Episode 208: We Are Here to Hurt Each Other [Horror/Weird Tales]

Leonard 01:21

Hell it's recent.

Dave 01:34

Strange and gruesome fictions and this certainly fits that there's that it comes replete with the the lengthiest content warning I've seen on a book I don't know that I've even seen them on books before but.

Leonard 01:49

M.

Dave 01:52

But Paula put one in there. So it's ah letting everyone know that this is not for the so squeamish or faint of heart. Um, it's it's 12 stories and they are in parts ah kind of loosely connected some of the stories. Do. Tie into one another but by and large their independent so strange, wonderfully terrible stories. Um I I ran across this. Um, this was this was my suggestion and I came across this because um Paula is a um, contemporary of Joe who we had covered um Joe's book convulsive last year

And it's the same vein same kind of storytelling but not the same writing style so that was this is fun to like I guess contrast them like in my own head and they don't they don't need to be. Congress togainst one another they're not the same kind of stories. Um, these are more visceral I don't I don't know if I can say that they're moreousal the other ones are visceral too. Ah so let's see ah Joe Coke's

Leonard 03:09

You. Guests.

Dave 03:27

Stories are mmm kind of David Lynchian like there's they're not um. Trying to think of how to describe them. They're very strange We they're yeah like a dreamscape and everything like reality is is questionable.

Leonard 03:48

Um, there's there's There's a waking nightmare aspect to them. Yes.

Dave 04:03

And a lot of things that might everything's immutable in ways that it shouldn't be like that it there. There's a yeah that that dream nature of it. Renders. Everything. Kind of goopy and this is. Physically goopy things I guess.

Leonard 04:33

He yes but there is a stark reality. There's a that it it isn't yeah it there isn't the weird transiatory dream light state that kind of 1 floats through.

Dave 04:40

Um, ah Er Yeah, it's like Urban horror.

Leonard 04:51

Ah, with Joe's work I would say.

Dave 04:54

Yeah I mean some of that still exists here. But it's in a like ah it's more. It's like the twilight hours kind of thing so let less. Um.

Leonard 04:59

And.

Dave 05:09

Um, I would say Joe's work is more surreal horror ah with like bits of like impressionistic thing impressionist painting kind of feel. It's like a painting feeling is what it is.

Leonard 05:27

Um, ah.

Dave 05:29

And this is a. Eight Millimeter degraded celluloid feeling. Yes, that's that's where this kind of sits for me and I was I was I was like pleasantly.

Leonard 05:41

A. Yeah, like a.

Dave 05:54

Ah surprised um, going into this that I forget that I just readle and watch a lot of things so I desensitize myself.

Leonard 05:54

Your sister. Aha.

Dave 06:07

And didn't think about it and I'm just like going Why are there these content warnings and I was reading it going. Oh yeah, this just seems like a fun little story and then like as I'm taking notes going Ohh Yeah I guess I I guess is a little bit. Maybe not so fun If you're just walking into it blind.

Leonard 06:25

Ah, right? and also up unlike us who like constantly seep ourselves steep ourselves in this kind of work and fiction. Unlike a literal weekly basis.

Dave 06:25

Probably why there's content warnings. Yeah I mean and we did. We did an entire look out a year after that I mean what are you gonna do like.

Leonard 06:45

Um, yeah.

Dave 06:50

Yeah, and and that's that's also on me just like personally spent so much time going to all of like Laird Baron's works in slatsky. We just we're been running the gamut of strange bizarro tales.

Leonard 07:06

Yeah.

Dave 07:08

And then I and then I read a lot of other stuff that just goes into I think it's bizarro Horror is the actual ah genre those go places. They're so weird. Um, but they're they're fun. They're just weird. This is.

Leonard 07:13

Is.

Dave 07:28

This is a yeah I mean it's this. It's the feeling I got like when I watched like the specific um Eight Millimeter the nickas cage movie is like that but mixed with candy man and hellraiser.

Leonard 07:33

Oh yeah, yeah yeah. Yeah.

Dave 07:47

And good old like late eighty s early 90 s ah like hold film was out play like late night syndicated cable but this is like the not edited for television versions.

Leonard 07:58

M. Right.

Dave 08:08

Yeah I um I yeah I was really like enjoyed reading these like I each tale ah Paula changes like writing. Suddenly writing some writing formats like between the stories. Not all of them. But it's not just like point of view shifts. It's like actual the text delivery is different so it felt kind of like it's not. The density um that you get with raw shark texts or house of leaves. But it's the same kind of feeling even if the tyography is not really being played with as much so I'm kind of getting that vibe too.

Leonard 08:56

A.

Dave 09:04

Or I could say this is kind of gives a vibe of like the um Shinya sukamonto films they're just kind of raw so that that's my general like impression of the anthology. Um, you.

Leonard 09:13

M.

Dave 09:23

Came into this way more blind than I'd excited I knew what I was getting into when I picked it up.

Leonard 09:29

Ah, as I tend to given my limited limited schedule which is somehow more limited than yours even though you work more than I do.

Dave 09:38

Um, yeah I don't know how that works out but I'm I'm a busy man. Um, but we're all equally busy in this in this day and age.

Leonard 09:48

Um, yeah, no I so I wasn't expecting as much because you know we've done a lot of horror anthologies on the show. And I wasn't expecting um this kind of conceptual through line this like creeping corruption. Ah aspect ah to ah pass through um, all of these stories at least the ones that I read for today's tonight episode. Ah so I was actually pleasantly surprised because it gave me um, the feeling from what I read. Um I got um a mouth of ah mouth madness. Ah, ah.

Dave 10:32

A.

Leonard 10:34

Feeling from it where it was like this slow like corruption like creeping corruption and like that the horrific acts were impacting like. People's perception of the world and allowing things that probably couldn't have been done before to start taking place. Um, will we'll get into certain aspects of that as we ah we cover this tonight but um, it was yeah it felt um. Like slightly cosmic corruption a in that way because of this kind of through line as I mentioned before of like concepts and characters and acts and ideas just like. Making the world an actively awful place even more so than it actually is.

Dave 11:34

Um, yeah, it's a ah hostile cosmology and it's that sense that everything's already kind of messed up but people can. Put blinders on and just like ignore it like reality. Yeah, and there's instances where that those blinders. Ah they're not put aside they're like stripped away by something else.

Leonard 11:51

Ah, you mean like reality. If yeah, ah.

Dave 12:07

And then you're like forced to reckon with like the nature of reality and that isn't a good thing So That's that's the feeling that I get I mean when you go into a collection and it's. You know, Ah, you're off, You're off off the Bat. We are here to hurt each other.. It's not playing around and it's it's That's the other kind of through line of these tales. So.

Leonard 12:31

Right.

Dave 12:42

We'll we'll kick it off with the first 2 aspects of emptiness and carry on carryion. Ah there basically it's one is a prologue into the other which wraps back around to give the.

Leonard 12:46

Fifth.

Dave 13:01

History of what happened in the prologue. Um Leonard what? what's going on in aspects of emptiness.

Leonard 13:10

Um, the man with the face of teeth didn't make me do this is what's going on. Um, so yeah, that's what we're introduced to immediately. Actually if you you've. Got the book in your hands and are looking at the cover you're introduced to it then ah but I wasn't expecting that illustration to in fact, be a character in the book. Um, yeah, the man ah with the face made of teeth. Ah, just ah. You know, ah comes to you when you realize like the truth of humanity that was actually something else that I wanted to say ah this reminded me specifically this short. Um is um, lords of illusion. I forget the villain's name and that but his his poant for let me show you what human beings really are and it's literally just turning them into grotesque flesh mounds that you know horrify the protagonist. Um, that's essentially what what the man with the. Ace made of teeth ah face of teeth. Yeah, ah, doesn't induce but helps 1 facilitate for themselves. They yeah, it's essentially stripping away using whatever horrible gruesome means of that.

1 can to ah strip away the live that is their facial features and reveal of the the ultimate purity of of their true form.

Dave 14:52

Yeah, and it's it's sort of couched in an Urban legend feeling So our our narrator in this is a woman who had encountered the man with the face of teeth.

Leonard 15:02

Um, yes.

Dave 15:12

And in doing so ah was physically and spiritually mentally transformed um to become ah was it just be a melty face. Yes.

Leonard 15:23

Um.

Dave 15:30

Which is ah as with men with the face of teeth. It's ah the literal descriptor. Um, she eventually um, self dunks her face into a va of acid becoming melty face. But. Um, like that happens first but the way the story is the aspects interest is um, unfolded to the reader. Ah, you're entreated to a sort of um bloody mary.

Leonard 16:06

Um, yes, yes, yes.

Dave 16:08

Candy man ritual um where you use ah a mirror in the darkness or in like near as near you can get to darkness but still kind of see a little bit of yourself in the mirror. Um, and you just sit there. You sit there and as long as it takes. Could be 5 10 20 minutes ah just staring at yourself until you don't recognize what you're seeing as your own form because that's the mask.

Leonard 16:42

I have to say I felt and this is like the most bizarre admission I will probably ever make on this podcast which is I felt incredibly seen by this weird ritual because the way that my bathroom is laid out. Um. I can walk into it and I've got not a. It's not a full length mirror but it's ah it's a mirror that I can stare into and because um, the ah doorway into that section of my bathroom ah is is. Back illuminated I actually frequently find myself staring into my about half not even half but like poorly illuminated reflection about multiple times during the week ah just to like have a think and like just center myself so I felt really, um, not great having this be the first thing that the book premise to me upon reading it.

Dave 17:52

Yeah, um, it reminded me of a couple. It reminded me first of all ah I and I won't have a habit of it. But um, on multiple occasions I will like repeat even just It might be a loud but usually it's in my head. All I say a word but then I'll say it and like until it doesn't make any sense. Um I I enjoy doing that I don't know why it's just like oh it's a big a dissociative thing but this feels like that like you're just.

Leonard 18:16

Yep. Ah.

Dave 18:28

You're repeating something in this case visually until it loses its like context for you. Um, and it's a kind you can kind of use it as a meditative thing. Um.

Leonard 18:34

Right.

Dave 18:46

Remind you of that. But it also reminded me of the Da um film series where they did the ritual to talk to the gin and they used that like little folding mirror in a little candle remind me of that a little bit too. Um.

Leonard 18:58

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Dave 19:05

Because that that that the way that that series is um, not that it's ah like found footage. But um, more that it is um. Using like folk religions but taking it seriously. So it's it's it's a folk horror. Um, but it's Turkish so there's more folk in it than.

Leonard 19:29

Um. Yes. Right.

Dave 19:43

Than just the horror. But it's also very um, visceral as well. Like there's a lot of literal blood and Effluvium and all gore.

Leonard 19:50

And.

Dave 20:01

In the ritual not not just as if an effect of like the horror in the movie like oh people are getting torn apart and it's like not about that but that they found a toilet full of buddy parts and then in the I think the fifth movie.

Leonard 20:03

You're right. Ah. Yep.

Dave 20:20

The the ritual to summon the gin or to place a curse was just like involving a lot of things tossed into like a pot of blood for like 5 minutes long and that's the feeling that these stories kind of.

Leonard 20:26

Right. A.

Dave 20:37

Deal with so this this first one is um, it's very short. It's a a page in a bit. Um, but it's specifically dealing with that that feeling that that self-reflection to understand that. What you're presenting to the world ah or engaging with is is like a falsity. Yeah and to get in touch with yourself. You have to get rid or mutilate.

Leonard 21:03

Oh yeah, it's all artifice. It's all fake.

Dave 21:15

The bits that are like fake. Um, and yeah, there's I I guess this is the most underlined part because in my little Kindle copy. Um.

Leonard 21:16

Great.

Dave 21:30

But it says here there's another face beneath your face. You'll see it peeking out from behind the face you were born with only revealing itself in the half-light. It is what you looked like before when you were unstructured when you when I when all of us were aspects of emptiness. And that um then it says again the the void wants only reunion. Ah, it's a lot of this deals with that sort of it's like it's not Cosmic horror.

But it's the horror of the cosmos I Feel there's a distinction there I Want to articulate that better. Um, it's It's the horror of what.

Leonard 22:08

Yes.

Dave 22:25

The world as a point in space like that existence and the the laws of the universe All all that kind of thing that sort of thing the horror that all of it's meaningless or.

Leonard 22:35

Ah. Right.

Dave 22:44

Really, There's not a purpose behind it. So therefore people are trying to ascribe meaning to like every little thing or there's order in the universe. But that's not the case and it's it's It's a thing that um, we're retreading.

Leonard 22:55

And.

Dave 23:03

Ground that we've covered before but ah just to frame like this narrative. Yeah.

Leonard 23:04

We are a little bit but it's effective right? Yes, the the meaning like the the the. Concept that if 1 truly like accepts their place in the in the universe in the greater cosmos and in every aspect of their existence that it is ultimately meaningless and futile in the end then. It that is the like psychological spiritual equivalent of the fatal destruction that this story advocates for.

Dave 23:52

Yeah, and I think that there's a little bit more going on. Um because the other throughline and a lot of these stories is using pain. Um, as a means to transcend this.

Leonard 24:07

Um, right.

Dave 24:07

Plain existence so that that's the other. That's the part. That's a little different ah where that becomes a Metamorphic state. It's it's you're you're False. Identity Your false shell is like arysless and to get the real you out, you have to do that with by Force. Um, but that can be instigated as like by an outside agent which in this case is the the um man with the face of teeth.

Leonard 24:35

Right. Um, yes, no.

Dave 24:46

Who doesn't physically do that I mean I think he just he can just blob you. But um, he can also just lead you to the path of ah to self.

Leonard 25:03

A.

Dave 25:04

Actualization I don't think it's realization I think it's actually like you have you have to do something in order to become the real you.

Leonard 25:17

Ah, he gives off super what is it is it Vitali I believe that's it from silent hill 3 kind of vibes if you remember that kind of weird scuttling freak.

Dave 25:21

Second.

Leonard 25:33

Man that was always kind of stalking heather through her there. We go vol T L Thank you? Um, ah like that like.

Dave 25:35

Um, oh um, voltio.

Leonard 25:43

Like he he doesn't do anything. He's just there to watch and witness the the the ushering of this this new state.

Dave 25:53

Yeah, yeah, that's how that that's how this kind of plays out and that folds into the second tale carryon carrion and this continues with the same um protagonist or. Ah, narrator the pra. Um, yeah, it's a well we're getting. We're getting all the the exposition is being done via melt melty face p v.

Leonard 26:14

Protagonist Narrator victim both equally. Yes, which I didn't realize was the same character. Um, until literally just now I thought melty face was actually someone that appeared later in the story. Um, so that just goes to show how good my reading comprehension is yeah melty face. Ah a kid sees melty face and then has the realization because it's a horrible mind virus a horrible pometic virus Visually mimetic virus.

Dave 26:47

Okay, we're gonna last.

Leonard 26:58

That causes people to to destroy their face and it's real the ah man I I don't know if it's just by virtue of it being a child or by virtue of it just being. And then they looked and saw and that what's what spurned it. But yeah, we have ah we have a kid um essentially cut all of their features off um in a house like a family like I forget they have siblings. But. Like the yeah and just like like did it without even realizing it. Um, really because ah you know melty face while not there to to witness it.

Dave 27:38

Um, yeah, they had a whole as a whole family.

Leonard 27:57

Is aware of what the child thought was happening or did during the time.

Dave 28:08

Um, yeah so um, meltyface knew they were witnessed and one of the witnesses was cameron. Apparently.

Leonard 28:17

Oh yeah, that's right I forgot I did I think I deliberately forgot that aspect because it made me feel very uncomfortable. Actually.

Dave 28:28

Yeah, so as a twelve year old who went home afterwards and um, yeah, mutilated their face. Um, but wanted to preserve. So we don't have the child's point of view. We just know like the result of it they they did this disfigurement and are now awaiting further enlightenment.

Leonard 28:49

No.

Dave 29:03

Courtesy of the man with the face of teeth who will show up because a sigil was carved into the child's ceiling by Meltyface um, but Meltface attributes a link lingering attachment.

Leonard 29:04

Yes. Yet.

Dave 29:21

To the family. Um, so even though the child has revealed their true self and is understanding their place in the universe. Um as a memento of their previous life. Their. Um, they had saved bits of their features and in little tissue papers for their family so that was like supposition by Meltyface we don't know that's what that's what was actually going on. But um, yeah, they the child carved their.

Leonard 29:47

Um, yeah.

Dave 30:00

Face off with like a razor and then just went calmly and was like time to eat breakfast and was dripping all over the place. So it's um, it's written in a way that the details.

Leonard 30:08

Um, yeah.

Dave 30:20

Are they're mentioned offhand like nothing's lingered upon. It's not really described. It's more like hearsay because miltes didn't see like they saw the result but not like actions.

Leonard 30:21

Yes. Ah. Right.

Dave 30:38

So they're just going. Oh this is what happened and it's just told in like a we like a documentary style. Um.

Leonard 30:49

It's it's almost as if she has seen like she's like she's it's supposition based on like past experience like this isn't her first time at the rodeo this isn't the first time that.

Dave 31:00

No, this is something that's happening like by result of them existing in this status. Yeah, so that makes it. It's not. It's weird because I can't say that it's clinical. It's not that detached.

Leonard 31:05

Right.

Dave 31:19

Because there is a sense of investment in this child's becoming. So it's it's more intimate. Um in that sense of melt melty face like relishing that this has happened and melty face.

Leonard 31:23

Yes.

Dave 31:38

Ensue Erna I mean isu ensuring that this transformation will like reach the next stage. So there's there's an investment in what this child has done ah and they're not like deterring it. They're not like.

Leonard 31:43

Right.

Dave 31:56

Really encouraging it. It just happened to happen and so they're just now like well this happened so we need to kind of move things along a little bit.

Leonard 31:58

Yeah, there's the. Right? It's it's it You like you said ah clinical isn't the word word but it is highly cavalier in in ah in a way that you wouldn't expect for what the subject matter is.

Dave 32:21

Um, yeah, and that makes it more horrifying I think so this is um, there's films that do this I can't really think of other books. Um, but.

Leonard 32:23

Yes.

Dave 32:38

Movies will do this where you'll see ah it could. It could be any member of a family but they just detachedly go do something heinous and then like then just go back to bed or something you get it kind of with them.

Leonard 32:50

Ah.

Dave 32:56

And Amityville Horror or ah I think not the crazies. Um, there's some other like possession films or like a family member will go like axe murder or the rest of the family but then just go back to work the next day but not like.

Leonard 33:04

E.

Dave 33:14

They didn't do it out of spite which is worse. It's like done for some other thing or or in order to they're kind of like hypnotized.

Leonard 33:17

Yes. Um, this is gonna be a deep cut for people who love really bad movies. But this is I believe this is basically kind of like kind of like the opening of the by by Manhattan um, which is a movie that you shouldn't watch. It's terrible. But. Ah, similar situation takes place at the beginning of that movie.

Dave 33:53

Um, okay that so I didn't watch that um on purpose and but what that reminds me or what this reminds me of is a oculus and then um mirror mirrors.

Leonard 33:56

Yeah. Oh yes, oh yes, Oh yes.

Dave 34:10

So in mirrors your your reflection is ah like a demon and it nonchalantly like mutilates itself. Um, and then that be it's sympathetic magic so because it did that thing your body just.

Leonard 34:14

Yes, yep. Does that thing. Yeah.

Dave 34:28

Does that thing So this feels like that only in the nonchalance part like that that that's the part that's horrible like you watching you're forced to like watch yourself do a thing that's bad.

Leonard 34:33

Yes.

Dave 34:45

And as the audience member that that part's disturbing um because you're seeing someone do horrific horrific acts with like no emotion on their face to themselves and I think that that's the part where you you can't You're like no, don't do that and then they of course.

Leonard 34:56

Um, right.

Dave 35:05

They just keep going and that's where this sits to me.

Leonard 35:07

Agreed.

Dave 35:13

And then the the story moves on a little bit and backs up some.

Leonard 35:22

Yeah, backs up to before the pro Hog actually. Ah.

Dave 35:26

Yeah, and this is where um, melty face was um, kidnapped on her way home from work and brought to carcass house.

Leonard 35:39

Yeah, yeah I forgot that it was called Carcass House right.

Dave 35:45

Um, yeah I don't or the the welcome to the carcass house. Yeah I think that's probably my least favorite thing in there Welcome to the carcass house.

Leonard 35:49

The cartoon. Yes.

Dave 36:05

I don't and doesn't roll off the tongue. Um.

Leonard 36:08

It just it sounds like it sounds like um like a Halloween scare set up like naming convention. It sounds a little corny.

Dave 36:18

Yeah, it's not like it's bad I Just um I just hear like jigsaw voice for that which is fine. It's fine and and this part was this was probably the worst part.

Leonard 36:22

Exactly.

Dave 36:36

Of these two stories because this this describes um melty facing her her human form ah is like bound to a chair and can't like is limited vision and.

Leonard 36:40

Um, oh yeah, it's.

Dave 36:55

There's another kid was kidnapped at the same time and is like Methodically eviscerated.

Leonard 37:04

Yeah, he gets Ah what is it bone tomahawked? ah but even even worse. Yeah.

Dave 37:08

Yeah, but way worse and then just puddled um at her feet in toll like it's just gore and the only thing recognizable is like the 2 pairs of the pair of shoes that's plopped in with a little.

Leonard 37:14

Yeah, that's that's the.

Dave 37:25

Feet bones sticking out. Yeah.

Leonard 37:28

Yeah, which causes her to break. Um, ah yeah, which causes her to psychologically break and then the ah.

Dave 37:34

Yes.

Leonard 37:41

Ah, man the the teeth man shows up and is like hey here's some acid here's here's literally a pool of acid go ahead and do the thing that you know you now need to do. For yourself. But I'll hold your hand.

Dave 38:03

Um, yeah, what this? So it's weird because I saw weird um, is weird. We're not getting. It's a weird strange situation. There's not. It's not explained and that's fine.

Leonard 38:15

She will. Yes.

Dave 38:21

Um, we have Proto melty face given a choice.. It's not a choice. It's like here's a vad of acid and then. Is just like you know what to do and she just like boop okay plops her face in.

Leonard 38:42

Um, yeah. Right? It's very much like how can anyone ever hope to like come back from what she just experienced so like like like literally like transcend like via like. Let your let the let your physical like match your emotional now.

Dave 39:16

Um, yeah I mean we don't We don't have any of her life story up until this point. Um, we we get ah here I'll just read this bit because that's the part that like sort of. Puts it together. Ah me and the boy dripping together in the dark. So this is ah when she's confronted with the puddle. Um, after that the man with the face of teeth brought me a container of a substance with a smell so corrosive. It made my nose run and my eyes sting as soon as he entered the room. He untied me. And didn't even try to run or to clean myself what difference did it make on the surface of the sizzling tub of acid I watched my reflection warp and Bend. You know what happens after we die, don't you this is her speaking and then his reflection nodded. It's not the end That's why you came to me. He nodded again and so whatever realization she's come to is something that she's already been thinking about like this isn't oh I showed up and or I got kidnapped and now it's all weird. It's more like.

Leonard 40:17

The right.

Dave 40:29

Things were off kilter before in general and this weird circumstance now has just shown the way.

Leonard 40:29

And. Right? Yeah, yeah, that that this goes back to like the feeling of like the creeping corruption that that I I experienced while rating these stories like it was it things were already wrong like for.

Dave 40:52

Oh.

Leonard 41:00

And like everyone involved in a way that it was it all. It needs is like some sort of push to like topple them over the edge into whatever this society or this like. New World situation that seems to be erupting literally everywhere.

Dave 41:24

Yeah. And that's so here. Ah, she's looking at the acid and after she asked him it you know is death isn't the end and then she's like um if you if he had said no. Death was the end then she would just it'd be over with. But since it's not and some there's something beyond that then she's willing to venture like to step forward and like find out what it is.

Leonard 41:54

Right.

Dave 42:10

And in this case, it's having your face melted off to facilitate that.

Leonard 42:11

Right.

Dave 42:21

I was reading something else where like um, what was it? Oh it was ah I think it was just another anthology of tales where um, there was a weird cult of people that like ripped out their eyes so they could finally see the true face of the universe. So of you know event horizon.

Leonard 42:34

Yeah, okay, yeah, or the friend or the frenzy flame.

Dave 42:39

Kind of or the frenzy flyinging now. But yeah, there is event or or event Horizon eque where that's like you know where we're going. You don't need eyes to see I mean this isn't that but it's that same kind of like there's a lot of mutilation going On. Um, and that's. Ah, like ah framed as a liberating force like the ah well I mean just like said self-flagellation has led to not enlightenment per se but um, like tormenting the flesh.

Leonard 43:15

Yes.

Dave 43:16

To free. The spirit is kind of what's going on. We're just up that's wrapped I mean not wrapped up is that that that's things that are um, a little bit more evident in the next tale all the hellish cruelties of heaven.

Leonard 43:32

Yeah, Dave you break this one down because ah, it's dense. It's very dense.

Dave 43:40

Um, yeah, um, it's well we we were in the the shallow end of the pool and we just whoop stepped right in. There wasn't a um gradual curve. It's just.

Leonard 43:49

No, it was literally the mariana trench like you you were in the three foot section and then you were in the mirror ga.

Dave 44:01

Um, yeah, um, so this one is a story written in a series of like Journal diary entries. And it is from the point of view of a I guess a high-ranking Cult member Potentially an immortal one. Ah, who is. Going about a city doing their own um proselylization for their cult. Um, but at the same time. There's a serial Killer ah going around murdering women and then replacing parts of their bodies with like.

Leonard 44:51

Yes, or stones.

Dave 44:52

Plants ah or stone. Yeah, just like making Artworks and the cult member is trying to find um that that.

Leonard 44:58

Yes.

Dave 45:11

Ah, cob artist to see if they are more attuned to the world than just some rant like why are they doing this like is there is there a. Ah, motive Beyond the murders like what's going on and are they like a kindred spirit basically is what they're trying to figure out. Yeah, and and that's I mean that's really the the long and short of it. Ah.

Leonard 45:38

Right.

Dave 45:48

However, it does start digging into um just how long the Cult's been around and the the fact that this particular cult member may like I think they're a divine force.

Leonard 45:49

Um.

Dave 46:07

Or either or they they transcended humanity to become one. It's not clear. They're worshipping um I almost said ballag. It's not ballagg. It's the the daughters of this the despairing God is the name of the cult and.

Leonard 46:22

Yes.

Dave 46:26

Maybe it's mollluk. Yes Molok is there particular um God The unforgiving God there's quite a few gods going on in here actually.

Leonard 46:38

There are quite a few seemingly quite a few gods flittering about making everything literally worse for humanity.

Dave 46:49

Um, yeah, um, and she's she's using a transient a local transient. She has I don't know if she's dubbed him the rotting man. Um. He's just he's ah a guy. It's not Leprous. It's something worse like the way it's described. He's chiptophobic chiptophobia in a person.

Leonard 47:22

Yeah, a trip take Nope right.

Dave 47:24

Not not phobia but like yeah I don't think that's the right word. Um, if you have Tryptophobia don't look at this man because he's full of holes that at least you can see the anatomy beneath. That's that's a weird blessing. I don't you don't want to look at something in like it's just emptiness but you can see his bits underneath moving. So yeah, it's not good. Either way, he's poor, porous.

Leonard 47:47

Yeah, he yeah the skin has seemingly rotted away exposing like raw muscle underneath.

Dave 48:00

And he's music. He's a grammar of putrid colors when he moves the gray-green clumps of exposed muscle wriggle and Throb like malformed worms burrowing deeper into the rank caverns of his body blessed be the rotting man. Um, yeah, he's no good. Ah, this this springs to mind to me. Um, the one of the guinea pig films mermaid in a manhole and in that um, you haven't seen those have you? Okay I'm not going to say go watch those because don't do that.

Leonard 48:29

But I have not.

Dave 48:39

But um, in that particular film and there's ah, an artist and he's lost all of his um motivation he he he can't get the. The colors he needs to paint the thing he wants like he's his his muse has run Dry. He finds a mermaid in a sewer and the mermaid was trapped in the sewer and has been just.

Leonard 48:56

Okay.

Dave 49:14

Still alive but she's like rotting because she's in a sewer. Yeah, so he takes the mermaid and puts her in a tub and her her body has like lesions and pustules that are like oozing putrescent colors.

Leonard 49:15

Yeah, and languishing.

Dave 49:34

And they're the colors he realizes he needss so he keeps her in the tub and and uses her body stuff to to paint. Um that feels like this because the cultist is using the rotting man. Ah as a.

Leonard 49:34

Right.

Dave 49:52

Like a prayer effigy I don't yeah.

Leonard 49:55

Yes, like actually like he is actually just an effigy to her like she she like. That's the only reason why she goes to visit him is to is to.

Dave 50:00

Um, yeah.

Leonard 50:13

Like to focus like her religious fervor for molock via his his horrific suffering that she helps facilitate at least in part.

Dave 50:30

Yeah, she's injecting him with opioids that like melt his body a little bit more but also render him ah like a drooling idiot. That's what it says but so would that that.

Leonard 50:41

Yeah.

Dave 50:48

Brings to mind the um I think it's the sibyls in the in in Greek um, it's not mythology.

Leonard 51:01

Ah, yes.

Dave 51:05

Mean That's mythology but the actual um also the practice. Um, where they would have the young ah maidens of a village and they would go. They would be um in the service of a temple and would be able to. Tell oracles and ah divine provideances. Um, but they're like dosed up on fumes from like a spring I think so this's kind of like this to me. Ah, however.

Leonard 51:38

Um, right.

Dave 51:44

Um, he the the dose does like doesn't work. He it Um, he becomes aware of what she's doing ah and he he gets upset and then she gets upset and like Sonic booms. The overpass that they're underneath.

Leonard 52:04

Yeah, she she she black bolts the the overpass with with a mighty scream that shatters bottles and causes car accidents.

Dave 52:20

Um, yeah, it's um, that was unexpected like I didn't yeah I was like oh okay, um, we're we're getting this is even more interesting.

Leonard 52:27

Ah, very.

Dave 52:39

Yeah, ah so. Um, they I mean they do ah there when when they were doing her her Journal is part like what's happening and then part memory.

Leonard 52:59

Yes.

Dave 53:02

So it'll go show. Go off on a tangent like because of events and write a little bit about what happened in the past in her cult like probably hundreds of years ago um and in this particular instance. Um. She's recounting like the actual um sacrificial they they ah the cult of molloc in this. It's sort of like feels like they're doing the the brazen bowl kind of stuff and they're they're like roasting people.

Leonard 53:37

Ah.

Dave 53:41

Um, in in as a sacrifice and they are throwing up the most metal of hand signs the the horn the double Horns. Um I liked that part that part was good but um, yeah, so they they have a giant Bronze Idol the. Bull God The glorious heart of Pain. So I like this this naming convention's really good.

Leonard 54:00

Yeah, you well yes.

Dave 54:07

And yeah, you just lost the Rod The rotty man was like exploded I think. Um, and then I'm trying to figure out if the king of the valley is also um, the unforgiving God or a different god.

Leonard 54:27

Right? Yep, you're you're starting. Yep.

Dave 54:33

It's a form like this. We had to note out this pantheon like what's going on here. Um, they do. However, um, she's ah inducting think it's what's called.

Leonard 54:48

Yes.

Dave 54:50

Yes, inducting a new member of the cult. Um, and the the induction ceremony is like potentially fatal so they're going around sacrificing people also still but sometimes they run into like. Transient or people that just aren't going to be missed and they'll induct them into the cult and in doing So. It's like ah it's a physically transformative process to where it'll either kill you I think or it just alters your body. Um, for better.

Leonard 55:10

Right.

Dave 55:27

Service to the unforgiving god I don't don't know um and but she yeah changes. Um Bony Joanie

Leonard 55:41

Yep.

Dave 55:44

Into a ah just a cult Tolt member. You get a new name I something wrote it was.

Leonard 55:55

Although I it's just I think well I she does refer to her as Joanna. So.

Dave 56:04

Yeah, yeah, Joanna um, that's what she became. And you when you ah make that that that transfiguration like it. It gives you you you become more than you were, but it takes time to like um, acclimate to that new body. So.

Leonard 56:24

And.

Dave 56:31

Like all your senses are obliterated for a little while and then they slowly come back which I thought was interesting.

Leonard 56:38

Yeah, it's yeah, it's not immediate. It's because it's It's a like Horrific Traumatic experience. Ah that um you know when when things. Other than in horror films. A transformation is always kind of like quick pleasant and instantaneous. Ah, but yeah, no, it would probably obliterate your senses and sense of self and require some extreme aftercare. Afterwards.

Dave 57:09

Yeah, oh here's the bit where she like lost the rotting man. Yeah I may have misplaced the rotting man into some baleful black crevice of space I've been asking the other transients and denizens of the neon empire and no one seems to know his name I spent three days searching for him.

Leonard 57:13

Oh yeah, yes.

Dave 57:28

Wherever and whenever he may be he he will never Escape Molluk's embrace energy is never created or destroyed only transformed such is the way of the glorious heart of pain.

Leonard 57:39

Yes, so she you know as if the scream destruction trick isn't confirmation. She is in fact, ah magic.

Dave 57:51

Yeah, she slotted him into some spacetime pocket somewhere or maybe maybe various ones some when yeah. Ah.

Leonard 57:58

Each right.

Dave 58:06

And then here is the the bit that I had pulled so recognize the universe recognizing the universe as it is a cosmic slaughterhouse Unending is is difficult as the machinations of reality function only to deceive sentient beings into believing.. There is some meaning behind the echoing Chaos. So That's the tenant behind the glorious heart of pain or one of them anyway like the thing that they're trying to get everyone to do. Um.

Leonard 58:32

In.

Dave 58:45

And then so she meets she eventually tracks down the serial Killer meets him and then as she is um. She's trying to meet up with him again or she's trying to meet up with him specifically because she found him but wasn't like physically talking to him she he's ah he's a drummer in ah, a metal band and.

Leonard 59:07

Right.

Dave 59:17

When she's looking for him. Um I think outside the club. Ah, she's just thinking to herself. But here's the other um main point of their cult pain is the source of all matter. It is the force that holds the universe together that will tear it apart only to rebuild again throughout the ages humanity asks over and over again. Why are we here and then pretends as if the Void does not but bellow the answer back every single time we are here to hurt each other again and again and again.

Leonard 59:45

Joseph.

Dave 59:52

Perpetuity So we get we get a title drop. Um, and ah this this particular cult am I would say is that.

Leonard 59:56

Me said.

Dave 1:00:09

It's not and and it's some tangent to the order of the gash from the helb on heart and the hellraiser series just people sort of more people order The gash is technically.

Leonard 1:00:20

Ah.

Dave 1:00:28

People Also ah these are cultus that are not extra dimensional be I can't even say that because maybe just also an extra dimensional being so they appear more like people. Yes, yeah.

Leonard 1:00:37

Um, yeah. Yes.

Dave 1:00:48

Um, but it's it's some of this. Ah ah, similar Quest Although the order of the Ash specifically is looking for um the ultimate like pleasure and they've just happened to have found that Through. Or the ultimate experience. Not not pleasure specifically because theyre there are the voyagers through the all the reaches of the cosmos to find the ultimate sensation. Um I don't know these these. Um, this cult seems cooler.

Leonard 1:01:25

Um, yeah, yeah, they seem it she at least seems more organized like less chaotic.

Dave 1:01:42

Um, yeah, um I guess are doing a specific purpose.

Leonard 1:01:44

Because you know you could you could say like oh she's yes, yes, she's focused. Yes, she's focused on it it it is it is like it is very like revelatory and religious the way that it it's presented she you know. She she she she prays at the altar of the rotting man she proselytizes and converts she seeks others um like ah because we're getting to her finding. Well we've already gotten to her finding the serial Killer that she's been seeking but now she. Gets to determine what his motives are and if there is like some kind of Kindred spirit. There.

Dave 1:02:33

Yeah, and they when they finally meet. Um, he says he's doing what he does because he wants them The um I don't even know if yeah people it's not his victims because it's too late for the victims.

Leonard 1:02:47

Yeah, yeah.

Dave 1:02:52

Um, he wants people to know reverence. Um, the kind that life restricts.

Leonard 1:03:04

Um, yeah.

Dave 1:03:05

At least I will yes that's the crew that that was him mind to make sure that's who was talking ah and then she just says she's admirer of his work and.

Leonard 1:03:10

Um.

Dave 1:03:16

He wonders what she does and then she says she feeds the suffering that fuels Existence. So her her sacrifices to um, the despairing dang it. Um. Well, it's theler hurt of pain and it is the despairing God. Okay, if it's different God though. There's so many gods.

Leonard 1:03:45

Um.

Dave 1:03:48

Um, her God is molluk has to be.

Leonard 1:03:53

Yes, for maybe maybe well that was like in the well no it was it. Yeah it. But maybe maybe sheep.

Dave 1:04:04

Know it must be so um, it's I spent weeks perfecting my performance as Prey when she's trying to hunt the um Killer she's trying to like flesh him out by pretending to be a person that he would yes.

Leonard 1:04:17

Um, suitable victim.

Dave 1:04:22

Victim during the day I ministered and gathered and provided for my God at night. My behavior was so foolish I imagine Mollokk almost burst from suckling on such an abundance of shame So Mollocch is her God ah and gets because he's the despairing god. Um, he gets sustenance on all forms of despair and shame and I guess um, a basement which is like always full.

Leonard 1:04:52

And.

Dave 1:05:00

Okay, so that's that's that so um, then she said this is the part so she says I feed the suffering that fuels existence so that pain and that suffering is what. Is given to Mollok and mollok uses that to create because matters not destroyed. It's just repurposed so all that energy all those things are just used to.

Leonard 1:05:23

Yes. Yep. Right? And possibly what is what gives her her powers and longevity as well.

Dave 1:05:38

Reform stuff. Yeah, So this is the part that um, confused me because right then the Killer is like if that's True. You should be worshipped and then she says in some corners of the universe I am and then. This is ends with this is our beginning and have promised end so she's some kind of divinity. At this point we just don't have like yeah.

Leonard 1:06:11

Yes, like almost like a high priestess or something of that effect. No and has not been one for quite a while.

Dave 1:06:21

He's not a people for a long time. Yeah, okay so yes that that was that took a second because there was just a lot. There's a lot going on in that one. Um, in all the all the hellish cruelties of heaven. Yeah.

Leonard 1:06:35

There's a lot going on in that one.

Dave 1:06:40

It's fun I I enjoy that particular tale so that brings us to grave miracles.

Leonard 1:06:47

Yeah, grave miracles. It's a just a. It's a quick recipe on how to ah how to what to expect when you're expecting to bring your dead. Loved one back to life. Ah um, involves ah lighting 30 white candles. Ah, setting a polished human skull aged 50 years and never buried near them. A necklace of a corpse a fix a shard of amethyst tied to the end to your dead bride's neck and that's for your protection. Um, and yeah wait for the magic to happen which is she will be a ravenous zombie that will only eat the hearts of strays and bones and and brains.

And and an awful.

Dave 1:07:40

Um, yeah, and sometimes she sings I like that part.

Leonard 1:07:43

It's I I Actually really I like the effect of it which is sometimes she will What is it she will she will sing in a language that blackens her lips teeth and tongue the blisters will heal with time. Never interrupt the song never interrupt the voice that responds inside your own head unless you wish to look into God's Bloody eyes while dangling from his meat hook.

Dave 1:08:14

Um, yeah, that might be 1 of my favorite like myths. That's just a really good paragraph. Yeah.

Leonard 1:08:14

Yeah, it's very effective. It's very like very effective a cult kind of like just were were actually warning. You don't do this I Enjoy the fact that this is like. Like it feels like like the weird like um, once upon a time I bought like a grow your own Bonsai kit ah like super cheap. Ah and it it came with like a a. Cardboard like the cardboard cover was the instructions and that's what this reads like but for like bringing a corpse back to life.

Dave 1:09:04

Um, yeah, it's like what do you get in the the mail order thing back like a comic book or a magazine. Yeah.

Leonard 1:09:07

Yes, actually yeah yeah, yeah, it reads like something. Yeah, it reads like something that you would have bought out of the back of a creep show in like 1973

Dave 1:09:24

Yeah, yeah, and I do like that. It's so it's it's the the Miracle maker um telling a customer like what they need to do but then even like at the end going. Oh. Yeah, I'm just ah I'm just ah, ah or it's I'm a granter of grave miracles. Oh What wait your oh your your dead wife is named Miracle Funny huh.

Leonard 1:09:53

Yeah, yeah, I Also just.

Dave 1:09:58

In not your way as to say it plays off of the live laugh. Love thing.

Leonard 1:10:02

Oh yeah, yeah, but I Also love the like hey and don't forget to do like normal couple things like see a film go shopping chair Mill Best done at home make love laugh. Be tear I Love the be terribly bored and boring together. It's so it's that that like that like little bit of weird normalcy in in it is like what really hooked me and it's once again, it's short. It's like it's actually like. Less than a page. Maybe a little over a page but it's like my favorite because it kind of taps into the the aspect of horror that I really love which is when it's like crazy occult Bullshit and also. Like the banality of human existence and like pairing them together just just does something to my brain that I makes me smile.

Dave 1:11:10

Um, yeah, well I mean this sits in a weird like campy death becomes her there where it's It's taking itself seriously but still is a little goofy and we get another deity the queen of prickling things.

Leonard 1:11:13

Thank you? yes. Ah. She yep.

Dave 1:11:26

Which that sounds real great because you have to scrub yourself down with crooked nails use needles shattered cups and dried rose stems every month

Leonard 1:11:37

Yep, and also don't forget your face.

Dave 1:11:39

And then yeah she can She can get your back but make sure that she ate something first because she'll just try to eat your bloody body. And yeah you you do need to keep getting it on because that'll keep her from falling apart. Apparently.

Leonard 1:11:50

Yep. And and and keep you from falling apart. Apparently.

Dave 1:12:02

Yeah I don't like that part was weird but that's just how it be and gas.

Leonard 1:12:11

Yeah, in this horrible nightmare world where they're once again like 5000 awful deities all vying for your attention and worship but nothing they offer seems to be particularly great.

Dave 1:12:30

Um, I mean point of view. Probably.

Leonard 1:12:31

Yeah, oh yeah, oh absolutely don't get me wrong I I get it like I wouldn't think I wouldn't fall in pair.

Dave 1:12:38

Like yes, not great things. But if you're like 1 of the high up cult members. You're functionally a god so.

Leonard 1:12:44

Right? Well I mean that's just the like do if it that is a do you think Ponzi scheme at that point like you have to commit to the bit in order to get there.

Dave 1:12:56

Um, so yeah I mean you're going to. You're you're doing your monthly sacrifices and you get to the top and other you know other people do the sacrifices for you.

Leonard 1:13:00

Ah, yep. You you exactly exactly and you take you take some the you take some the blessing profit from heat sacrifice that they do.

Dave 1:13:15

Well, you're taking more like they're only going to get a little bit and then you get like the the bigger share because you're the big wig. That's how those schemes were okay I'm told.

Leonard 1:13:27

No, that's that that's how that's how those schemes are I've experienced.

Dave 1:13:35

Um, yeah, well that brings us to exile in extremists. So yeah, have at it. This is this this one is written quite a bit differently than the other other tales so far.

Leonard 1:13:51

Yeah, it's ah it's about ah ah David and Ellie um, and it is written as a series of email correspondents. Ah that then switched to a series of internet messenger essentially. A correspondence.

Dave 1:14:09

Um, yeah, like ah it's a chat ah sort of chat room relay.

Leonard 1:14:13

Yeah, all. So ah, yeah, David Dennis ah contacts ellie unknown about a the research or a story that she wrote for ah a a thinly veiled vice this stars. Um. Substitution publicate online publication. Yes, ah, um, about ah what is it the a courts that was found in like a tenement building that was the wife of.

Dave 1:14:33

Yeah, reviled.

Leonard 1:14:51

Um, a very like well to do millionaire. Yes, there we go.

Dave 1:14:55

Um, yeah Kay Castleton the third who's the dude that was talking to the grave miracle or.

Leonard 1:15:04

Yes, um, yeah, so we get a series of emails where David's like man this is crazy stuff that you've written and ah Ellie's just like yeah um, don't. Don't investigate any of this don't like just be happy with the publication and and don't look any further into this because all of this is real bad and also real which David can't do. Because he had a high school relationship with one of the victims because surprise it's a whole group of millionaires digging up dead wives and bringing them back to life as zombies.

Dave 1:15:52

Yeah, and I do I do like that. It's like you took the time to name drop like true detective in the beginning of this so that that's fun.

Leonard 1:16:05

And yes, um, yeah, this is the it's um, this one feels ah ah like the most contemporary ah ah and both in format and and and ah just ah. Writing style. Um, but to summarize where is the place that he ultimately winds up at.

Dave 1:16:25

Um, yeah. Oh it's halfway through he went to Kelsey. Shall likes me go you went keger's point.

Leonard 1:16:57

Yes, kedger's point. Um, which apparently is a horrific like nightmares ghost town that like nobody lives in it's it's almost like silent hill but it's a but like the foggy version but it's a real place. Nobody lives there. Power lines are literally cut in half. Um, ah he winds up at the apartment building. Ah that ah the the zombie was found at. And ah, relays a story of encountering what he refers to as shades which are people that have that stare off into nothing. Ah yeah, self mutilate a woman literally by to choose off her. Has chewed off her own bottom lip um, so like sitting in their filth and waste and it's it's a real bad time and he's probably put himself on the radar of some bad people because there is a drug. What. Was it course a cane was it duke.

Dave 1:18:11

Um, ah yeah it. Um, it is carcassine.

Leonard 1:18:14

Ok because I kept I kept trying to like get it in my like worded out my mind and I could only come up with Cor a K because I was like that looks like it looks like it's trying to.

Dave 1:18:24

What.

Leonard 1:18:32

Like Crib off of cocaine. But yep, it's it's like acid. It's on blotting paper. There's a mystical symbol on the blotting paper that um ah Ellie master hacker even though nobody uses the term hacker anymore which is not true ellie. Ah, um, deletes off of David's phone um before eventually just succumbing to the desire to ah be a living. Dead person because what corsican I'm sorry I can't it. It just be corsicane for the rest of this recording does is make the living feel dead and the dead feel alive.

Dave 1:19:23

Yeah, and this is um, the and another entity the priest of breathing is behind this potentially.

Leonard 1:19:36

Yes.

Dave 1:19:39

Is distributing the um cargosign which takes takes its users to the lost carcosa.

Leonard 1:19:48

Yes, um, like it's it's this one's really hard to describe because well not it isn't hard to describe but I enjoyed this one because of its format. Because it's formatted. It is formatted like a series of emails back and forth between 2 people and presented in that format I don't know what it is about it but it it always works like that always works for me that. That correspond. Yeah.

Dave 1:20:27

Correspondence It's not done often. Um, so I think that that's maybe part of the allure is like this isn't ah ah an often used style.

Leonard 1:20:40

Yeah I I would agree with that like because when I started I was like oh look at this format I'm like oh I'm super I'm super yeah because there's um, what is it? There's ah there was a like to. Quick briefly step away. There was a um series of like modern day adaptation of a bunch of ah different loves ah love crafts stories um put on by Bbc Radio um but it was formatted as a podcast with new characters investigating said stories. Um, and I like they had to make a lot of changes to a lot of things because they all ultimately ended up interconnecting with 1 another. Um.

Dave 1:21:26

Ah.

Leonard 1:21:36

But ah, just the format of like presenting it as like this kind of like supernatural podcast and ah and doing it like exceptionally well really really worked for me and once again. I Think it is just because the sparse nature and the fact that the the format like that and this aren't used particularly often. Ah, it just you know, ah tickles my brain because I like seeing new things.

Dave 1:22:10

Um, ah so for me what this is doing and I had to parse that while you were saying how how you were um, engaging with it. So what this is doing for me is this makes the situation.

Leonard 1:22:26

A.

Dave 1:22:26

Immediate and unfolding and in a way that the the general prose um narrative of the other tales isn't really doing. It's It's those read to me as like Journal entries like something that already happened.

Leonard 1:22:41

Yes.

Dave 1:22:46

Whereas This isn't reading a log this to me is reading exchanges in real-time like even though they're not like that's just how it works and then once it gets into the text chat it's just very tense because then you're now you're reading stuff as it's happening like.

Leonard 1:22:51

Um, right.

Dave 1:23:03

Yeah I can understand that the emails had happened and they're not you know, just by virtue of there's time stamps and everything on them. But then when it gets into the text exchange where they're in like the texting. Ah the abyss network. Um.

Leonard 1:23:07

Ah.

Dave 1:23:21

That to me is like it's in real time just in my head. It's it's going in real time. So now there's a sense of like urgency. You know it's It's bringing like the that part of the horror like to the forefront you just it's just it's it's.

Leonard 1:23:24

Right in.

Dave 1:23:40

Works really well hard.

Leonard 1:23:41

Right? because then because then because it is ah that there is that level of immediacy like it The the the resolution could just come at any point and in any like.

Dave 1:23:57

I Mean it could just stop you just end the transcript and go oh what? what happened and but you don't need to resolve it like that was the the twist you know, but this doesn't really do that though. It's.

Leonard 1:23:57

Crazy way right. No it. No it ends on. No it just ends very in a very depressing way where Ellie having devoted her who knows how much of her life to investigating all of this messed up nonsense that.

Dave 1:24:16

I mean it it does but not that way.

Leonard 1:24:33

Seems to be literally everywhere once again decides that she is just going to be a dead living person.

Dave 1:24:44

Yeah, ah so this particular one aside from the king and yellow references. Ah this reminded me strongly of um Kirsi Crosawa's pulse were like that just that.

Leonard 1:24:56

Yes.

Dave 1:25:02

You're still alive but you might as well just be a ghost So I liked that a lot because that's I was immediately like I wasn't thinking of that in particular but that's the like I read these stories and it it does a movie in my head you know I'm like.

Leonard 1:25:02

A.

Dave 1:25:20

Watching the movie and that's the colors and like the mood that it was evoking yeah and I did um as as an aside, but that's specifically related I ended up listening to the King and yellow.

Leonard 1:25:28

Ah.

Dave 1:25:40

Audio version. Um like a play version the last couple days so I was just like trying to refresh myself on the first couple of stories just in case it was like other references aside from the ones that are dropped but not really just a general like.

Leonard 1:25:50

Um.

Dave 1:25:59

Same sense of like bad stuff happening but you have to determine if that thing happening is a like a malady of the um, the yeah protagonist or.

Leonard 1:26:14

Ah.

Dave 1:26:15

Is something that's actually happening and everything's messed up because it's It's very unreliable in the actual stories whereas this doesn't read that way. This is like no everything's falling apart and it's just it's gone. Everyone's.

Leonard 1:26:17

Right? Yes, now that.

Dave 1:26:33

Everyone's gone to hang out with sutter cane.

Leonard 1:26:34

Yeah, yeah, exactly oh and once again with the number of deities and the deity disciples flittering around all over the plays. It. It makes a lot of sense that everything's going to Pot. Everywhere.

Dave 1:26:54

Um, and I love these deities in as much as like they're not. They're not present in the story aside from just devotion or hearsay ah and they're not so.

Leonard 1:27:04

Ah.

Dave 1:27:10

Spoken of in like a description aside from their descriptor name see. It's just like im imagine like you get a you get a picture but it's that's different than going oh Hasur or you know it's it's it's not a single like proper name.

Leonard 1:27:12

Right. Right.

Dave 1:27:27

It's like a descriptive So epitat I don't know.

Leonard 1:27:30

It. It's It's almost like it like that like their names are designed to make you think about them and and possibly and possibly call you call them to you or you to them.

Dave 1:27:35

Oh yeah, that's how funny how that works. Yeah, or the or the whole or the whole. Oh. You've like you've named a thing and now it's like you. That's that's brought it further into existence. Yeah, we need more cult members to.

Leonard 1:27:57

Um, right one might right? just Belief Belief is I mean Belief is is actualization.

Dave 1:28:02

Empower our god. Yeah, that's all stuff actual as I actualize with these these vats of acid. It's going to work out real. Well.

Leonard 1:28:16

Yep, everything's gonna be great because everything is going to be terrible forever.

Dave 1:28:24

Um, yeah, so the last ah the sixth story that we read was Jacqueline laughs last in the gas last in the gas light and this is a. Reframing of Jack the ripper basically where Jacqueline is the wife of a young deacon and.

Leonard 1:28:47

Yep.

Dave 1:28:57

Her husband is ignoring her in favor of his flock and is putting all of his efforts into his sermons. She's sort of an afterthought. He's he he he is paying her as much attention as like as if she were maybe a housemaid. Ah and that is is stifling her. Um, but then when. Her husband and she kind of they started to get like cat called and propositioned. Um it. It. It's too much and she decides to take it upon herself to kind of clean up the streets of the parish.

Leonard 1:29:50

Yes.

Dave 1:29:54

And goes on murdering anyone that was like s slighting her or her husband? Um, but in doing so I don't remember at some point it ah that.

Leonard 1:29:57

Yes.

Dave 1:30:10

Murderous glow like attracts her husband back to her. Um and he doesn't know what she's doing um but he likes it and ah they end up having a child and she just continues murdering people.

Leonard 1:30:14

Um, yes, he has.

Dave 1:30:30

That that's and there wasn't like a um fantastical gog or kind of chaotic thing happening other than like this lady's running around murdering a bunch of people.

Leonard 1:30:44

Right.

Dave 1:30:48

So this one didn't this one fell a little bit flatter to me I I liked the pacing of it I Guess like it's It's a little longer um than the other stories.

Leonard 1:30:49

Same. A.

Dave 1:31:07

But it doesn't it still read Well no I get supposed say it reads pretty quickly. Um and it is. It's sort of of a reversal of gaslighting but she's also a murderer.

Leonard 1:31:24

Um, yeah, right.

Dave 1:31:26

There's a lot going on. There's there's more going on than than just that she's a lady Jack the river but I'm like I don't know enough to to dig more into this one.

Leonard 1:31:42

Um, right? The yeah, the true try crime White Castle Murder stuff is.

Dave 1:31:42

Like this is not in my forte I don't think. Yeah I'm ah I'm aware of it but not like and ah not with enough detail to go oh this this is a referenced x y z so um, yeah, don't um Paula not don't know by this one. Ah.

Leonard 1:31:56

Yeah.

Dave 1:32:05

Yeah, it's um I enjoyed reading it.

Leonard 1:32:07

Right? And and for me, it kind of falls into like the same kind of like speculative like what if read that from Hell occupies.

Dave 1:32:16

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Leonard 1:32:23

Um, and I also think that it might also be a matter of our age because we are both. We have been surrounded by Jack like crazy mountains of Jack the river like media since we were both like. Very young like way too young to have really been should have been exposed to to jack the ripper or the white castle chapel murders. So I'm just white castle murders.

Dave 1:32:49

Yeah, we we got like deluge with it and then it got kind of combined with ah some of the more ribald. Um Jeckylin Mr. Hyde so I'm thinking specifically of the Anthony perkins. Um.

Leonard 1:33:00

Yes.

Dave 1:33:07

1 where I saw that on Tv and I was like a little I was really young I was like publishing up and watching this. But yeah, so yeah, this this one wasn't particularly my cup of tea but like nothing to do with the the construction of the tail I just.

Leonard 1:33:23

No, not at all.

Dave 1:33:26

I'm not a fan of true crime stories. It's weird. Um I like I think it's because I like pulp stuff more so I gravitate more toward those stories. Um, yeah, so ah.

Leonard 1:33:29

Again. Ah, right.

Dave 1:33:45

Yeah, that'll that'll wrap us up. We hit our normal time run for for what we'd do on these episodes. Um I originally had planned just to do the It's a 12 story anthology just to do the sixth and then like um, you leave it for listeners to hey. If you enjoyed if you were reading along then all great also. But if these intrigued you we they're short. Um, but they're well crafted and ah, we're not conveying like this is the same issue with um. Joe who court said you need to read it like please like read it and revel in like all the little details because we're not We're not digging into like the details as much. Um, as we have done and like in the past just because of these are really short and.

Leonard 1:34:24

Yes, exactly.

Dave 1:34:40

I Don't want to if I read an excerpt My mom was reading the whole thing and I I don't want to do that So I tried to keep that part to a minimum. But again some of the stories are like a page long and I can't pull more than like a sentence quote out of that.

Leonard 1:34:42

Yeah, exactly. Ah.

Dave 1:34:59

Um, so yeah and I will we may read the back half of it. But that's not going to be for next week so it it could pop up um sometime this month.

Leonard 1:35:13

Right.

Dave 1:35:19

If if we decide to do that if not please check out the book. It's it's it's in the same vein of all the stuff that we enjoy. So if you're here for the rest of that you'll enjoy this to be mindful of the.

Leonard 1:35:27

If she she is.

Dave 1:35:37

Long list of content warnings. It's in the the front of the book. So just just with that in mind that this is already discussing mutilations of children and sacrifices and murders. Um.

Leonard 1:35:38

Guess.

Dave 1:35:56

All all manner of things but 6 tales in and the descriptions aren't um, gratuitous. They're just conceptual. So that's potentially creepier because like your mind has to do all the work.

Leonard 1:36:03

Um, Nope Yes, yeah, yes e.

Dave 1:36:15

Or you know, not all of it. But it it's it's making you think about it more than if it's describing it to you specifically? then its it's the the picture's done. It's been painted for you like that This is well crafted and and it's concise.

Leonard 1:36:23

Right.

Dave 1:36:33

So everything's kind of to the point but it still leaves you enough to kind of think about the themes and we love terrible Cosmic themes.

Leonard 1:36:39

Um, and it's all we sure do and it's also like 103 on Amazon Kindle.

Dave 1:36:47

Yeah, yeah, it's not. It's not going to break the bank to um, get a a digital copy of this one? Yeah, so ah to check out if you if you enjoy are talking about it for hour and a half and some change. Um, yeah, ah.

Leonard 1:36:55

Nope.

Dave 1:37:07

We'll keep you posted if we decided to do the the last six of these but I think this is probably just a one off. Um, and if Paula has some more books coming out. We'll let you know and we'll take a look at those too as we'd like to do so we'll do our little bit of wrap up and then that'll be.

Leonard 1:37:21

Um, yes.

Dave 1:37:27

Bye bye folks for that Leonard where can folks find you on the interwebs.

Leonard 1:37:32

People can find me on the internet at ah Twitter at Dr Faust is dead. They can also find me on Twitter at umbranox productions and if you're looking for some of my video game video essay work. You can. Find it on Youtube by searching Dr Faust is dead and you can also find my fledgling filmmaking work on Youtube as well by searching at umbranats productions Dave where can people find you on the internet.

Dave 1:38:04

They can find me on Twitter at sentinat underscore. Plus they can find cameron with his face intact on Twitter at night underscore Twitten and that's night without a k ah the podcast is on Twitter as well for any notification purposes. Basically or you can shoot us a Dm or whatever you can talk to us. Ah at Mon Underscore d monster and this and all of our other episodes are on monster your dot monster. Yeah, that' ah, that'll be us signing off for tonight and we will let you know.

Um, they been all the week what we're doing next week no no's a surprise. Um, so yeah, bye bye folks.

Leonard 1:38:49

Goodbye.