SBR 1.28: Twig Lady

> *"Sam Enfield takes a message from the forums to Rhytidia Delphus, but the conversation does not go as he plans..."*
>
>

## Events of Note

* Sam had brunch with Oliver.
* A listener's daughter found a weird doll made from sticks, called Twig Lady
* Sam phoned Rhytidia and was interrupted by Scourge, who Rhytidia recognised
* Sam was able to contact Kitty briefly, finding out that she is still in the Impossible House.
* Sam remembers a small part of his childhood, being taken places and talking to people

## Summary

Sam starts the show with a small amount of pansexual panic when he remembers that Oliver listens to the show and they were starting to ramble about how much they enjoyed their time with him. Sam tells the listeners about his brunch with Oliver, what he'd learnt about Madame Marie. She had lived with her grandmother (who went by "The Miraculous Madame Marie") from infancy, and inherited the shop after her death, but closed after a few years. It was an apothecary that offered 'healing, supplies and spiritual guidance', and occasionally Oliver would tend to the garden there. Sam mentions that Oliver had a full cup of syrup on his pancakes, and that Sam had destroyed an expensive bottle of red wine.

They congratulate the forums on their four year anniversary of existing, and thanks the listeners that have been suggesting different animes for Sam to watch. He mentions that Regular Caller Beth seemed to think that Sailor Moon was more recent than it actually was, and reassures her that he also has memory problems, and that she isn't alone.

Sam says that they haven't been able to get through to Kitty, but that they trust her to look after herself, stating that she hasn't left the house without a knife since she was eight. Sam also confesses that he walked past Anna's house on his way home from Oliver's, and saw her looking very normal through the window of the house. She was with her fiancé, reading in her pyjamas.

Sam then reads the message sent in on the forums by LilyPadLeap (LPL). She was in the park with her daughter, and a friend who also had her two daughters with her. The three children ran off to play in the playing field, and the two mums sat to chat for a bit. After a bit, the mums went to find their daughters, as they weren't immediately coming when called. The three of them had found a doll made from sticks and grass, which LPL's daughter called 'Twig Lady'. LPL was unnerved by the doll, but couldn't see the harm in it. She tucked her daughter into bed with Twig Lady, but woke up to her daughter's confusion, asking where Twig Lady was. Neither of them could find the doll until they stopped to eat breakfast, and LPL found the doll in the cutlery drawer. The day continued as normal, and LPL once again tucked her daughter into bed with the doll. Both of them woke the next morning to a crash, and went to the kitchen to find Twig Lady on the floor in the midst of the upturned cutlery drawer, knives and forks surrounding the doll on the floor. LPL thought the doll seemed different than before, and said that it felt like it was looking back at her.

There was very little useful response on the forums, so Sam decides to ask Rhytidia about it, saying that he had been intending to ask also about the letter he found growing through the floorboards. They phone up, and Rhytidia answers, her usual slightly acerbic self. When Sam starts to ask about the Twig Lady, there is crackling on the line. The static stops abruptly, and the voice from the voicemail left in SBR 1.23 can be heard (Scourge, though the name is not directly mentioned). Rhytidia can also hear the voice, and recognises them immediately, sounding incredibly fearful. Sam tries to talk with the voice, but they simply tell him that he's asking the wrong question. There is more static and then Sam can hear Kitty, though she can't seem to hear him. She tells them that she is in the old house, that she can't get out, and that there are three entities there that are neither ghost nor human. The phoneline disconnects and Sam is left alone.

Sam tries to reassure themself that the situation with Kitty is not the same as with Marie, and is convinced that they know the voice on the phone. He keeps trying to remember what is happening, and can briefly remember that as a child, Marie took him to places, and that he could speak and people would hear him. Remembering seems to cause Sam physical pain, and they cry out. He expresses his anger that he cannot remember, and then tries to convince himself that everything is going to be fine. They remind the listeners in a pleading tone that they can call the studio phone whenever, even if the show is not airing, before bidding everyone a restful night.

## Characters Featured

* Sam Enfield
* Scourge
* Kitty Enfield (phone call)
* Rhytidia Delphus (phone call)
* Oliver Boleyn (mentioned)
* Madame Marie (mentioned)
* Regular Caller Beth (mentioned)
* Anna Enfield (mentioned)

**Listeners writing in/mentioned:**

* LilyPadLeap, regarding the doll made of twigs that her daughter found in the woods

## Trivia

* Sam calls Oliver *'my florist'* in this episode which is downright adorable and almost cute enough to make you forget the other scary stuff in the episode.