S1 E10: Crush & Egg

Kenzie Tartaglione:

Hello everybody! It’s Kenzie here. Thank you all so much for listening to our show! We are very excited to announce a little update… our first pieces of merch! If you head over to our website, queerpg.com, you can check out all our new stuff! We have queeRPG logo stickers and pins, AND something fun for season one. We have Wildmoore High Wyverns notebooks. They come in three different designs so head on over there to check it out! We are selling these through Society6 so if you go to our website, under the shop tab, you’ll see the notebook. Clicking on it will redirect you so that you can purchase! Again, thank you guys so much for your support and enjoy the episode!

The content warning for this episode includes underage drinking and reckless endangerment.

Kenzie (MC):

Caleb you hear a bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt and the buzzing of your phone pulls you from your dreams. They were vivid, strange. You were chasing something. Dense woods. Night. The moon high in the sky. A flash of a face and then you’re awake and your phone is shining bright in the dark room and you can hear Jasper meow at the edge of your bed.

Mads McDonough:

When I wake up I – the first thing that I do is look down at my hands and see that they’re just my hands and they don’t look creepy and they don’t look weird. They’re just mine. Take a deep breath. Grab my phone and unlock it.

Kenzie (MC):

It is a text from Sam in a group chat that has both you and Sawyer in it and there’s a couple texts. It says.

Kenzie (Sam Marshall):

Good morning! It is the day. Have we secured the vehicle?

Kenzie (MC):

And you read the time and it says, five twenty-four AM.

Mads:

I take a picture of Jasper at the foot of my bed and I send it and I said,

Mads (Caleb Moore):

You woke him up.

Kenzie (MC):

Sawyer, the percolating of the tanks in your room is the only sound in the quiet house, the quiet morning. And you awaken from the texts blaring in your ear with like the first thought of the day being, why the hell am I getting a text at five am? But you see Sam’s texts as well as the picture of Jasper.

Brennan Hershock:

I’ll heart the picture of Jasper. And then just text,

Brennan (Sawyer Hook):

Why the fuck am I getting a text at five am about this? (laughs)

Kenzie (MC):

Sam responds with,

Kenzie (Sam):

Don’t we have to get there early?

Kenzie (MC):

And then another text comes through that says,

Kenzie (Sam):

And I’m still kinda like worried about this whole how are we getting there situation.

Brennan:

I text,

Brennan (Sawyer):

Isn’t this a midnight release?

Kenzie (Sam):

Like midnight like we missed it? I thought we had to get it when the store opened today.

Brennan (Sawyer):

No. As in like I’m pretty sure its going to release at like a couple hours before midnight even though they call it a midnight release. But idk. Maybe I’m wrong.

Mads (Caleb):

Like we show up at eight or nine PM and then we get it.

Kenzie (MC):

Caleb, you get a message back in a chat without Sawyer and it says,

Kenzie (Sam):

Then why were we worried about missing school?

Mads (Caleb):

Oh…

Mads:

I go back to the group chat.

Mads (Caleb):

Wait, hang on. Give me a minute.

Mads:

I close it on my phone. Open up another tab and I’m going to search online and see if it actually is a midnight release or if we do need to miss school for it.

Kenzie (MC):

You see a bunch of articles about the game, about its release date. You see a few gaming shop with like advetisements up for it and you see Oasis Games, which is the biggest store in the city. It says, “Crush and Egg: Space Warp Event, 10 am.”

Mads (Caleb):

Fuck.

Brennan (Sawyer):

It’s 10 PM, guys. We got a midnight release. We’ll be fine. I’m going back to bed.

Mads:

I do the direct reply to Sawyer’s message and do an asterisk,

Mads (Caleb):

10 AM.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Fuck.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah…

Brennan (Sawyer):

Do we have a vehicle? (laughs)

Mads (Caleb):

Uh, you see a dot dot dot appear on the screen and then go away.

Kenzie (Sam):

I have a bike.

Mads:

I launch myself out of my bed and I nearly knock Jasper over in the process. I quickly make sure he’s settled. I am going to throw on some clothes, super quickly, run downstairs and – I’m going to run downstairs but I’m going to try and be quiet because it is still five in the fucking morning on a school day. The house is dark. I almost brain myself on the hallway cabinet. I am going to go look in the garage and see if my parents cars are there and I’ll look at the hanger outside and see if Adam’s car is there.

Kenzie (MC):

All three cars are there.

Mads:

Adam usually keeps his keys on the dashboard so I’m going to go up to his car, peek inside. There they are.

Mads (Caleb):

Nice!

Mads:

Go back upstairs. Pick my phone up off my bed.

Mads (Caleb):

Vehicle secured.

Brennan (Sawyer):

So meeting at your spot?

Mads (Caleb):

I’ll come to you.

Brennan:

And Sawyer will hop out of bed really groggily. Just kinda like – when you pull your legs off your bed and all the comforters come with it and you have to yank against your feet to pull the comforters back onto the bed. And goes under the bed, opens up a container, a Tupperware container, of, um, some old, like an old sandwich meat and vegetables that he stored in a couple of days ago and will bring it over to the bathroom – but first peek outside of his bedroom door. Is anybody else awake?

Kenzie (MC):

You listen for a minute and everything sounds quiet.

Brennan:

Sawyer will sneak to the bathroom, open the door, leave it cracked open, dump everything in the toilet. Open up the cabinet, put the Tupperware underneath, shut it. Then make like ultra-loud, horrendous throwing up sounds and then scream,

Brennan (Sawyer):

Mom!

Kenzie (MC):

You hear rustling from down the hallway from your parents’ room. You see your mom fling open the door in a nightgown with a sleep mask pushed up onto her forehead and she appears in the bathroom door and she’s like,

Kenzie (Ely Hook):

Sawyer, sweetheart, what’s going on?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Uhhhh, Mom, I don’t feel so good. Could you maybe get me like some sorta bubbly something or other?

Kenzie (MC):

She reaches out and cups your face and touches your forehead.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I threw up.

Kenzie (Ely):

I can see that. You don’t feel hot but you’re kinda clammy.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, yeah, that’s the stomach flu for sure.

Kenzie (Ely):

Alright, I think we have some ginger ale downstairs. I’ll be right back.

Brennan:

Texts,

Brennan (Sawyer):

I think I’m good to go for today.

Kenzie (MC):

She reappears with a glass of Seven Up and hands it over to you and is like,

Kenzie (Ely):

Is your stomach nauseous?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah it hurts.

Kenzie (Ely):

Anything else? Or just tummy?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Just tummy. I don’t think I can go to school today.

Kenzie (Ely):

Yeah, let’s get you back in bed and we’ll see how you feel in a few hours.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I think I better take the day to rest, Mom.

Kenzie (Ely):

Oh, no, no! You don’t have to go to school but we’ll just make sure that you’re feeling okay, um, I’ll come in before I go to work.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay, what time you going to work today?

Kenzie (Ely):

I might as well just stay up since I’m up now but I’ll be leaving at six.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay, yeah, come check on me then, yeah.

Kenzie (MC):

And she kinda helps you up and directs you back to your room and you can hear her turning on her light in her bathroom and starting to get ready.

Brennan:

Just like, every now and then just like, “Uuuuuuuuuh,” from Sawyer’s room and then looking outside of the door to see if anyone comes in. And then eventually chills sout a bit on the whole charade.

Kenzie (MC):

Sam texts back,

Kenzie (Sam):

I’m ready whenever!

Mads:

What time is it now?

Kenzie (MC):

A little after five thirty.

Mads:

In the meantime, I’ve gotten ready, packed up a little bag for myself, uh, I stowed away some water bottles and granola and a trail mix bag that was half empty that I had in my room for some reason. I’ll send back,

Mads (Caleb):

When’s a good time to come over? Should I be sneaky about it?

Kenzie (Sam):

I’m just gonna like wait outside. I told my mom that I had an early club meeting.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, yeah, okay, Sawyer?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Definitely don’t come to my house. I will meet you at the

Brennan:

Send.

Brennan (Sawyer):

…idk! Where should I meet you?

Mads (Caleb):

Maybe the street over from where your house is? Something like that. Is that safe?

Brennan (Sawyer):

They’re always watching.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh my god.

Kenzie (Sam):

You could just like go to the school.

Brennan (Sawyer):

That’s a good idea. I’ll be at the school. Wait.

Mads (Caleb):

What?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Shit!

Mads (Caleb):

Why shit?

Brennan (Sawyer):

I’ve already… my master plan is already in action. School might not work.

Mads (Caleb):

Sawyer, I don’t think you should use the word master and plan in a sentence ever again.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Meet me at the gas station. Near the school.

Mads (Caleb):

The one that has the bait and tackle sign in the window?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah!

Kenzie (Sam):h5>

That one has the best snacks.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Cool we can pick something up too like chocolate are something. I don’t know I have the stomach flu so might not be good lol

Mads (Caleb):

You have the flu?

Brennan (Sawyer):

No! … master plan.

Brennan:

And then I’ll send like a devil emoji.

Mads :

I send a thumbs down.

Kenzie (MC):

Your mother comes back in the room. Fully done up. Work for you mom is kinda like a bunch of different things and usually when she says she’s going to work, its more of a making the social rounds for the day or like checking in on PTA stuff and so she’s in a little pencil skirt and a blouse and heels. Has a purse slung over her shoulder. And hse comes over and touches your forehead again.

Brennan (Sawyer):

(groans)

Kenzie (Ely):

Oh, my sweet little baby. Sorry you’re not feeling well.

Brennan:

I like pull up the covers really tight. Yeah, I think, its just going to be a nap day. Could you bring the trash can a little bit closer?

Kenzie (MC):

She goes in the bathroom and grabs the trash can and puts it next to your bed.

Brennan:

I’ll fake shiver (laughs) the best I can.

Kenzie (Ely):

Now let me get you another blanket.

Kenzie (MC):

Pulls a blanket up and she leans down and kisses you on the forehead.

Kenzie (Ely):

If you need anything, call me. ‘Cause I’ll just be around town.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay, I’ll text you if I need anything. I think its best though that I just get uninterrupted sleep for the day.

Kenzie (Ely):

Okay. Well, I hope you feel better.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay, bye.

Kenzie (Ely):

Love you. See you tonight.

Kenzie (MC):

She walks out and shuts your door.

Brennan:

Count to ten.

Kenzie (MC):

You can hear her heels going down the stairs.

Brennan:

I fling off the bed sheets and I go and I lock the door and then I run back and take whatever shit I can find, old stuffed animals, empty shoes boxes, and I’ll just stuff it under my bedsheets. Just trying to make some sort of clump of a human underneath. Texts,

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay, I’m ready.

Mads (Caleb):

Okay, Sam, I get you first. Sawyer, gas station.

Kenzie (Sam):

Sounds good to me!

Brennan:

Heart.

Mads (Caleb):

CE team on three.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Wait one,

Brennan:

And then send.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Two,

Brennan:

Send.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Three.

Brennan:

Send.

Brennan (Sawyer):

CE team!

Mads:

Heart, heart, heart, heart.

Kenzie (MC):

Sam goes,

Kenzie (Sam):

I think I misunderstood what was happening.

Mads (Caleb):

Sam, I’m coming to your house.

Kenzie (Sam):

Okay!

Brennan:

Sawyer is opening up the window in his bedroom.

Kenzie (MC):

You’re on the second floor but there is like a lower like first floor roof that kind of is just a little over from where your window is that you can kinda hop down and climb down.

Brennan:

Okay, does that take me to my front yard or like side yard?

Kenzie (MC):

It takes you to the side of the house.

Brennan:

Okay. Perfect! (laughs) Then I will do my best to descend.

Kenzie (MC):

I think that you probably haven’t done this a lot but you’ve probably done it a few times and its always precarious getting from the window and like over to the roof. Like if the roof was right under the window, that would be perfect. But its not quite there. So, that’s the hardest part. But you do it without falling to your death. I think probably in your still sleepy state kinda drop to the roof and maybe tumble a little bit and then you can climb down from there as well without any issue.

Brennan:

And then I’ll slowly creep towards the front of the yard and poke my head around probably some of the shrubbery.

Kenzie (MC):

You can see your mom’s car actually rolling down your long driveway.

Brennan:

Is my garage open?

Kenzie (MC):

It is not.

Brennan:

(sighs) How long is it going to take to walk instead of bike or long board to the gas station?

Kenzie (MC):

You would be able to get there before Caleb would be able to drive into Wildmoore from the Moore property.

Brennan:

Then I will run off the side of my yard, just full fucking sprint. As fast as humanly possible for Sawyer. And run through backyards until – hopping fences whatever – until I can eventually make my way to the gas station.

Kenzie (MC):

I think that Sawyer has probably spent a lot of times in Wildmoore at night and in like the early morning before you go to sleep but probably not as much time waking up to a Wildmoore that is not yet awake. And it’s a little after six, so you can see some cars leave. You can see some house lights on as you go through these backyard. But its pretty much a quiet, sleepy town. And you kinda run through the streets ad you find your way over to the school which has already a bunch of cars in the teacher’s lot as you pass and get your way to the gas station that is twenty-four seven.

Brennan:

I wait. Actually I might pop inside and look at the candy but there I wait.

Mads:

I have all my stuff together. Go back downstairs. Quiet, quiet, quiet. No one’s about still. I’m leaving a note on the fridge that says, “yearbook planning committee meeting before school.” That’s it. And then like, signed, “Caleb.” And then I’m going to make my way outside to the car port. I’m gonna take my brother’s car. I have been practicing. I do not have a license, but I’ve been practicing!

Kenzie (MC):

You have been practicing on the property, around the property with your mom or dad on the streets in Wildmoore. Not even a learner’s permit under the belt yet. You’re not bad. There’s definitely apprehension that you’re driving without any sort of license and that makes you a little, I think, stiff at the wheel.

Mads:

Caleb is not a risk taker. Caleb likes calculated decisions and things that he can predict because it keeps his anxiety in place. But something about stating the engine of his dick of an older brother’s car without a license, without a learner’s permit, without anything, its like this electric charge that runs through where he ignites that key, through his arm, and into his body. And even though there’s this nervousness, this tight grip to the steering wheel, I’m alive.

Kenzie (MC):

You pull up to Sam’s house, you see the kid pacing on the curb, doing like the arms out walking, one foot right in front of the other along the curb. They have on these blue and black plaid skinny pants with what you recognize as Sawyer’s jean jacket, missing a punch of patches. And there is a backpack pulled over one of their shoulders with a bunch of pins on it. And as you pull up, they stop as if they’ve been caught red-handed doing something illegal, which they’re kinda about to do. And look at your car and they wave.

Mads:

I stop the car, I look at them and how just terribly dorky they are and I wave excitedly right back.

Kenzie (MC):

They hop off the curb, come around and open the backseat and climb into the backseat.

Mads:

I start to pull away.

Mads (Caleb):

You want me to chauffeur you?

Kenzie (Sam):

Oh, um, I just thought since Sawyer was coming, he would probably want to sit in the front.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh, yeah.

Kenzie (Sam):

So it’d be easier than just switching seats.

Mads (Caleb):

He’ll probably be a better navigator. Uuuhhhh. Actually maybe not. Can you do like a backup nav in the back?

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah, I’ll backseat drive.

Mads (Caleb):

Sawyer can pick the music.

Kenzie (Sam):

Oooooh, okay. I was – it’s fine. Maybe we can share.

Mads (Caleb):

You can share the aux.

Kenzie (Sam):

Okay. ‘Cause I was going to ask for it.

Mads (Caleb):

Well you have it now. Sawyer’s not here.

Mads:

Pass the aux back.

Kenzie (MC):

Yeah, they reach for it and grab it from you and plug it in. And just like, the clashing of drums and loud guitar riffs fill the car and Sam just immediately starts bouncing in the backsseat and like head banging every which way. Their predilection for pop-punk is unsettling this early in the morning.

Mads:

It’s okay, I like it.

Kenzie (MC):

They seem about three times more energetic than you are on a normal day.

Mads:

There’s something about it that’s a little infectious though because I know I become a better person – I become a better version of myself whenever I’m around Sam. And so this just excitement and the fact that I stole my brother’s car, I’m riding on it. And I start belting out the song right along with them. As we are driving to the gas station though I do ask,

Mads (Caleb):

Where did you get that jacket from? I don’t think I’ve seen you wear it before.

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah! It’s kinda been hot so I haven’t really needed to wear it but, uh, yeah, Sawyer gave it to me.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh, why?

Kenzie (Sam):

He came over like a little bit after that big party at the quarry and – well, you know, like said he was sorry and we talked about clothes and then video games and then he gave me the jacket.

Mads (Caleb):

Okay. Okay. Kinda like a little I’m sorry I almost killed you by extension thing.

Kenzie (Sam):

Oh, I mean, I don’t – I wouldn’t say he almost killed me. I mean Sawyer didn’t like push me off the stage or anything. He just was like wouldn’t it be fun to stage dive? And I was like yeah! And then I just like did.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, I guess you did decide to do that in the end.

Kenzie (MC):

Sam’s nose is at this point, completely healed.

Mads (Caleb):

Well, its whatever. It looks good on you.

Kenzie (Sam):

Thanks. I mean I thought – I think its kinda cool and its got the little Crush & Egg patch on it.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah. Yeah! Dude this is gonna be so great.

Kenzie (Sam):

I’m so excited!

Mads (Caleb):

I’m so excited. I’m so excited. I need to look at the road.

Kenzie (Sam):

Please pay attention we have to get there.

Mads (Caleb):

I am!

Kenzie (Sam):

If we want the game we have to get there in one piece!

Mads (Caleb):

I’m doing great! I’m driving perfectly well.

Kenzie (Sam):

You’re driving better than I drive.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah!

Kenzie (Sam):

I actually am kinda afraid of it.

Mads (Caleb):

What? A car? You’re in one right now.

Kenzie (Sam):

No, no I’m not afraid of a car. I’m kind of um, afraid of driving.

Mads (Caleb):

Why?

Kenzie (Sam):

I don’t know. It just makes me anxious. I don’t think I’m going to get my license.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh, well, I’m gonna get mine. I can just pick you up.

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah! Like in a year.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, or maybe more now. I can always do this again.

Kenzie (Sam):

We gotta be careful. We can’t just like do this all the time.

Mads (Caleb):

Well maybe not like all the time but sometimes I can definitely do this.

Kenzie (Sam):

How about we do it – I’ll make like a calendar and I’ll schedule the dates that we illegally steal your brother’s care.

Mads (Caleb):

It’s not illegal. My parents own this car. It’s just as much mine as it is his.

Mads:

I say this more trying to convince myself.

Kenzie (Sam):

I don’t know if that’s how it works.

Mads (Caleb):

It’s totally how it works.

Kenzie (Sam):

Well, I mean like next time there’s a party, instead of riding our bikes, we can drive the car – oh – actually no that was a bad idea because we both got pretty drunk.

Mads (Caleb):

Mm-hmm.

Kenzie (Sam):

So we shouldn’t do that. I take it back.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, maybe bikes are the party transportation. This differently parties. Different – not party parties. Party video game hangout party.

Kenzie (Sam):

Party video game hangout party –

Mads (Caleb):

Did Sawyer talk to you more about the game thing? I think he really wanted to be a part of it.

Kenzie (Sam):

Ooooh. Okay. So work party.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah.

Kenzie (Sam):

‘Kay. Gotchu. We’re on the same page. We haven’t really – I mean, we talked a little bit. We haven’t really talked a lot.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, he sent me a message about it.

Kenzie (Sam):

There’s kind been like a lot going on.

Mads (Caleb):

It’s been a month. A lot of stuff happened. But its good stuff. It’s all good stuff. Everything’s great and we’re going to get Crush & Egg.

Kenzie (MC):

You find yourself on the street and you can see the gas station ahead of you but you don’t see Sawyer outside.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh no.

Kenzie (Sam):

What? What’s wrong?

Kenzie (MC):

And Sam has kinda like scooted over and looked out the window.

Kenzie (Sam):

I don’t see him.

Mads (Caleb):

Do you think he got hit by a car?

Kenzie (Sam):

No I don’t – Caleb, I don’t think he got hit by a car –

Mads (Caleb):

I don’t know. It’s Sawyer.

Kenzie (Sam):

I think he’s loading up on the snacks.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh, he’s getting snacks, right. I brought granola! That’s probably not that cool. We can get other snacks.

Kenzie (Sam):

I don’t need snacks.

Kenzie (MC):

And pulls the zipper open on their bag and rips it open to reveal this like massive, junk filled backpack of like Twinkies and those soft Oreo cookies. And like Sour Patch Kids and nothing of any sustainable content at all. And is like

Kenzie (Sam):

I’m loaded on the snack department. But I do want a coffee or one of those Monsters with coffee in it.

Mads:

I park the car. I turn around in the seat to look at Sam and say,

Mads (Caleb):

I can do a coffee and like a sandwich or something. Jesus, Sam.

Kenzie (Sam):

Its like an hour drive!

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah! And you’re going to be so crashed out on sugar that you won’t be able to get to the game.

Kenzie (Sam):

Isn’t that like – isn’t that what people do though on road trips?

Mads (Caleb):

A bagel.

Kenzie (Sam):

Okay fine. I’ll get a little – I’ll get one of those premade sandwich thing.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah.

Mads:

I get out of the car.

Kenzie (MC):

Leaves their backpack in the backseat. You push open the sticker covered door. You see the bait and tackle sign. The bell above the door rings as it opens and Sawyer you hear that as well.

Brennan:

Sawyer is staring at the worms inside the little seat through cups and has three meat sticks and a bag of pickle flavored sunflower seeds and looks over at you guys.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh, hey!

Kenzie (Sam):

Hey! Caleb said we all have to get sandwiches.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh, I’m covered.

Kenzie (Sam):

I thought I was covered too but he didn’t like my snacks.

Mads (Caleb):

They’re objectively very bad snacks.

Kenzie (Sam):

Sour Patch Kids and Twinkies.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I mean that sounds pretty good.

Mads:

I look at what Sawyer’s holding and I just kinda like make this weird little snarl.

Brennan (Sawyer):

It’s gonna help me later today when I go home.

Kenzie (Sam):

What does that mean?

Brennan (Sawyer):

My breath! It’s gonna make my breath stink.

Kenzie (Sam):

Why would you want that?

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, what are you trying to do?

Brennan (Sawyer):

I have the stomach flu.

Mads (Caleb):

Do you actually have the flu? I thought you were joking.

Brennan (Sawyer):

No, I actually – No, I don’t.

Kenzie (Sam):

Does your breath stink? I thought it was just a weird – oh, because you throw up a lot.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh, but I didn’t brush my teeth this morning.

Kenzie (Sam):

We’re going to be in a car together.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, well if you want any dill pickle sunflower seeds. They’re actually pretty good I usally get them on most –

Kenzie (Sam):

Unrelated Caleb, I think I’m also going to grab a pack of gum.

Mads (Caleb):

I was going to say the same thing. Get like two packs of spearmint gum.

Kenzie (Sam):

Okay.

Kenzie (MC):

And Sam disappears down a couple of the aisles. You can hear their sneakers running around, squeaking on the linoleum.

Mads:

I’m gonna go pick up one of those little protein packs things that has the pre-sliced cheese in it. It’s like an adult Lunchable. I’m going to get a coffee for Sam. Its one of the like cappuccino latte machines that you have to hold and it makes like an ungodly like whirring noise for a few seconds before it spits out hot steam and milk. It’s practically boiling still. A little bit of it spats up out of the cup and onto my hand and I go,

Mads (Caleb):

Gah ah!

Brennan:

Sawyer walks over next to you. Takes a Big Gulp. Puts it under the blue slushly. Pulls the handle.

Mads:

I watch this happen and my eyes slowly track up to meet Sawyer’s and I hold his gaze with a dead, stone face.

Brennan:

Just a full toothy smile from Sawyer. Puts the cap on. Big straw.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay, I’m ready.

Mads:

I watch Sawyer as he says this. I give him this squinty eyed little half snarl.

Mads (Caleb):

So dumb.

Mads:

And then I turn my head back down so I can cap the lid onto Sam’s ungodly, disgusting cappuccino abomination so I can hide the blush that’s coming onto my face.

Kenzie (MC):

Sam appears behind you guys, arms full. They’ve got sour cream and onion potato chips. They’ve got a couple Monsters in the crease of their arm. They’ve got a couple packs of gum. They do have a premade little wrap. And they also have a bunch of Slim Jims.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh wait!

Brennan:

I rush over and I go to the candy aisle and pick up some Swedish Fish. And then I’ll walk back over to y’all.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Alright, I’m set.

Kenzie (Sam):

I think I got all I need.

Mads:

I grab a Monster energy for myself and take all of this stuff up to the front counter so we can pay for it.

Kenzie (Sam):

Caleb, did you get yourself a sandwich or a bagel?

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah I got a –

Mads:

I hold up the protein pack.

Mads (Caleb):

I need to fuel myself.

Brennan (Sawyer):

You should get a meatstick. I got three meatsticks.

Kenzie (Sam):

I got some meatsticks too.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Did you not get a meatstick?

Kenzie (Sam):

I got a meatstick. Caleb, do you want to share a meatstick?

Mads (Caleb):

You want me to get a meatstick?

Kenzie (Sam):

I got a bunch. You can just have one.

Mads (Caleb):

I don’t –

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, you can have one of my meatsticks.

Kenzie (Sam):

I mean mine has a bunch of different flavors. I got like a spicy pepper one and I got a teriyaki one.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I got that one too. I got that one too.

Mads (Caleb):

Why are you so obsessed with meatsticks?

Brennan (Sawyer):

They’re like the best like road travel like stick. Like if there were any other stick forms of food, I would choose a meatstick every time.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh yeah? What other stick forms of food exist.

Kenzie (Sam):

Sour straws!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Pretzel sticks!

Kenzie (Sam):

Corn dogs!

Brennan (Sawyer):

But I choose meatsticks every time.

Kenzie (Sam):

Every time!

Mads:

I’m gonna like look at Sawyer,

Mads (Caleb):

You would like meatsticks.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I just – yeah, we just had the whole thing. I just said I like them.

Kenzie (Sam):

We both like meatsticks.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, we like meatsticks.

Mads (Caleb):

You both would like meatsticks.

Mads:

I’m gonna go up to the front counter and pay for this.

Kenzie (Sam):

Wait, wait, wait, wait! You don’t have to pay for my stuff.

Mads (Caleb):

I got it.

Kenzie (Sam):

You sure?

Mads (Caleb):

This is a party adventure and I’m fueling the party.

Kenzie (Sam):

Okay, well, like, if you need gas money or something I can help.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, let’s all split everything.

Kenzie (MC):

The guy behind the counters like,

Kenzie (Gas Station Employee):

I can’t – I can’t – this isn’t a restaurant.

Mads:

I’m pulling out my wallet and there’s just like wads of ones and five dollar bills and everything else that’s in there.

Mads (Caleb):

Do you guys have cash? We can just split the cash. We can just –

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah!

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah, I don’t have a credit card so…

Mads:

We do the ungodly scene of three teenagers rolling into this fucking gas station and all frantically pulling out wadded up one dollar bills to try and like amass enough money to pay for our snacks.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Here’s four quarters.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh I’ve got a nickel!

Kenzie (MC):

Sam leans in,

Kenzie (Sam):

Make sure you don’t give away the money you’re going to use to get the game.

Mads (Caleb):

I’ve got it covered.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Do you take hundred dollar bills?

Mads (Caleb):

Why do you have a hundred dollar bill?

Brennan (Sawyer):

‘Cause that’s what my mom gives me for my allowance.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh my god, you’re so loaded.

Kenzie (Sam):

I don’t think I’ve ever held a one hundred dollar bill in my life.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah. I get one every week.

Kenzie (Sam):

Can I hold it?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Sure, yeah.

Kenzie (Sam):

It feels like any dollar bill but its like a hundred of them in one of them.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Mm-hmm and a little blue mark.

Kenzie (Sam):

Why’s there a blue mark?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Its right there on the hundred dollar bill.

Kenzie (Sam):

No, why?

Brennan (Sawyer):

I don’t know.

Kenzie (Sam):

Oh.

Brennan (Sawyer):

But that’s what I hear in all the songs they’re like I got blues, blue Benjamins, you know what I mean?

Kenzie (Sam):

What song is that?

Mads (Caleb):

What music do you listen to?

Brennan (Sawyer):

It’s called Blue Benjamins.

Kenzie (Sam):

I don’t think I’ve ever heard that one.

Mads (Caleb):

Is it a single?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, by Blue Face.

Kenzie (Gas Station Employee):

Are you going to pay for this or are you going to stand there all morning talking about it?

Brennan (Sawyer):

How much was the total?

Kenzie (Gas Station Employee):

Forty-two, thirty-five.

Mads:

I pull back this terrible wad that we’ve put forward. I put down the one hundred dollar bill from Sam’s hand instead.

Kenzie (MC):

The guy, staring at you all, grabs a pen from this little pencil holder, uncorks it, marks a line on the dollar bill, looks down at it.

Kenzie (Gas Station Employee):

Okay.

Kenzie (MC):

Puts it into the cash register and gives you your change.

Mads (Caleb):

Can you – can I put fifteen on five also?

Kenzie (Gas Station Employee):

Sure.

Mads:

I give it back to Sawyer.

Mads (Caleb):

We can split this up in the car.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Cool.

Kenzie (MC):

As you guys are running out,

Kenzie (Sam):

Or, ‘cause Sawyer gets a hundred dollars a week, I think he could just pay for it.

Mads (Caleb):

I mean, do you want to be our benefactor.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Sure. I don’t really spend my money on too much besides like food for my pets, like pellets and stuff. And like crickets.

Kenzie (Sam):

Oh I don’t want you to not be able to pay for your pet’s food.

Brennan (Sawyer):

No, I literally. I don’t spend much money so each week I’ll usually just tuck away the hundreds.

Kenzie (Sam):

Do you have like a massive savings account?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah. Well, if you mean a bunch of hundred dollar bills under my bed then yeah.

Kenzie (Sam):

That’s not exactly what I meant –

Mads (Caleb):

More like a trust fund.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Probably. I don’t know, I haven’t really talked about anything like that.

Kenzie (MC):

Sam’s opening the car door.

Kenzie (Sam):

Is it like – I don’t want to ask question about – is that rude? I shouldn’t have said that should I?

Brennan (Sawyer):

What?

Kenzie (Sam):

I shouldn’t have said the thing about you can pay for it because you have the hundred dollar bill. That was kinda rude.

Brennan (Sawyer):

No, that’s fine! That’s why I brought it.

Mads (Caleb):

This is good though. Now we have extra money to be able to cover the fees for the games. This is good. This is good.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Shotgun!

Mads:

I’m going to pull the car around to pump five. Get the fifteen dollars worth. Make sure that everything is checked and ready to go and say,

Mads (Caleb):

Sawyer, now you are our party’s benefactor but more importantly, you are the navigator. Can you handle this?

Brennan:

Sawyer pulls out his phone.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, just –

Brennan:

And you see his face goes white for a second and he goes over to the Find My app, pokes it.

Brennan (Sawyer):

My mom knows my fucking location! We link our phones so we know each other’s locations at all times.

Mads (Caleb):

Why would you?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Because I smoked a lot of drugs at the party!

Kenzie (Sam):

Can you turn that off?

Mads (Caleb):

Turn it off.

Brennan:

I will find the hide my location button, click it.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Ugh, I don’t know if that’s going to be like just wipe my seen or be like, last seen here. I don’t know.

Mads (Caleb):

Well, if its last seen here… you’re supposed to be sick right now? Right? You could’ve come over here to get a Gatorade!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Nope.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah!

Brennan (Sawyer):

I don’t think so.

Mads (Caleb):

I think so. You have to think so.

Kenzie (Sam):

I like Gatorade when I’m sick.

Mads (Caleb):

Everyone likes Gatorade when their sick.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I can maybe – I’m not a great liar. I can maybe make that work.

Kenzie (Sam):

Then don’t say anything unless she says something.

Mads (Caleb):

If you want to seal the deal, we can stop here on the way back, get a Gatorade and then it can be in your room when you’re back.

Kenzie (Sam):

What if you just like left your phone here?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Mmm. I don’t want to do that

.

Kenzie (Sam):

But then when you go home later, you tell your mom, you’re like, “Oh, I forgot I stopped at the gas station after school yesterday and I left my phone there.”

Brennan (Sawyer):

I’ll just do the Gatorade thing. I’m really attached to my phone, I don’t really wanna –

Mads (Caleb):

Do the Gatorade thing. Do the Gatorade thing. It’s a better plan. I love you Sam, I’m sorry.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Nice jacket by the way.

Kenzie (Sam):

Oh yeah thanks, you like it? I think it used to belong to you.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah it looks good.

Kenzie (MC):

Sam’s kinda turning, modeling the jacket in the backseat.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Pants are good too. It all works.

Kenzie (Sam):

Aw, thanks. I also –

Kenzie (MC):

And they lift up their T-shirt.

Kenzie (Sam):

I also wore a spiky belt.

Brennan (Sawyer):

That’s fucking rad.

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah, thought it was cool.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Alright, how long do we have on the drive?

Mads (Caleb):

You tell me navigator?

Brennan (Sawyer):

What’s the address? Oh I gotta look it up. Oasis.

Brennan:

Type it in. Click.

Kenzie (Sam):

Okay so we have gas. We have snacks. We have coffee. Anybody have to go to the bathroom.

Mads (Caleb):

Nope.

Brennan (Sawyer):

No.

Kenzie (Sam):

Alright.

Mads:

I look at Sam in the rearview.

Mads (Caleb):

Do you?

Kenzie (Sam):

No, I’m fine!

Mads (Caleb):

Okay, you’re holding it.

Kenzie (Sam):

If I have to go, I have to go.

Mads (Caleb):

If you have to go, you’re holding it.

Kenzie (Sam):

Mmmmm…

Mads (Caleb):

If you piss in this car, I will end you.

Kenzie (Sam):

Mmmmm…

Brennan (Sawyer):

Nice car by the way (chuckles).

Mads (Caleb):

Thanks. I think it needs a remodel. And this –

Mads:

And I point to myself sitting in the driver’s seat.

Mads (Caleb):

-is the first step.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Well, it’ll get us to where we gotta go.

Mads (Caleb):

It’ll do more than that.

Mads:

I turn the radio back on so that the aux chord can play.

Brennan:

I’m gonna look inside the glove compartment, just to see what is in there.

Kenzie (MC):

You open the glove compartment and you see a thick book of paper that’s like the car manual. You see an envelope that holds the insurance and stuff like that. There’s just a bunch of like napkins shoved in. And as you’re rooting through it, you also find an empty baggie that looks like at once there was some sort of powder in it. You find a pocket knife. You find a flask – just like an unassuming silver flask with a twist top on it. And you also find actually a few napkins that have like weird, strange scribble almost looking like drawing of something just scribbled on a bunch of different napkins.

Brennan:

I’ll see that there’s no sunglasses inside and just look at the napkin drawings.

Kenzie (MC):

Each napkin has like a different sort of scribble, scratchy, line work on it. And I think as you’re kinda looking through ‘em, you see that a couple of them match up.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Uh, did I just find a treasure map?

Mads (Caleb):

What – what are you doing? What’s in there? What?

Brennan (Sawyer):

I was looking for sunglasses but I found other cool stuff. He’s got a knife in there.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh my gaaahh…

Brennan (Sawyer):

Hold on, look at this!

Brennan:

And I’ll start laying them on the dashboard.

Kenzie (MC):

As you kinda start scooting them around and laying them out, it does not look like a treasure map. It looks like some sort of strange symbol.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Do you know what this is?

Mads (Caleb):

No. I – did Adam draw that?

Brennan (Sawyer):

I don’t know. It was in his glove compartment.

Kenzie (MC):

Sam’s like,

Kenzie (Sam):

What are you guys looking at?

Mads (Caleb):

Its my stupid brother doing stupid shit again. I don’t know.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Devil drawings.

Kenzie (Sam):

Devil drawings?

Mads (Caleb):

You know like the game thing where you move it around. The pieces and then spirits talk to you. That shit.

Kenzie (Sam):

I absolutely was not allowed to ever play with one of those.

Mads (Caleb):

I just didn’t. It’s stupid.

Kenzie (Sam):

That doesn’t – that looks familiar.

Kenzie (MC):

And they kinda like press their hands up and kinda like pull themselves up in the seat, looking over Sawyer’s shoulder to the dashboard.

Kenzie (Sam):

I think I’ve seen that before.

Mads (Caleb):

Wait, really?

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah.

Mads (Caleb):

Where?

Kenzie (Sam):

Um, kinda in a couple places.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Where?

Kenzie (Sam):

Its on that weird stone thing behind city hall.

Mads (Caleb):

The stone thing behind city hall?

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah that weird stone thing that people – Damian has a lot of theories about it.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, it’s like graffiti something.

Kenzie (Sam):

Um, yeah, there is a lot of graffiti on it but that thing isn’t graffitied onto it, that thing is carved into it.

Mads (Caleb):

But like graffiti can be carved too.

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah, I just meant it wasn’t spray paint. But also, when we were at lunch one day, Naia was doing her English homework and it was on the corner of one of her notebooks.

Mads (Caleb):

Why would Naia have -?

Brennan (Sawyer):

So, everyone’s just really into some creepy shit, huh? Maybe this is a good basis for an idea for our game.

Mads (Caleb):

You’re not serious.

Kenzie (Sam):

We could add it to the wild dream I had the other night that I was going to tell you all about.

Mads (Caleb):

You had a weird dream?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Like a devil dream?

Mads (Caleb):

Was it about this symbol?

Kenzie (Sam):

No, no, I just was – no it’s not about the symbol. No, sorry. I was just like – you were talking about the game and I had a dream and I was going to tell you about my dream that maybe could be the game.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh yeah.

Mads (Caleb):

Well, yeah shoot.

Brennan:

I’m gonna take a picture of the napkins and then put them all back in the glove compartment.

Mads:

I’ll fish around in the side of the door. There’s like an empty Big Gulp or something in there and some crunched up napkins and I’m like (gagging sounds) trying to make my way around it but I do find an old pair of Ray Ban sunglasses that are off-brand and have a little crack in the side of them.

Mads (Caleb):

I mean, they’re not perfect. But here.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh, cool! Thanks.

Mads (Caleb):

Okay, we’re ready?

Kenzie (Sam):

Dream time!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Dream time.

Mads:

I start to drive so Sam can begin to narrate.

Kenzie (Sam):

So it was like a couple nights ago and I wrote it down in a notebook ‘cause I didn’t want to forget it but I don’t have the notebook with me so I’m doing this by what I can remember but what if it was like real life but with like fantastical elements. Because I’m just thinking, I had this dream that I was on – I was like on your property Caleb and it was just like in the middle of the day and it was like the time in the middle of the day where the sun in at that point where nothing has a shadow. And like its really bright and kinda of off-putting and sometimes creepier than nighttime and I was just like strolling around and there was a giant Jasper. Like massive Jasper and he came over to me and meowed at me but like I could understand him and then I got up on his back and he, uh, was like my ride. And he ran around and then we were like not on your property anymore but we were like by the quarry but it wasn’t like the quarry really and there was like a bunch of these massive dragonflies that were luminescent and glowing and they were just like floating around – kinda like fairies! And then we were by the windmill but behind the windmill like coming off o the windmill was a waterfall and I don’t know I just think it’d be cool if like we built a world that as like real life but then with like weird things. I’m getting the vibe that that is not a liked idea in the car.

Mads (Caleb):

No, no it’s – it’s a good idea. It’s a good start. It might just need a little work.

Mads:

And then I think back to all of the stories and fairytales that my father was very insistent about telling Adam and I when we were young about fairies and about lush roaming forests that had properties that could shift and changed when you looked at them too close. And about creatures that could also shift and changed when you looked at them too close.

Mads (Caleb):

You said behind the lighthouse there was some –

Kenzie (Sam):

No behind that like windmill in town but coming out of the windmill was like a waterfall.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Did you have like a flood dream?

Kenzie (Sam):

No, no, it wasn’t flooding. It was going into a river. Like the river by the windmill but it was just like a waterfall coming out of a windmill.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Very cool.

Mads:

I remember the stories and about the importance of water and shifting and change.

Mads (Caleb):

It could be really cool if hid a secret level behind the waterfall.

Brennan (Sawyer):

That would be really cool.

Kenzie (Sam):

What if like all the creatures that I saw in my dream were like patrons? Like they helped you. Like they gave you things throughout the levels.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Well then I think we gotta figure out what the like base gameplay mechanic is and then just weave that into this dream. Like what do we do? Are we like running around chopping shit up?

Kenzie (Sam):

What if you – it was like, not like open world, but enough of an open world where you could run around and like actually the patrons were like the levels. Like you went up to the creatures and you talked to them and then you like (poof noise) transported into a level?

Brennan (Sawyer):

That’d be cool and then you could fight the spectral forms of the patrons or something at some point?

Kenzie (Sam):

Maybe its like a puzzle game. Maybe they give you puzzles.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Are we writing – is somebody writing this – hold on, take your notes, do you have your phone?

Mads (Caleb):

I am at ten and two I cannot write anything.

Kenzie (Sam):

Well you have the napkins! Do you have a pen? Is there a pen in there?

Mads (Caleb):

There’s gotta be a pen.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Don’t you have a phone?

Mads (Caleb):

Get a pen! Get a pen!

Brennan (Sawyer):

We’re doing this analog, alright!

Mads (Caleb):

It feels much more intuitive whenever you get to write it down.

Kenzie (Sam):

Also I’m just gonna let you guys know in about fifteen minutes I’m gonna have to go to the bathroom.

Mads (Caleb):

Sam!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh my god.

Mads (Caleb):

You’re holding it.

Kenzie (MC):

In betwixt speaking about the video game, Sam will turn the volume up on the music and like just break away and start singing part of it and then turn it back down and like immediately jump back into what sentence they had stopped right before they started singing. So a little bit of a chaotic time of decision-making for this video game you’re making. And they go,

Kenzie (Sam):

Caleb, can we really not stop?

Mads (Caleb):

(groans) If I pull over on the side of the road will that be enough?

Kenzie (Sam):

Um, yeah, can somebody hold a jacket like a dressing room for me?

Mads (Caleb):

No, I’ll find – there’s like a Subway coming up, I saw it on a sign. Like we’ll just go there. We’ll just go there.

Kenzie (Sam):

Okay. That’s fine!

Brennan (Sawyer):

You can find it? You can find it by yourself? ‘Cause I’m really bad at the navigation thing like –

Mads (Caleb):

It said that it was coming up in the next couple miles.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay cool ‘cause adding stops always fucks up the whole thing for me.

Mads (Caleb):

Wait can you see? Can you see the sign over there? Is it an arrow pointing - ?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Is this it?

Mads (Caleb):

Is it turning left?

Kenzie (Sam):

I think its to the left.

Mads (Caleb):

Is it pointing left?

Kenzie (Sam):

Yes, it’s left, it’s left.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Cop! Hold – cop! Okay, we’re good. We’re good.

Kenzie (MC):

The car becomes completely silent except for the music.

Mads:

I take a breath in again.

Kenzie (Sam):

Was that a rolling stop? That wasn’t a rolling stop was it? That was a stop stop.

Mads (Caleb):

I definitely made a full stop. I am stopped.

Kenzie (Sam):

Okay.

Mads:

Make a left.

Kenzie (MC):

You pull over, uh, into the Subway. Sam’s like,

Kenzie (Sam):

Okay, I’ll be right back! And then I won’t have to pee the rest of the way. Promise.

Mads (Caleb):

Okay.

Brennan (Sawyer):

(sighs)

Kenzie (MC):

As Sam’s getting out of the car, Caleb your phone goes off twice in succession. And then it starts ringing?

Mads:

Who is calling me?

Kenzie (MC):

It is Adam.

Mads (Caleb):

Sawyer, do not speak.

Mads:

And I’m going to like open up the glove compartment and grab the manuals out or whatever and I’m going to say,

Mads (Caleb):

Ruffle these papers aggressively.

Brennan:

Sawyer drops the partially open meatstick and picks up all the papers

Mads (Caleb):

What? Hello?

Kenzie (Adam Moore):

Caleb where the fuck is my car?

Mads (Caleb):

What? I can’t – who is this? Adam?

Kenzie (Adam):

Caleb I’m going to fucking kill you? Where the fuck is my car? Why can’t I hear you?

Mads (Caleb):

What? A –

Kenzie (Adam):

Caleb?

Mads (Caleb):

Uh – uh.

Kenzie (Adam):

Caleb.

Mads (Caleb):

Ah.

Mads:

Hang up.

Kenzie (MC):

Another ding as another text comes in.

Mads:

I’m going to call him. Does he answer?

Kenzie (MC):

Immediately.

Mads (Caleb):

Adam! I can’t -

Kenzie (Adam):

Caleb where the fuck is my car?

Mads (Caleb):

Adam! Adam!

Mads:

Hang up again.

Kenzie (MC):

Ding as another text comes in.

Mads:

I look at the text messages.

Kenzie (MC):

The first one is,

Kenzie (Adam):

Where the fuck is my car?

Kenzie (MC):

The second one is,

Kenzie (Adam):

I’m going to fucking kill you.

Kenzie (MC):

The third one is,

Kenzie (Adam):

If you’re driving my car right now you’re dead.

Kenzie (MC):

And the fourth one that just came in says,

Kenzie (Adam):

Call me.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeesh. What’s the plan on that one?

Mads:

I just stare at it for a while.

Mads (Caleb):

He’s so fucking entitled to everything.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah.

Mads:

I look at Sawyer.

Mads (Caleb):

You have something to add, meatstick?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Nope.

Mads (Caleb):

That’s what I thought.

Brennan:

Sawyer undoes the meatstick.

Mads:

I’m going to reply,

Mads (Caleb):

Bad reception. Rebecca’s house. Car missing?

Kenzie (MC):

The next text just says,

Kenzie (Adam):

I know you took it.

Mads:

I look at it.

Brennan:

Opens the Swedish Fish. Dumps them into the blue slushie. Mixes them all around.

Mads:

I look over at Sawyer as he slurps this.

Brennan:

Meatstick and straw (laughs).

Mads:

Something in my gut churns at the sight of it and I question every fucking decision I’ve ever made in my life. But instead I reply back,

Mads (Caleb):

Prove it, bitch.

Mads:

And I’m going to put my phone on do not disturb so he can’t bother me anymore.

Kenzie (MC):

The door to the backseat open and Sam climbs in and he goes,

Kenzie (Sam):

Okay well bad news, the Subway doesn’t open until nine. So, I’ll just have to hold it.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Do you want me to just hold up your jacket and you pee on the side of the building?

Kenzie (Sam):

No its fine. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!

Mads (Caleb):

Okay.

Brennan (Sawyer):

If I finish this slushy really fast would you pee in the cup?

Mads (Caleb):

Don’t pee – if you try peeing in the cup while this car is moving I’ll kill you.

Kenzie (Sam):

Thanks for the offer. Wait maybe I can just go behind – what if somebody walk out the backdoor though? That would be embarrassing.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Well that’s what I was thinking. Maybe you should just go pee outside if you’re cool with that.

Kenzie (Sam):

I’m really nervous about that.

Mads (Caleb):

How about we wait and see if there’s another Subway-adjacent pit stop along the way?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Like a McDonalds.

Kenzie (Sam):

They’re open for breakfast, yeah?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah ever since McDonald’s put the breakfast menu twenty-four seven, changed the game.

Kenzie (Sam):

I don’t eat a lot of fast food but I eat a lot of junk food.

Mads (Caleb):

I like their chicken more. I don’t like their breakfast. It’s like rubbery.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah but that’s what I like about it.

Mads (Caleb):

You like that its rubbery.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah! It’s pretty good.

Brennan:

Eats meatstick. Slurps blue slushie.

Mads (Caleb):

You have such a refined palette, Sawyer.

Kenzie (Sam):

Hey, guys, I’ve just been thinking. Should I text Naia and ask about the thing? The drawing thing?

Mads (Caleb):

It wouldn’t be like weird to ask about that, would it?

Kenzie (Sam):

Well I don’t really text Naia so texting her in general might be weird. But I have her number.

Mads (Caleb):

I mean the worst thing that happens is she just says fuck off. And we have to see her at lunch tomorrow so she probably won’t do that.

Kenzie (Sam):

Or I could text Damian and he could ask her.

Mads (Caleb):

Text Damian. Try Damian. He’s more into like the conspiracy theories too.

Kenzie (Sam):

That’s true! He might know all about it! Yeah.

Mads (Caleb):

If he asks Naia, it’ll kinda be normal. If we ask Naia, it will look weird.

Kenzie (Sam):

I often think that Naia puts up with us but would rather us not be around.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah I’m not looking to make our lunch room not lunch room, art room awkward.

Kenzie (Sam):

She’s like scary in like a way that some people don’t think is scary but that I think is scary.

Mads (Caleb):

She has a presence. I think she could kick anyone’s ass if she felt like it.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Wait, you guys eat in the art room?

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah. Where do you eat lunch?

Brennan (Sawyer):

I just kinda wander around.

Kenzie (Sam):

What about – what about your friends?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah. The ones with all the weird codenames.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah they’re not really friends.

Kenzie (Sam):

You sit with them in homeroom.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah ‘cause I’m kinda locked in there. But I don’t sit with them at lunch.

Mads (Caleb):

Never?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Well, not anymore. Before I did. Kinda outside in the little area. But I don’t sit with them anymore.

Kenzie (Sam):

Do I have to kick somebody’s ass? I can’t – don’t ask me to do that. I couldn’t do it.

Brennan (Sawyer):

No.

Mads (Caleb):

I mean I could do it.

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah, well, I saw the TikTok of you doing it.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah I saw it happening as it happened and I could do it again. If someone rally needed it, I could do it. But its not –

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah that’s a – I think like we’ll just like avoid all fighting.

Kenzie (Sam):

That’s probably a good idea.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Well maybe I’ll uh, meander on over to the art room or something during lunch if you guys are cool with that.

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah! Yeah! It’s just like – it’s just like us and Damian and Naia and that new kid, Farrow. They’re pretty quiet.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, cool, yeah I’d – that’d be cool if that’s okay.

Mads (Caleb):

You want to eat lunch with me? With us?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah I mean as long as you guys don’t like – as long as that’s cool.

Kenzie (Sam):

Anybody’s welcome in the art room.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, its super cool.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Cool. Yeah. I would much rather hang out with you guys.

Mads (Caleb):

Cool, yeah.

Kenzie (Sam):

Do we need to invite Ivy too? ‘Cause isn’t she going to be left out if we’re all in the art room?

Mads (Caleb):

I mean Ivy’s usually with her cheerleading friends. They go outside.

Kenzie (Sam):

I don’t have personal experience with this but when you’re the one in the friend group and everybody’s like hanging out without you.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I just don’t want to be like the one that then comes and then we – you guys have to feel obligated to invite Ivy and then all like her friends come and then it ruins your whole deal.

Kenzie (Sam):

I don’t think Ivy’s friends would ever come eat with us in the art room.

Mads (Caleb):

I think if we invite Ivy, its at least like extending the olive branch. I don’t think she’ll take us up on it. So, it’s a win-win. Then its not awkward by accident. But the whole cheerleading team isn’t coming in the art room ‘cause that would be miserable.

Kenzie (Sam):

That would be horrible.

Mads (Caleb):

That would be awful.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Well, they’re not all bad.

Kenzie (Sam):

I guess I don’t know many of them but it kinda feels like it takes away from the point of us not eating in the cafeteria.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Again I don’t want to complicate the whole art room thing if me coming is going to just like bring on a bunch of baggage.

Mads (Caleb):

No, you should come!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh, yeah?

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, you should come.

Kenzie (Sam):

More game planning time!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh yeah, perfect!

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, the game. For the game. And lunch. But like the game.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Sweet. I’ll be there tomorrow then.

Kenzie (Sam):

Cool.

Mads (Caleb):

Cool.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Cool, yeah. We should probably look for a McDonalds –

Kenzie (Sam):

No! It’s fine.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh shit.

Kenzie (Sam):

I’m gonna hold it. No I got it. I’m holding it.

Mads (Caleb):

I see a Wendy’s.

Kenzie (Sam):

We’re going to be there in like half an hour.

Mads (Caleb):

Is Wendy’s open now?

Brennan (Sawyer):

I think they open at eleven maybe.

Kenzie (Sam):

I can hold it. I can hold it. It could be a game, guys. Like we got half an hour. I’ll hold it.

Mads (Caleb):

You’re going to make your bladder into a game?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, you’re going to explode.

Mads (Caleb):

You’re going to explode. You’re going to die.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I hear like you can literally get poisoned if you hold it for too long.

Kenzie (Sam):

Stop at that Wendy’s! Stop at that Wendy’s!

Mads (Caleb):

Okay its coming up here, is it? Wait the sign doesn’t say it. Is it a right or a left arrow?

Kenzie (Sam):

It says point two miles.

Mads (Caleb):

Point two, but what way is it pointing, it’s like scratched off.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I would just – I don’t know - best guess, wait, cop!

Kenzie (Sam):

Okay, he’s gone.

Mads (Caleb):

Okay I’m putting on my turn signal. It’s a right. I can make a right on red.

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah, yeah, you can make a right on red just look, double check, look, Caleb, look!

Mads (Caleb):

I’m double checking. I’m looking. Oh wait, there it is. Okay. Okay.

Mads:

I pull into the Wendy’s.

Brennan (Sawyer):

You hit he curb!

Kenzie (MC):

Sam beelines out of the car and into the Wendy’s.

Mads (Caleb):

It’s fine! The car’s old. It will deal.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I’m actually pretty impressed that you’re like cool with driving on the highway.

Mads:

I lean back into the seat and it makes this like (squeak noise) squeak ‘cause its this old fucking car that my brother does has and does not maintain at all. I like lean back into the seat, it makes that terrible squeak. I’m trying to look cool but I lean forward again so it doesn’t squeak as much.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, really? You think so.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, it’s like one of the things that I’m really nervous to do.

Mads (Caleb):

Sam was saying that too. Just about like driving in general.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I think its like that initial like driving onto – what’s the called? Like getting onto the highway. It’s that – when you have to like floor it to match the speed.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh, just like accelerating?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah!

Mads (Caleb):

I know its not the same but I used to play like all the go-kart games in the arcade when I was growing up and its not like that different. Its actually easier. Those games are hard to turn.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah I guess though now the goal is to not bump into anybody.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, no, I mean, I’ve also – my mom has taken me around our property a couple times. And my dad took me to, um, the high school parking lot one time and that was good. I can parallel park.

Brennan (Sawyer):

You can?

Mads (Caleb):

Mostly!

Brennan (Sawyer):

I can’t do that.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, I can. I can do it.

Brennan (Sawyer):

That’s awesome.

Mads (Caleb):

It’s like not a big deal though.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I was thinking I would rather get my motorcycle license first.

Mads (Caleb):

You want to ride a motorcycle?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah.

Mads (Caleb):

That doesn’t scare you but a car does?

Brennan (Sawyer):

I don’t know. My dad has one and I’ve just like kinda grown up always wanting to have my own.

Mads (Caleb):

I forgot about that. I just thought it was like a weird mid-life crisis thing that he did.

Brennan (Sawyer):

It might’ve been honestly.

Mads (Caleb):

It’s red.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah. He really like drowns his sorrows in money.

Mads (Caleb):

I’ve noticed.

Brennan (Sawyer):

But that’s not what I want it for like

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah no I didn’t mean it like that.

Brennan (Sawyer):

No, no. I just like – I like a lot of board sports and I feel like my balance is pretty good from those that I feel like I could do well, or at least decent enough on a bike. I don’t know I’ve never really tried it on my own.

Mads:

Caleb like thinks for a minute of Sawyer on his longboard, like the balance or whatever that goes into that and then like transfers this image of Sawyer on a really, cool looking Harley Davidson motorcycle wearing a leather jacket and combat boots and it’s a little out of place for something that Sawyer would wear but its just this weird image cracking to life inside of my brain and I go,

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah you’d look good on a motorcycle I think.

Brennan (Sawyer):

You think.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Maybe I’ll do that. Maybe I’ll get – can you get your motorcycle license without getting a driver’s license.

Mads (Caleb):

I don’t know. Maybe. Its not really a car. Its kinda like a separate license, right?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Maybe I start with like a moped.

Mads (Caleb):

Like a dirt bike?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah. That’s probably cooler than a moped.

Mads (Caleb):

You could – if you did get a dirt bike – you, I mean, you could come out to the Moore property. There’s a lot of room out there.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh yeah! We could ride it around.

Mads (Caleb):

We?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, that’d be fun. We could like take it out. Do like donuts and stuff.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah. That could be cool.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Well, I – maybe I’ll see how much like I have under my bed. See if I can like afford a dirt bike.

Mads (Caleb):

You gotta work on that. You need like a box or something at least.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I mean its in like an old wallet. Just kinda tuck it in there. I literally don’t even know how much is in there.

Mads (Caleb):

Don’t your parents have like a debit account for you or something?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah! I’m like – they set me up. I have like an emergency card.

Mads (Caleb):

You can put the money onto the card.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I know but they can trace what I buy on the card.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh, right, because you usually buy – used to buy –

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah it doesn’t really matter as much now but for a while that’s why I kept it there.

Mads (Caleb):

You’re like clean now?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Kinda. Like I wouldn’t say that the door is totally closed to just like a casual thing here or there but I don’t ever want to really use it like I was.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, you weren’t – you were still you. But not. It wasn’t really – it wasn’t who I knew. And I like the person I know. So I’d much rather see him – you.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah you think I’m cooler sober? I always thought like I was more fun when I wasn’t sober. Kinda how my mom is.

Mads:

I scrunch up my face a little bit.

Mads (Caleb):

Uh, yeah, your mom… she’s great. She’s like a second mother to me and Adam but she’s like – she kinda get –

Brennan (Sawyer):

Super fucked up and become like a –

Mads (Caleb):

Like super fucked up.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Raging bitch.

Mads (Caleb):

Like really, really, really bad. Like super sloppy.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah.

Mads (Caleb):

Extra mega drunk.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I know.

Mads (Caleb):

Like its – sorry.

Brennan (Sawyer):

No, I mean that’s just kinda how it is.

Mads (Caleb):

I don’t want that to be you.

Brennan (Sawyer):

You ever think like, uh, like it’s a little inescapable though?

Mads (Caleb):

What? Becoming our parents?

Brennan (Sawyer):

No just like falling into the pressures of like who you think you are.

Mads (Caleb):

I used to think it wasn’t that hard. And now, well, that was kinda taken from me. But I don’t want to be what they want. You know? I still want to be me. And I don’t care about this family – this families’ town. I know what we’re supposed to do but it doesn’t have to change us.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I hope so.

Mads (Caleb):

Besides how can you get that cool motorcycle if you’re drunk all the time.

Brennan (Sawyer):

That’ true! They would never give it to me.

Mads (Caleb):

They would literally take your license away from you.

Kenzie (MC):

The back door to the car opens and Sam goes,

Kenzie (Sam):

Okay so they wouldn’t let me go to the bathroom in their unless I bought stuff.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Here’s five dollars.

Kenzie (Sam):

No, no, no (laughs) I already bought it.

Mads (Caleb):

Wait, what’d you get?

Kenzie (Sam):

I got the – I got some, uh, fries and they had hashbrowns… I didn’t know that Wendy’s did breakfast.

Mads (Caleb):

I think everyone does breakfast now but its all kinda the same weird rubbery -

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah so I got some hashbrowns…I think. And then I just got fries and then I also got a Mountain Dew.

Kenzie (MC):

Squeaky straw, sucks in a Mountain Dew.

Kenzie (Sam):

But I’m not gonna drink the whole thing ‘cause then I’ll have to go to the bathroom again.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah we literally have like thirty more minutes until we get there.

Mads (Caleb):

Just wait until we get there. There’s probably a bathroom there too.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah there’s a bathroom.

Mads (Caleb):

I’ll take a hashbrown.

Kenzie (MC):

And you, without issue, make the rest of the trek towards the city and you come up and you get stuck in a little bit of traffic of the early morning commute into the city. It’s just a little after seven thirty with your pitstops and stuff like that, nearing eight. And you drive around and you are going down the streets towards where Oasis is and Sam goes,

Kenzie (Sam):

Oh no.

Mads (Caleb):

Please say you don’t need to pee. We’re almost there!

Kenzie (Sam):

No, no, no, no. Look at this!

Kenzie (MC):

And they shove their phone into the front seat and you can see the Oasis Games Instagram page and a picture of the front door with a line down the sidewalk and it says, “The queue for the sequel to Crush & Egg is out of this world!”

Kenzie (Sam):

We’re going to be too late! There’s already a big line.

Mads (Caleb):

We can’t be too late.

Kenzie (Sam):

It’s like not even eight o’clock and they don’t open til ten. Why are so many people here?

Brennan (Sawyer):

People did overnight.

Mads (Caleb):

This is the wrong overnight. We didn’t – we need a game plan.

Kenzie (Sam):

How are we going to do this?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Just run the car into the whole line.

Kenzie (Sam):

Sawyer, I would like to come out of here without manslaughter charges.

Brennan (Sawyer):

No I’m just joking. I’m totally kidding. I’m totally kidding! No, I’m not – it wasn’t serious.

Mads (Caleb):

If I drive this car, that I do not have a license for, through the line.

Kenzie (Sam):

I think that its more that you’ll go to jail because of the deaths.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Deaths. Death, yeah.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh, right the death too.

Brennan (Sawyer):

What if we – what if we just pretend that we know somebody towards the front of the line.

Kenzie (Sam):

That never works! Sawyer do you have like another couple hundred dollar bills on you, maybe we can bribe people.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Uh, I have – on, I brought one. I didn’t think I’d need – I have a enough for the game and then I have – I brought the extra hundo.

Mads (Caleb):

Sawyer, you’re like bad at lying, okay? Like super bad at lying. But, you’re kinda personable. Do you think you could make friends really fast? Scoot us up in the line?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Uh, if we look for anybody with some sort of eighties memorabilia and I can make it work. If they got a band tee. If they got like a Star Wars shirt.

Mads (Caleb):

Given the potential turnout of this event, I’d say that’s most people in line. We should be good.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Cool, I can get us – I think I can get us one extra friend.

Kenzie (MC):

As you near the store, you find that there is no street parking and you’re going to have a parking garage of some sort. I think you do. I think you see a sign and Sam goes,

Kenzie (Sam):

No way! It’s gonna cost us thirty-six dollars to park?

Mads (Caleb):

This is ridiculous. It cannot be thirty-six dollars on a Wednesday morning? To park? It is not even – how?

Kenzie (Sam):

How do people afford to live here?

Mads (Caleb):

There has to be like a neighborhood or something around here that I can park out.

Kenzie (Sam):

We’re in the middle of a city, Caleb!

Mads (Caleb):

Maybe like a couple blocks over. There’s an apartment building, something.

Brennan (Sawyer):

(sighs) We can use my card.

Mads (Caleb):

The secret one? The one that they check?

Brennan (Sawyer):

I’ll just tell them like it wasn’t me. ‘Cause of course its not me. And then they’ll think somebody – like they’ll call the bank and everything and it’ll be like somebody else was using my stuff, right?

Kenzie (Sam):

I don’t have a credit card. I don’t know how that works.

Mads (Caleb):

If you’re okay with doing that, I mean, yeah.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Gotta get this game.

Mads (Caleb):

You’re right. This is more important.

Brennan:

Shakily go into my wallet, pull out the card, the debit card.

Mads:

Slowly pull into the parking garage. Press the turnstile ticket dispenser.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Wait do we not pay first?

Kenzie (Sam):

No I think we pay when we leave.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh shoot okay. I’ll put it back into my wallet.

Kenzie (MC):

You guys park in the parking garage, get out of the car. Its fairly close to Oasis Games. And as you guys are walking up the sidewalk, the sun has started to rise but because of the buildings being so tall, it looks like its just starting to arc over and there’s like a hazy orange and pink lighting the buildings and down the streets. You walk the couple blocks from the parking lot, down Market Street to the game shop and you see there are lights on inside. The sign on the door says, “Crush & Egg, Special Event, 10 am.” You see that there is already a queue. People in folding chairs. You see a couple of people packing up tents so they did overnight it. You walk down the sidewalk and like around the corner of the building, the line is still going. A bunch of the people are wearing Crush & Egg merch, various other gaming merch. Some people are in full cosplay.

Kenzie (Sam):

I’ve got like butterflies in my stomach. Like, this is weird.

Mads (Caleb):

I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous or more excited for anything in my entire life.

Brennan (Sawyer):

This is gonna change our lives.

Mads (Caleb):

This is monumental. We will never be the same after today.

Kenzie (Sam):

I have not seen Oasis like this by the way.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, its usually like super dead here.

Kenzie (Sam):

I’ve never been here on a special event before.

Mads (Caleb):

Okay, well its much better when it’s super dead.

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah, I mean, I understand it. There’s like a lot of anxiety ‘cause there’s a lot of people.

Mads:

I’m going to scope the line and look for someone that Sawyer could talk to.

Kenzie (MC):

You can find an individual wearing a vintage Crush & Egg t-shirt. Looks to be a guy in his late thirties.

Mads:

Is there anyone younger? Is there anyone that’s our age? I’ll take someone that’s in their early twenties.

Kenzie (MC):

If you’re looking for people wearing eighties vibe stuff, no. But if you just want to find any random twenty-something year old, easy-peasy.

Mads:

Let’s try and find someone that looks like their high school age. At the max we’re looking at a twenty-year old.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, I don’t want to talk to a thirty-year-old.

Kenzie (MC):

You see like a group of people – like five people – all in cosplay. You see a couple duos of people, probably like seventeen, eighteen, not wearing Crush & Egg merch but standing in line.

Mads (Caleb):

Okay Sawyer, this is your moment. Choose wisely.

Kenzie (Sam):

If the people aren’t wearing Crush & Egg shirts, maybe they won’t care if we cut.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Do you want to test that theory before I have to go interact with somebody?

Kenzie (Sam):

No, no, I meant like those are the people you should talk to. I don’t think we should just cut.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh, um, hmm, trying to find somebody that’s just like singled out. But I think its just that thirty year old, dude. Maybe that’ll work.

Mads (Caleb):

Sawyer.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Huh?

Mads (Caleb):

If we get kidnapped today, I will kill you. I will break out of my bonds that they are holding me with, the kidnapper, I will kill you.

Brennan (Sawyer):

No, we wouldn’t get kidnapped or anything, right? It’s Crush & Egg.

Mads (Caleb):

We are kids! We could get napped at any moment.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay, now this is making it much more stressful.

Mads (Caleb):

There’s a duo in line. They look like they’re our age. They look a little excited but like trying to keep it low key. Sawyer, I think that’s our best bet.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay.

Brennan:

And I walk.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Whoo! Ha!

Brennan:

Like I’m shaking my hand out as I walk over.

Kenzie (Sam):

Caleb, do we let him go by himself?

Mads:

I shake my head and look at Sam.

Mads (Caleb):

He’s going to die. He’s going to die. He’s going to go up in flames, oh my god, this is terrible.

Kenzie (Sam):

Do we let him go by himself? Or do we like backup?

Mads (Caleb):

We should go back him up.

Kenzie (MC):

You feel two presences following behind you as you go up to these two individuals.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh my god, I love your shirt.

Kenzie (Dana):

Oh, oh, thanks! Yeah!

Brennan (Sawyer):

That’s from the first one. That’s like from the original release, isn’t it? Did you like order them off Ebay or something?

Kenzie (Dana):

No my cousin, my cousin went and got, uh, passed down I guess.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh cool.

Kenzie (Dana):

He didn’t care anymore.

Brennan (Sawyer):

It’s like a hand me down type thing? That’s cool.

Kenzie (Dana):

You’re here to get the game then, I assume.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, yep. Been here all night. Actually, we – I’m here with my friends – and um, we had kinda do like a bathroom run and then we sort of lost our spot.

Kenzie (Dana):

Oh man, that sucks.

Brennan (Sawyer):

What’s your name?

Kenzie (Dana):

Oh, I’m Dana!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Dana?

Kenzie (Dana):

Yeah.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Hi, I’m Sawyer.

Kenzie (Dana):

And this is Ollie.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Hi, Ollie. These are my friends.

Mads (Caleb):

Caleb.

Kenzie (Sam):

Sam!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Do you guys mind if we just hang out with you for a little while?

Kenzie (Dana):

Oh, uh…

Mads (Caleb):

Don’t look but there’s this like thirty-year-old that’s towards the back of the line right now and he keeps looking at us.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, we don’t really want to go back there.

Kenzie (MC):

Ollie immediately looks behind.

Kenzie (Ollie):

I don’t see anybody. Who you talkin’ about?

Brennan (Sawyer):

He’s kinda back around the way a little bit. Um, it’s cool. If not, I mean, we just thought you guys seemed cool and everything and we, um, just didn’t feel comfortable going back there so we tried to find some cool Crush & Egg fans.

Kenzie (Dana):

Yeah, maybe we should tell one of the people that work at the store.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, is it cool if we just hang out with you for a little bit until we get inside though? And then we can – I’ll notify one of the store owners?

Kenzie (MC):

Roll to manipulate.

Brennan:

That is a nine.

Kenzie (MC):

Dana goes,

Kenzie (Dana):

Oh yeah, I totally get it that that would be – would not make you feel well.

Kenzie (MC):

She kinda peers around too.

Kenzie (Dana):

Yeah, you know, you can hang with us, but like, we made the bad mistake of like not eating breakfast.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh!

Mads (Caleb):

Wait, this is –

Kenzie (Sam):

I have fries!

Mads (Caleb):

And a hashbrown.

Kenzie (Dana):

If you guys don’t mind like sharing some food with us, we got you.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah you guys like meatsticks?

Mads (Caleb):

I have granola.

Kenzie (Dana):

I like granola!

Kenzie (MC):

Ollie goes,

Kenzie (Ollie):

Meatstick in the morning’s weird, but I’ll do it. Yeah, thanks!

Kenzie (MC):

Rips into it.

Mads:

I share my granola with Dana.

Kenzie (Sam):

I also got like a Monster. Does anybody want a Monster?

Kenzie (MC):

And Dana’s like,

Kenzie (Dana):

Uh, you know what? I’ll pass on that. Thanks though.

Brennan:

I look at Caleb and just give a little thumbs up, subtlety.

Mads:

I’m going to knock my shoulder into Sawyer’s.

Brennan:

I’ll just smile. Keep up the façade.

Kenzie (MC):

Where you guys coming from?

Kenzie (Ollie):

Oh. Alright wow, yeah. That’s a bit of a trek up here.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah its kinda boring. Middle of nowhere.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Not a cool game shop or anything out there. What about you guys? Yeah.

Kenzie (Dana):

Oh I grew up here. And so did Ollie.

Mads (Caleb):

What’s it like, living in the city? Is it fun? There’s a lot of stuff to do around here.

Kenzie (Dana):

Yeah, yeah, there’s a lot of stuff to do. I mean sometimes it gets annoying. Like the bus to school is just the bus people take to work and like its super crowded in the mornings and that’s really annoying.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Woah. That would kinda freak me out.

Kenzie (Dana):

Taking a bus?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, I mean, with working adults.

Kenzie (Dana):

Oh I mean, some people bike. I don’t bike. It kinda scares me to bike in the city.

Brennan (Sawyer):

What do you guys do for fun? Like do you guys have parties?

Kenzie (Dana):

Yeah, I mean, we – like birthday parties and some of the –

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, of course, that’s a – of course you have parties. We usually jut have them in the woods.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah.

Kenzie (Dana):

Oh I mean this kid Brad has a penthouse and we had a party there once.

Brennan (Sawyer):

What?

Kenzie (Dana):

You just have parties in the woods?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, we - kinda, yeah.

Kenzie (Dana):

That’s actually kind a cool. No one’s around. You can just be as loud a you want.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Mm-hmmm

Mads (Caleb):

Uh, sorta. There’s some rules though. But, yeah, its kinda nice.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Or like super dangerous and scary.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, sometimes we pick like abandoned house too. That’s another one. Definitely not up to code.

Kenzie (Ollie):

Oh I mean like one time in the summer – I have some family who live down south – and so we were down there and they just have these like massive bonfires. Like and people are just like throwing empty beer cans around and its kinda wild.

Kenzie (MC):

And Sam’s like,

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah, Caleb! Like, like, uh, Adam threw that bonfire over the summer.

Mads (Caleb):

We have stuff like that. Its not as – it’s okay. It’s not a penthouse.

Kenzie (Dana):

Yeah I mean… I don’t live in a penthouse but it was kinda cool to go. His family’s like super rich.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Do you guys like live in one of the skyscrapers?

Kenzie (Dana):

(laughs) Neither of us do. Definitely not. Ollie’s family has like this - like an actual house. I’m in like a three bedroom with my parents.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh. Okay.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh, that’s cool.

Mads (Caleb):

That’s cool.

Kenzie (Dana):

Yeah, I mean, that’s where I grew up so that’s my house.

Mads (Caleb):

What else do you guys do for fun? I mean other than Crush & Egg obviously? Do you like comics?

Kenzie (MC):

Ollie’s like,

Kenzie (Ollie):

Yeah, comics are – I’m cool with that. I got this like comic book shop just down the street from my house. It’s like this old place and they sell like a lot of, uh, like old comics and you can get ‘em there for like two dollars. It’s kinda wild.

Mads (Caleb):

Really?

Kenzie (Ollie):

Yeah.

Brennan (Sawyer):

What kind of comics do you like?

Kenzie (Ollie):

My dad used to like collect like Superman comics but I’m not really a superhero comic

person. I kidna like the weird ones.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Like horror stuff?

Kenzie (Ollie):

Yeah, like some horror stuff and ones that are a little bit more sci-fi.

Mads (Caleb):

That’s really cool.

Kenzie (Ollie):

There’s like a zombie one that’s not bad but its not my favorite.

Mads (Caleb):

It’s not Rise From Below, is it?

Kenzie (Ollie):

Yeah that is it.

Mads (Caleb):

Okay I’ve been trying to get Sam to read it and its just not – it’s a little too scary for them. Sorry, Sam, I don’t want to throw you under the bus but its rally cool, right? I love the depictions of how they show the zombies.

Kenzie (Ollie):

Yeah the art in that is a lot better than the story, but yeah the art is really cool.

Mads (Caleb):

It’s really compelling too because its not like, its not like they’re just brain dead zombies and they’re after – like they’re trying to recover. It’s so crazy.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah like maybe I should read it.

Kenzie (Ollie):

Dana, I think we found a new friend here.

Kenzie (MC):

And Dana’s like,

Kenzie (Dana):

Yeah, talk about Rise From Below all you want.

Kenzie (MC):

Sawyer, your phone goes off in the middle of this.

Brennan:

Who is it from?

Kenzie (MC):

Natalie. It says,

Kenzie (Natalie Samuels):

Hey are you sick?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Sorta, I’ll explain if I see ya tomorrow.

Kenzie (Natalie):

Oh, okay. You just aren’t in homeroom so I wanted to check in.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah. Top secret. Tell ya in person.

Kenzie (MC):

It says,

Kenzie (Natalie):

…okay…

Kenzie (MC):

And then the emoji pf the guy with the monocle.

Brennan:

I’ll do a haha on that one.

Brennan (Sawyer):

So, when do you think this line’s going to move?

Kenzie (MC):

Ollie is pulled out of the deep discussion that in ten seconds he got in with Caleb. And Dana goes,

Kenzie (Dana):

Oh I think like we got a couple hours. They’re not opening the doors til ten.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Cool.

Kenzie (Dana):

I hope that like these clouds come in cause it could get a little, ech. I mean, its not going to be hot but sometimes just standing out in the street in the sun is annoying.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, totally.

Brennan:

And I’ll pull up my phone and text Caleb and Sam,

Brennan (Sawyer):

I’m getting like totally drained trying to talk to new people.

Mads:

Caleb does not hear or feel his phone buzz because he put it on do not disturb when Adam was bothering him. Also, he is so caught up in this conversation. I don’t know actually if – Sam for sure - I don’t know if Sawyer has seen Caleb this like alive in a long time. But he is speaking so like animatedly. Like he’s moving and gesturing around with his hands. His face is just expressions that are bright and flashing after each other as he’s describing every aspect of this comic and why he likes it so much.

Mads (Caleb):

Okay but like you don’t understand. The scene where Ash like comes to the group after they thought that he was taken away and he’s like coverd in guts and he’s just – and they know that he’s changed and he’s trying to conceal it. It’s so. Fuck!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, I really should read these.

Kenzie (Ollie):

You’re definitely like a much bigger fan of them than I am.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, sorry, I’m -

Kenzie (Ollie):

No, no, it’s great. I’m just like I don’t want you to think – I don’t want to give you the wrong impression. I’ve read ‘em and the arts great but you know everything about it and I don’t remember all of it.

Brennan:

Sawyer takes a step back, like kind of excusing himself a little bit from the conversation. Just steps toward Sam.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Have you read ‘em?

Kenzie (Sam):

No, Caleb keeps trying to get me to read them but then he says that they might be too scary. Which, I mean sounds like he’s being my mother but also he’s probably right.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Well I wish I read ‘em.

Kenzie (Sam):

Why?

Brennan (Sawyer):

I don’t know.

Kenzie (Sam):

Maybe they have them here.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah maybe I’ll – I’m definitely going to look for them now.

Kenzie (Sam):

You like zombies?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Uhhhhhh, eh.

Kenzie (Sam):

But they’re about zombie.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah I know. I just like – I like being a part of conversation and everything you know?

Kenzie (Sam):

Oh okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Now if it was like lizard people that would be a whole other thing.

Kenzie (Sam):

You said you had a bunch of like lizards and stuff.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh, yeah, you gotta come over!

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah I know. I know. It’s just been – I wanted to make sure that my nose healed and then like all the shit stuff went down that night and its just been a long month of stuff. Everybody got called in, right?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah.

Kenzie (Sam):

I did to which I thought was weird because they knew that I was in the hospital already. Like I walked in and they were like, “We know you were –

Brennan (Sawyer):

What did you say?

Kenzie (Sam):

That I was not there.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh.

Kenzie (Sam):

But I just thought it was weird because they already knew. And they could obviously see my nose.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah. That was a tell. I thought I was going to go to jail.

Kenzie (MC):

Dana goes,

Kenzie (Dana):

Oh my god. I totally forgot. Somebody died there. Holy shit. Ollie. Ollie. They live in Wildmoore. That kid died.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh, yeah, that’s – yeah, it’s kinda sad.

Kenzie (Dana):

Yeah we heard about – that was in the newspaper like a month ago.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah it’s like really creepy like this account opened up online and there are like pictures of it.

Kenzie (Dana):

Oh, yeah, we kinda like all saw it.

Brennan (Sawyer):

You guys saw it?

Kenzie (MC):

Ollie goes,

Kenzie (Ollie):

I still follow it. Yeah.

Mads (Caleb):

You follow that account?

Kenzie (Ollie):

Yeah. Wildmoore Secrets? It’s kind a like huge.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I haven’t even checked it in like… since that night.

Kenzie (Dana):

You guys might want to take a minute and scroll through that page ‘casue it is insane.

Mads:

I look at Sawyer.

Brennan:

I look back.

Mads:

I’m going to pull out my phone and check the account.

Kenzie (MC):

Wildmoore Secrets has kind of popped off. 600k is a massive following and htat account has it. And it looks like its followed by a bunch of people that you follow too from Wildmoore, from school. You do see that the video, the first video ever posted of Ryan Bishop’s body has finally – you don’t know when – but is no longer on the account page. Was taken down. But there are a lot of videos, at least one per day since it started if not more. And if you’re looking at it, she’s like,

Kenzie (Dana):

Yeah, this is like – I’ve never lived in like a small town but that must be crazy.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, I mean, people aren’t really talking about it all that much anymore.

Kenzie (Ollie):

People online are.

Mads (Caleb):

Not where people can hear it. They’re not talking about it at least. But everyone’s kinda thinking about it, you know? No one knows who did it still.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah that’s why the wood’s parties are not as fun as you think.

Kenzie (Dana):

Yeah not if you have a psycho murderer running around your town that no one’s caught.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, yeah, spot on.

Kenzie (Dana):

It’s gotta be terrifying.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah it really is.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Crush & Egg, I am so excited to play.

Mads (Caleb):

The rest of the town’s like super boring though. It’s like really boring. We have like two gas stations.

Brennan (Sawyer):

One of them’s like a bait shop though, that’s kinda cool.

Mads (Caleb):

There’s a lake.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah the fishing’s pretty good.

Mads (Caleb):

All the fish look really weird though. Like something’s wrong with them.

Kenzie (Dana):

I think we’ve stepped on some toes. Sorry, guys.

Mads (Caleb):

No, no, you’re fine. You’re totally fine.

Kenzie (Dana):

Really interesting to me. I’m kinda like really into murder podcasts.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh, uh –

Kenzie (Dana):

There isn’t one for Wildmoore yet, but there should be ‘cause this is a juicy tale.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah maybe we’ll start one.

Mads (Caleb):

I mean, you guys could always hang out sometime if you wanted to. It’s kind alike an hour away and there’s not that much to do.

Kenzie (Dana):

Bit far. You could like follow me on Instagram if you want.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah I could follow you on Instagram. If you see anything else pop up, we could be the first to tell you about it. Insider’s scoop.

Kenzie (Dana):

Yeah that’d be awesome.

Kenzie (MC):

And she pulls out her phone.

Mads:

I type in my account. Follow.

Brennan:

Sawyer kinda like slight turns away. Not a huge amount. Just a little bit. Just subtlety.

Kenzie (MC):

Sam kinda walks over to you, or just scooches over to you.

Kenzie (Sam):

Uh. Damian texted me back.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh, yeah, what’d he say?

Kenzie (Sam):

He said that he asked Naia. And that she said, “Fuck off, Damian.” And then –

Brennan (Sawyer):

Mmmm.

Kenzie (Sam):

He was like, “Shut up.” And then –

Brennan (Sawyer):

Mm-hmm.

Kenzie (Sam):

She was like, “It’s just like a symbol. It’s nothing.” And he was like, “I don’t believe you.”

Brennan (Sawyer):

Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

Kenzie (Sam):

And then – it was like a really – sorry – it was like a really long text message.

Brennan (Sawyer):

He texted all of that.

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah.

Brennan (Sawyer):

What the fuck (laughs)?

Kenzie (MC):

And Sam’s like,

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah, look.

Kenzie (MC):

And its just like this block text message.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Even I’m not that bad.

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah. I don’t know hwy he did that. Um, but long story short, she said it was just like a symbol, like a protection symbol that her grandmother taught her.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh yeah?

Kenzie (Sam):

Her grandma’s like really into crystals and stuff like that.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Huh. Weird.

Kenzie (MC):

Ivy, you and Naia are in Blackthorn Manor. You are standing in the sitting room, in front of Bast and Gabriel’s bar cart and Naia’s looking at it. She looks at you and she says,

Kenzie (Naia Luna):

Are you sure that they’re not going to be mad about this?

April Consalo (Ivy Duncan):

Absolutely. No. You don’t really know my dads. They kinda let me get away with anything.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Okay. Then yeah fine. Yeah. Okay. Let’s have a drink ‘cause this is a lot.

April:

Ivy pours very generous drinks for the two of them. Just alcohol in both. She leaves the bottle full of dark, red liquid on the bottom shelf where Naia can’t see it.

April (Ivy):

Cheers!

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Cheers.

Kenzie (MC):

And she clinks glasses with you and pretty much just throws the entire thing back, wincing. Isn’t taking it like somebody who has a lot of experience with alcohol, straight alcohol, so there’s a grimace on her face.

April:

Ivy also throws it back and is just straight-faced, completely.

Kenzie (MC):

She sets the tumbler glass on the top of the cart and sits on one of the plush stools in the room. Her elbows are on her thighs, face kind of held up in her hands.

April:

Ivy sits next to her on the floor with her back against one of the chairs and she’s hugging her knees to her chest. And she looks up at Naia and says,

April (Ivy):

So, when did this all start?

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I think just like a few months ago.

April (Ivy):

What – I don’t even know what to ask?

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Uh, that’s okay. I’m just trying to gather all my thoughts so that I can tell you in the least confusing way possible for something that is pretty confusing.

April:

Ivy kinda laughs to herself.

April (Ivy):

Yeah, when it comes to Adam, things are usually pretty confusing.

Kenzie (MC):

There’s recognition that you might mean that in a way that she doesn’t mean it. And she sighs and kind of pushes herself back up into a seated position. Doesn’t really know what to do with her hands and says,

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Wildmoore is not what anyone thinks it is. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but over the last couple of years, its started to change. That’s not even the right word. Warp?

April (Ivy):

That’s a good one. Yeah, I’ve noticed.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Its like there’s some sort of illusion and its all starting to fade and if you’re paying any attention, you can see the cracks. But it feels like no one is paying any attention. And (sighs) I mean yeah, this place has always been weird. Its why I’ve practically memorized the museum. I know you’re dads like fund it so I’m not trying to… but there’s like a bunch of stuff that doesn’t make sense. Like things are missing. And I get it – I get it. Like things get lost. But I don’t think that’s quite what this is and Mr. Greggson doesn’t know what I’m talking about ‘cause he’s like a really old man. I stopped asking him because he just gets really confused whenever I bring it up. But I’ve so many questions and it feels like no one in this town has ever felt the need to figure out answers, let alone ask the questions in the first place. And so, I started doing some digging myself. And while I’m far from understanding anything, I do feel like I’ve found out some things.

April:

Ivy gently touches the tip of her tongue to her canine and presses until she calms down.

April (Ivy):

So, what did you find?

Kenzie (Naia):

:

There’s something old here. Something supernatural. Magical. Mabye both. About this place. I mean like literally. Not just in some metaphor. I mean lieterally – and I’ve looked into it and I have dabbled in this magical thing. I’m sorry I’m just like rambling and I’m not saying any words. And you want to know about Adam, I know that, but all of this is pretty important because –

Kenzie (MC):

She snaps her finger and points at one of the sconces on the wall and the glass shatters and the like burns out.

April (Ivy):

Oh. How long have you been able to do that?

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I think probably forever. But I didn’t know I could do it until more recently.

April (Ivy):

Right.

April:

Ivy has this like war inside herself. She wants to tell Naia so bad, everything. There’s something about her that feels trustworthy. And obivously she’s not just human. In the house that her dad’s raised her in, all of the supernatural, magical shit that happened in that house. She feels the weight of the secret so heavy.

April (Ivy):

How did you find out? Was it just random? Did someone teach you?

Kenzie (Naia):

:

No I – but I don’t think I’m the only one in my family who’s ever been able to – I think my grandmother may have been a witch. And probably people in her family as well. ‘Cause I found a book – but that’s really not, that really not the point of this and I’m actually really surprised actually that you, uh, haven’t shoved me out of your front door because this sounds insane. Um, but yeah, uh, there’s that. Back to, I guess, Adam.

April:

Ivy puts her hand like on Naia’s ankle. She says,

April (Ivy):

You’re not insane. Let’s just put that out there before you keep going. You’re not insane.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Thanks.

April (Ivy):

Yeah.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Um, I promise you that this whole thing, relationship - if you can call it that – that I have with Adam now, is like new. It was just over the summer when it started – we were never like friends or anything or… but, um, over the summer, Adam brought me this like weird coin. And I mean, I thought it was weird. I mean I’ve known the kid since kindergarten but like I said, neither of us have ever really shown any interest in being friends with each other. But apparently he knows that I like history. I mean I don’t like history like I’m going to be an anthropologist like history but I think Wildmoore is fucking weird. And I’d like to know why. But anyway, he brought me this coin. It was like a little smaller than palm sized and it was rough and there was like an engraving of some sort of symbol in it that I couldn’t recognize. And I scoured as many places on the Internet as I could with some access to museum databases and university archives but I found nothing. And I thought maybe it was an ancient form of some language. But I couldn’t find anything solid about that either. And then I don’t know what he did. I wasn’t there for it, only the aftermath when he came running to me asking me to fix it. ‘Cause whatever that coin thing was, I think it called something here. And he came to me to rid him of it and send it back to wherever it came from. But, Ivy, I’m not adept at any of this so I had no idea where to begin and I couldn’t help him. And so I tried to make some ward that had like minimal effect and he made me swear that no one could know and the only reason I didn’t tell anyone is because he isn’t spouting nonsense and I didn’t want him to be institutionalized because people don’t believe what he’s saying. And I haven’t seen whatever this thing is but you can’t fake the fear that I saw in his eyes. And he changed drastically, almost immediately. And there’s like a darkness there and sometimes it feels like there’s two of him and sometimes it feels like his shadow is larger than it should be and I don’t really know anything about what’s going on. The only thing I do know is that the same mark on that coin is on the plinth behind city hall and there are a lot of markings on that stone, underneath all the graffiti but that is one of them. And I know we call it the Devil Shrine as a joke, but I’m wondering if its not really a joke anymore. Or maybe ever was.

April (Ivy):

I’ve seen it. The dark thing in Adam. I’ve seen it. I know what you’re talking about. Neither of you are spouting nonsense and I can’t really – I can’t really tell you everything. What about te pills, like, are those from you?

Kenzie (Naia):

:

No, um, no. He did that on his own.

April (Ivy):

Did what? Are those – do you know what they are?

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I don’t know exactly what they are. Just some type of drug I suppose. He lost it. And I think that it was driving him to the brink of sanity, and I think it told him to do certain things and I don’t know if the drugs were something it told him to do. All I know is that he thought it was helping. And I haven’t seen him not high in weeks.

April:

Ivy tilts her head back and looks up at the ceiling.

April (Ivy):

I know this is kind of weird but I want to say thank you for helping him, however you could.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I didn’t really do anything.

April (Ivy):

Well, you were there for him. And I wasn’t so…

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I know that you want to be there for him and I’m not gonna be able to stop you. I just – he’s not safe to be around. I had to cut him off from – he still tries to show up where I am randomly and talk about it but its always erratic and crazed and on the verge of lashing out and…

April (Ivy):

Did he do something to you?

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Not really. I mean, no, but I saw – no, he did not. No.

April:

Ivy gets much closer to Naia’s face.

April (Ivy):

I’m going to need you to finish that sentence. Did he do something to you?

Kenzie (Naia):

:

No, he just got scary. But I saw the video of him shoving White Widow into the lockers because she wouldn’t give him what he wanted and I wasn’t able to give him what he wanted so I expected that it could happen, something physically violent, but no, he hasn’t actually done anything. He’s just scary right now.

April (Ivy):

Yeah, he doesn’t scare me. So, what did we do? Do you know how we can help him?

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I’ve tried the little I know and it doesn’t work. I don’t know what this thing is. He doesn’t know what this thing is. How do we like – I don’t even know where to begin.

April (Ivy):

That symbol. Can you draw it for me? The one on the coin. The one on the plinth.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Yeah, I can do that.

April:

Ivy like runs over to a drawer in a cabinet and pulls out a loose sheet of paper and a pen. Brings it back to Naia.

Kenzie (MC):

She takes it and draws the symbol.

April:

Ivy studies it. She does think it looks familiar and its tugging on a part of her brain that feels very young. She can’t quite place it. All of a sudden ,she really, really wishes she was with Sawyer and Caleb, When she’s with them, even if they don’t know what to do, it makes her feel like she does. She turns back to Naia.

April (Ivy):

Is there any reference to this in that book you were talking about?

Kenzie (Naia):

:

No. That book is just my grandma’s – its about our family and its about magic and running in our family. It’s not – it wasn’t helpful. It’s how I tried some of the ward that I tried to keep the thing from being able to get to Adam but I think it was already too late. And I don’t know if they were going to be strong enough anyway.

April (Ivy):

So, you’re a witch. Like for real.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I guess. Yeah. Which is just like the biggest stereotype of my fucking life.

April (Ivy):

Yeah, I mean. Coulda seen that coming a mile away.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Yep. It really like wasn’t a surprise. I never even liked witchy stuff.

April (Ivy):

Well, we can’t change who we are.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

We can try and fail miserably.

April (Ivy):

Yeah. I feel like I’m kinda failing miserably at everything right now. But I know you – I know you want me to stay away from Adam and you think he’s not safe. But I’m not really safe either.

Kenzie (MC):

Her eyebrows furrow.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

What does that mean?

April:

Ivy doesn’t know how to say it even though Naia said witch so casually. She still struggles with the word and so instead, she gets up on the seat with Naia and she just opens her mouth and let’s her fangs extend.

Kenzie (MC):

Naia’s breath hitches in her chest and her eyes widen and her mouth kinda falls open. You can see her swallow hard.

April:

Without retracting her fangs, she just studies Naia’s face and she says,

April (Ivy):

I’m really trusting you right now. You need to let me do this.

Kenzie (MC):

She’s quiet for a while. You can see her processing, thinking.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

That’s like a lot more fucking cool.

April:

Ivy grins, huge.

April (Ivy):

You really think so?

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Yes, Ivy. Why did I have to be a fucking witch? I could’ve been a hot goth vampire.

April (Ivy):

Okay, we really shouldn’t be saying that as loud.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

We’re in your house.

April (Ivy):

Yeah.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I assume everybody in this house knows.

April (Ivy):

They know. Uh-huh. They for sure know. But here’s the thing Naia, is that, um, you are not supposed to know, okay? I really meant what I said when I’m trusting you right now. You’re the only – you’re like the only one. Well, except, um, the only, well I guess you’re not – I’m not being very clear.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

No, absolutely not.

April (Ivy):

You just kinda make me a little nervous actually.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I – you’re not like making me nervous but I do have to say, out of the two of us, I feel like you’re probably the more nerve-wracking one now.

April (Ivy):

(laughs) Yeah, that, um, that’s fair for sure.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I also like didn’t come here anticipating that I was going to keep you away from Adam. I think it’s pretty clear that that was never an option for either of you. But after I saw that video – I just hadn’t realized how close you had gotten again and I wanted you to know because I didn’t know if you knew.

April (Ivy):

I don’t know a lot but I know that I f Adam’s not safe, I have to fix it. And I know how that sounds. I really – we’re not even together. We’re not even close again but I can’t watch this happen to him. I feel like everyone else just believes that this was him the whole time or that he always had this in him, but I know that he didn’t.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I believe that. He was never my favorite person on the face of the planet but he always wasn’t a raging dick.

April (Ivy):

Exactly.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

No, like I said Ivy, he changed like drastically before my eyes. And its not that I don’t want to help him, so if I can help you, I will. I just couldn’t do it by myself. I – I ran out of things to try.

April (Ivy):

No, you don’t – you shouldn’t have to. You need to do what you need to do to keep yourself safe. And if there’s – if I find a way for you to help, you can go through me. You don’t need to be around him –

Kenzie (Naia):

:

It’s not like that. I can be around the dude. I was just trin got put distance. I’m around him in class every day.

April (Ivy):

I don’t think you should be around him actually. And I’m not –

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I feel like this conversation just literally switched perspectives.

April (Ivy):

It did. You’re right. You’re right.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

April (Ivy):

But here’s the thing, which is that, its getting worse. It’s getting worse. A lot worse. Really fast. And if anyone’s going to take the risk, its going to be me. I can handle it. But for everyone else, I think they should stay pretty far away.

April:

Ivy thinks back to the night of the dinner and Adam’s eyes, just completely inky black. How all of him was so familiar and so dear and so unfamiliar and frightening at the same time. And she looks at Naia and for the first time she hs a moment that her dad’s have talked about a lot, which is just the fragileness of human bodies. The ephemeral quality. She looks at Naia and sees a tooth that’s slightly crooked and a pimple that she covered with concealer and speckles of mascara on her face and its all so beautiful and it makes her look so young. And even though Ivy’s the same age, she feels older and she feels her possible eternity just stretching out in front of her. And its just so much. And its just so different. And she feels very different from her

Kenzie (MC):

You are both sitting on this stool, shoulder to shoulder, as you’ve been having this conversation. You’re pretty close and Naia looks to you and she says,

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I’m gonna do something that probably should be the last time.

April (Ivy):

Okay.

Kenzie (MC):

And her eyes kinda drift down to your mouth. And she leans in to kiss you.

April:

Ivy kisses her back and it’s really nice.

Kenzie (MC):

It’s soft, there’s just a bit of pressure. It’s not a deep kiss. It feels like it’s borne out of a different connection than your previous encounters had been and it feels something like a good bye to something. Not to necessarily your friendship or moving forward. But to something. And she pulls back.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I know it was always just fun, but it still felt like something that should have an end.

April:

Ivy just gently like touches her chin.

April (Ivy):

Thanks for that. I would still like to see you again.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I’m not going anywhere. And I meant what I said, if I can help, I will.

April (Ivy):

Can I ask you for something weird?

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I don’t know if we can get any weirder than, uh, a witch and I’m not going to say the word since I’m apparently not allowed to in the confines of your own home.

April (Ivy):

(laughs)

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Um, chatting about a possible demon so I think, uh, I think you can pretty much say whatever now. I think the doors have been pushed wide open.

April (Ivy):

Would you like to just, um, cuddle for a bit?

Kenzie (MC):

Her mouth splits into a massive grin. And its not like patronizing or anyting but you can see that she thinks its humorous but she also like knew what you were going to ask. And she says,

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Yeah, I mean, you invited me over here, so I pretty much – that – those are my plans for the night.

April (Ivy):

Cool. I don’t – would you believe me if I said that sometimes I struggle with physical intimacy (laughs).

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I’ve never really been to therapy, so, uh, I don’t know the terminology or whatever but I think that that’s not necessarily the most surprising thing in the world.

April (Ivy):

Yeah, I, uh (sighs) can’t even really remember the last time I – uh, I hate the word even… cuddled someone.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Cuddle? (laughs)

April (Ivy):

I think it’s a gross word. It doesn’t – anyway can we just go – will you just hold me, for a bit? We can talk about literally anything you want. I just –

April:

And for a second she has to blink back tears.

April (Ivy):

I just need to like, um, breathe for a bit. And it’s a little easier with you around, so…

Kenzie (MC):

She wipes the little bit of a tear that snuck out, off of your face.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Yeah, I think we can do that.

April (Ivy):

Great. I guess we’ll just go up the stairs now.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Yeah I mean there’s a couch right there. Did you want to go up the stairs?

April (Ivy):

Well is it presumptuous for me to invite you into my bed or -?

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Well, you did say we were cuddling so I don’t think that I’m going to read into that.

April (Ivy):

Cool. You shouldn’t. Wow. Okay.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

You don’t have to be so awkward about it. We’re cuddling.

April (Ivy):

(laughs)

Kenzie (MC):

And she grabs your hand and starts taking you up the stairs. And she’s like,

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I don’t know where your bedroom is but uh…

April (Ivy):

It’s the second door on the right.

April:

And she follows up, grinning.

Kenzie (MC):

She pulls you in the room and takes a sec – like pauses in the doorway and looks around and goes,

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I’m like the most colorful thing in this room.

April (Ivy):

Yeah, um, I don’t really dig that whole aesthetic that my dads have.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

Yeah this is jarring.

April (Ivy):

They let me have my space. What? It’s clean. It like -

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I think its funny. I think its funny. It is all white. That’s just really funny.

April (Ivy):

Its called minimalism. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it.

Kenzie (Naia):

:

I think that I’m gonna prefer if we don’t – if you don’t, uh, tell me about your, uh, design preferences while we cuddle, okay?

April (Ivy):

That’s fine. That’s fair.

Kenzie (MC):

And she climbs up on the bed and sits with her back against the back. And just kinda puts out her arms in an opening gesture.

April:

Ivy kind alike hops onto the bed and curls up on Naia’s stomach. She rests there for a second and she says,

April (Ivy):

The last time I really cuddled someone in here was when Adam and I were together. I know he’s in there Naia. We can get him back.

Brennan:

Sawyer’s just looking off (laughs) in to the wind, squinted eyes, just nodding. In deep thought.

Kenzie (MC):

As you guys wait her in line, um, eventually a couple employees come out and set up an actual rope to mark off the line area. You see a couple like mascots dressed up like Crush and Egg come down and like start interacting with the line and start taking pictures with people. And as it starts getting closer and closer to ten AM, one of the employees comes out in like blue polo shirt with a name tag on and she goes,

Kenzie (Oasis Games Employee):

Everyone! Everyone! We’re going to try to do this as orderly fashion as we can. Okay? Okay? We don’t want anyone to get hurt. We’ve got a lot of merch in the store for you guys to look to, but if you’re going to get the actual game, we ask you do that first. So, we have a line, you do not get out of this line. You go straight in, you follow the queue. In the building, you go up to the front desk. If you’re buying the sequel to Crush & Egg, that’s the line you’re going to be in. They’re going to hand you the game, you’re going to hand them your money. It’s going to be as simple as that. If you want anything else in the store, you can get that after you get the game. Okay? We’ve got some special, limited edition merch in there for you all. We’ve got some contests that you can play to win some free merch. We’ve even got the first Crush & Egg set up in the back and you guys can, uh, play that tournament style, okay? But everybody who is getting the game, single file, orderly. We’re going to get you guys in and out as fast as you can.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Whoo!!!

Kenzie (MC):

Yeah, there’s a bit of a cheer going through the crowd.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh my god its happening.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh my god.

Kenzie (Sam):

Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Are you guys planning on buying other stuff? I kinda just want to get the game.

Kenzie (Sam):

I kinda wanna lookgaround.

Mads (Caleb):

What if they have pins?

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah, wait, Sawyer! We can get another patch and you can help me put it on.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay, cool.

Kenzie (Sam):

I mean, we don’t have to stay for long. We really came for the game but like –

Mads (Caleb):

Just for a little bit.

Kenzie (Sam):

If there’s some – I’d like to look around a little bit.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, I’m an antsy shopper so like.

Kenzie (Sam):

You gotta find the – see if they have the comic.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh, right!

Mads (Caleb):

What comics?

Brennan (Sawyer):

I was gonna just read the zombie ones.

Mads (Caleb):

The one I was just talking about?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah.

Mads (Caleb):

You wanna read that?

Brennan (Sawyer):

If they have it, I was gonna get it.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh, well, you don’t need to guy them. I can give you mine.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh, okay cool.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah I have like the whole series. There’s twelve that have been released so far. I just get them shipped to me. I can just give them to you.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Sure, yeah.

Mads (Caleb):

Just be careful with them.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, I’m not going to light them on fire or anything.

Mads (Caleb):

Don’t like eat a meatstick and then rub your hands all over them.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh yeah (laughs). I won’t. So, wait, when we buy this game are we all just going home to play separately?

Kenzie (Sam):

No!

Mads (Caleb):

No.

Kenzie (Sam):

I didn’t play the first Crush & Egg by myself, I’m not playing the second one by myself.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I was just making sure.

Kenzie (Sam):

Oh but where are we going? We’re supposed to be at school. We cannot go to my house.

Brennan (Sawyer):

My house would be difficult.

Mads (Caleb):

If my parents aren’t home we could go to mine. But I don’t know if they are.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Wait! We could go to – we could go to Ivy’s place.

Mads (Caleb):

We could go to Ivy’s place. They’re out of town.

Kenzie (Sam):

We’re going to go to Ivy’s hosue when she’s not there?

Brennan (Sawyer):

I mean, they’re kinda like really close so I feel like –

Mads (Caleb):

Do you remember their garage code?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah. Six, nine, six, nine. (laughs)

Kenzie (MC):

You also know at least Bast is still in town.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah. Bast would let us in. Big D.

Mads (Caleb):

Would he?

Brennan (Sawyer):

If I ask.

Mads (Caleb):

He’s not my biggest fan right now.

Brennan (Sawyer):

(through laughter) Maybe not. Yeah. Mmmm. Let’s do your house.

Mads (Caleb):

Let’s try my house.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Or wait, can’t we go to like – isn’t there like a club or something, like a school something or other? Some sort of room?

Kenzie (Sam):

I’m not gonna like walk into school late when I haven’t been in school all day.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah that’s a good point.

Kenzie (MC):

You would know that your mom would be at work. She’s actually probably in this city currently. And your dad is usually out and about on your land somewhere.

Mads (Caleb):

We just need to be careful but it should be fine.

Kenzie (MC):

The line starts moving up and you go in and this place is actually quite big inside. Its like two stories. There’s an upper level that kinda overlooks the lower level. You see it looks like that’s where a lot of the comics stuff is. On this lower level there’s a queue going straight to the customer service area where they have boxes upon boxes of these games. And you guys go up and pay your sixty dollars for your new name, that you – that is drug money.

Mads:

Yeah it is!

Kenzie (MC):

You get your game and then you are allowed to wander through the rest of the area. You can see, in the back, where the massive TVs have the loading screen for the old game. And people are signing up to play tournament style. But there’s like different merch around. There are some games that they’ve set up, like arcade games, that if you win the arcade game, you can get some free merch. And Sam is looking through pins and looking through patches.

Mads:

I’m right there with them.

Brennan:

I’m kinda just staring at the back of the game, like getting antsy. Waiting for them to finish shopping. Kinda looking around. Is that thirty year old in one of those tournaments?

Kenzie (MC):

Yeah, he has walked over in to the back and you see him signing up for the tournament.

Brennan:

I’ll walk over to Caleb and them.

Brennan (Sawyer):

(sighs) So – are you guys thinking about shopping and going or anyone going to do a tournament?

Kenzie (Sam):

Oh, I mean, if we want to play the game I was just thinking about going but we paid thirty-six dollars for parking so I guess we can be here all day.

Mads (Caleb):

What do you want to do Sawyer?

Brennan (Sawyer):

I really do want to go home and play the game. But how cool would it be to like beat a full-grown adult in a tournament?

Mads (Caleb):

Do it.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay, I’m gonna go do it.

Kenzie (MC):

There are two sheets of paper and you can see that its set up in like tournament style and you can sign up for one of the tournaments.

Brennan:

I sign up against the thirty-year-old, capital T.

Kenzie (MC):

You go up right behind him, you see where you wrote his name and you put yours right under it and you wait probably about like twenty minutes until these sheets are filled up and another one of the employees comes over and he’s like,

Kenzie (Oasis Games Employee):

Okay, how this work is that two screens, we play level one, whoever gets the highest score in level one moves on to the next level of the tournament. If you don’t get the highest score, sorry, bad luck, you’re out. We do this all though, you can sign up again if you lose this first round.

Kenzie (MC):

And I think in order to do this I’m going to have us lay rollies.

Brennan:

Yes. With a d20?

Kenzie (MC):

Yeah with a d20.

Kenzie (MC):

Okay, you and just this other kid who is your age playing the first level.

Brennan:

Nineteen.

Kenzie (MC):

Seven. You make it past the first round into level two!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Let’s go!

Kenzie (MC):

So you stop and wait for like all the other people playing the first level to play the first level.

Brennan:

Sawyer is a horrible winner. Just like,

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yes! Yes! That’s how its done!

Brennan:

(laughs) Just in their face.

Kenzie (Oasis Games Employee):

Alright, alright, settle down. Sit down. Sit down. Next person. And the thirty-year-old makes it on to the second round as well. Let’s roll again for level two.

Brennan:

Is this person older in age or?

Kenzie (MC):

This person is probably like early twenties that you’re playing now.

Brennan:

Eighteen, swear to god.

Kenzie (MC):

That’s a nat 1

Kenzie (Sam):

Sawyer’s like really good at this game.

Brennan (Sawyer):

That’s right! That’s right!

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah! I mean, well, the whole reason why I was able to even beat it in the first place was because of him.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Hold me back!

Kenzie (Sam):

Should we hold him back.

Mads (Caleb):

No, don’t hold him back.

Brennan (Sawyer):

No, don’t touch me!

Kenzie (Oasis Games Employee):

Okay, level three, let’s go! And you see this like eleven year old kid with like just stern eyed, staring at you, chewing on some gun.

Brennan:

I fucking rip off a piece of a meatstick.

Kenzie (11yo):

Yeah, you think you’re good a this.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah I’m real fucking good.

Kenzie (11yo):

Yeah I bet I’m better.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I bet you’re not even allowed to say “fuck” in your house.

Kenzie (11yo):

Well I’m not in my house. Fuck.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, I bet you thought that was badass and then you said it out loud and it wasn’t.

Kenzie (11yo):

I’m gonna beat your ass in this game so hard. You’re not even gonna know what hit ya.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Fuckin try it, kid.

Kenzie (MC):

And you guys start playing level three.

Brennan:

Sixteen, I swear to god, dude.

Kenzie (MC):

Four.

Brennan:

Holy crap.

Kenzie (MC):

I’ve had really bad rolls.

Brennan:

Oh my god, this dice has never worked this well for me.

Kenzie (MC):

(laughs) It says that you have to beat this thirty-year-old.

Brennan:

For real, I know and then I’m gonna fuckin roll a nat one or some shit.

Kenzie (MC):

That’s gonna be perfect!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Get fucked, kid. Go home!

Kenzie (11yo):

Yeah fuck you! Fuck you! I’ll see you later!

Mads:

I turn to Sam and say this,

Mads (Caleb):

Like he’s like so competitive with video games. I –

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah this is like a whole different side of Sawyer that I’ve never seen before.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah its honestly kinda hot. It’s like –

Mads:

I look down at my feet.

Mads (Caleb):

Caleb?

Mads:

I’m looking at my feet.

Kenzie (Sam):

Hey, Caleb?

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, Sam?

Kenzie (Sam):

I feel like you’ve just told me a secret.

Mads (Caleb):

I feel like I’ve also told you a secret, just now.

Kenzie (Sam):

It feels like a secret that we’re not going to talk about. But I just want you to know that I heard it and I know it now.

Mads (Caleb):

Thank you for your acknowledgment and continued secrecy.

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah, go Sawyer! Go Sawyer!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Fuck all eleven year olds!

Kenzie (MC):

Alrighty, roll for level four. I got an elven.

Brennan:

An eighteen.

Kenzie (MC):

The thirty year old guy comes up and he’s got jeans and this green Henley shirt on and sunglasses that are pushed up to the top of his head. And he reaches a hand out and he’s like,

Kenzie (The Thirty-Year-Old):

Hey, uh, I’m Josh.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Don’t you mean, dead meat.

Brennan:

And I shake his hand (laughs).

Kenzie (The Thirty-Year-Old):

Alright, well I see how this going to play out. Good luck to ya. Let’s go.

Kenzie (MC):

And he grabs a controller and turns toward the screen.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Been playing this for a long time, huh?

Kenzie (The Thirty-Year-Old):

I’ve been playing it since I first got my hands on it, yeah. It’s my favorite game.

Brennan (Sawyer):

What? Like a hundred years ago?

Kenzie (The Thirty-Year-Old):

Yeah, you have a big misconception about how age works there, bud, but uh –

Brennan (Sawyer):

I don’t think so.

Kenzie (The Thirty-Year-Old):

Okay.

Kenzie (MC):

I rolled an eighteen.

Brennan:

Rolled an eleven.

Kenzie (MC):

You’re playing this game with as much concentration, but you’re kinda bad-mouthing him too and now that he’s up there next to you playing, you’re kinda losing focus on the game. And you don’t even realize that the level is over until the guy comes over, grabs his controller and lifts it up in the air and says,

Kenzie (Oasis Games Employee):

And we have a winner!

Brennan (Sawyer):

No! Ugh.

Kenzie (The Thirty-Year-Old):

Hey, man, hey, man, you did pretty good though.

Brennan:

Sawyer lifts the controller to spike and then just like,

Brennan (Sawyer):

Ahhhhhh!

Kenzie (Oasis Games Employee):

Uh-huh. Don’t throw the equipment. Put it down.

Brennan:

Gently puts it down.

Kenzie (Oasis Games Employee):

God these kids.

Kenzie (The Thirty-Year-Old):

Hey, man. No hard feelings. Like good game. You’re really good at this.

Brennan (Sawyer):

This ain’t the last you seen of me.

Kenzie (The Thirty-Year-Old):

It probably will be. Hope you enjoy the sequel.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Taking the high road?

Kenzie (The Thirty-Year-Old):

This was like just a fun little tournament game. What is – are you okay, dude? Just like walk it off, man.

Brennan (Sawyer):

When’s the next tournament?

Kenzie (Oasis Games Employee):

We do ‘em like every half an hour.

Brennan (Sawyer):

No I have to leave now but is there another day of the week? Or another time in the month? Or the year?

Kenzie (Oasis Games Employee):

No this is like a Crush & Egg special event. We don’t just have Crush & Egg tournaments daily.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Fuck!

Brennan:

Then I’ll walk over to Caleb and Sam.

Kenzie (MC):

Sam’s like wide-eyed, looking a little nervous.

Kenzie (Sam):

Uh, good job, Sawyer!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh, thanks. That was a lot of fun.

Mads:

I am bright red and I am staring at a spot that is just behind your head.

Mads (Caleb):

You did really good.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Thanks. I wish I won but that’s alright, not everybody can be number one. Sometimes you gotta just take those second places and just take it to the chin.

Mads (Caleb):

You seem like really chill about this.

Brennan:

I’ll look back at the thirty-year-old.

Kenzie (MC):

He has been given a limited edition T-shirt.

Brennan:

I’d like to Gaze Into the Abyss and see if this man and I will ever possibly rematch. Five.

Kenzie (MC):

There’s like red hot anger in your head and that’s the only thing and just – you’re going to see this guy again if you have to make it happen.

Brennan (Sawyer):

That’s right.

Brennan:

I turn back to Caleb.

Brennan (Sawyer):

That was a great time. I had a wonderful time and I’d really like to leave now.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, uh, should we say bye to Dana and Ollie before we go?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Uh, if you – yeah, sure.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah I mean, its just really cool how they let us in line. That was really nice of them.

Kenzie (MC):

Dana is in the middle of playing one of the arcade games to try to win some free merch and Ollie’s standing next to it and kinda looks up to you,

Kenzie (Ollie):

Oh, hey, you get your game?

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, uh, we got our game. And I got a pin.

Mads:

And I hold it up and its just the Egg with legs and on top of it in an arhcing letter pattern it says, “Eggs with Legs.”

Kenzie (Ollie):

Oh that’s. cool one. Um, yeah I got this.

Kenzie (MC):

And they pull out a bag, like this poster.

Kenzie (Ollie):

I got like a poster – a game poster.

Mads (Caleb):

Dude, that’s so cool. We’re gonna head back though. It’s a bit of a trek to get back to Wildmoore but like thanks for letting us hang out with you guys. That was really cool.

Kenzie (Ollie):

Oh yeah, man, you guys, you were cool to meet. You know, you can – you’re following Dana on Instagram so –

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah I can follow you too. And if you, um, ever want to talk about the comic, I mean like I’m literally obsessed with it so I’m always up for that.

Kenzie (Ollie):

Yeah, okay, okay. I actually like know and artist who like draws a lot of fanart for them so I could like send you that info too.

Mads (Caleb):

You serious?

Kenzie (Ollie):

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh, yes, I would love to follow them! That would be so cool.

Kenzie (Ollie):

Oh yeah definitely. Just like look for my DM.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, sure, bye!

Kenzie (Ollie):

Bye. Bye.

Mads (Caleb):

Bye.

Brennan:

Waving from the door.

Kenzie (Dana):

Nice to meet you, guys. See you later.

Kenzie (Ollie):

See you around.

Mads (Caleb):

Have fun with the game!

Kenzie (Ollie):

Thanks!

Kenzie (MC):

You guys walk out of the store and you see that there’s still a line up to the game counter and around the side of the building. The tournament thing lasted maybe twenty minutes, so you haven’t really been here that long. And as you guys are walking out, Sam goes,

Kenzie (Sam):

Hey, Sawyer!

Kenzie (MC):

And like kinda does a little quick walk up to you. And is like,

Kenzie (Sam):

Well, I just wanted to thank you for giving me this jacket. It was like really cool of you and kinda unnecessary but like I really like it. And I know that you don’t have a jacket any more to put this on, but –

Kenzie (MC):

And they rustle in the pocket and they pull out a little patch and it’s a picture of Crush & Egg in front of some trees and grass and they’re holding hands.

Kenzie (Sam):

But I saw this and I just – I got this for you ‘cause like –

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh really?

Kenzie (Sam):

If you ever get another jacket and you want to put some patches on it.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I’ll put it on some pants or something. That’s awesome. Thanks you!

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah, yeah.

Brennan:

And I’ll give ‘em like an over the shoulder kinda like side hug

Kenzie (Sam):

Oh, uh, yeah, cool.

Kenzie (MC):

And kinda like punches you a little bit too hard on the shoulder.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Ahhhhh!

Kenzie (Sam):

Oh, sorry, sorry, um, I, you know I thought people did that so…

Brennan (Sawyer):

That’s cool, you got a mean left hook.

Kenzie (Sam):

I’ve never punched anybody in my life.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Don’t. It’s hurts to get punched and to punch people. But thanks this is awesome! I’m excited to play the game.

Kenzie (Sam):

Caleb, come on! Let’s go, let’s go! We gotta go back to your house!

Mads (Caleb):

Right, yeah.

Kenzie (MC):

You get back to the car, pay your thirty-six dollar parking fee for the three hours you were parked there. Drive out of the city, back onto the highways towards Wildmoore. Easily make it back. Pull into the Moore property. It’s still morning. It hasn’t hit noon yet, or its just hitting noon now.

Sam in the process of the card ride back has demolished pretty much their entire bag of snacks that they brought. And as you guys climb out of the car and into the Moore house, they go,

Kenzie (Sam):

Uh, I do not feel well. I am going to go to the bathroom.

Kenzie (MC):

And just like darts.

Mads (Caleb):

This is what happens when you only eat meatsticks and sour gummy worms and coffee. I tried to warn them.

Brennan (Sawyer):

That’s why I shook it up, yeah.

Mads (Caleb):

You have like an ironclad stomach, okay? I don’t know how you do it, but you do.

Brennan (Sawyer):

We order out a lot.

Mads (Caleb):

Not everyone can live like that. Sam has a delicate constitution. They’re like a small baby bird.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Well let’s play the game.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah!

Mads:

I have like a couple of monitors in my bedroom because I usually do PC gaming but I have like my console and everything like that that I can convert it and then that way, we can sit on my bed while we’re playing.

Kenzie (MC):

You guys go upstairs. Caleb fuddles around, puts the game in. You both take a seat on the bed, kinda bounce on it. Jasper is sitting on the computer chair, just like narrowed eyes at you guys like you woke him up in the middle of his nap.

Brennan:

Take a photo.

Mads (Caleb):

When was the last time you saw him? You haven’t like been around that much?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah it’s probably been – I couldn’t even tell ya. Still looks good.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, he’s gained weight thought. The vet said that we should put him on a diet. I don’t have the heart to tell him.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, but chunky cats are more cute.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah.

Mads:

I’m going to go over a pick Jasper up.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Should I like photoshop him giant by the, uh, windmill.

Mads (Caleb):

Right. He’s going to be in the game. Yeah, do it!

Mads:

I’m going to put Jasper’s little hind legs on the bed and then stretch him up so that his arms are up over his head and he’s just very long.

Mads (Caleb):

Get the picture.

Brennan:

Take the photo.

Mads:

You can still see my hands gripping under his little armpits.

Kenzie (MC):

You hear the familiar sound of the Crush & Egg music start as all the like production screens have gone by. And you see the character start walking across the screen as the scenery moves past and the Crush & Egg: Space Warp comes up onto the screen.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Woah.

Mads (Caleb):

This is happening.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Should we wait for Sam?

Mads (Caleb):

I don’t know if I can.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oops I accidentally pressed start.

¬¬

Mads (Caleb):

Oh no!

Kenzie (MC):

Sam comes wheeling in the door, slamming into the doorframe, cataches themselves and is like

Kenzie (Sam):

You did not start without me!

Brennan (Sawyer):

No it was an accident.

Mads (Caleb):

We didn’t! I heard you coming.

Kenzie (Sam):

You already pressed play!

Brennan (Sawyer):

No, the game starts on its own!

Kenzie (MC):

They run in and they jump between you guys on the bed, like knees first and kinda bounce a little bit and they go,

Kenzie (Sam):

Alright. I’m here. Let’s go!

Kenzie:

And now it’s time for queer call. Queer call is the point in the show where we give a special shoutout to those listeners who have helped us out a little extra by becoming patrons.

Let’s give it up for a new patron! Bitty Bitty!!!!!! Thank you all for your support.

We hoped you enjoyed the episode! If you want to support our show, you can become a patron at patreon.com/queerpg. Becoming a patron allows you access to our exclusive after show, where the cast talks about character insights and their own reactions to the episode, as well as a plethora of other perks. If you like the show, remember to rate and review. And to keep up with queeRPG, make sure you’re following us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @queerpgpod and on Tumblr at tumbr.com/queerpg. Until next time!