This article is about the Nightmare Time story. You may be looking for the song or the in-universe location.
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Perky's Buds features in the second episode of Nightmare Time 2, and is the third story of the second season of the live-stream reading. It was be performed on October 30, 2021 and was released on YouTube on May 27, 2022.
Summary[]
It's finally happened. Emma Perkins has her pot farm... and it's glorious. The only problem? Those checkered-tail nighthawks that keep eating her weed! As the Hatchetfield Honey Festival approaches, Emma and her farmhand/graphic designer, Ziggs, fight to protect Perky's Buds from malevolent forces who'll stop at nothing to destroy the farm... or claim it for their own.
Synopsis[]
The story opens with Emma Perkins waking up and blissfully looking over her pot farm. However, the peace is soon broken by Emma noticing some Checkered-Tail Nighthawks eating her weed. Emma bursts from the farm house. yelling for her farmhand Ziggs. The two of them attempt to shoot at the birds but they miss and the birds fly away.
As they stand in the field, they hear chanting from outside of the farm. Emma and Ziggs pull up in their tractor to find Grace Chasity and Gabe protesting outside the farms gates. Grace explains to Emma that she's protesting because Emma's weed is bad for the community and also bad for the nighthawk population of the island as the other day there was a bird so stoned it was sitting in the middle of the road and it caused people to be late for church. Emma explains that she doesn't want the birds eating her weed either and that in fact she tried to shoot one. Grace is horrified by this and explains that the checkered-tail nighthawks are an endangered species and that killing one would allow them to shut the farm down. Emma is irritated by Grace and orders Ziggs to get her off her property. Ziggs puts a bag of manure through their woodchipper and it rains down on Gabe and Grace.
That night, Emma and Ziggs sit sharing a joint and Emma talks about how she used to sell weed in high school and how her weed creates the cleanest most cerebral high. She then explains how once she graduated community college she unlocked her inheritance from her parents who owned acres of Witchwood Forest where Emma now has her farm.
The next day, Ziggs is working in the field while smoking a joint when they hear a voice asking them to share their joint. Ziggs looks around and only sees a nighthawk sat on the nearby fence. Ziggs is confused but blows some smoke in the birds face. Then Ziggs is approached by Louie Metzger and his brothers and they ask to speak to Emma. Emma goes out to speak to the Metzgers and is annoyed telling them she already told them she wasn't going to listen to them and if their father Bob wants to speak to her he's going to have to d it himself. Bob then emerges from the trees. He tells Emma that he doesn't like what she's done with the land as she cut down the trees of the forest. He then tells her to clean up her farm and move back to the city.
That night, Ziggs reveals to Emma the logo they created for Perky's buds: a buxom woman riding a joint. Emma dislikes it saying that it's too in favour of the male gaze. Emma then offers Zigg some weed and the two get very high. Later as they're laying very stoned, Emma tells Ziggs the secret of Perky's Buds: how the soil of the witchwood is magic and causes things to grow fast, big and different and how it causes the weed to be so good.
They are then interrupted by the Metzger Family bursting into the farmhouse. The family bury Emma and Ziggs and explain to them how it's the sworn duty of the Hatchetmen to rid Hatchetfield of those with the Gift and how they turn them into Tree-People to trap their magic in the web the roots create. However, when Emma cut down the trees she freed all that magic. The Metzgers then explain how they're going to turn Emma and Ziggs into the first of a new crop of tree-people to replenish the ones they cut down. However, before the Metzgers can do this they are attacked and killed by the Nighthawk Flock. In the chaos Emma and Ziggs are knocked out.
Emma and Ziggs come round the next day and find the kitchen full of nighthawks. The birds speak to Emma and Ziggs revealing that Emma's magic weed gave them psychic abilities. They employ Emma and Ziggs to farm weed for them. Later that day, Ziggs attempts to go back to the farmhouse to use the bathroom but Ezekiel, the nighthawk leader, refuses to let them and instead they are forced to do it on the ground. That evening, Emma and Ziggs try to go to the farmhouse to get some food but the nighthawks refuse them and instead feed them like birds. The two are then sent to sleep in barn.
That night, while the birds watch a nature documentary, Emma and Ziggs create a scarecrow that they place in the field. The next day while the birds are distracted by it, Emma and Ziggs try to escape in the car but the birds catch up with them and invade the car. Emma is able to escape but Ziggs is trapped. Emma runs to the road where she bumps into Grace Chasity and begs for her help but the girl refuses and bikes away and Emma is captured by the birds.
Emma wakes up in the barn and the birds reveal that their psychic abilities have grown and they now have the ability to mind control Ziggs. Ziggs attacks Emma but Emma manages to grab Ziggs' lighter and sets fire to the hay in the barn. This distracts the birds momentarily and breaks their hold on Ziggs. Emma then grabs a plank of burning wood and sets fire to the weed. The birds inhale the smoke from the weed and become high and stop attacking Emma and Ziggs, much to the annoyance of Ezekiel who discovers he's gained telekinetic powers through using them to kill Issac. Ezekiel gets Emma and Ziggs' guns and chases them through the house with them. Ziggs and Emma tricks Ezekiel into shooting Ziggs' picture of the buxom woman and hit him out of the window into the woodchipper below.
Despite having stopped the birds, the fire has spread so much that Emma and Ziggs are unable to escape it and the two climb onto the roof of the farmhouse and smoke a joint and prepare to die. However, they are then saved by the arrival of police and fireman who were called by Grace. Ziggs and Emma speak to a police officer who tells them that nighthawks are an endangered species and that they're under arrest for killing them.
Cast[]
Creative Team[]
| Crew Member | Job |
|---|---|
| Nick Lang | Writer
Director |
| Matt Lang | Writer |
| Jeff Blim | Composer |
| Jae Hughes | Music Video Director |
| Joey Richter | Music Video Director |
| Matt Dahan | Musical Director |
| Paul Gabriel | Production Manager |
| Corey Lubowich | Producer |
| Brian Holden | Producer |
Song[]
| Song | Sung by |
|---|---|
| Perky's Buds | Joey Richter |
| Jae Hughes |
Trivia[]
- The synopsis for the episode was released on October 26, 2021.
- According to Nick Lang, the idea for this story has been around since season one but was not used back then.