A payphone in the desert. That’s how it all started.

A few years ago, I was clicking around the internet and I stumbled upon this photograph. The photo shows a Pacific Bell payphone in the middle of the Mojave Desert.

The image was so stark and uncanny I had to find out what it was. I learned the payphone was installed in the 1960s for the extremely remote communities that lived in this part of the desert, and it was eventually discovered by popular culture in the 90s. People would call the payphone from all around the world, while others made pilgrimages in hopes they would hear the phone ring. Those who became fascinated with the lone booth seemed inspired by it, hoping to connect to something that felt greater than themselves. The phone booth became a surreal symbol for serendipity and connection in the modern world. Fun, right?

But then I started wondering: What if the person on the other line was… Me? But not just me… Me from the future. What existential turmoil could that bring? What opportunities could that present? And how could that go horribly, horribly wrong? The rest of the story developed from there.

When writing this piece, I was inspired by the mythology of the siren as well as classic social-experiment focused episodes of The Twilight Zone. I was also inspired by films such as Donnie Darko, Time Crimes, Coherence and Triangle as well as the delightfully evil desert-set horror anthology Southbound (which also happens to feature the great Larry Fessenden).

I molded each character to my talented cast, and we recorded at Underground Audio NYC with the wonderful Matt Rocker. The day was filled with laughter and screams, and then I went into post with my amazing producer Jordan Gass-Poore’ supporting me throughout. I worked with friend and composer Graham Reznick to craft the uncanny siren-like song that rides atop the desert winds. I provided the vocals for this song, and Graham was masterful at layering and extending the tracks, stretching them into the darkening horizon.

And my sound designer Shawn Duffy, with whom I work as often as possible, helped bring the rest of the world to life. This is the first time I’ve written for audio, and I quickly realized the best thing about audio drama is that you can go BIG. I wanted to begin this piece as a contained drama and social experiment and crank it up to blockbuster levels, embracing the full audio potential of films like Dune and and Tremors in the end. The climax of this piece was really vital to the story, and Shawn masterfully drove it home with his design.

Glass Eye Pix continues to be a subversive yet joyful beacon of light in the darkening desert of media monopolies, empty franchises and AI driven content. I’m honored to join the long lineage of Tales From Beyond the Pale contributors and continue sharing grassroots, independent tales of terror with the audiences I love the most.

And next time, when your phone rings, maybe don’t let it go to voicemail. After all, you never know. The next voice you hear might be your own.

—Emily Bennett

“The Next Voice You Hear Will Be Your Own”
Episode 52 of TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE