Speaker 1: You are listening to table story.
Speaker 2: Deathless is an improvised cinematic narrative with live production, including
music and dialog.
Speaker 3: There is no script.
Speaker 2: This story contains violence, disturbing imagery, adult themes, and a
darkness which may lead you doubting for more. Proceed at
your own risk.
Speaker 4: A logit of fight from shade ho loget of fact
from me.
Speaker 5: That you say, stand up for the thing which you
can't stand alud.
Speaker 6: Got around, got around.
Speaker 7: There are plenty of places to sit around the fire.
Speaker 6: Where where doing? Where am I supposed to sit?
Speaker 8: Just sit here?
Speaker 3: Sit here next to me?
Speaker 6: Right spot doesn't flow? I want to sit there? I
don't know.
Speaker 8: Oh cut this steady. You're going to be married momentarily, but.
Speaker 9: I don't want to.
Speaker 6: I don't want to. Intruly, you'll have this thing that
like you get to retreat to. I don't want to
like intrude or anything.
Speaker 8: Oh bunny, don't tell them about the thing.
Speaker 6: I'm plushing.
Speaker 7: I think A big hand class on your shoulder and
go just relax. You already did the part to get
nervous about. Don't have to worry no more. Just sit
down next to your lady.
Speaker 6: Oh okay, all right, that's fine, and I I do that.
I sit down and I lean in so our shoulders
are touching.
Speaker 8: Oh my good lord, I don't know.
Speaker 6: I don't want.
Speaker 8: Never before did I think this day would come.
Speaker 3: As soon. It's going to be your turn? And then
I got or I was made in your wedding.
Speaker 5: Oh funny, don't speak to me like that, you know me.
I'm gonna die alone in the library and it'll be
great and fine and wonderful.
Speaker 3: But then, how can we how can we raise our
kids together? We talked about this our whole lives, right,
the kids? Huh?
Speaker 8: Well, well sure we didn't talk about this.
Speaker 6: Well, I mean yeah, but like now we're it seems
so close. And I just made out all your folks.
I mean like I've known some of them, but like
not all of them. And it's hold on. I just
need to take a breath and a drink and everything
will be fine.
Speaker 7: Okay, you've got to have a whole lot of kids.
We're gonna run out of employees. You gotta refresh. You
gotta have refresh every couple of generations.
Speaker 8: But like goodness, as.
Speaker 6: A butcher, how many kids to put your staff?
Speaker 7: Usually, Well, we've got the butcher's shop. We've got the
general store, we've got the flower shop, we've.
Speaker 6: Got the funeral home.
Speaker 7: Uh, you know, there's all kinds of things.
Speaker 6: But what if they want to.
Speaker 3: Like leave, Oh, they can leave. It's okay. It's it's
so nice to live in a big family because you
always have people around you and there's always something going on.
And I mean, you've been here for what a little
over a year now you've seen that family. You like them, right, Yeah,
they're they're.
Speaker 6: Great, They're they're you know, they're wonderful.
Speaker 8: But like now you're part of them now.
Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, that's what makes it a little scary, if
I'm being honest.
Speaker 5: Oh, yes, of course, it's a big deal marry into
such a large family. But don't worry. I wasn't married
in and I'm still part of it. And it's a
grand time.
Speaker 6: Do you does anyone hear anything?
Speaker 5: Did?
Speaker 6: I should probably go check to see if there's there's
no like, I don't know animals or anything like.
Speaker 3: Just no, you're fine. Just sit here. I can only
I can hear the music distantly. But they're having a
good time. We're not getting messed, okay, all.
Speaker 6: Right, yes, stay around the fire where it's safe with us.
Speaker 8: Don't worry.
Speaker 5: I'll keep out in an eye for any weary fish
approaching your back.
Speaker 6: Wait the fish. No, you're messing with me.
Speaker 8: The fish here have legs.
Speaker 6: No they don't. No, they'll not tell you. They definitely
do they fish.
Speaker 3: Yes, they have fish. They have legs, and they come
up on the beach at night and they dance in
the moonlight.
Speaker 6: I would have definitely heard of this sooner.
Speaker 3: It's a local attraction. You really don't know about this.
Speaker 6: Now, I can't tell if you're lying to me.
Speaker 7: No, they got some great wisdom too. Did you bring
we got any instruments? We could go bring some of it.
Maybe they'll come up and dance for us.
Speaker 6: No, was I supposed to bring instruments? You didn't say
all you said, was there supposed to just bring myself?
Speaker 3: Okay, I think I think we've teased him enough.
Speaker 6: You gotta loosen up bad. It's just overwhelming. I've known
everyone for like a year and a half, but it's
just different now.
Speaker 3: Well it's different with Danny. What about your the family?
Speaker 6: I don't I've never I never knew my folks.
Speaker 8: Not at all.
Speaker 3: Over and take his hands and squeeze it, I squeeze back.
Speaker 5: No, I'm sorry. Here, I am putting my own fishy
foot in my mouth.
Speaker 6: They don't really have feet here, do they?
Speaker 4: Oh?
Speaker 3: No, they don't.
Speaker 6: I was just gonna say, because I feel like I
would have at least seen one of those by now. Surely,
don't worry about it. They just got arms.
Speaker 7: They don't dance, but they can clap a beat like
you wouldn't believe.
Speaker 6: I look unamused.
Speaker 8: Oh well, come on, then, are we?
Speaker 6: Are?
Speaker 8: We gonna do a toaster?
Speaker 7: I think I hit him now off in the distance,
be celebrating tonight.
Speaker 6: Enough, I'm sorry about that. Make fun of a guy
who's peeing his pants. I get it now, ha very
open this for us? All right? Then? Now I'm gonna
open this. But someone else is gonna have to make
the toast. That's not my strong point.
Speaker 5: Well, I suppose it's gotta be me, you know, the
pride to be. You can't make her own toast?
Speaker 6: All right?
Speaker 7: Oh wow, I'm just gonna pour a bit for everybody.
Speaker 8: Oh lovely, thank.
Speaker 7: You, and there you go, and there you go.
Speaker 6: Rennie saved the best for last.
Speaker 5: Yeah, indeed, all right, So a toast yeah, oh goodness,
putting me on this spot.
Speaker 8: You sure you can't say anything.
Speaker 7: Both I'd probably say too much. But ladies first, well,
see here's the problem.
Speaker 5: I'm gonna get all emotional, Renny, my bunny, Oh, here
we go. It was just only yesterday that we were
running with those pants through the streets, and here you
are giving your hand to some man who I hardly know.
I hope he'll be good enough to you, but I'm
sure he will. I like him well enough already. And
you deserve all the happiness in the world. And I'll
be there all along the way, raising your kids, not mine.
Speaker 8: I love you very much, you too, Danny, I love
you too.
Speaker 6: Thank you. I love you as well.
Speaker 8: Oh sweetheart. Cheers to you both.
Speaker 3: Thank you, flow.
Speaker 10: Cheers down a hat, cheers.
Speaker 6: Sorry, it's very good. Thank you. So this is the
infamous fire pit. This is this is this is it.
This is it, This is it.
Speaker 3: This is where we have all of our most intense
and fun conversations. We've been coming here for years, I think,
I think, Oh, isn't this also where you got the
biggest splinter we've ever seen. You were limping for a
week after we took it.
Speaker 6: Out there. It was, you know, di shi of a
tubah for practically really, you were.
Speaker 3: Really brave about it.
Speaker 8: I don't know about that brave.
Speaker 6: I don't remember being brave.
Speaker 7: I remember well being afraid that I was going to
get in trouble for getting a splinter.
Speaker 8: Then don't worry. Remember when I yanked it out and
you yelped like a little girl.
Speaker 6: I don't quite remember yelping like a little.
Speaker 7: Girl, but maybe maybe maybe a manly cry of thanks
or something like that manly cry.
Speaker 6: Of thanks, grunt.
Speaker 8: I think it went more like.
Speaker 6: No, I've heard that one before that I don't know
like that, it would at least be on key whatever,
you know. And then it's like sometimes there's there's squirt,
you know, squirters, and like then you're surprised with the blood.
I didn't squirt, not you, the pig. Oh the pig.
Speaker 5: Oh good lord, I'm gonna need to be one blessed
for this conversation.
Speaker 7: There's something you should know about our family that were
just not squirters, bar recard. Well, I mean, our blood
doesn't just out all over the place. We you know,
we kept control of our bodies.
Speaker 6: Man, Okay, I believe it I was talking about the
pigs and like the cows, and like when it doesn't matter,
it doesn't matter anymore. I have another drink. That's good.
Speaker 8: Oh, Denny, do you think you'll join the family business.
Speaker 6: Oh, I don't know. Maybe. I mean, I've been having
such a fun time at the butcher shop, and I've
been learning so much, and I feel at ease there,
and i've been I haven't really felt at ease anywhere.
Speaker 7: But you're doing a real good job. And knowing this
boy showed up there the first day. He didn't know
the difference between the side of beef and the side
of a bond. But right now he sliced it up
like a surgeon.
Speaker 6: I have a fifty to fifty shot of getting it right.
Speaker 3: Oh that's well, I'm looking at him and looking proud.
Speaker 6: Anyway, it's going to be a big loss.
Speaker 3: What's going to be a good loss.
Speaker 6: When he goes away?
Speaker 1: Right?
Speaker 6: Well, at the butcher shop, you know, maybe other places too.
Speaker 8: Oh, don't worry, he won't be away for long.
Speaker 3: Hopefully it's not that long this time. No one knows
how long the war's going to be. But Danny, I
didn't tell you this, but father spoke to me and
said that with you joining the family at all, he
might be interested in leaving us.
Speaker 8: One of the businesses.
Speaker 3: So if you like the butcher shop, I don't think
Uncle Ivan really has anyone to take over it. So
if you'd like, I think we could or you could, but.
Speaker 6: That that I mean, I'm not gonna say no, But
that seemed like a lot of pressure. Like what if
we mess it up?
Speaker 3: Well, you might make some mistakes. I mean, everyone makes mistakes,
but that's the nice thing about having everyone around. There's
always someone to step in and help, and it'll give
us something for the future. But like, won't won't get mad,
get mad about what.
Speaker 6: Like if we mess things up too bad and then
just like pasted us away or something.
Speaker 3: Oh no, that would never happened.
Speaker 7: The things that I've done growing up, and I'm still
stuck with this family. You ain't getting cast out from
missing up a little meat here and there.
Speaker 6: Don't worry about it, okay, right, all right? Yeah, sure,
why not? You know?
Speaker 7: There was one time I loved this bonfire here so
much that I tried to set it in other places
that wasn't here, and I got I did a lot
of damage and I got in a lot of trouble.
So if we can get past that and I'm still around,
I think you don't got nothing to.
Speaker 6: Worry about there at the store. Yeah, okay, yeah, I mean,
I don't know why I am so worried all of
a sudden. It's just everything, And it just suddenly felt
like it was all just you know, just like at
least like I'm shaking, like an invisible ball or something,
just like, ah, that's all.
Speaker 3: I lift up his hand where our fingers are intertwined,
and I kiss the back of his hand. It's okay, love,
everything will be okay. As long as we're together, we'll
figure it out.
Speaker 6: Yeah, and we'll figure it out. We'll figure it out
right here, except when I'm over there.
Speaker 5: Hey, listen, I hear. It's not so bad. It's you
don't think of it as a European vacation.
Speaker 8: That's right.
Speaker 3: You can see the sights and then come back and
tell me all about it. Maybe we can go back
once you're once the more's done and we can see
it together.
Speaker 8: They say it's going to end by Christmas.
Speaker 6: Yeah, vacation before Christmas with just lots of guns and
bullets and yelling, I'm.
Speaker 7: Going to be over there at some point too, you know,
maybe soon enough, I'll be over there. We'd be together,
look out for each other then, and.
Speaker 5: I hear it's mostly just, you know, placements and lovely Paris,
lovely places like France. You burn all kinds of treats
down for your your lovely girl here. Probably won't even
see any any combat, no fighting at all.
Speaker 6: No, would you get to walk around who knows, maybe
maybe Paris or I don't.
Speaker 5: Know, but think about it now, Danny, you go to
Paris and you find the most beautiful places, and then
when you're back your honeymoon, the two of you can
go back and you can show her all the best
places you've been.
Speaker 3: Oh yes, I'd like that.
Speaker 6: My face is as if I hadn't even considered such
a thing. Yeah. Yeah, And then they'll know me by then,
and then they'll walk in and then they'll say, Danny,
good to see you, and they'll give me, I don't know,
like firm handshakes or something.
Speaker 8: There's an American handsome soldier. Yeah, her along back saved exactly.
Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, hero, So.
Speaker 5: Bunny, you plan on taking over the business eventually when
Danny comes back. Is that your your plan?
Speaker 3: Well, I'm not really sure, because see Grandma has been
talking to me about possibly taking over her her midwife business.
I mean, she's getting old and there isn't really want
to take over for her.
Speaker 8: But honestly, I like kids.
Speaker 3: I want kids of my own. Honestly, I want a
lot of them if we can, if it works out
that way. But I don't know. I've always really enjoyed
hearing about your time working with books, and I was thinking,
what if we opened a bookstore together?
Speaker 8: What like, what are you talking about right now? You're
talking about that right now?
Speaker 3: I imagine it aisles and aisles of books and those
funny little ladders that slide along the walls, and we
can stay there all day and read books and recommend
them and talk to people who come in looking for
gifts and a story that they love. And I just
I think it'd be really nice. You could use all
of your all the things you learned at your current
job at the library to you know, show me how
to do it the right way, and we could we
could have it together.
Speaker 8: By uh pat Danny on the hand, her girls break
in my heart and the best way yet again.
Speaker 6: Yeah, she does that. I mean, what are you talking about?
Speaker 8: Just the dream? Yeah, this most wonderful idea. I'm definitely in.
If that's something you want to do.
Speaker 5: You know, I'll always support you and if you change
your mind, of course, But you know, I'd love nothing
more than to have a books with you and your
little ones can run around. We can have a whole
section just for kids' stories.
Speaker 3: That would be so nice. We could have readings.
Speaker 6: Yes, I could read to them. I'll be covered in blood, though,
what are you talking about. Well, I'd be working at
the butcher shop and I would take my lunch breaks
and then I would go read to the kids. But
then I would be covered in blood.
Speaker 5: I mean I assume you know, change your shirder to
take a shower or something in between.
Speaker 6: Well, no, it would be my lunch break. That would
just be dirty and twice the amount of shirts, and
then that would be twice the amount of laundry.
Speaker 8: Well, don't worry, this one's great at laundry.
Speaker 6: And if you're in charge, you could just pay you
to people to get dirty for you.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 6: Our our uncle hasn't been bloody in like two three years.
Speaker 3: That's what happens when you're the boss.
Speaker 6: Well bo would be the boss.
Speaker 8: Oh would Bow be the boss of the sure?
Speaker 6: No, you two would be running the butcher shop. No, no,
you've been there longer. No, I mean, what do you
think she just said? I can go do something else,
like what.
Speaker 7: A couple of friends of mine were talking about getting
a boat together and then starting to you know, doing
a little fishing kind of almost butchering, but just this
part before it.
Speaker 8: Then I'm sure you make a lot in crawfish.
Speaker 7: Yeah, all kinds of stuff and catch out there. You know,
we were talking about our little slogan. Then you know,
if it's in the water, we'll put it on your plate.
There needs to be a lot catchy than that.
Speaker 8: But I like the sentiment that might like to workshop
that one.
Speaker 6: If it's in the water, it'll be on your plate. Yeah, No,
I don't.
Speaker 8: Know, No, no, I don't think so if.
Speaker 6: It swims in the sea in your stomach, it.
Speaker 3: Will be that's better.
Speaker 6: I don't know. It sounds a little fancy in your stomach.
It will be.
Speaker 8: In your belly. Perhaps in your belly it'll be.
Speaker 11: It's almost like an old English Sorry didn't mean to interrupt.
Oh hi, what's what's happening here? I see there's like
a big party. You know, you're locked down here by
a bonfire? Is there something more celebrating?
Speaker 8: Yes?
Speaker 3: In fact, myself and Danny here we're engaged. It was
an engagement party.
Speaker 11: An engagement party. That's exciting. On which one of you is? Danny?
That's me, Nice to meet you, Doyle. Em I hold
out my hand for you.
Speaker 6: That's an interesting name. I shake it, had I. How
do you? How do you spell? How do you spell that?
If you don't mind me asking?
Speaker 11: M O N sometimes E A m O N.
Speaker 6: Which one is it? M hm?
Speaker 11: Well, I mean it depends on I guess who you ask.
But for me, it's are you.
Speaker 6: Going to write my letter? What do you? What does
it matter to you?
Speaker 5: Well?
Speaker 6: It just helps me. When I meet someone new and
they have an interesting name, it helps me to spell
it so I can visualize the spelling, and then I
usually don't forget. No, it's just a technique I've picked
up over many cities and towns and such.
Speaker 8: Poor poor drink for a good friend. You're all the
way from.
Speaker 11: Oh no, no, no, I don't mean to intrude. I
just you know, there was a party.
Speaker 7: Well it's a little too late for that.
Speaker 11: Will I will just just one, just one, though, I
don't want to be to.
Speaker 6: Before I gave you this drink. My name's BeO God.
Speaker 11: And to me too, and I absolutely shake it.
Speaker 8: I'm Florence Ritchette. Lovely to meet you.
Speaker 6: I squeeze it.
Speaker 7: I squeeze it a little bit, just to let this
guy know.
Speaker 6: I'm pretty big and I'm pretty strong, and I don't
know who you are.
Speaker 11: Right, it's a very gentle, gentle shake as non threatened
as I could possibly make it.
Speaker 3: Yes, and no, I'm I'm Rina d VOI asked me too.
Speaker 11: Nice to meet you too. That's great. And so how
long have you two known each other? Oh?
Speaker 3: I look at him. About a year and a half now,
maybe a year.
Speaker 11: Oh that's nice. And how how did you meet?
Speaker 3: Do you tell the story?
Speaker 6: You tell it? You tell it? Tell you.
Speaker 11: What if you tell it?
Speaker 6: Okay, all right, well Rina will tell you something different.
But I first saw her when she was walking away
from the butcher shop. I had already been working there
for maybe like a month or two, and I had
just walked in, and she had just walked out, and
she she walked out the door, and the way that
the sunlight just hit her hair, and then she kind
of just like flicked back to look at to look
at bow over here, and I just I knew right
then and there that she was gonna I was gonna
marry her. But she didn't meet me for another couple
of months, really, because every time she would walk in,
I would get flustered and I would just I would
go find something to do, like mop up what Beauregard
doesn't like to mop or cut something, or learn something
new about the meats lean and all that.
Speaker 11: Stuff that's matter too. They say, you know, love it
first sight?
Speaker 6: Its I believe, do you? Yeah?
Speaker 3: I mean it was the case for us. Nice squeeze
his hand again and look at him smiling.
Speaker 11: And what about you? What's the different story on your end?
Was it not loved first sight for you?
Speaker 3: Well? It it was, or at least I realized later it
was because you know, as he said, every time I
would come to the shop, which I did pretty oftens,
I you know, run errands for my family and everything.
Every time I came to the shop, he would see me.
It looked like he saw a ghost, and then duck
into the back or busy himself with something, and I
thought it was peculiar but endearing, and finally I marched
up to him one day and said, hello, my name
is Rena, and nice to meet you. What's your name?
And he told me Danny and we talked about I
forget what it was. It was a silly conversation, but
I just liked the way that he talked and the
way his face moved and the way he smiled kind
of lopsidedly, and so every time I stopped by, we
just talked a little more and a little more, until
it just turned into this.
Speaker 11: That's beautiful. Cheers to that. Hey, cheers, cheers, cheers And
what about you too? How long have you two been together?
Speaker 8: Sorry? What are you the champagne?
Speaker 11: Did I just put my foot on? Friends?
Speaker 6: Oh?
Speaker 11: So sorry, so sorry, so sorry.
Speaker 8: Good friends? You know what s he's her brother and
you know I'm the best friend.
Speaker 11: So just around right right?
Speaker 8: Why did something make you think that.
Speaker 7: Renny, my sister here make tracks all the best people
around her.
Speaker 3: That's right, Florence is the best friend I've ever I've
ever had and ever could have.
Speaker 8: Oh goodness, gonna make me blush.
Speaker 11: It seems like you're already are miss.
Speaker 8: You can tell even with the fire.
Speaker 11: Hard to miss.
Speaker 6: What brings you around here? What do you wander in
the beach at night? You lost? No, no, no, not
at all.
Speaker 11: I just I heard the music and I saw the fire,
and I thought i'd walk down and see what what
all the fuss was about.
Speaker 6: You've got You've gotta be careful out that. They say.
There's all kinds of scary things out there in the night.
Speaker 11: Oh like what like fish with legs and arms who
dance and sing. Selky, they seduce you and bring you
into the water.
Speaker 8: I'm sorry, now.
Speaker 11: That's that's what they say. You know, they call them selki.
Speaker 8: They look like a fairy story.
Speaker 11: A fairy story is that's a strong word where I'm from.
Don't don't, don't be thrown around that word. But it
is a story. No, it's all right. It's just they
they they're real, don't.
Speaker 7: You should talk to our grandmother. Then grandma would say
the same kind of things as you talk about the
and de Luton and de.
Speaker 3: Well, that's right, you were raised on those stories.
Speaker 11: Well, selki or like seal like women. They are like sirens,
you know, out in the in the water, and I'll
call to you and talk to you and and then
they seduce you and drown you. Crazy stuff.
Speaker 6: I think I met her last summer.
Speaker 11: Well, anyway, I just wanted to I just wanted to
say hello and pop my head in and see what
all of us was about. And I don't want to
interrupt your celebration, but sincereus, congratulations to you both.
Speaker 3: Thank you, thank you so much, thank you.
Speaker 11: And thanks for the bring. I stand up and I
set the glass down on a log and I walk up.
Speaker 8: Good well, goodness me.
Speaker 6: You set him up. You all set him up for that,
right with the silky and like the singing and the
had What are.
Speaker 8: You talking about, Danny though?
Speaker 11: This thing?
Speaker 8: I ever met that man before in my life?
Speaker 6: Very sure? This is a classic set on earth?
Speaker 8: Was he talking about you and me?
Speaker 4: Bo?
Speaker 8: Wasn't that ridiculous? Wasn't that absolutely the craziest thing you've
ever heard?
Speaker 7: I don't think it's crazier things have happened, but yeah,
pretty funny.
Speaker 6: Pretty funny, he means, it's not really funny at all.
Speaker 7: And what do you think somebody who sounded like that
doing around here?
Speaker 6: Maybe they're lost?
Speaker 7: But he didn't act like somebody who was lost didn't
ask to know how, He didn't have to say which.
Speaker 6: Way do I go? Can you tell me the quickest
way to island from here?
Speaker 1: Maybe you?
Speaker 8: Ever it was, oh, go ahead of him, go ahead?
Speaker 11: Funny.
Speaker 3: I just I don't know. Did he seem like a fisherman.
Maybe he came in on on a ship.
Speaker 7: Sometimes fishy, But I don't think that means he's a fisherman.
Speaker 6: I don't know.
Speaker 8: Flap a bow on the arm? Is that our fish
with legs?
Speaker 6: It's so solid.
Speaker 8: With your arms?
Speaker 7: Yeah, yes, he's a big he's a big, strong country butcher.
Speaker 8: That fish.
Speaker 6: Let me roll play my fantasy.
Speaker 7: Okay, fantasy, Okay.
Speaker 6: I'm looking at the glass that he set down. How
much did he drink?
Speaker 11: Not a drop.
Speaker 6: I don't think he's a fisherman. All of the fishermen
that I've met along the way, they finished their drinks
and I point, Oh, maybe I get it. Maybe he's
then they usually drink yours and then mine, and then
hers and then hers, and then you just have a
sleeping fisherman. I think he's a priest or something. Then
you don't drink.
Speaker 7: He's got an Irish accent, probably just a Catholic priest,
although he didn't even he didn't bless you or try
to get us to go to church or nothing, so
maybe he ain't.
Speaker 6: Well, it's off hours.
Speaker 8: All of you are too paranoid.
Speaker 6: Did they have a clock out the Catholic prieste? Surely
they must.
Speaker 8: Well, I hope not. What if I need to give
confession late at night?
Speaker 6: I'm looking very intently at the fire, trying to figure
this out.
Speaker 11: I imagine that as she took that sip, she was
staring directly at bow, like, what if do fast.
Speaker 8: Late at night?
Speaker 6: Looking up the beach to see where this guy went?
Speaker 5: Absolutely crazy that you just caught my actual performance.
Speaker 9: Just so.
Speaker 6: Thank you for noticing what I'm actually doing.
Speaker 8: Yeah, thank you. You know me so well.
Speaker 11: Sorry you said you were looking up the beach to
see if where this guy.
Speaker 6: Just to see like in the direction where he went.
Speaker 11: Yeah, yeah, he went kind of up the hill where
the beach kind of like crests to where the road
would meet and there's kind of a tree line there,
and he went up kind of in that direction.
Speaker 7: Question, does he just walk until I can't see him anymore?
Does he stop and turn around? It he's standing like.
Speaker 11: I don't know if you can see because it's dark,
you can see a silhouette, So it's possible he's waiting
at the road for somebody, or maybe he's hitchhiking, maybe
something like that. But but he is there up on
the tree line. You know, he's not like again, I
don't think you'd be able to tell if he was
looking in your direction.
Speaker 7: But I would think I would assume he's just waiting
for a ride or he's like he's probably summing his
way around him.
Speaker 8: Yeah, I do say this. The champagne. Really there's something different?
Is it the bubbles?
Speaker 3: I think it's quite tasty. But you're right, you're you're
you're pretty flush. Flow. Are you feeling all right?
Speaker 5: Oh? Swarm you know the fire and lovely night and.
Speaker 8: No, just me great.
Speaker 3: I think it's quite breezy personally, Yeah.
Speaker 6: Nice breeze out here. Always been.
Speaker 7: The bubbles though. You can definitely feel them when they
go there. It goes in your nose and tickles up
to your brain.
Speaker 8: You know what. I think I have to take a
little ladies room break. Excuse me, gentlemen.
Speaker 12: Uh.
Speaker 5: I get up from the fire and I kind of
like stumble off towards a tree line to you know,
take a good old.
Speaker 8: Ladies pee. In the nineteen twenties, in the middle of nowhere.
Speaker 3: We happen away for a bit. Are we ready to
head back? I look at Danny. Do you feel like
you got a bit of a breather ready to face
the family again?
Speaker 6: I mean, I don't know if I'll ever be fully ready,
but I feel a bit charged. I guess sure.
Speaker 7: Yeah, Well why do I do this? Why don't I
go back there and see how many people are missing you?
Speaker 6: Because you're going to.
Speaker 7: Go back there and then the time you leave, there's
going to be people all around, so you've got to
enjoy a little bit of time to get it right.
Speaker 3: Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 6: Sure you just remember.
Speaker 7: And I look at Danny. I said, you don't get
to have the honeymoon until you get married. And it
doesn't matter that a priest just came by and said
he was happy for you.
Speaker 6: You have to go through roll seah. Oh come on,
that's like close enough, and then we could just do
that stone face like I'm just staring at him. Then
when he jokes about about that, oh right, yeah, I
guess that's not funny. It's you're right, You're right, absolutely,
ghost go see and then I'll have a couple minutes.
Speaker 7: I guess you can get a lot of damage done
in a couple of minutes, trust me, now, good man.
I pat him on the shoulder, and then I said,
we'll see you back there soon, Rennie, you still owe
me a dance?
Speaker 6: And then I just go back to the party.
Speaker 5: Oh so not the direction that I just went in,
just double checking. Oh, you're can't hear you?
Speaker 11: We all need to know what you just said.
Speaker 6: You know what I was. I already walked away. It's
a mystery.
Speaker 7: I said, I'm not going to go follow you when
you said you were going to pee. Yeah, all right,
I'm into this strange thing flow. Maybe in eighty years
people will be more open, but right now, I keep
it a sec.
Speaker 6: Okay, I'm going to and now walk back to the party.
Speaker 3: How are you doing with all this? I'm I know,
I know, I have a big family and it's probably
a bit overwhelming, but honestly, they like you, and I'm
really happy for us, and I hope you're happy too.
Speaker 9: I of course I'm happy.
Speaker 6: I'm very happy. It's just you don't realize certain things
until they're happening, and then all of a sudden and
a smile forms on my face. I have this big family,
and I don't have any experience with much of any family.
Had some good friends along the way, and I couldn't
even tell you their names anymore or where they lived.
But I don't know if I've ever told you this,
but this is the longest I've ever stayed in one place.
Speaker 3: I don't think you did. I mean, I know you've
moved around a lot in your life.
Speaker 10: But.
Speaker 6: Yeah, it's just every every place just gets so overwhelming
and it it's just so many expectations and so many people,
and they get to know you, and then they have
an idea of you, and then it's just if you
fail that idea, you don't live up to it, then
you're letting all of them down. And it's just easier
to just oh, start new. But I want you to know.
And I grab her hand with both of my hands,
and I look her right in the eyes, tears forming.
I don't feel that scene fear fear. I feel anxious
and nervous, but in a different way. I don't want
to let your family down and with them, if I leave,
that's exactly what I'll be doing. And that's what makes
going to war so home scary. We joke like, yeah, sure,
what if you know you're coming back? And then we'll
have seventeen children, and then they'll man all of the
shops and and and you know, I'll read in butcher
stained clothings to the kids. But there's a very real
risk that I I don't come back.
Speaker 8: But you will.
Speaker 3: I can feel it. You'll come back, and we'll finally
be married, and we'll settle into this life filled with
love and family, and we can move into a home
together and turn it into what we want, place where
will grow old and wrinkly. And we'll fight about the
color of to paint the walls, and what kind of
mailbox we should get, and what we do on our sundays.
And I'll read to you at night, and we'll sit
on the porch together and watch the rain.
Speaker 6: And you'll play with my hair or if I.
Speaker 3: Have hair, yes, I'll play with whatever hair you have
on your head.
Speaker 6: That sounds great, And and I'll go and oh, jeez,
what would I do. I will make sure that we
always have the best cuts of meat on the dinner table,
and and and and and our our kids will know
us and our stories, and I'll read to them every night,
right before you to me. And I'll also we'll get
ice cream and and we'll go to we'll go to
I don't know the park and go to the beach,
and then we'll sit by the beach and we'll dig
our our toes in the sand and we'll watch them play,
and we will listen to them laugh and then scream
at each other, and they'll probably push each other and
pull each other's hair and it'll look them crying. It'll
be worth it.
Speaker 3: But when I did growing up exactly. Yeah, But then
he'll grow up. And then soon enough they'll be sitting
here around the fire because one of them is engaged
and the other one is hopping a champagne bottle to
help celebrate, and we'll be up there with the music,
surrounded by family, excited to see their story, their story
and their journey start.
Speaker 6: Yeah. And I take my hand and I start twisting
your hair in my finger, and then I once it's
completely covered, I'm playing with it a little bit, and
their hair will whiten as mine. And then I let
it go, and I take your head in my hand
and that will be the rest of our lives, in
their lives, and a smile forms across my face. I
can see it so clearly. My running is over. You. You're
my anchor, my rock, and every day I want you
to know. I look at the stars and I thank
them for bringing my trail to your city.
Speaker 3: I left up a hand and cradle his cheek, and
I look at him my tears, my eyes a little teary,
and a smile, smile so full of love and happiness.
You'll always have a home with me, a home.
Speaker 6: Yes, I almost forgot. I'm very excited all of a sudden,
and like I'm taking like a little bit. I put
down a deposit I've been saving for a while. I
put down a deposit for a place over over by
by a water.
Speaker 3: Ah, you did.
Speaker 6: I did. Yeah. Oh, I wasn't supposed to tell you.
Speaker 3: You told me. Tell me more. What do you mean?
Speaker 6: Well, it's it's not much, but it'll it'll get us situated,
you know it. It has a pretty good view, I think,
but it'll it'll be like where we start, and then
if we feel the need, we can go somewhere else.
We can expand we can stay in the city for sure,
we can say here, but I just want a place
that we can call our own, even if it's just
for a year or two.
Speaker 3: I would love that. I also, I don't think I
would want to move from the city, because I mean, sure,
it's where I grew up and where my family is,
but it's also where I met you. I don't think
I would ever want to leave that.
Speaker 6: I can't imagine a world where we don't live here.
Speaker 11: Good.
Speaker 3: I squeeze his hand because I can't either.
Speaker 6: I'm smiling from a year to year. It's just I'm
I look at her. I used to dream of having
conversations like this, and I would read them in books,
and I but watch others have them. Sometimes it's not
like a weird like I wasn't like being nosy. I
just walked past them.
Speaker 3: But I know what you mean.
Speaker 6: I never thought I would be the one having these
conversations one day, and I just I love it, and
I love you.
Speaker 3: I love you too. I can't wait to marry you
when you get back.
Speaker 6: I can't wait to marry you and I get back
as well. And then I look up to the stars
and I shout see that she said she loves me. Too,
I told you, And we have our whole world ahead
of us. And I spin around a little bit and
twirl and I stop and I look at you.
Speaker 3: I'm grinning and laughing.
Speaker 6: And I'm looking at you through the gentle flames of
the bonfire, and the light hits your face in just
such a way that nearly mimics the first time I
saw you. I can almost hear the butcher's bell as
the door closed behind you, talking with you.
Speaker 9: That just.
Speaker 6: You, everything that is you right now in this moment.
I wish more than anything that you could see you
how I'm seeing you right now. Oh, I shouldn't have
said that out loud. That sounds horrible.
Speaker 3: I stand up and take his hand and I'm laughing. Well,
don't get sick of looking at me, because you're going
to be looking at this face for the next sixty
years of your life.
Speaker 11: Okay.
Speaker 6: I could never get sick of looking at your face.
And you can notice my eyes just scanning every inch
of your face and it stops for a moment right
at your mouth. Could I get sick of your face?
When the way you sleep is just truly a sight
to behold? How could I get sick of your face
when you look at me like that right now, you
better get not get sick of my face, and I
childishly cross my arms.
Speaker 3: I face him and look up at him. Well, sounds
to me like we're making a promise, then, yes.
Speaker 6: One right now in front of the weird priest guy,
and also your friend who's peeing in a bush, and
also your brother who I'm pretty sure is just listening
in right now, and I'm looking around. Yeah, I mean,
mm hmm. Anyway, you always know how to calm me down.
And I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I get all worked
up sometimes, and I know that's not the easiest to
deal with. But and I I can't promise that that's
going to change anytime soon or at all. But but
I can promise you is that I will love you
until the day I die. And I know I will
never meet anyone we'll be able to get me to this.
My eyes glance around looking for the word is comfortable.
I know I've looked.
Speaker 3: And that my love is two promises.
Speaker 6: As you are counting.
Speaker 3: Of course I'm counting. If I'm going to spend the
rest of my life with you, i'd have to stay
on top of our agreements and promises.
Speaker 6: Oh no, but I haven't been counting your promises or agreements.
Oh Jew, I start now. I might need to a
notebook or pen.
Speaker 2: And paper or Danny, Danny, Oh you're kidding.
Speaker 3: I don't see anything else. But I just look at him, smiling,
and I lift up on my lift up on my
tiptoes and lean in and softly kiss him.
Speaker 6: I kiss her back.
Speaker 3: As head back.
Speaker 6: Okay, I think I'm ready. Does it really take bow
only two minutes?
Speaker 3: Two minutes to do?
Speaker 6: What way the hell of rinne?
Speaker 8: Go?
Speaker 9: Oh?
Speaker 6: There you are?
Speaker 3: Yes, Yes, I'm here. Sorry, all right?
Speaker 7: So I mean then there's a lot to do here.
What do you want to do? Do you want to
see the freaks? You know I'm no good at the games.
I already lost a few of them. I don't feel
like embarrassing myself in front of the you two again.
Speaker 5: Well, there's plenty to eat if you're still hungry, always hungry.
Speaker 8: Hmmm, I give I give for Anny a look.
Speaker 3: Well there's I've heard really good things the Carnival's been
here for a couple of days, and I've heard really
good things about the funnel case. So maybe we can
have some of that Oh that ride, That one looks scary, But.
Speaker 7: I mean the thing that just throws you around in
a circle as hard as it can, over and over again.
Speaker 8: Oh, twist my arm. I guess we'll go. Come on,
I can't believe your you know, I hate them neither.
Speaker 7: You want to go see this freak show over here?
They said they got a snake a snake lady.
Speaker 8: Sneak lady, what do you mean like with scales and stuff?
We can't hear you speak up right, darling?
Speaker 7: Now I might sorry about that. My clean feet shut
off like three times so far. Sorry, no, yeah, but
it back now I just have to refresh. Yeah, and
other creepy things the free show.
Speaker 8: So lady that the snake lady does she have like
a weird skin or something.
Speaker 7: I don't know the drawn on the wall, it looks
like she's got the body of a lady and the
end of the body of a snake.
Speaker 8: Wait, that's really weird, you guys.
Speaker 5: Do you both remember when we were at the bonfire
that man came up and told us about selkies swam
on the water.
Speaker 8: Well, that's weirdest thing.
Speaker 6: That was.
Speaker 3: That was strange last year, that's right? Uh, what did
he say about it? It was it was not women
who turned into snakes. It was a different kind of animal.
Speaker 6: They slippery, and that they drown you.
Speaker 3: That's right. No, it was a seal. It was a seal.
Speaker 8: Oh right, you think.
Speaker 7: I don't know that sounds. Daddy used to say that
Mammy was the same way with him anyway, that mamma.
Speaker 6: Was the same way. You gotta be careful.
Speaker 7: She seduced me in the one day, she's gonna kill me. Well, really,
what what a lot of people here tonight?
Speaker 6: Good to see it.
Speaker 7: There's still some people around the business been a little
slow lately, with a lot of the boys gone.
Speaker 3: Yes, I I got a letter from Danny today. Actually today.
Speaker 8: I grab your hands and I hold them tightly.
Speaker 6: That's good news, Dan.
Speaker 3: Well, I don't know if it is good news or not.
I I've been I've been having bad dreams recently, and
I'm just really worried that he's not going to come back.
And I actually, I like reach into my pocket and
I pull out the letter unopened, and I don't know
if I can bring myself to read this. Well, can
you read it?
Speaker 10: Please?
Speaker 8: Please?
Speaker 11: Oh?
Speaker 8: Of course? But are you are you sure.
Speaker 3: Well, I mean, stop if it gets you know, intimate
or whatever.
Speaker 8: But I just started darling.
Speaker 7: I'm please, but keep it to yourself then, but tell
me to go on to Fels sometime.
Speaker 8: All right, all right, I.
Speaker 7: Go, and I put my arm around Rinnie while we
listen to this.
Speaker 3: I wrap my arm around real so yeah, lean my
head against his arm, very.
Speaker 6: Solid, big arm.
Speaker 9: Thank you.
Speaker 6: There's plenty of room for at least two more people.
Speaker 8: I open up the letter.
Speaker 5: I'm very gentle with opening it up, you know, like
I don't tear through the envelope or anything.
Speaker 8: I try to keep it nice. Unfold it. My dearest Rinnie.
Remember that time I told you about the stars. Well,
they're real different here.
Speaker 5: I look up at them every night, and I hope
they're still the ones you're looking at. Doesn't feel like
the same world, to be honest. Things are a little
bit different here than we all thought they'd be. I
wish I could tell you more about it, but I
wouldn't be there to hold you up. It's hard to
talk about, and you deserve good things, and you're one
letter from me every couple of months. The fighting's hard,
but I'm doing all right. Lost a couple friends. They
are good ones. I wish you would have known them.
I told them all about you, so in a way
they knew you. That gives me comfort. Oh what am
I doing? Put my head in my hands, telling my
love about all these dark sort of things. They must
be the same stars. I pray to them every night.
Think about your beautiful face, your beautiful mouth.
Speaker 8: Oh, starting to get saucy. Maybe hold on beautiful. Okay, No,
it's fine. Soon I'll hopefully be there.
Speaker 5: I do so hope you haven't forgot about me, but
I haven't forgotten a second of you. Please keep writing
your letters. They take a while to get back to me,
but I keep them in my breast pocket. I think
they're giving me strength and protection. Somehow I'm ramblin'. It's
just so many things I wish I could tell yo
that I can't talk about. But hopefully one day soon
I'll be able to hold you and say it all
in Earnest, don't worry about me too much, and love
to the family.
Speaker 3: Ever.
Speaker 8: Your's your Danny.
Speaker 3: I bury my head in a bow's chest for a second.
Speaker 6: Give her a big squeeze. He's doing all right.
Speaker 3: Yes, I'm relieved to hear that. It's Ah, this is
just a lot harder than I thought it was going
to begin. I think I'm trying. I'm starting to go
mad with the waiting. But he sounds like he's doing
all right. Right.
Speaker 7: Yeah, he's been over there for a while too. He
figured out how to keep himself alive.
Speaker 6: Yeah, of course he's You know, a lot of.
Speaker 7: A lot of boys around here didn't come back, or
they did come back a little early, and that wasn't
a good thing.
Speaker 6: But he's still there, he's still writing.
Speaker 8: He's a hero, darling, He's a hero.
Speaker 7: He's good because you know, I got to go over
there soon too, and he's gonna, you know, show me
the rop.
Speaker 6: Just make sure I know how to too.
Speaker 3: You're right, You're right, You're right. Uh, it'll all work out.
He'll come home and it'll be just like it was before,
and we'll finally get married and and we can just
live the rest of our days happy together and with you,
you both in our life, Dann.
Speaker 6: A few of them nieces and nephews too, what would
I mind, damn like to teach them the fish.
Speaker 5: I'm casting like painful glances at Oh.
Speaker 6: I'm at this point I'm actually noticing them.
Speaker 3: I look between them and get kind of like a
annoying expression and go, you know what, you both go ahead,
I will, I'll catch up.
Speaker 6: She's gonna be.
Speaker 3: I just I just want to I'll go get a drink.
Speaker 7: And how about this? How about this? Why don't you
go over to it? In funnel cakes? At you get
enough for all of us? I never had one. I mean,
I don't know.
Speaker 6: You don't really need.
Speaker 7: How many cakes you need for three people? But and
uh flow and I are gonna get on that, Ferrice.
We we'll go around one or two times and come
back and check up on you.
Speaker 3: Okay, that sounds like a plan.
Speaker 5: I hand the letter back to you, and I give
you a kiss on the cheek and the squeeze on
the shoulder.
Speaker 8: Love you very much, my brave girl.
Speaker 3: I take her hand and pull her in and whisper
in her ear. You know you can be brave too, right,
Sometimes he needs to be told how you feel.
Speaker 5: I clear my throat and I tried to swallow a smile,
and then I look to bow. Well how about them,
ferris real wheels? And then I sling my arm through
your arm.
Speaker 7: I was going to say, oh, I actually hold my arm.
I come on this flow, let's do a little loop
de loop I give.
Speaker 5: I give like a little quick glance back over my shoulder.
Speaker 7: And then as we're walking away, I said, did you
skip anything in that letter?
Speaker 8: Of course I did.
Speaker 6: Also, I don't want to know. I don't want to know. Yeah,
she needs to be left alone with that.
Speaker 7: I almost covered her ears, and I think we walk
off towards the ferris wheel.
Speaker 11: Yeah.
Speaker 3: I wonder over to the funnel cake stall and I'm
looking at the menu and the person probably making them
behind the counter, and just.
Speaker 11: Excuse me, miss sorry, Yes, oh, this is really really odd.
But there's a fella that asked me to come and
tell you that he's waiting for you over there by
the tree line. And I know that's weird, but he
said the name Danny would mean something to you.
Speaker 3: My mouth drops open and my brows pulled together, and
I look confused and stunned. And I'm sorry, you said,
what Danny is here?
Speaker 11: Okay, because I was a little concerned at first. You know,
a fella asked me to lure a woman away, but
he said Danny would mean something to you. But if
it's all the same to you.
Speaker 3: I'd like to escort you over there, right just uh
and I look over my shoulder in the direction that
Bow and Flow went. I uh no, no, yes, of course.
Oh my, if Danny's here, then oh he must not
have been able to fit into the letter. Maybe he
say he.
Speaker 11: Wanted to surprise you, but I you know, I I
didn't really feel comfortable just dragging you over there all alone.
You have other people here.
Speaker 3: Maybe I should, oh I do, but no, no, it's fine, uh,
very very kind of you. Yes, where where did he say?
He was?
Speaker 11: Right over there? Bye bye by the tree line there.
And if it's all the same to you, miss up,
I'll let's goort you over there first. And once I
know that it's okay, i'll uh, I'll go and get
who is it that you need?
Speaker 3: Uh my my brother Bow and my my best friend Flow?
Speaker 6: All right?
Speaker 11: And and where are they?
Speaker 3: They went in that direction? I think they said something
about the Ferris wheel.
Speaker 11: All right, okay, I can do that. What do they
look like?
Speaker 3: Let's see Bo is wearing a cap and Flow is
wearing a mint green top.
Speaker 11: Right, okay, I'll ask for Bow and Flow. That's adorable.
Speaker 3: Really, yes, I really think they could be right.
Speaker 11: So who's this Danny fellah.
Speaker 3: My fiance actually, And what's really strange? As we were
just reading a letter from him. You see, he went
away to war and I've been eagerly waiting for his return.
Speaker 11: Wow, that is quite the surprising, isn't it.
Speaker 3: Yes, it's a bit unexpected too, if this are well,
how did how did he look? By the way, what
did he look like?
Speaker 11: Very much in love and very nervous?
Speaker 3: Kah, any kind of like concern that may have been
creeping into my face eased with that comment. Oh that's Oh,
that's a relief. That's that's great to hear.
Speaker 11: Stumbling through his words a little bit nervous, fella.
Speaker 3: I see, that's that's him. That's my Danny, well sharloye
uh sure. And I don't take his arm or anything,
but I do go in that same direction.
Speaker 11: And I lead you off.
Speaker 3: There's murmuring in the distance throughout the building. As I
walk through it, I slip by the nurses station where
a woman in scrubs is pouring over a computer and charts.
She doesn't see me, but then why would she, Because
I can slip by unnoticed when I really want to
I go down the hallway, and I've look at the
numbers next to each room until I find the one
that I'm looking for. I hesitate at the doorway and
I hear a rustling coming from inside. After a few moments,
I take a step through the door and I look
at the bed.
Speaker 9: I don't need I don't I don't need anything, Nurse.
I'm okay. An old man lays in his bed.
Speaker 6: It's dark.
Speaker 9: He might get a sense. This is how he likes it.
A single lamp on the lowest possible setting. Usually it's
three clicks for bright. The first click is the dimmest.
It's only there because the nurses make me keep it
that way.
Speaker 6: A journal.
Speaker 9: On the table to the side of the bed. A
cup filled with some sort of thick liquid meant to
keep meat on my bones remains untouched. Straw still new,
smells stale. There's a a chair for guests that remains
in the same exact spot before I moved in. The
nurses have kept extra pillows there. Now I said, leave
me alone, God damn it.
Speaker 3: I drift closer to the bed until I can see
his face, and what I see makes me stop. But
after a moment of staring. I seem to recognize something,
and so I come closer and ignore the chair and
instead sit down on the bed next to him.
Speaker 6: I said that, sir, you don't understand English.
Speaker 3: Danny.
Speaker 6: That voice smile forms Danny.
Speaker 3: It's it's me, Rennie.
Speaker 6: I turn around. I haven't seen you in in days.
Where have you been.
Speaker 3: Waiting for you? I got you your letter, by the way,
I got all of them, but I really liked the
one about the stars and how you said that you
hoped that I was seeing the same ones that you.
Speaker 6: Were, and you did, and they brought you back here.
Speaker 3: It was really hard to find you, I am. I
tried once before and I couldn't find you anywhere. But
here you are.
Speaker 6: Adojo is good at running. In nine, I told.
Speaker 3: You, why did you run?
Speaker 9: Why did I run? Why did I run? Why would
I run? I don't I don't remember.
Speaker 6: I don't know. I don't. Oh, look at you, I am.
Speaker 3: If his arm is under the covers, I gently peeled
them back and take his hand in mine, kind of
rest it on my leg, my two hands cradling his.
Speaker 9: I take my other hand and I hold it. You're
so cold, that's it's because it's Christmas. That's right, that's right.
Speaker 6: I knew that.
Speaker 3: Exactly.
Speaker 6: It's cold, it's very cold.
Speaker 3: H it seems like they I like the decorations they
put up here.
Speaker 6: They have to. They don't like it. I don't think.
Tell me how how are the kids?
Speaker 3: If you're looking at if you look in my.
Speaker 9: Eyes, they look like they're saying things that he knows
to say.
Speaker 6: Like almost a rehearsal.
Speaker 3: Instead of answering. I pat his hand and say, tell
me about the kids.
Speaker 6: Well, there's.
Speaker 9: And my eyes search the room, scanning, then the darkest
corners and the pillow chair, and.
Speaker 6: You know them.
Speaker 9: There's there's our Bobo, named after your brother. He's a
morality one. Many say they can't believe that he's my son,
but once they remember you, they believe it. And then
we have a daughter. She's beautiful. She looks just like you, hair, tire,
your hat, the step, her eyes always know what's coming
around the corner, and her laugh.
Speaker 6: It's contagious.
Speaker 3: Remind me how we picked her name.
Speaker 6: It was.
Speaker 9: In one of your favorite books, don't you remember. We
couldn't think of a name for her. She's our youngest,
and so we said, let's leave it to chance, and
I didn't like that, but you talked me into it,
and I'm glad you did. And we flipped the page,
and the first name we saw, the very first name,
is what we named her. Ah most beautiful hair, no,
the second, most beautiful hair, almost like it is yours
before it turned white. And I look at your hair
and it's not white, and.
Speaker 6: My eyes.
Speaker 9: Return to reality, and I look at you.
Speaker 6: And I'm holding you just like I did at the bonfire.
Speaker 3: Danny, it's so good to see you again. I'm terrified, Danny.
Speaker 6: I don't understand. Who are you?
Speaker 4: Why?
Speaker 6: Why are you? Look?
Speaker 3: It's it's me, Danny, It's it's Renny.
Speaker 9: No, no, no, no, no. Rennie died. I was at
war and Renney died. I got the letter.
Speaker 3: Oh no, Danny, I'm right here. I came back.
Speaker 6: No, no, it's.
Speaker 8: Okay, it's okay.
Speaker 9: No, I got I got the letter, and then I ran,
I left, I ran away from all the other soldiers
and then and I hid it and I took a
new name.
Speaker 3: And yes, that's that's why it was so hard to
find you. And I finally did, and I'm finally here.
Speaker 9: And no, no, no, no, no, no no no because
if you're alive, I would have married you instead of
Wendy obligated always putting me in a different room because
I would get worked out, and in that room I
thought of you.
Speaker 6: No, not you. Her and my children, Robert.
Speaker 9: And Cynthia. They hate me. I look at my hand
and I noticed the spots and the lines on them
now and then it look at your face. It looks
almost exactly Please the saint, because when I said goodbye,
you are.
Speaker 3: Not real, but I am Danny. I'm real. I'm real,
and I'm here and I came back and we're together again.
Speaker 6: Oh no, because.
Speaker 9: It's impossible. You can't look like that. You can't be her.
Speaker 6: She must have had no, she wouldn't have a secret child.
That's I'm struggling. No, I don't Why are you doing
this to me?
Speaker 3: I I've seen like at a loss for words. I've
just missed you. Every day since you left. There hasn't
been a day that's gone by where I haven't thought
about you and our life that we're supposed to have together.
Just think of it this way. You're just seeing me
the way I was in your memories, and that's okay.
It's really me.
Speaker 6: And my eyes shift softer and kinder as my trembling
hand goes for the side of your.
Speaker 3: Head and correct desperately.
Speaker 6: And then my finger finds a lock of hair and twirls.
Speaker 9: And my thumb caresses it. I love you, really no,
and my other hand takes the other side of your head.
I love you, Carina, and I never stopped. And then
my eyes shift again, similarly to when you first entered.
Speaker 3: But you're not her, Danny, I am.
Speaker 9: You're not.
Speaker 6: You're an abomination.
Speaker 3: Oh, Daniel, it's it's me.
Speaker 8: Please, I love you.
Speaker 6: No, no, no, no, you're a monster. You'll you're not her.
You are been sent to destroy me because I know
what you really are. It all nos.
Speaker 3: Sense, Daniel. Please, no, it's it's okay. It's okay.
Speaker 8: I'm here.
Speaker 12: It's we can be together again. And oh, it's it's
it's me, it's Karina.
Speaker 3: It's please.
Speaker 6: Oh no, no, nurse Danny, no.
Speaker 5: Hell.
Speaker 3: I put my hand over his mouth.
Speaker 13: Gor m h, Daddy, Please, she's okay, it's okay, it's okay,
just be quiet, quay.
Speaker 3: It's me.
Speaker 12: I promise, I promise, and I love you, And it's
it's okay, Danny, Danny Danny.
Speaker 14: You've been listening to Deathless, an actual play produced live
by pumpkin Berry That's me on YouTube and Twitch at
table story. If you like what you hear, please consider
rating and reviewing this podcast and visiting tablestory dot tv,
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and more, or simply drop us a line. Once again,
thanks for listening and we'll see you next week.
Speaker 4: Oh my god.