YOUR NARRATOR:

[The sound of the mic being moved around]

Can you hear me, friends? 

Oh, good. 

Hello. 

I'm sorry. I'm just setting up a little bit. Since I've been travelling, it's been hard to find a good place to settle in and record and reach out to you. 

Ever since last week, I've been somewhat obsessed with these dark and dangerous corners of the natural world that have been all but forgotten and left alone, for the most part. Except by those wishing to escape and get away and never be found again. 

But I found you, didn't I, my love?

Yes, he is still with me. If you listened last time, you know that I found my Dark Stranger once again, alive, hiding and asleep, buried deep in the earth, in a sort of hibernation. Recovering. I'll bet it was a mighty battle, sweetheart. I'm sure you fought bravely. 

But now, I need you to wake up. 

[a gentle patting, slapping sound]

Wake up darling. 

There you are! 

Oh, no no no, you're safe. You're with me and you're safe now. I would never harm you.

But I want to show you something.

You can't move, can you? You're still a little too weak? Too exhausted? Not quite recovered, after it all? 

My poor thing. 

Don't worry. I don't really want you to move yet anyway. 

I want you to listen.

I feel like you never really did much of that, in the short time that you actually deigned to share my company. 

I may have been worthy of immortality, and of the curse of death. But not worthy of your companionship. Isn't that so? 

Now is the time to listen. And to understand just how stupid you really were. 

Did that hurt? I'm sorry. Poor thing. You can barely speak up to answer me.

Good.

Like I said. Now is not the time for speaking. Now is the time for listening.

To what?

[Sung in a triumphant turn of showmanship:] Bah-bahbah-bah-bah-bah-bahhhhh! 

Music! 

What's going on, you ask? 

And when I say you, I mean you - my Dark, Beloved Stranger - and my silent, evasive listeners. 

All of you! 

This is a show, isn't it?

And, guess what?

It's MY show. 

And I want to perform for you, my dears. 

So - whether you have the choice or not - sit back, relax, and keep your mouths shut and your ears open. 

It all began Once Upon a Time. 

[Piano intro plays, and she sings. All songs are accompanied on piano.]

[Music fades out]

Not literally, you see. Well, you know this. But perhaps the listeners don't. I'm often confused about what the listeners may and my not know, since I'm not sure that I'm always quite so clear in what's going on in this...this motley drama we find ourselves engaged in. I'm unclear when I describe it because it's unclear to me. Because you have been disloyal. You have many faults, not least of which is the fact that I'm fairly certain you are extremely evil. But, that is not it. According to those three vicious winged snobs I encountered...up there...I am, inevitably, also evil.  And so, I cannot judge you for that. I know you cannot help yourself. And I'm also not terribly certain that "evil" is actually a real thing. I feel that it's a word we put on things that think in a way that we cannot understand. Many creatures hunt, kill, destroy, and wreak havoc. What makes which of these "evil"? 

At any rate. What I meant to say is, being evil is one thing. Being disloyal is another. And you are disloyal in that you forced yourself into my life and made me into a disaster, and then you continue to disappear. Repeatedly. What am I to do with this? 

Sing, probably. 

Ah, you can wiggle a finger. You're coming back to reality, aren't you? 

It's hard, I bet. It's hard when you're so very hungry, but there's nothing you can do about it. 

My poor thing. 

I had to discover that on my own. 

But the great thing, when you learn how hard it is to be alone and weak and hungry, is that you learn how to pick yourself up and bare your teeth and gnaw at whatever you can find and lift yourself up with your feeble arms and force yourself to your feet. 

You've been on top for so long that you've never had to do that, have you?

You didn't think you'd need anyone before. 

[Musical intro again]

Love songs. That's what they are, aren't they?

How pathetic. 

And yet most songs are love songs, aren't they? That seems to be what people want to hear about. 

Why is that? Because love is a beautiful and complicated thing, and everyone understands it.

Except for you. 

Is that a black wing I see, stretching out behind you? 

Ah, my listeners, you see, he's here now. He's up and he's able. 

Still weak. Probably. But up and able. 

Good. That's fine. I don't mind. But we're not done here yet. 

Oh, my friends, he looks angry.

Well, my love, my sweet, my darling, I have something else to say. 

Wait. I have another song first. Then I can say it. 

Shut up and listen. 

[She sings:]

 

Do you understand?

I'm not sure what I'm trying to say, but still I have to know: 

Do you understand? Can you?

Do you know how I found you?

The ghost of an old friend of mine, an old enemy of yours, brought me to you. He led me to you, to find you. 

And to kill you. 

I told him I wouldn't be able to. I didn't know how.

But that was a lie. 

But I won't. I wouldn't ever. 

I want to turn the tables a little, that's all. 

Something happened to me. While I was Up there. I feel myself growing more powerful. And is there a reason for that? Certainly. I think this was bestowed on me, likely, by the three beautiful monsters that I met up there. 

I think we both know why.

So I want you to know that you can trust me, but I want you to know that you should fear me. 

Oh, I have another secret.

I remember my name! Can you believe it? Imagine!

And I'm not going to tell you. 

Any of you, my friends. 

I just wanted you to know. 

Anyway. I think I said my piece tonight.

And what a beautiful night it is. 

What a beautiful place the world can be if you realize that you can take control of it.

All of it. 

We'll be moving again, friends. 

I'll check in again soon. 

One way or another. 

[sound of microphone being moved again]

[Eerie theme music]

Wow. What was that? Was that a musical episode? Yes it was. 

Sometimes, I think that's the best way to work through some things. What do you think?

Anyway, thanks so much for listening to Episode 31 of On a Dark, Cold Night. I'm Kristen Zaza. That was Your Narrator. I wrote the music. She performed it. What does that mean? What was that? Don't worry about it too much.

If you want to learn more about the show and stay up-to-date with all of our exciting news and thoughts of the day and all that, you can follow us on Twitter @ADarkColdNight, instagram at darkcoldnightpodcast and on Facebook in my group, On a Dark, Cold Night. Any thoughts or questions can be emailed also to darkcoldnightpodcast@gmail.com. I e-mail myself constantly with thoughts and questions.