 fed up with the everyday grind Tired out from the summer heat Want to get away from it all we offer you Escape Escape designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure You were groping through the midnight dimness of a gigantic department store and Suddenly you realize that a hundred eyes are staring at you from the shadows And a hundred hands are reaching for your throat And your most urgent desire is to escape Tonight we escape to a fantastic world of night dwellers as John Collier imagines it in his eerie story evening primrose I don't mean to scare you. I thought you'd be asleep. I don't want to wake you What's the matter? Oh, it's terrible. You got to do something Sam. What's terrible. It's just look at this What's terrible about that looks like an ordinary pair of paper to me. Yeah, that's just it That's just what I thought but it's got writing in it Oh, it's awful and now wait a minute. Maybe you better tell me what this is all about Well today I went shopping at Bracey's department store. Yeah, I needed some writing papers It was on top of the pile so I bought it and I brought it home Tonight when I opened it, I thought it's got writing in it. Well, that's nothing so terrible I'll just take it back tomorrow make him give you a new one. You don't understand. It's what's written in it That's so terrible. What do you mean? What's written in it? Yeah, you gotta read it. Oh, I say right now now read it Look Sadie, I'm tired. I've been falling all evening. Please Sam. Please just read it, but for Pete's Sam All right October 13th today. I made my decision. I decided to say goodbye to the world To get out leave break away and I have done it Sadie this one read and Now I am free really free. Yes. I am free at last Yes, I am free at last The world is an intolerable place for a poet I was broke starving at my wit's end and then I had the brilliant idea I'd escaped to a place where I'd had no need to earn a living where I could write to my heart's content in peace and security And where is this place? Right under your nose so close. You'd never think of it. I am now living in Bracey's department store I have everything within arms reach that anyone would need a desire and it's all free Absolutely free I Arrived this afternoon. I'd spent three days looking over all the department stores in town I decided on Bracey's because of the completeness of their food department Therefore this afternoon I entered the store and went immediately to the fourth floor to the rug department and Hit myself in this dusty out-of-the-way corner behind the pile of carpets Once I'm settled. I'll furnish it with the best of modern pieces from the furniture department. It's small, but it'll be cozy enough and safe After the store closed I made my first venture out. I tiptoed as far as the stationery counter and got this paper the writer's primary need Now after making my first entry. I'll go out and get food and wine and the pillars from my bed Perhaps even a fancy dressing gown This is perfect here. I'll be able to write dawn October 14th. I Am almost too unnerved to write this The whole thing is unbelievable After the store was dark and completely quiet. I crept out and started for the food department One steps echo hollily in an empty department store at night and I found myself glatting along the floor on tiptoe Moving as silently as possible but the sound of footsteps persisted and Suddenly I realized that they were not my own The night watchman I Was in the salon modern so quickly I seized a mink coat from a hanger and draped it about my shoulders and stood stock still I could have reached out and touched him, but he passed without so much as a glance I started to smile, but the smile froze on my lips There was someone else here I Was looking straight into a pair of eyes Large flat luminous in human eyes that doesn't feed away They belong to a creature dressed as a man, but he was as pale as something found under a stone His hands hanging motionless at his sides look more like the fins on a fish than human hands and then He spoke not bad for a beginner. I'm sorry. I I didn't know anybody else Lived here. Oh, yes, we live here. It's delightful. We yes all of us Don't you see look around you? I looked around and saw nothing I Looked again and so an old one come clamoring out from behind a clock And there were three elderly Archenius incredibly emaciated pale as lace almost Transparent simmering before a perfume counter and a Chency lady swam out from the curtains and the drapes then they came swarming thick around me pale thin Whispy moving silently fluttering like gauze in the wind Whispering they were pressing around me clawing holding me their pale faces contorted with venomous and human hatred I was paralyzed all I could do was repeat over and over again. I am not a detective I I'm not a detective. I'm not Let him speak I I am not a detective or a burkler I'm a poet. What are you doing here? I've renounced the world. I came here to live where I could be alone away from the world I followed their eyes toward the balcony and the hair on my neck rose again They're coming down the wall like an ancient spider Clamored an old lady Wrinkled and crackled and emaciated. You must have been at least 80 There's shadowy matriarch and the things around me bowed and scraped as she reached the floor and floated toward us What's going on stupid girl? What's keeping her? Oh, Mrs. Vandepan? What is it? Who's this mr. Roscoe? Mrs. Vandepan may I present mr. Mr. Oh, oh, it's now Charles Snell. Yes, mr. Snell. He's a poet. He's come here to live Oh, he has That's what he says and I believe him well He avoided the night watchman quite neatly for a beginner. Thank you Very well, we shall see A poet should find inspiration here mr. Snell Mrs. Vandepan is our grand old lady. Oh, I am quite the oldest inhabitant here, mr. Snell Three mergers and a complete rebuilding But they didn't get rid of me. Oh Where is Ella? Where is my broth? She's bringing it Mrs. Vandepan. It will come terrible little creep She's our foundling mr. Snell She's not quite our source. Oh, is that so? I have been here mr. Snell Ever since the terrible times of the 80s. I was a young girl then a beauty They said I'm sure and poor Papa lost his money Races meant a lot to a young girl in those days So when I wasn't able to have a charge account. I came here to live That's better than a charge account. I Was quite alarmed when others began to come after the crash of 1907 But it was the dear judge Colonel Mrs. Bill they write plays oh and It comes of an old Philadelphia family You'll find us quite nice here I'm sure I will and of course our dear young people came in 1929 They're poor poppers jumped from skyscrapers They couldn't bear to be without charge accounts either, but you mean all these nice people live here Many more you shall meet them all later Here comes Ella with my broth come here you stupid thing. Mrs. Vanderpant is waiting Ella I'm coming as fast as I can On the table over there now be careful. Don't spill it. Oh, but she's young Well, of course, she is a little younger than most of us. She's different. She's beautiful. That's right old fellow She's really not our sort. Oh, you shouldn't say such things. She can hear you. Oh, that doesn't matter. Mrs. Bill be please Mr. Snell you will understand these things better after you've been here for a while, but it seems to me We have certain rules here. They are necessary for our survival I'm sure you won't find it hard to observe them. Well, yes, but I should advise you that you try If you do not it would be most unfortunate, Mr. Snell most unfortunate for you October 15th You can imagine my feelings last night My first thought was to escape as quickly as possible In fact, I planned to quit my hiding place and mingle with the crowds and leave bracelets forever But just a dawn Mr. Roscoe brought me a cup of coffee which must have been drugged for I fell asleep And when I awoke I found that I'd slept all day and night was closing over the store once more Later I Have spent my second night here. I saw Ella again Ella the pearl of this remote fantastic cave She's not like the others a trifle pale, but otherwise normal and human and and Beautiful a child of perhaps 18 She is the only thing that makes this nightmare bearable October 20th Escape seems almost impossible. There is a very effective burglar alarm system and the doors are all carefully guarded But that is nothing compared to the dark men Who are the dark men? I don't know but the inhabitants here threaten any transgressor with these dark men I shall try to discover who they are. I'm sure I'm watched though. They've begun to trust me now Speaking to the night watchman would be suicide Even if he believed my fantastic story or didn't shoot me as a burglar I'm convinced that neither Ellen or I could get out of here alive She and the night watchman are the only real people here and how the others hate the night watchman Odious vulgar creature. He reeks of the course son. Oh come now. Mrs. Bilby. He's really a very personable young man Very young for a night watchman. Mr. Snell sometimes I wonder about your taste Oh, you must not stay so much to yourself. You must become better acquainted with our ways. That's quite true old man Oh, you must come to the play tonight. We're going to be entertained with one of Mrs. Bilby's tragic comedies Love in Shadowland. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I'm sure I will really a festive occasion You know wanna makers is coming over Wanna makers. Yes, the entire colony over at wanna makers is coming here en masse to attend the play You mean there are people living in other stores. Oh dear. Yes, didn't you know? Of course the best people live in braces and wanna makers come now. Mrs. Bilby. There are some very nice people at Altman's Hello Well, what is it Ella? Please ma'am. I I'd so love to see your play tonight. May I have your permission certainly not? You know better than that. You stupid creature. You know where you belong in the basement by the garbage cans Mrs. Bilby You're becoming entirely too forward of late. I advise you to watch your step Remember the dark men. Oh, no, please mr. Roscoe. I'll be good. I promise. I will no, please don't send for the dark man I'm sorry, Mrs. Bilby Ella Ella come back Charles you forget yourself Let her go, but how can you treat her like that? Why do you always frighten her and what is all this about the dark men? Well, mr. Snell I Please mr. Roscoe not now You'll spoil our whole evening and I do so want mr. Snell to enjoy my play very well, Mrs. Bilby Later Charles, but I want to know about the dark men later later October 21st I found an opportunity to speak to Ella alone. I Had not dared to speak to her before Here one has a sense always of pale eyes secretly watching but last night at the play I induced a fit of hiccups as I anticipated I was sternly reprimanded and told to go and secret myself in the basement where the Night watchman wouldn't hear me. This was exactly what I'd planned. I went to the basement and There in the darkness among the garbage cans and the rats I heard sobbing Hello Hello, hello, is that you? Why are you crying? What is it Ella? They wouldn't even let me see the play Is that a whole mr. Snell? I'm so unhappy You mustn't cry you're the only one the only one who is kind Ella Why are you here? Why do they treat you so differently? Because I'm not like them. I didn't choose to come here. You mean you were held prisoner. Yes You see I was only six. I came here on a shopping tour with my mother I got lost and fell asleep behind a counter It was dark when I woke and they found me Some of them wanted to send for the dark men because they were afraid I would tell on them Mrs. Vanderpant said no, I could stay and be her maid I've been here ever since since you were six But haven't you ever tried to get away? Oh, no, I don't know anything about I wouldn't know what to do Besides, I'm afraid to take the chance if anyone tries to get out they send for the dark men Ella Who are the dark men? Don't you know? Oh, it's horrible. Tell me You know how people live in all the stores at Gimbal's and Bloomingdale's yes, yes, I know well a dark man live at the Undertakers Good heavens and whenever someone dies or breaks the rules or when a burglar gets in and sees these people and might tell They send for the dark men That's horrible. They put the body in the butcher shop in the food department and then the dark men come I Saw them once. It was terrible. What do they do? They go in where the dead person is They have wax with them and all sorts of things And when they're gone There's just a wax model left on the counter Then our people put a frock on it or a bathing suit and mix it up with all the other wax models in the windows and nobody ever knows Ellie you mean all these dummies are no at least not all of them But if you displease these people The same thing might happen to you October 30th I've not kept up my journal writing has been out of the question Once more I'm frozen with terror not for myself now, but for Ella They hate her any time they might turn against her and send her to the dark men My mind is filled with her. I Dream of her every day. I Live to see her at night We've managed it several times. They trust me now and let me roam about without interference and Finally tonight I met her again and Said it Ella Love you I love you. Well, let's let's get married or whatever they do here And then we can live together in my home in the carpet department. They wouldn't dare hurt you then Don't look so dismayed if you like we'll go away from here Maybe we can get transferred to Bergdorf Goodman overlooking Central Park But I love you Ella You're not in love with someone else But who I thought you hated them all It must be Roscoe. He's the only one that's young enough. Oh, no Charles not Roscoe Especially not him. I do hate them all make me shudder. Well, who is it then? Who the night watchman? No, it's impossible. I love him It smells of the Sun Ella Oh, it was wonderful the way it happened. Don't tell on me Charles or they'll punish me. Oh, no, no I was careless and there he was coming around the corner in the ladies lingerie department I was caught there were only some wax models in there under things There was nothing else to do slipped off nightdress and Stood still I See he stopped near me. He looked at me Charles he spoke to me. He said say honey. I wish they made them like you on 8th Avenue. Oh Charles wasn't that a lovely thing to say personally. I should have said Park Avenue Charles don't get like these people here. It doesn't matter what Avenue Charles It was just a lovely thing to say. But what can you do about him? Ella he belongs to another world. Yes to 8th Avenue, and I want to go there Charles, are you really my friend? Oh, yes. Yes, of course. I am then I'll tell you I'm going to stand there again in the lingerie department. So he'll see me and then perhaps you'll speak to me again Oh, Ella, you're only torturing yourself. No I shall answer him and he'll take me away take you away. Oh No, no, no, I I couldn't bear that You don't love them. You only think you do because you think you'll take you out of here But but you don't know that he will and I will I've made up my mind I couldn't let you do it even if I loved you You couldn't do it. Why not? Because you really belong here You've become one of them now. Hello. Hello. You mustn't say that. It's true and Charles, I've got to go Watching us. I feel it. Wait. Hello. Goodbye. No, Ella. Come back. Ella Please old fellow, you'll arouse the night watchman Roscoe. Yes Love can be very upsetting can't it you heard just the last moment or so very touching I was rather surprised and yet it's understandable. I've been attracted to Ella myself We're still young, you know And so she loves another Too bad old fellow. Who could it be? Could it be that I am the cause of your heartbreak you flatter yourself too much Roscoe then who the old judge Certainly not the Colonel hardly none of those not one of the customers She loves the night watchman. Can you imagine that she loves the night? Oh Roscoe I I shouldn't have said that it's not true. At least I don't think it's true. You wouldn't You said you loved her too. You wouldn't do anything Tell anybody this is a secret between us between friends, isn't it? Of course old man That's secret is the grave. She's young perhaps he'll leave and she'll forget him in time Who knows perhaps she will learn to love you or Me of course in time and we'll figure a way to keep her safe here Absolutely safe. Now. Don't you worry about it? Well, it's almost dawn time for bed. Good morning Charles Early evening November the 4th. I was a fool. I should have known he couldn't be trusted You must have gone straight to Mrs. Vanderpant This evening the atmosphere has changed People flickered to and fro smiling nervously horribly with a sort of frightened sadistic exultation an Informal dance in the record department's been called off And I can't find Ella. I'm going out again now to look for her Roscoe what have you done with her quiet? I don't care. What have you done with her whatever I did I did for your own good as well as the good of us all Wait a minute What is that? What are those people carrying? Well, it's Ella. She's tied up and they're carrying her. Ella. Ella. Stop it. Don't stop it. Let me go. Let me go But they're taking her into the butcher shop Those are the dark men midnight. I am scribbling this last entry hurriedly They are in there in the butcher shop with Ella the dark men There's only one thing to do I'm going to find the night watchman and tell him he and I will save her if we can And if we're overpowered Well, I will leave this pad on the stationery counter Tomorrow if I live I will recover it if I do not Whoever finds this and reads it look in the windows Look for three new wax dummies two men one rather sensitive looking and a girl She has blonde hair and blue eyes and her nose turns up a little Look for us and then find them smoke them out exterminate them Avengers find them smoke them out exterminate them adventures We gotta do something tell somebody something Sam what'll we do though? Not and go to bed but Sam Whoever wrote this is sure got a weird sense of humor. Hey, I'll be some click down at braces ought to be fired You mean you think it's just a story You kidding you don't believe it stuff. Do you well? I I don't know. I I just thought I forget it baby snap out of it I Shouldn't leave you alone. You get too many ideas when I go bowling at night Sam Don't you think maybe we ought to just Take it back and show somebody nuts. It's not way to bother. They'd laugh at your baby. Think you were crazy or something Yeah, I guess you're right. I guess I was silly forget it come on. Let's go to bed. I'm tired Golly, you know for a while. I was sure scared. I Even forgot what I was gonna tell you what Sam. I found the cutest dress today only 1995 Yeah, baby. Yeah, it was in the window at braces. It was on a beautiful little wet model with long hair And it sort of And they were two men standing Escape is produced and directed by Norman McDonald Tonight we have brought you evening primrose by John Collier adapted for radio by John Dunkel Featured in tonight's story where Bill Conrad is Charles and Constance Cavendish is Ella with Harry Bartell Lillian by F Jeff Corey K Miller and Irene Ted roll special music by Ivan Dittmar Next week when you've had all you can stand of routine When your everyday chores offer you no release When the four walls are closing in on you join us for escape Next week we escape with another great story by one of the world's outstanding authors Good night, then until this same time next week when once again we offer you escape Roy Rowan speaking for CBS the Columbia Broadcasting System