Note: This story will be featured at the 2016 Ghost Walk on the Fear Tour.
Scene-anywhere in downtown Riverside
Materials- a music box that plays an old song, orange blossom scent
Players 2 lovers
Opening Scene- 2 Friends are walking downtown to a party at the Mission Inn, as they approach the sounds of a music box can be faintly heard.
(Friend 1) –Shh did you hear that? (Stopping)
(Friend 2) –Hear what?
(Friend 1) –I’m not sure it sounded like music, but old-
(Friend 2) – Old music? What like the Beatles?
(Friend1)-No-(swats Friend 2 playfully on the shoulder)-don’t be thick! Old…. like…Listen! Can you hear it?
(Friend2)- (Waiting listening) I don’t hear anything-you must be imagining it. (Starts to walk)
(Friend1)-Wait there it is again! And I smell orange blossoms! Now do you hear it?!
(Friend2)- OMG Yes! It’s a music box, it sound’s lonely and far away.
(Friend 1) – It’s beautiful—and yet haunting
(They stop and sit and listen to the music)
(Friend2) – You know I heard an old story about a music box once.
(Friend1) –Really, do you think it’s the same one?
(Friend2) –How many spooky music boxes can there be?
(Friend 1) –Well,, (sigh) Tell me the story.
(Friend 2) – Alright, When Riverside a young and very rich city, a beautiful daughter of a well to do orange grove owner. Fell in love with a shop owner. She met him one day while she was looking for a music box.
(Friend 1) –Her dad thought he was after her money right?
(Friend 2)- Well yes, that and he was Chinese.
(Friend 1) –Ouch, not something that was done in the early 1900’s.
(Friend 2)- Sadly no, but the story goes that the two truly loved each other. Oh, and that is their signal.
(Friend 1) –What was?
(Friend2) –The music box
(Friend 1) – They danced?
(Friend 2)- No, well perhaps, she would play her music box in her families orange grove when it was safe for them to be together.
(Friend 1) –This doesn’t have a happy ending does it?
(Friend 2) – Wouldn’t be much of a ghost story if it did, no the two young lovers were together deep in the orange groves surrounded by the sweet perfume of orange blossoms. When they were discovered by the girl’s father. The father was enraged, and he killed the young man. And buried him there, deep in the orange groves.
(Friend 1) –That’s Terrible!
(Friend 2)- The story goes on to say, that the young girl was pregnant, and her father was so ashamed of her he wouldn’t let her go out until late at night when she would walk the empty streets of Riverside playing her music box and waiting for her lover to come back. By the time the baby was to be born she was so sad, that both died.
(Friend 1)- Depressing, but not really scary.
(Friend 2) -The story goes on to say, that if two lovers hear the music box and smell the orange blossoms, one will die.
(Friend 1)- Well it’s a good thing we are just friends!
(Friend 2)-Are we?
(Friend1)-Naturally, 2 really, really good friends. That have sleepovers and breakfast-but just good friends really.
(Friend 2)-Friends! (Angrily) That’s all I am to you? And it took a ghost story for me to find out?!
(Friend 1)- Why are you getting so upset?
(Friend 2)- I am not upset! (Crying) (Friend 2 starts walking away-the music box is playing)
(Friend 1)-Come back we can talk this over!
(Friend2)-I am done talking. I am glad that I know how you really feel about me.
(Friend 1)- I love you! You were right all along, please don’t go!
(Friend 2)- (turns, screams and falls to the ground)
(Friend 1)- (Catches up to Friend 2 and cradles Friend 2 in arms) – No, No.
Ends with the smell of orange blossoms wafting through the air and the sound of a distant music box.
Inlandia: A Literary Journey 