The Box
In the spirit of Halloween, we offer a 90-second piece of chillin' theatre. This piece was produced by ZBS with music by Tim Clark.
MADELEINE BRAND, host:
Well, tomorrow is Halloween, and here's a tip. Beware of a late-night phone call.
(Soundbite of phone ringing)
Unidentified Man #1: Hello?
Unidentified Man #2: It's time for 30-second Telephone Terror Theater.
Unidentified Man #1: Who the hell is this?
Unidentified Man #2: Today, we present a 30-second tale of high terror.
Unidentified Man #1: What?
Unidentified Man #2: Guaranteed to spit you into the pits of horror.
Unidentified Man #1: What is this, some kind of a joke?
Unidentified Man #2: And now, our tale of terror.
Unidentified Man #1: What?
Unidentified Man #2: The award-winning short story, soon to be a motion picture.
Unidentified Man #1: It's 2:30 in the morning.
Unidentified Man #2: Specially adapted for the telephone.
Unidentified Man #1: Huh?
Unidentified Man #2: Stephen Queen's "A Box."
Unidentified Man #1: What?
STELLA: It's awfully big. Let's see what's in it.
Unidentified Man #1: I know that voice. Stella? Stella, is that you?
STELLA: Whoever sent it really nailed it shut.
Unidentified Man #1: Stella! Stella, can you hear me?
STELLA: Here it comes.
Unidentified Man #1: Stella! Stella, don't open that box, it wasn't supposed to be - Stella!
STELLA: A lot of packing stuff in here.
Unidentified Man #1: Don't put your hand in there, Stella! Stop!
STELLA: Ow! Something grabbed my hand.
Unidentified Man #1: Oh my God, Stella, run!
STELLA: Ow!
Unidentified Man #1: Stella, run!
STELLA: Hey, it's eating my finger!
Unidentified Man #1: Stella, get out of there! Oh my God, no-no-no-no! That was supposed to be sent to my ex-wife...
STELLA: It ate my hand! Ow!
Unidentified Man #1: I must have gotten the two boxes confused. The other box had a ceiling fan, like the kind they have in the movies, Casablanca, you know? Oh no.
STELLA: It's under my shoulders!
Unidentified Man #1: You were supposed to get the ceiling fan, Stella, it was my ex-wife, she was supposed to get the...
STELLA: It's pulling me!
Unidentified Man #1: Stella, Stella! Oh...
Unidentified Man #2: You've just heard a telephone adaptation of Stephen Queen's "The Box." Next time on 30-second Telephone Terror Theater, we'll present Edgar Alan Poo's immortal classic, "Worms in the Brain."
Unidentified Man #1: Stella...
Unidentified Man #2: Remember, the next time the phone rings, it may be time for another 30-second Telephone Terror Theater.
Unidentified Man #1: Stella!
Unidentified Man #2: Good bye.
(Soundbite of phone hanging up and dial tone)
BRAND: Creepy. This 90-second cell phone chillin' theater, it was produced by the ZBS Foundation with music by Tim Clark, and it came to us from the new NPR series, Hearing Voices.
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