The following is a snippet from an audio drama script. An audio drama script is a written blueprint for a story told entirely through sound. It provides dialogue, sound cues, and atmosphere to guide actors, directors, and sound designers in creating a complete narrative experience without visuals.
SCENE 1
SFX: Sharp keystrokes echoing across the room.
SFX: Ceiling fan spinning slowly. A clock ticking.
SFX: Chair creaking as someone leans back heavily.
JOAQUIN (sighing): This is nothing like the movies.
SFX: Steady typing.
MARTHA (ironically): Tired of following people?
JOAQUIN: Yeah. Why does everyone care so much if their partners cheat?
SFX: Three firm knocks on the door.
JOAQUIN (sitting up): Come in!
SFX: Door creaks. Thick heels walking in with uncertain steps.
ORNELLA (hesitant): Excuse me… are you Detective Martínez?
SFX: Shaky breathing. A quiet sob.
JOAQUIN (slightly excited): Yes, yes… How can I help you, miss?
SFX: The clock keeps ticking.
ORNELLA (voice breaking): My dog has disappeared.
SILENCE
JOAQUIN (disappointed): Your dog?
ORNELLA: Yes. He’s my best friend—you have to help me find him.
SCENE 2
SFX: “Whoosh” transition.
SFX: Porcelain cups set on the desk. A sip.
SFX: Deep, steady breathing.
JOAQUIN (calmly): So… tell me. When was the last time you saw…?
ORNELLA (fragile voice): Rocco.
JOAQUIN: Right. Rocco, the French bulldog.
ORNELLA: He always stays home alone when I go to work. I used to leave early and get back late, but this week I’ve been working shorter hours. He’s always there waiting for me… and today, when I got home, he—
SFX: Sob about to burst.
MARTHA (quick, firm): Breathe.
SFX: Ornella inhales and exhales slowly until she calms down.
JOAQUIN: Any idea who could’ve taken him?
ORNELLA: No… Nobody has a copy of my keys except my mom, and she doesn’t live nearby. He’s a very expensive dog. Do you think someone could’ve seen us and—?
JOAQUIN: Can’t say for sure. But it’s always a possibility.
ORNELLA (upset): God! I should’ve been more careful. My mom always told me to install cameras in the porch.
JOAQUIN: Yeah, that’s a popular choice.
ORNELLA: Anyway… I saw your ad online. It said you take any case. Other investigators didn’t want it, so—
JOAQUIN (interrupting, annoyed): Other?
ORNELLA (hurried, soft): You were still my first choice.
JOAQUIN (softer): Well, thanks.
SFX: Martha sighs in the background. Chair moves slightly.
ORNELLA: So… do you think you can help me?
JOAQUIN (confident): Of course. Leave me his picture and I’ll start gathering some intel.
SFX: A cup set down on the desk.
SFX: Bracelets clinking as Ornella stands.
ORNELLA (grateful): Thank you! Really, thank you!
SFX: Handshake. Bracelets again.
ORNELLA: Please call me if you find anything.
JOAQUIN: Sure, sure.
SFX: Steps toward the door. Door closing softly.
MARTHA (accusing): I told you to take down those ads.
JOAQUIN (defensive): I wasn’t throwing away two hundred bucks. And hey, we got a client, didn’t we?
MARTHA (dry): Did you at least get her card number?
JOAQUIN: Her—damn it!
SFX: Chair scraping abruptly. Clumsy steps. A thud against the desk.
SFX: Door swinging open.
JOAQUIN (distant): Ornella! Wait!
SFX: Door closing behind him.
SFX: Martha typing. The room returns to calm.
SCENE 3
SFX: Bus horn. Engine braking.
SFX: Car engine stopping. Door slamming shut.
SFX: Keys jingling.
SFX: Footsteps on the sidewalk. A few pats on a jacket.
SFX: Urban chatter: people talking, street vendors, bikes passing by.
JOAQUIN (firmly): Excuse me, have you seen this dog?
SFX: Papers shuffling.
SFX: Soft buzz of phone unlocking. Finger taps.
JOAQUIN (through phone recorder): Day two of investigation. I have started asking around the streets. Knowledge is key—every tutorial says so. The problem is, I’ve never been in this part of the city… and I’m kind of lost.
SFX: Fast footsteps. A motorcycle speeding off. Car horns.
SFX: Unclear sound of the Google Maps’s assistants voice, quickly fading.
JOAQUIN (recorder): Still, I kept going. Went around the block, checked the nearby streets… even stopped by the local shelter.
SCENE 4
SFX: Metal gate sliding and slamming shut with echo.
SFX: A chaotic chorus of barking, echoing in an enclosed space. Footsteps entering.
JOAQUIN (recorder): I’ve never been good with dogs. I always thought they could smell fear. Ever since my mom’s old chihuahua bit me for trying to wash his toy… let’s just say I respect them. A lot. But a case is a case.
SFX: Nails scratching concrete. A deep growl from one cage. Others howling for attention.
JOAQUIN (louder, uneasy): Hello–I’m looking for a French bulldog. White and black, about… four years old.
SFX: Footsteps toward a counter. A clipboard shifting.
ADMIN (serious): No, none matching that description here.
SFX: Short electric chime as the door opens again. Barking fades in the background.
SFX: Steps back on the sidewalk. Brief silence. Distant city hum.
SFX: Cars passing. Horns.
SFX: Steps crossing the street at a steady pace.