mind that I call you, Mikey, right? No, it's soothing. My mom called me that when I was a kid, unless I was in trouble. Then it was Mike Lee Archer, get in here. Your middle name is Lee. It is. Mine's Ann, with the name. Amber Ann.

Amber Ann Reed. Shorten to the point, which is ironic because on neither short and to the point, as you can tell. By the way, if you ever get tired of my constant blathering, just say so, and I'll stop bothering you. No, no, that's fine. Okay, but you won't hurt my feelings if you tell me to shut up. I mean, don't say shut up, because that's rude. But if you say something like, Amber, I'm trying to admire the gorgeous view, or I'm tired and going to sleep now,

or can you be quiet while I pleasure myself to the cool night air and soft buzz of the cicadas? I would totally understand. If I plan on pleasuring myself, I think I'll keep that off the radio. Why? Our conversation isn't being recorded. Just a private matter. Oh, I bet you're blushing right now. Does sexual discourse embarrass you? Are you turning red?

No, not at all. I'm sorry, I should be more professional. Mr. Lee Archer, are there any fires to report? I see no signs of smoke, Miss Reed. I have to admit I'm plugging in the coffee. coffee maker right now and not looking outside. Tisk, tisk. There could be a fire right now. And yet making a cup of coffee is more important.

If I don't make a coffee, I may not be able to stay awake to report such blazes. Didn't get good sleep? Well, maybe I would if there wasn't a construction site operating at full capacity bulldozing through the forest last night. Um, what? Are you talking about a dream, or is this some San Fran resident wisecrack that I'm not privy to? No, there was a lot of noise last night. It sounded like someone bulldozing.

Hey, uh, Mikey, no one's bulldozing in your area. Well, there was something large and loud out there last night. I went over to the water cooler and poured myself a glass. The water cooler in the tower was situated against the north wall with all the large jugs lined up beside it. The water cooler wasn't plugged in. It even had a note on it that said, Don't plug in.

I think you may have been dreaming. No, I wasn't I took some sleeping pills But like I told you I'm a light sleeper Although even if I wasn't a light sleeper There was no getting through that noise last night I poured the water into the coffee maker Through a spoonful of coffee grounds in and turned it on

Maybe a bear then But they're not loud unless it's mating season Which it's not Wait, maybe it is Is it mating season? It is spring It wasn't a bear not only that I had some weird interference coming through on the radio

I thought it was you but then I tried responding but you didn't answer you must have turned off your radio no I only turn off my radio once every two months to charge it and when I do that I use the spare battery operated one just in case well you didn't respond that's because you didn't call were you on the right channel yeah I remember your number it's one I didn't get anything

are you a deep sleeper hardly Then I don't know I still say dream It wasn't I heard people talking Whispering over the radio What

Now you're just trying to scare me It was creepy Well I didn't hear anything See anything Or receive your calls Trees were shaking Maybe it was big foot I decided to drop it for now

It wasn't a dream But maybe it was something like sleep paralysis I'd heard stories of people Waking Up and seeing strange things thinking it was reality when in fact it was just a nightmare they were having with their eyes open. Scary stuff, but not something that ever happened to me. I was in a new environment, though. Whatever it was, it was eerie.

That was better. A little mild roast. I walked around the cabin. This was my home for the next five months. It was relatively small, but it would do. There was a desk in the corner where I'd set up my laptop. There were cupboards and drawers with food, a closet, a stove, a meal prep area, a large map hanging on the west wall, and a center table with two chairs.

Two chairs? Maybe someday I'll have a guest. Hey, Amber. Can I ask you a question? Sure. As long as it's sexual, a personal, hypothetical, or a combination of the three, If it's a form of trivia or in any way political, no thank you. It's about the job. I already told you where the coffee would be, but go ahead. Are there specific hours that we're supposed to be watching?

Nah, not really. Most fire lookouts work 9 to 5 like a regular job. Sit up in their tower and intermittently check the surroundings. But it can get boring. So, like for me, I take an hour lunch break, sometimes two, and walk around. Not sure if we're supposed to, but I got to stretch the old legs. after five I also take a break and work out for about an hour I'll continue to check outside till bedtime which is pretty early for me

usually around nine or ten last night was a special occasion since you know I thought you were dead what if there's a fire when you're out to lunch or working out or sleeping then there's a fire it's not like it's going anywhere it'll be there when you wake up but shouldn't we report it like right away of course if you see one but if it happens when you're asleep or looking away for a second you can't help that You'll spot around 10 fires while you're here. Most of the time, they're started by a lightning strike, and they're pretty manageable.

Oh, I just thought the longer we wait, the harder it is. I mean, you want to report it as soon as possible, but it's unrealistic to always be on the lookout. I just remember seeing those videos of Southern California and how devastating it was. But that's not a common occurrence. There are thousands upon thousands of forest fires a year, all over the United States. They happen. and they're important to the local ecology, so don't panic if you don't see one right when it starts.

Okay. Hey, walk over to your map. But I just sat down and put my feet up. You cannot be that lazy. I got up and walked over to a large four-foot-by-foot map. Okay, what am I looking at? See how the towers are situated? The ranger station in the center, near Bridger Trail.

Yeah. Tower 2 and Tower 3 are the closest to the Ranger Station. I'm in Tower 3. I already knew that. I monitor mostly of the west side of the forest up to the highway, which is nearly 50 miles from where I'm situated. Tower 2 is north of me, overlooking the northwest quadrant. It actually looks over part of the Yellowstone National Forest as well.

Tower 1 is north of you, the northeast side of Bridger Tenton. It's right on the border of Yellowstone. You have the southeast quadrant. between three posts and the Shoshone Trail. Got it? Yeah, I can see all that. What's your point? My point is, the way it's set up, at least two towers should be able to spot a fire wherever it is. There's only a small portion of the map that is specifically yours.

For example, you and I cover most of the south. The only spot I can't see is maybe past overarch, and you can't see past the highway, but I can. The point is, if you don't see something, I will, and vice versa. So if there is a fire, it won't be long before at least one of us sees it. I can't tell if that whole explanation was truth or an elaborate excuse to justify you taking a two-hour lunch break. Don't tell Jean. Three days passed. Slowly.

I didn't end up hearing any more bulldozing, which was nice. I slept through the last three nights with ease, which was surprising. I didn't even take a sleeping pill the last two nights. It was now Thursday, and after eating lunch, I decided to sit outside and relax. I brought a chair out and rested my feet on the walkways railing. I'd started to write the day before, but since nothing was coming to me, I'd put it on hold. It wasn't a big deal. I had plenty of time. I used to set up binoculars to survey the area.

Besides seeing a few hawks, herons, and woodpeckers, there was nothing of much excitement. Although I was becoming a fan of bird watching. I had found a few Wyoming nature books in the desk. One was specifically about native Wyoming birds. Amber was calling again. We ended up chatting a lot. She said it was more than her and Jerry ever talked. Jerry was a previous fire lookout for Tower 4.

Amber said she liked talking to me and it was a nice change from Jerry She said she didn't like contacting the Ranger station Because they were always busy or at least acted like they were She could reach Tower 2 as well But she said Vic was a grumpy old man a few words So we talked a lot And it did help pass the time

Mike Yes. Gene just called me and wondered how you were holding up. I told him I'd ask you. Oh, uh, I'm good. Would you like to expand? like to expand on that? I guess I underestimated the level of boredom.

How goes the writing? Is Gene interested or is that you? I am. Uh, slowly. Hey, Gene wants you to keep stock of your food and water. They send supplies monthly, but it helps if they know what they need to restock. Oh, okay. Should I just write it down?

You should have a binder in the desk drawer. They have an Excel sheet typed out if you want to use that. I did remember seeing the binder. I got it. Good. Anything else to report? I saw a tricolor her in the other day. Wow. Look at you. I'll make sure to inform Gene. After dinner, I sat at my desk and tried to write.

I opened the folder I brought with me and had several different outlines for a slew of stories I'd never expanded upon. I flipped through until I got to the last outline. This was the story I really wanted to work on. The working title was girl. I'd wanted to write this story for a while now, but then work got in the way and life and and that's not an excuse anymore, Mike. You have all the time in the world, it's time to start writing. So I did. After a solid two hours of writing, I took a break to watch the sunset and chat with Amber.

Tell me that view isn't gorgeous. I love it. That is why I keep coming back. It was definitely a site that I could get used to. I sat outside and watched until the sun was completely out of view. I then went back inside, opened a couple windows, and tried writing for another hour. I don't know. I don't know.

I ended up everything that I wrote in that hour though and after a frustrating 30 minutes of pacing I climbed into bed I closed my eyes and let the cool breeze ease my frustration at writing complete nonsense my mind drifted into my story. I thought about Jason and his motives.

I thought about the opening chapter and how I needed a better meeting for him and Skyler. What I wrote was lacking the love necessary to kickstart their relationship. But as I continued to think about the writing, I could feel myself drifting off, and soon I was out. My eyes shot open.

Oh no. It's happening again. I leaned up onto the window sill and peered out, letting my eyes adjust. But I didn't see nor hear anything outside. No crashing and the trees swaying. I got out of bed. What the hell was this?

Was Amber playing a joke on me? Why classical music? I walked over to the radio. Amber? But she didn't respond. My eyes had adjusted to the moonlight, and I was able to read the dial. I was on Channel 1.

Where was she? I turned on the light and paced the room. Amber? But the music kept playing. Come on, Amber, it's late. If this is a joke... Amber? Amber? Amber!

Amber! what was that you was what me that music what are you talking about what music there was music playing over the radio I didn't hear anything it was classical something like Beethoven or something maybe Mozart it was a piano

one of those artsy peaceful songs I've heard it before but I don't know what it's called I don't really know much about classical music could have fooled me with the Beethoven maybe Mozart peaceful piano analysis I'm serious. Was that you? No, Mikey. It wasn't me. I was fast asleep. So then maybe I picked up some interference from someone else? Who?

Someone around here. There's no one around there. Maybe a hiker or someone going fishing? Nope. It could be. It can't. Why not? Because the only trail around you is three posts and that trail is off limits.

What do you mean off limits? I mean exactly that. No one's allowed south of there. There are plenty of signs posted on both the Bridger and Shoshone trails. I didn't know that. You didn't notice any signs on your way to the tower? No, but I did walk a couple hours in the dark. Maybe I missed him?

No one's over there. Three posts trail was even taken off the local maps last year. So then where'd the music come from? I don't know. Maybe it wasn't there? If you say it was a dream. Thank you. Mikey, can we talk about this in the morning?

Fine. Thank you. Try to get some sleep. I'm not crazy. I'm not calling you crazy. I'm sorry. I'm not calling you crazy. Maybe you're right.

Maybe it did pick up someone else's radio. There could be people over there, but they're not supposed to be. In the morning, maybe you should hike out a bit and see if you find any campers. numbers. Sometimes that happens. People get lost or take the wrong path. Okay. Okay. Sorry for bothering you. No, no, don't be. I'll make a call to Gene in the morning. Ask him if he knows of any hikers head in south. Okay. I knew it wasn't a dream. Just like whatever was crashing through the forest wasn't a dream. But what was happening? Was this stuff normal? Amber seemed so nonchalant about it.

I walked to the south window and peered out at darkness. Why was that section of the forest closed? I'd have to ask Ambermore tomorrow. I checked the time. It was four in the morning. Even if there were some hikers that were lost, why would they be listening to classical music at four in the morning? I didn't end up going back to sleep that night. Instead, I went over to my laptop and tried writing more.

I was still having trouble with the first chapter. Sometimes writing freehand help, so I searched my bag looking for a pen. I know I brought a couple. I remembered putting them in the desk drawer. I opened it, one rolled to the front, but where was my fine tip? I took out a couple folders, a binder, a stack of paper, pulled the drawer out further, but it wasn't in there. I reached my hand in and felt it. It was stuck behind a wadded up piece of paper.

I yanked it out. What is this? I opened the paper and felt a shiver run up my spine. There are only two words on it. Two words that were not written by me. Two words that were written by someone else and shoved into the back of this drawer. I stood up and looked around staring at the windows, unable to see much with the moon behind the thin layer of clouds.

I looked back at the paper and stared at the two words. Two words that gave me goosebumps and continued to send shivers down my spine. Two words. They're listening. Tower 4. Written and edited by Robert M. Lamb. Story by Robert M. Lamb and Dylan Whitehead. Starring, Jack Austin as Mike.

Gina Coyle as Amber. Brian Messick as Gene. Music provided by Kevin McLeod of Incompetect.com and Brett Wilkins at Facebook.com slash Wilkins MusicFL. If you enjoy Tower 4, visit 7lam.com for more audio dramas such as this. Also, don't forget to follow 7Lam on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, at 7LAMP podcasts. This has been a seven lamb production.