"A Madman in a Dismal Landscape"

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***"A Madman in a Dismal Landscape"*** is the fourth episode of KOllOK 1991.

## Synopsis

In an attempt to understand who Rachel is and what happened to her, the kids stumble into a new mystery at the library.

## Plot

The episode opens with teacher Brian Thomas on the run. He stops briefly to catch his breath, but when he hears yelling he continues running. He knocks over a trashcan, where a woman stares at him and the strewn trash. Again, he runs, this time until his legs give out. A cat approaches him. The world goes dark as he stares into the cat's eyes.

Wednesday, March 6th, 1991. The town collectively mourns the loss of Nathan Kaiser and Jacob Jewell. The chili cook-off becomes a memorial and fundraiser for the families affected by the previous day's tragedies, blocking off Main Street.

Billy Baker takes bus #21 towards Shepard's Winery, in order to go to his secret place. He gets off the bus and attempts to trespass through the vines to the other side of the winery. There, in the woods, is a clearing with a fallen tree he can sit on and think. Unfortunately, he is stopped by someone as he tries to get past the fences to get to the woods. Billy tricks the person into thinking his boss is nearby, and slips away.

Billy is approached by a man with a scratchy voice named Gerard. He asks if Billy is BB, the initials that Billy carved into the log. Billy says that he is, and tries to excuse himself and leave, but the man implores him to stay. Gerard is an old man in ratty clothes and covered in dirt. He tells Billy that he is special. He asks why Billy is sad, and then says that he is missing someone. He says that the person he's missing spoke highly of him. He goes on to say, "The structure is weak. The wall is not sound. Rebuild the feet before it falls to ground." Then he sets him on the path to find the missing person's name.

Skye Hawkins goes to her father's bike shop to work. Her father hovers nearby, anxious to talk to her as she works on a bike. He asks if she is okay, and she replies that she doesn't think that she is. The conversation takes an awkward turn when he asks if she's pregnant. Her father tries his best to console her when she expresses how she's feeling (but suggests that he talk to her mom). Skye asks to go home, saying she's not feeling well, and her dad lets her go.

As Skye is leaving, she runs into the "in-between" that gave her the card that sent her to Mammon. Skye tries to say that she didn't sign the contract, but the man replies that it is a legally binding document. He lets her keep the copy of the contract. He explains that Skye has assumed Rachel's debt because Rachel was unable to pay in full. He then requests that she never call his name or reference him in public ever again, and leaves.

Mickey goes to work at the movie theater with her duffel bag in tow. Mickey and Brad Avery are cleaning gum off the back of seats. Both of them feel like they have been working extra hours, as if the theater was short-staffed. Brad inquires about her duffel bag, and offers her a place to stay. She says that she is staying with a friend and thanks him for his concern.

Marcus goes to Taco Bell Express, a Taco Bell/Gas Station combo. He and Mallory are working their shifts when Mallory asks what they do next. Marcus is confused by the question, but then Mallory mentions Marcus' girlfriend and confuses him more. Mallory summarizes their conversation the previous day. When Marcus still seems confused, Mallory asks him to fill him in on what happened and how they got Skye free. After hearing the story, Mallory tells Marcus that Jacob Jewell hung himself at the same grave where they saved Skye. Marcus angrily crumbles the paper and asks for a normal work day. When Mallory continues, Marcus gets angrier and then asks for a joint.

Marcus says he wants to forget the last few days and offers to finally smoke with Mallory, to which Mallory admits that he has never smoked weed himself. Mallory offers to sell Marcus some weed, but tells him that he doesn't think it will make him feel any better. Marcus tries to haggle for a free sample, and when that doesn't work, he grabs the bag Mallory keeps in his jacket. He convinces Mallory to go into the back with him, and show him how to smoke the marijuana.

Billy returns home, where his mom is surprised to see him. Bill asks his mom why he has ten fingers. Billy is a little irreverent to his mom, but she tells him the story despite being interrupted multiple times. She explains that he was born with nine fingers, and that not all of the population is born with nine finger. Only a portion of the town is born with that deformity.

She goes goes on to explain that one rainy day, when he was five, he left the house and walked four miles to one of the mountainous areas of town. He slid, or jumped, into a ravine to avoid an oncoming car, and the fall put Billy into a coma. The car swerved and crashed, killing Jacob Jewell's children (Linny and Rachel) and wife (Ming). Billy remained in a coma until the family was approached by a doctor who said he could bring him back, and the family agreed. As part of the treatment, Billy's finger returned and his cognitive abilities slowly returned. While Billy was going through his therapy, they put headphones on him to "catch him up to speed".

Billy tells his mom that he went to Jacob's law offices and said things to him that caused him to commit suicide. His mom becomes concerned and asks why he went to the law offices, but Billy says he can't remember. Billy excuses himself to his room, as his mom calls his father.

Skye starts peruses Rachel's diary to answer some of the questions the "in-between" left her with. She sees references to an "Angela" and "Gerard" and starts driving around to try to find them.

Mickey is closing her shift as Sammy walks in. Sammy asks why everyone has been acting all strange to him. He mentions Rachel, but Mickey does not know who she is. Sammy realizes that he is the only one that remembers her, and calls himself the Chosen One.

There is a knock at Billy's door. Billy's mom answers the door and calls Billy down. A tall, slender man stands at the door, wearing a long jacket and a tie. He offers Billy a butterscotch. The man shows Billy his badge (Agent Bucket, FBI) and then confusingly tells him he shouldn't take candy from strangers. Agent Bucket says that Billy has things to tell him. Billy then volunteers the story of how he frantically went to Jacob's house, although he doesn't remember why. And that he again visited Jacob at his law offices to possibly apologize about his family. Billy also says Jacob's death is probably his fault and the deaths of his family are also his fault. Bucket says that he has all that he needs and leaves to talk to Billy's friends (the others on the security tapes).

Billy calls Mickey's house, but there is no answer. He calls the movie theater, and Mickey answers. Billy warns her that the FBI is going to come to talk to her. They agree to meet at the bridge. Billy then goes to call Marcus.

As Mallory is about to roll a joint for Marcus, there is a bang on the windows. A person asks for Marcus Bennett, claiming to be FBI. Marcus panics, but Mallory thinks it's a prank. Marcus walks out the back entrance and walks back in and greets Agent Bucket. Bucket offers Marcus a butterscotch, then asks for some coffee. The agent fixes the coffee for himself, and promptly spits it out disgustedly.

Bucket tells Marcus that he has already talked to Billy, and that Billy has told him everything. Marcus claims that Billy is unreliable because he was in a coma, and that whatever Billy has said, he was not involved. Bucket says that Marcus is lying. While Bucket makes Marcus uncomfortable by reference marijuana and bringing up details in his life, Marcus notices Sketchy outside sliding through the cracked window of Bucket's Buick. Afterwards, Bucket stares into Marcus' eyes, and Marcus suddenly feels like Bucket cares. Marcus' breathing soon matches Bucket's. Bucket seemingly hypnotizes Marcus, making him more relaxed and comfortable with talking to him. As a result, Marcus starts answering his questions honestly.

Bucket asks him how Marcus knows Jacob Jewell. Marcus said that he didn't want to visit him, but Mickey wanted to talk about her father and Billy thought there was some sort of connection.

Bucket asks Marcus why he's sad. Marcus explains that he feels alone. His parents go to a job that they don't talk to him about. They are never home and they never talk about their work when he asks, No one understands him because he's not from Kollok and he doesn't look like them. And he feels like he loved someone, but he doesn't know who.

Bucket asks Marcus where all the pet cats have gone, but Marcus doesn't know.

Bucket tells Marcus to share any information with him if he finds out anything. He gives Marcus his card, and tells him to call him.

Mallory then wakes Marcus up from a trance. He has been standing staring at the wall after Bucket left. Sketchy calls Marcus and tells him to come outside. Sketchy tells Marcus to take care of a man named Roger, who is giving Cheetos to all the squirrels and making them fat. In return, Sketchy will give him a paper that's important. Marcus agrees, reluctantly. Sketchy gives Marcus Jacob's suicide note. At that moment, the phone in the store rings as Billy calls. Marcus reads the note before taking the phone receiver.

***"I'm so sorry. It apparently worked. I can't remember it working, but it must've worked. You had a life. I think you made friends. They came for me today. I wanted to hurt them. I thought it was a joke and then I found it without remembering you. I couldn't remember to look for it, but I found it. I must've been a coward to never be able to do what needed to be done. If this works, maybe you'll be able to see your friends again.***

***To my wife, I'm sorry to leave you this way. You know I was never able to let it go.***

***Jacob Jewell"***

Billy tells Marcus that the FBI is probably heading his way. Marcus tells him that he already came and gave him a butterscotch. Billy asks if he ate it -- which Marcus did -- thinking it might be drugged. Billy continues, and tells Marcus to meet them at the bridge.

Marcus meets up with Skye before making it to the bridge. Skye has gone through Skye's diary, and realizes that they all knew Rachel. She reaffirms that Rachel was Marcus' girlfriend. The two of them make their way to the bridge. Sammy, again, claims to be the Chosen One. He admits that he was a bad person and a bad boyfriend, but is going to take the opportunity to make up for it. Sammy reminds everyone what happened, and that they remembered Rachel up until today.

They review the diary and the contents inside, and Sammy reveals that the Rachel that died in the car crash is not the same Rachel they knew. The Rachel they knew was Asian and liked Hong Kong cinema, which is probably why so got along with Mr. Thomas so well. The Rachel they knew was adopted. Billy mentions Gerard, and Skye says that his name is also in the diary.

Sammy asks if there are any clues that they should be looking for, and Skye mentions that they should be looking for an Angela Leung. She feels that they could find some answers if they find her. Skye also mentions Gerard and the symbols in diary. Mickey suggests that they go to the library, where they could look up information. Sammy reveals that Jacob was planning to make some sort of deal but the town council denied his request.

Skye suddenly remembered the name of Shiloh Anah, and everyone decides that the library is the best place to research the clues they've found, including about the name Anah.

The group arrives at the library and Steven Cole is excited to see Mickey. Marcus and Skye tease Mickey about the fact that she frequents the library, but ultimately they decide to move forward with their research. The library is empty except for the group and the librarian. Mickey logged into the library database. She immediately starts looking for Angela's name. She pulls up 50 entries, which they then narrow down to two. One of the entries talks about a missing girl from Hong Kong and Mallory says that it's Rachel.

Mickey asks what Rachel wrote about in the diary. Skye says that there was a debt to be paid and that her dad would sometimes mention Angela when he was drunk. And she says that was something about a Daniel. The article goes on to say that Angela and her brother disappeared, and that there was a year-long search around the same time Rachel was adopted. The group follows the thread from there. If Rachel is actually Angela, who is Linny. They go back to Daniel, thinking he might be Linny.[1] Skye mentions that Daniel wasn't the person's real name, and that it might have been William. The diary talks about a debt "just like Daniel did", and refers to Portland.

Suddenly, the computer screen turns off, as do all the lights. They hear a voice from the other side of the computers saying, "Sorry, he does that sometimes." A small boy with a large afro peers around the computers, looking directly at Mickey. "He forgets, as his imagination wanders, that others may be here. I am Disenfranchised Youth of Class Discrimination. Nice to meet you." The boy says that he is an idea, an unformed one. He says that Mr. Cole rarely finishes a thought. The boy says to follow him, and that they have to get him to let them out. He says that most people can't see him.

The boy leads them down to a wooden door down a dark hallway. Beyond the door is Mr. Cole, sitting alone in a chair with a book in one hand and a scotch in the other. He is flanked by a collection of moving, breathing oddities. Mr. Cole looks up from his book and says that the library is closed and that he forgot they were there. The boy steps forward and says that the kids can see him, that they can see all the oddities. Mr. Cole drops to his knees in shock, fear and a little delight. Mr. Cole refers to the oddities as his children and his failures. He says that they haunt and terrorize him, taunting him in his inability to move forward.

Mr. Cole says that nobody is supposed to see his failures and becomes frantic. He expresses the fear of completing one of his works and no one cared, and the art sat in nothingness. Why finish then? What if it's rejected? What if it's laughed at? What if it's a copy of a copy? Why even try?

The group attempts to convince him to finish his work. Billy calls out to his power to see if they are in danger, and it confirms that there is. The emptiness is coming, and they need to run before it catches them. Billy tells the group that they need to go, and they start to run. Mr. Cole becomes more distressed that they can see his failures. Marcus falls, but Skye manages to get him back up. Meanwhile, the boy implores to Mr. Cole to stop, as do some of the other oddities. The group sees a black square in their path. Skye breaks a window with a chair. Mr. Cole screams for them to STOP. The group goes through the window, although Marcus struggles again. This time Mickey helps him through the window.

The group hears a scream from behind him. As Sammy tries to jump out the window, the darkness catches his arm, and he is sucked into the darkness. The group hears the cries of a broken man from within the library. The episode ends with Agent Bucket sitting on his Buick, popping a butterscotch in his mouth.

## Cast

* Andre Meadows as Marcus Bennett
* Lucas Eubank as Billy Baker
* Meghan "Strawburry17" Camarena as Skye Hawkins
* Shelby "Shubble" Grace as Mickey Jones
* Zac Lim Eubank as The Driver

## Rumors

1. The Shoveler killed Jacob Jewell
2. The council is hiding something about Jacob Jewell (winner)
3. A man named William Devin was found dead outside town
4. Agent Bucket goes missing after digging around

## Notes

This is the first episode that shows the weirdness that surrounds the townsfolk of Kollok. Not only is there a mystery surrounding Rachel Jewell, but the townsfolk seem to have their own mysteries that manifest in peculiar ways.