Minisode: Shed

NARRATION:
Previously, on Timestorm: 

HORACIO
What’s this transmission, Atabey?

BENI
(through the windshield) Do you have the arrowhead?

 ALEXA
(through the windshield) Uh, it’s in your pocket.

BENI
(through the windshield) Except it isn’t.

HORACIO
What’s this? They’ve lost the artifact?

ATABEY
It seems the young humans have indeed lost the object.

HORACIO
How will they get it back?

MUSIC: THEME SONG - "IN THE TIMESTORM"

Witness. Find. Remember.
The hidden past seeks its dawn,
showing us that we all belong.
Horacio, Alexa, and Beni take back time,
find history in the timestorm.
Witness. Find. Remember.

THE TIMESTORM. ANOTHER DIMENSION.

MUSIC: TIMESTORM TRANSITION.

HORACIO
Atabey, can the timestorm pick up the location of la punta de flecha de guanín?

A channel change.

ATABEY
Unable to locate the artifact.

HORACIO
That arrowhead could be anywhere.

ATABEY
The twins have a plan to retrace their steps.

HORACIO
They didn’t lose their favorite comic book. This is a rare guanín artifact. They might not complete this quest.

ATABEY
Human doubt will not help the situation.

HORACIO
What should I do? Play another thousand rounds of Guess-the-Year with an entity that thinks I’ve got too many emotions?

ATABEY
Human frustration will not help the situation.

HORACIO
I should have gone to San Juan, Ponce, Loiza, Guaynia, Madrid, Saint Louis, Cabo Rojo.

ATABEY
Human anger will not—

HORACIO
I was supposed to complete these quests.

ATABEY
Lieutenant—

HORACIO
Cordero, Baldorioty, Tizol, Román, Oller, Idrissa, Agueybana, Cofresí. I should have met all of them.

ATABEY
And your cousins shouldn’t have?

HORACIO
That’s not what I meant.

ATABEY
They made a mistake, Lieutenant. Humans make a fair amount of them.

HORACIO
I know. (beat) I enjoyed those few quests I went on.

ATABEY
Before your mistake.

HORACIO
Y ahora, I’m stuck here because of it.

ATABEY
But the twins stepped up in your place.

HORACIO
We could have made a great trio. Horacio, Alexa, and Beni on the Great Guanín Hunt.

ATABEY
You would’ve shown them a thing or two as the grandson of a guanín metalworker.

A zap into a buzz.

GAEL
(through the windshield) Almost there, Horacio.

A woosh.

1960. A SHED. GUAYAMA, PUERTO RICO.

GAEL leads LEADS YOUNG HORACIO to JORGE’S workshed.

GAEL
Ahora, step up.

YOUNG HORACIO steps into the wooden shed. GAEL follows.

YOUNG HORACIO
(laughs) You don’t have to cover my eyes, Papi. I can tell we’re at Abuelo’s workshed.

GAEL
Are you peeking?

YOUNG HORACIO
I know the smell of this place.

JORGE
¿Oh sí? And what does it smell like?

YOUNG HORACIO
Wood, fire, and metal.

JORGE
Hold out those ten-year-old hands, mi’jo.

YOUNG HORACIO
I’m eleven, Abuelo.

JORGE
(laughs) Once. Felíz cumpleaños, Horacio.

JORGE places a metal container in HORACIO’S hands.

GAEL
Ahora. Open your eyes.

YOUNG HORACIO
A metal container?

YOUNG HORACIO opens the container.

JORGE
It’s a special blend of metal.

GAEL
When I was your age, Horacio, your Abuelo used to fill tins—just like that one—with surprises. Then he would hide them.

JORGE
And your father would have to find them with a clue.

YOUNG HORACIO
Like a treasure hunt?

JORGE
Sí, Horacio. Doesn’t that sound like fun?

YOUNG HORACIO
Could be.

YOUNG HORACIO takes a couple of steps toward the shelf.

YOUNG HORACIO
Hey, what’s that on the shelf, Abuelo?

JORGE
Ah.

JORGE takes down a barometer-in-progress.

YOUNG HORACIO
A pocket watch?

JORGE
A handheld barometer.

YOUNG HORACIO
What’s it for?

JORGE
It measures air pressure. It can help predict if a storm is coming.

YOUNG HORACIO
Like a hurricane?

JORGE
All kinds of storms. I’m making a metal encasement for it.

YOUNG HORACIO
Oh. The same metal you used for this tin?

JORGE
Sí, mi’jo. And how do you like your gift?

JORGE places the barometer on the shelf.

YOUNG HORACIO
I love it, Abuelo.

GAEL
I still have the first container Abuelo gave me. And the last tin? I hid it.

YOUNG HORACIO
Ooh. Can I try to find it?

GAEL
Maybe someday. Start with Abuelo’s hiding spots and work your way up to this one.

JORGE
Ah. Work your way up, m’ijo.

GAEL
Work your way up.

THE TIMESTORM. ANOTHER DIMENSION.

GAEL
(through the windshield) Ascenderás.

A CHANNEL CHANGE.

HORACIO
Years later, I searched for that tin up high in the rainforest. But I never found it in the tower.

ATABEY
Torre más alta.

HORACIO
That’s where the twins are going next.

ATABEY
In nineteen thirty-eight.

HORACIO
To the same time and place as my father.

MUSIC: THEME SONG "IN THE TIMESTORM" (INSTRUMENTAL).

NARRATION
This minisode of Timestorm was written by me, Dania Ramos. Sound design and original music by Michael Aquino.

The role of Horacio Méndez was played by Orlando Segarra. Atabey was played by Alicia Rivas. Gael was played by Robert Asencio. Young Horacio was played by Luis Bermúdez. Jorge was played by Aaron Catano-Saez.

Timestorm is produced by Cocotazo Media and is a proud member of TRAX from PRX. Support for TRAX comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Learn more at t-r-a-x-dot fm.

All episodes of Timestorm are available at TimestormSeries dot com and on all podcast apps. If you enjoy the show, please share it with two friends.

Timestorm is produced in Essex County, New Jersey, which is situated on the traditional territory of the Leni Lenape people.

As always, thanks for listening.

ATABEY
Witness. Find. Remember.