Post by L.C. Pinkston on Jul 1, 2023 13:10:24 GMT -5
We all woke up at the same time. To anyone seeing us for the first time, they would think it was odd. Or even a one time thing. They would however be wrong. Every single day, as the light crested over the wall and into our view, we always awoke together. The Masked man with his heart on his sleeves and Stars and Stripes along his face. The continually curious woman on the end who spoke to herself more than the rest of us having full blown conversations. Then finally the woman who is right beside me. She smells something awful but she’s got a heart of gold. Plus she understands my comedy. We hit it off together right away.
“What do you think we will see today?” She said while trying to pat my shoulder from the confines of the chain.
“I just hope it’s not reruns.” I said while bopping my head to the music I’m playing in my head. It was ‘Miami’ by the elite lyricist Willard C. Smith II.
Narrator:
Yes, that's actually his name, but I’m not supposed to be here right now. Carry on.
It was literally the brightest and most interesting part of our day. It’s when the shadows come to entertain us. There was never a coherent narrative. No story to follow, but we did the best we could given the limited entertainment we had. We were happy. Well that’s what we all thought seeing as how this is all we’ve ever known.
“Shush. Here come the shadows.” The Masked man said with a slight growl. “If I miss anything I’m blaming you.”
We all watch and wait with baited breath.
Right on time, the shadows begin to appear. A fanciful dance of moving objects. Some seem like animals. Others seem to be flourishment. We all sit in awe of what the gods have brought us.
Just as quickly as it had begun, it was over. “Leaving me with a bad case of blue balls.” The stenchy woman said while trying to pat my shoulder again.
“Have you guys ever thought about what’s causing the shadows?” I said softly at first. “Like where are they coming from?”
“Oh you don’t want to know that.” The conversationalist said. We weren’t positive she was talking to us, but when she turned towards me we all knew her attention had been given. “Just be happy with what we have. Don’t go rocking the boat.”
I scrunched my face and slightly nodded. “Maybe you’re right.”
Hours would pass. We would play games with each other. The odorous woman won most of the games, but I’d get a few in there, even the schizo won a few. The only games the masked man won were ones of his own design.
It was then that I felt something different.
I pulled my left arm away from the wall and scratched my nose. All three of them looked at me with amazement. “What was that?” The Masked man said. “Yeah. What the heck?!” The schizo agreed.
“What are you talking about?” Unthinking I put my arm back to where it normally was chained up against the wall.
“Sweetie.” The stenchy woman tapped me on the shoulder. “Your arm is free.”
It took a second to fully grasp what she had said, then I looked. Sure enough both of my arms were free and I waved them around like a wacky waving inflatable tube man. “You guys should try this!” I continue but stop and look at my friends.
Each is still chained to the wall. Arms just close enough to touch their neighbor. “Huh. Dope.” I said.
A feeling of freedom washed over my body. In the entire history of our tribe, no one has even been free. It’s all we’ve ever known. I can’t explain this feeling other than elation. Finally I’d be able to live out my fantasy.
Narrator:
Heads out of the gutter. Oops. Carry on.
I tried to stand. My knees were weak, and my arms were heavy.
Narrator:
OH COME ON!
As I stumbled towards the wall, looking like a baby giraffe walking for the first time, using it to keep myself upright. As I slowly made my way towards the opening. I didn’t know what was coming but I bravely moved forward. That’s when I saw it for the first time…
The light.
Pure light.
My eyes squint as they adjust to the brightness. Once they do I am awestruck. Sprawling coasts of pure white beaches, water as far as the eye can see and the smell. Salty, yet refreshing. As I step out into the brave new world before me I can’t help but feel sad for my friends who won’t get to experience this.
As I turn, determined to tell my friends of this great world beyond what we know, I am stopped by two people. They aren’t anything like my friends.
One is a smaller man, with a lion upon his chest. He spoke to me first. “How did you get out?” He took a step towards me, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“What are you going to do little man?” I extended my arm out and placed it on his forehead. He swung wildly, missing me by a mile.
That’s when the other knocked my arm off of him. She was different from the stenchy woman. She was every bit fierce, but something was amiss. A black viscous goo ran down the corners of her mouth. “What are you doing here? How did you escape?”
Her voice was muffled, so I can only assume that’s what was said, so I responded. “Usually people swallow the goo. I’ve never seen it that color before. You might want to check with a dentist.”
She didn’t take kindly to my joke. I was punched in the stomach and dragged back to the cave. The woman did most of the dragging, since the little man had apparently broken a nail, or maybe he was just too weak. We will never really know.
They weren’t gentle when placing my chains back around my wrists. My three friends just kept their heads down, as I was once more shackled to the wall.
We sat in silence for days. The shadows would come and go just as always, but I couldn’t shake the feeling. I struggled every day to say the right words. Until that fateful day I finally spoke up.
“You guys should’ve seen it. It was beautiful. There were no shadows, it just was.” It fell on deaf ears. “Out there we could do whatever we wanted. Be whatever we wanted.”
It was the conversationalist who spoke. “You’re crazy and that’s coming from us.”
“No. You didn’t see it. You can’t see beyond this wall.” I pleaded before I was stopped by the masked one.
“Just be happy they didn’t kill you.” A gruff undertone if there ever was one.
“Just please—you’ve got to believe me. There is more to all of this than just the wall.” I felt it coming. My only true friend was about to say the same thing as the others.
“Lew.” At first she spoke softly.
Narrator:
Wait… what did she say?
“Lewis!” Her voice raised an octave or three.
Narrator:
OH SHIT!
As my eyes opened I was met by the snapping of Vhodka’s fingers mere inches from my face. “Lewis, are you paying attention?”
“Uhhh. Yeah totally.” I said without really even thinking about it and not fully knowing where I was.
“Then what did I just say?” She placed her hand on her hip.
Narrator:
When I dip, you dip, we dip.
I shake my head. “Okay. Full transparency. I wasn’t paying attention.” I hold up a finger. “But to be fair, whatever you were saying wasn’t very interesting.”
“Really now? What were you thinking about?” Vhodka tilts her head and sneers.
“Have you ever heard the Allegory of the Cave?” I said while standing up.
“Obviously not.” She curtly responded.
“Well…” As I look around the room. “Hold up. Are we in a Mr. Submarine sub shop?”
“Yeah. Some wires got mixed up. You and I ended up here. As you were saying.” She rolls her wrist.
“Right. Get me a number three extra jalapeños.” I walk over to a table and grab a cup from off the top. I take a sip through the straw and clear my throat. “Well it’s kind of a cult test really. You see people are chained to a wall.”
“You’ve got my interest.” Vhodka sits down at the table.
“And they are only shown shadow puppets. You know like as their entertainment and whatnot. It’s all they’ve known. Until one day a brave man escapes and is finally free to the world.” I shake the empty cup and toss it aside and sit down across from Vhodka. “When he tells his friends about everything, they think he’s crazy.”
“Well how does it end?” She asked while leaning forward.
I shrug. “I dunno. You woke me up before I finished.”
“That sucks a big one.” She hangs her head slightly in minor disappointment. “So have you given any thought on this Triad thing?”
“A little bit, but I guess that’s what the Cave is about.” I sigh. “I know what everyone is going to say about me in this. I don’t fit in. I’m not brave enough. I don’t know what I’m doing. And you know what?”
“What’s that?” Vhodka asked out of politeness.
“They were all right. Every single one of them. All of my vices and the persona I put out there, would definitely lead them to have certain thoughts about me and my character.” I leaned back on the chair with a small smile in the corner of my mouth. “I said, were right. While I was metaphorically chained I am now free. Free from their judgements. I’m unshackled from the cave walls and I’m ready to blow their minds. These fucking people don’t know a single thing about me.”
“What do you mean by…” Vhodka tries to interrupt but I stop her before she makes a fool of herself. I’m kind like that.
“They, them. The other teams. Mainly Thad and Penolpe. Look, I know that I’m not the best at this wrestling thing. I know that I’ve got to get better at that, but that’s where my real strength lies. While they are foaming at the mouth ready to beat me, I’ve already won. Check it, how pathetic will it look when both of them lose to me. Then they have to go back to their teams and explain how it happened.” I smile a little bit. “They can’t say I was a better wrestler than them. They can’t say it was a once in a lifetime chance. No, what they will have to say is that I neutered the Lion and got PETA called on me, and I took Penelope to a brain surgeon because only someone that needs a lobotomy would actually pay for Twitter.”
“I don’t think…” Once again Vhodka tried to barge in.
“No. I’m being serious. We all know what they are going to say. We all know what they aren’t going to say. It’s what they don’t say is where the victory is had.” I lean forward on the table and clasp my hands together. “I’ve already won. Neither of them will look any deeper than the surface. They see all of my vices and think that’s all there is to me. I know that. They know that. With them it’s plain as day. Thad loves his kid and for some reason his wife.” I shudder. “ And Penelope thinks she has stood on the abyss’ edge, little does she actually know how deep it really is. They both are focusing on the long term. Looking at what it’s going to be like holding the Triad. Every battle. Every prize always starts with the first battle. A battle that they both believe they’ve already won. Little do they know they’ve both already lost. By only watching the shadows dancing in their own minds…. I’m going to show them the real world. I’m going to leave both of them contemplating reality like TLS eating a sandwich on a park bench alone.”
“Yo, are you okay?” Vhodka asks curiously but I gloss right over her question.
“Or something like that. But what do I know, right?” Just as I finished a bell rang at the counter. Our food was ready. I saunter over and grab both sandwiches and toss one to Vhodka as we walk outside. We were met by the lovely skyline of Miami.
“Have you ever heard of Willard C Smith II?” I asked Vhodka.
She paused for a moment. As I glanced over the skyline I was slapped right across the face.
“I see you’re familiar with his work.”
Fade
“What do you think we will see today?” She said while trying to pat my shoulder from the confines of the chain.
“I just hope it’s not reruns.” I said while bopping my head to the music I’m playing in my head. It was ‘Miami’ by the elite lyricist Willard C. Smith II.
Narrator:
Yes, that's actually his name, but I’m not supposed to be here right now. Carry on.
It was literally the brightest and most interesting part of our day. It’s when the shadows come to entertain us. There was never a coherent narrative. No story to follow, but we did the best we could given the limited entertainment we had. We were happy. Well that’s what we all thought seeing as how this is all we’ve ever known.
“Shush. Here come the shadows.” The Masked man said with a slight growl. “If I miss anything I’m blaming you.”
We all watch and wait with baited breath.
Right on time, the shadows begin to appear. A fanciful dance of moving objects. Some seem like animals. Others seem to be flourishment. We all sit in awe of what the gods have brought us.
Just as quickly as it had begun, it was over. “Leaving me with a bad case of blue balls.” The stenchy woman said while trying to pat my shoulder again.
“Have you guys ever thought about what’s causing the shadows?” I said softly at first. “Like where are they coming from?”
“Oh you don’t want to know that.” The conversationalist said. We weren’t positive she was talking to us, but when she turned towards me we all knew her attention had been given. “Just be happy with what we have. Don’t go rocking the boat.”
I scrunched my face and slightly nodded. “Maybe you’re right.”
Hours would pass. We would play games with each other. The odorous woman won most of the games, but I’d get a few in there, even the schizo won a few. The only games the masked man won were ones of his own design.
It was then that I felt something different.
I pulled my left arm away from the wall and scratched my nose. All three of them looked at me with amazement. “What was that?” The Masked man said. “Yeah. What the heck?!” The schizo agreed.
“What are you talking about?” Unthinking I put my arm back to where it normally was chained up against the wall.
“Sweetie.” The stenchy woman tapped me on the shoulder. “Your arm is free.”
It took a second to fully grasp what she had said, then I looked. Sure enough both of my arms were free and I waved them around like a wacky waving inflatable tube man. “You guys should try this!” I continue but stop and look at my friends.
Each is still chained to the wall. Arms just close enough to touch their neighbor. “Huh. Dope.” I said.
A feeling of freedom washed over my body. In the entire history of our tribe, no one has even been free. It’s all we’ve ever known. I can’t explain this feeling other than elation. Finally I’d be able to live out my fantasy.
Narrator:
Heads out of the gutter. Oops. Carry on.
I tried to stand. My knees were weak, and my arms were heavy.
Narrator:
OH COME ON!
As I stumbled towards the wall, looking like a baby giraffe walking for the first time, using it to keep myself upright. As I slowly made my way towards the opening. I didn’t know what was coming but I bravely moved forward. That’s when I saw it for the first time…
The light.
Pure light.
My eyes squint as they adjust to the brightness. Once they do I am awestruck. Sprawling coasts of pure white beaches, water as far as the eye can see and the smell. Salty, yet refreshing. As I step out into the brave new world before me I can’t help but feel sad for my friends who won’t get to experience this.
As I turn, determined to tell my friends of this great world beyond what we know, I am stopped by two people. They aren’t anything like my friends.
One is a smaller man, with a lion upon his chest. He spoke to me first. “How did you get out?” He took a step towards me, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“What are you going to do little man?” I extended my arm out and placed it on his forehead. He swung wildly, missing me by a mile.
That’s when the other knocked my arm off of him. She was different from the stenchy woman. She was every bit fierce, but something was amiss. A black viscous goo ran down the corners of her mouth. “What are you doing here? How did you escape?”
Her voice was muffled, so I can only assume that’s what was said, so I responded. “Usually people swallow the goo. I’ve never seen it that color before. You might want to check with a dentist.”
She didn’t take kindly to my joke. I was punched in the stomach and dragged back to the cave. The woman did most of the dragging, since the little man had apparently broken a nail, or maybe he was just too weak. We will never really know.
They weren’t gentle when placing my chains back around my wrists. My three friends just kept their heads down, as I was once more shackled to the wall.
We sat in silence for days. The shadows would come and go just as always, but I couldn’t shake the feeling. I struggled every day to say the right words. Until that fateful day I finally spoke up.
“You guys should’ve seen it. It was beautiful. There were no shadows, it just was.” It fell on deaf ears. “Out there we could do whatever we wanted. Be whatever we wanted.”
It was the conversationalist who spoke. “You’re crazy and that’s coming from us.”
“No. You didn’t see it. You can’t see beyond this wall.” I pleaded before I was stopped by the masked one.
“Just be happy they didn’t kill you.” A gruff undertone if there ever was one.
“Just please—you’ve got to believe me. There is more to all of this than just the wall.” I felt it coming. My only true friend was about to say the same thing as the others.
“Lew.” At first she spoke softly.
Narrator:
Wait… what did she say?
“Lewis!” Her voice raised an octave or three.
Narrator:
OH SHIT!
As my eyes opened I was met by the snapping of Vhodka’s fingers mere inches from my face. “Lewis, are you paying attention?”
“Uhhh. Yeah totally.” I said without really even thinking about it and not fully knowing where I was.
“Then what did I just say?” She placed her hand on her hip.
Narrator:
When I dip, you dip, we dip.
I shake my head. “Okay. Full transparency. I wasn’t paying attention.” I hold up a finger. “But to be fair, whatever you were saying wasn’t very interesting.”
“Really now? What were you thinking about?” Vhodka tilts her head and sneers.
“Have you ever heard the Allegory of the Cave?” I said while standing up.
“Obviously not.” She curtly responded.
“Well…” As I look around the room. “Hold up. Are we in a Mr. Submarine sub shop?”
“Yeah. Some wires got mixed up. You and I ended up here. As you were saying.” She rolls her wrist.
“Right. Get me a number three extra jalapeños.” I walk over to a table and grab a cup from off the top. I take a sip through the straw and clear my throat. “Well it’s kind of a cult test really. You see people are chained to a wall.”
“You’ve got my interest.” Vhodka sits down at the table.
“And they are only shown shadow puppets. You know like as their entertainment and whatnot. It’s all they’ve known. Until one day a brave man escapes and is finally free to the world.” I shake the empty cup and toss it aside and sit down across from Vhodka. “When he tells his friends about everything, they think he’s crazy.”
“Well how does it end?” She asked while leaning forward.
I shrug. “I dunno. You woke me up before I finished.”
“That sucks a big one.” She hangs her head slightly in minor disappointment. “So have you given any thought on this Triad thing?”
“A little bit, but I guess that’s what the Cave is about.” I sigh. “I know what everyone is going to say about me in this. I don’t fit in. I’m not brave enough. I don’t know what I’m doing. And you know what?”
“What’s that?” Vhodka asked out of politeness.
“They were all right. Every single one of them. All of my vices and the persona I put out there, would definitely lead them to have certain thoughts about me and my character.” I leaned back on the chair with a small smile in the corner of my mouth. “I said, were right. While I was metaphorically chained I am now free. Free from their judgements. I’m unshackled from the cave walls and I’m ready to blow their minds. These fucking people don’t know a single thing about me.”
“What do you mean by…” Vhodka tries to interrupt but I stop her before she makes a fool of herself. I’m kind like that.
“They, them. The other teams. Mainly Thad and Penolpe. Look, I know that I’m not the best at this wrestling thing. I know that I’ve got to get better at that, but that’s where my real strength lies. While they are foaming at the mouth ready to beat me, I’ve already won. Check it, how pathetic will it look when both of them lose to me. Then they have to go back to their teams and explain how it happened.” I smile a little bit. “They can’t say I was a better wrestler than them. They can’t say it was a once in a lifetime chance. No, what they will have to say is that I neutered the Lion and got PETA called on me, and I took Penelope to a brain surgeon because only someone that needs a lobotomy would actually pay for Twitter.”
“I don’t think…” Once again Vhodka tried to barge in.
“No. I’m being serious. We all know what they are going to say. We all know what they aren’t going to say. It’s what they don’t say is where the victory is had.” I lean forward on the table and clasp my hands together. “I’ve already won. Neither of them will look any deeper than the surface. They see all of my vices and think that’s all there is to me. I know that. They know that. With them it’s plain as day. Thad loves his kid and for some reason his wife.” I shudder. “ And Penelope thinks she has stood on the abyss’ edge, little does she actually know how deep it really is. They both are focusing on the long term. Looking at what it’s going to be like holding the Triad. Every battle. Every prize always starts with the first battle. A battle that they both believe they’ve already won. Little do they know they’ve both already lost. By only watching the shadows dancing in their own minds…. I’m going to show them the real world. I’m going to leave both of them contemplating reality like TLS eating a sandwich on a park bench alone.”
“Yo, are you okay?” Vhodka asks curiously but I gloss right over her question.
“Or something like that. But what do I know, right?” Just as I finished a bell rang at the counter. Our food was ready. I saunter over and grab both sandwiches and toss one to Vhodka as we walk outside. We were met by the lovely skyline of Miami.
“Have you ever heard of Willard C Smith II?” I asked Vhodka.
She paused for a moment. As I glanced over the skyline I was slapped right across the face.
“I see you’re familiar with his work.”
Fade