1. |
Disappearing Boy
02:49
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AS A YOUTH I PARADED, A SPECTACULAR VISION, BUT MY MULTI-HUED CLOTHING MASKED A SINGULAR CONDITION. BENEATH MY CLOTHES, YOU SEE THERE WASN'T THAT MUCH TO ME, SO IN MY SECRET LIFE, I WANDER THROUGH THE STREETS, MY CLOAK REACHING DOWN TO THE SOLES OF MY FEET. I'M THE DISAPPEARING BOY. NOW I'M CONDEMNED TO WALK THE CITY'S ALLEYWAYS, PASSING UNNOTICED BY THE PUBLIC GAZE. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CHOOSE, I SIMPLY DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW. NO-ONE EVER SENSES MORE THAN A WHISPERING SIGH, A GHOSTLY TUT AS I PASS THEM BY. I WAVED GOODBYE TO MY YOUTH, THEN I DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW.
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2. |
The Apothecary
03:03
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AN OBSESSION LASTS A LIFETIME, AN OBSESSION TO TRACE MY FAMILY LINE TO SEE WHERE I CAME FROM AND WHAT SPAWNED ME, BUT I ENDED UP SEEING MORE THAN ANY MAN SHOULD SEE. I'D RUN OUT OF RESEARCH AND PAPERS TO TRAWL THROUGH SO I ASKED AROUND AND THAT'S WHEN I PUT MY CALL THROUGH AND CAREFULLY VISITED THE MEDIUM RECOMMENDED. SHE SAID "SOMEONE WANTS TO TALK" AND THEN THEY DESCENDED. HE WAS AN APOTHECARY, THAT'S WHAT MY RESEARCH HAD TOLD ME, GRANDFATHER OF MY FATHER'S FATHER, TIMES THREE. BUT HIS OLDE ENGLISH WORDS COULD NOT DISGUISE THAT THIS MAN WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A PHARMACIST'S SCRIBE. THE MEDIUM WAS SHAKING, AND SOON HE HAD POSSESSED HER. THE OLD MAN TOOK HOLD OF HER THROUGH THE CENTURIES WITH PLEASURE AND HER FLAILING ARMS CAME TOWARD ME, SHE SCREAMED AND HE DID SHOUT. I SAW HIM LEAVE THE ROOM...PASSED OUT. I AWOKE LYING ON A STRAW FLOOR STILL IN THE MEDIUM'S ROOM, BUT NOW IT WAS FILLED WITH ... AND POTIONS AMIDST THE GLOOM. I STAGGERED TOWARD THE DOOR, I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES, FOR WALKING BY WERE THE TOWN'S DEAD, WALKING BY AS IF ALIVE. THEY GREETED ME BY MY SURNAME, AND THEY SPOKE IT WITHOUT LIES, BUT MY CHRISTIAN NAME WAS NOT THE ONE WITH WHICH I'D BEEN BAPTISED. THEY SAW MY WRETCHED STATE AND ONE CAME AND SAID TO ME, "WHAT IS IT THAT HAS MADE YOU THIS WAY, APOTHECARY?"
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3. |
My New Book
03:44
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DID YOU HEAR ABOUT MY NEW BOOK? IT KIND OF WROTE ITSELF, WON'T YOU TAKE A LOOK? IT'S IN GOOD BOOKSHOPS FROM NEXT WEEK, AND SUPERMARKETS TOO 'COS THAT'S WHERE THE SALES WILL PEAK. IT'S IN NON FICTION THERE'S A SAD BOY ON THE COVER THAT'S MEANT TO BE ME, THE SCARY WOMAN'S MY MOTHER, AND MY BAD UNCLE DARREN THOUGH HE DOESN'T EXIST, SO I MADE HIM UP 'COS I'M A NOVELIST. MY BOOK, MY TRUTH, MY BOOK MY UNVARNISHED TRUTH, MY BOOK, MY LIES, MY EMBELLISHED LIES I'M NOT LOOKING FOR THE PULLITZER PRIZE, I'VE GOT MY EYES SET ON MY BANK ACCOUNT'S SIZE. I WAS BORN WORKING CLASS I'VE GOT A TATTOO, ABANDONED AT SIX WEEKS TO BOARDING SCHOOL, NO THAT WON'T DO. I WAS BORN WORKING CLASS IN DICKENSIAN HELL HOW BAD SO BAD I'VE GOT MY BOOKS TO SELL. I HAD THE BEST CHILDHOOD ABOUT WHICH I WILL LIE, LOTS OF NONSENSE ABOUT RATS AND FLIES, BEATINGS UNANSWERED CRIES AND MY NEAR DEMISE. THEY LIKED WHAT I WROTE SO I'LL WRITE IT AGAIN. REPRISE!
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4. |
Spencer Must Die
03:46
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I'M A CLERK IN A MERCHANT COUNTING HOUSE, YES I'M AN EXPORTING MAN. TO FEED MY FAMILY, I TOOK AN OPPORTUNITY, NOW I'M AN EXPORTED MAN. SPENCER MUST DIE. ON A BUSINESS TRIP TO RUSSIA I CHANCED TO MAKE MY FORTUNE, BUT THAT FORTUNE NO TELLER COULD FORETELL. NO, THAT FORTUNE WAS NOT FORTUITOUS, AND A LIE PLACED ME IN A CELL. TRAVESTY, SURROUNDED BY MEN AND THEIR MENDACITY. ALL I WANTED WAS TO BE REPRIEVED, NOW SPENCER MUST DIE. FOUR YEARS INSIDE THAT HELL, THEN A YEAR MORE ON THE STREET BEFORE I COULD RETURN HOME. BUT WHEN FOR MONETARY REDRESS I ASKED THE GOVERNMENT, FOR DIPLOMATIC REASONS THEY GAVE ME NONE. SPENT A YEAR MORE AS A WORKER, BUT STILL REMAINING IN DEBT FOR MY RUSSIAN MISADVENTURE AND FLIGHT, SO I RENEWED, REVIEWED AND REFILED MY CLAIM AND A CIVIL SERVANT SAID "DO WHAT YOU THINK RIGHT". SO WITH THE CIVIL SERVANT'S WORDS AS MY MOTTO AND MOTIVE, I THOUGHT IT THROUGH FOR THE NEXT TWO NIGHTS, AND DECIDING THAT ACTIONS HAVE MORE MEANING THAN WORDS, I TOOK THOSE WORDS TO BE MY VERY NEXT RIGHTS. SO WITH A PISTOL IN MY POCKET, I WALKED THE STREETS WITH FRIENDS UNTIL IT CAME MY TIME TO DEPART, THEN I MADE MY WAY TO PARLIAMENT AND SHOT MY GREVIENCE STRAIGHT THROUGH THE PRIME MINISTER'S HEART. IF THE UPPER RANKS OF SOCIETY ARE PERMITTED TO ACT WRONG WITH IMPUNITY, THE INFERIOR RAMIFICATIONS WILL SOON BECOME WHOLLY CORRUPTED. GENTLEMEN, MY LIFE IS IN YOUR HANDS, I RELY CONFIDENTLY IN YOUR JUSTICE.
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