Part 1 of 1
Read the full text, as well as the show notes, as http://flashpulp.com
Tonight, we tell a chilling tale regarding a risky child in a neighbourhood of constant hazard.
The Skinner Co. Network
FP277 - Identification, Part 1 of 1
Some days, gloomy, my hours are slumberless Dearest, the shadows I live with by nonetheless Little white flowers will never awaken you Not where the bright culture solemn is taking you Angels have no fire ever returning you Or they'll be angry if I so don't join in you Welcome to Flashpope, Episode 277 This evening we present identification, Part 1 of 1 This week's episodes are brought to you by Strangely Littoral You know what's really wrong with Joss Whedon's television shows? They end. Fortunately, Strangely Littoral, a weed-inverse fanfic podcast Is there to catch you when you find yourself lost and alone after a series finale? Find Buffy, Captain Mal, and all your favorites at http/www.StrangelyLittoral.com Or search for it in iTunes [Music] [Music] Flashpope is an experiment in broadcasting fresh pulp stories in modern age Three to ten minutes of fiction brought to you Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings Tonight we tell a chilling tale regarding a risky child in a neighborhood of constant hazard Identification, Part 1 of 1 Nathaniel Miner had been born with a curious inability to identify danger On a November Monday, at the age of ten, Nathaniel had selected his blue and white striped shirt His favorite, and thus the first to be worn after a weekend's laundry, folded neatly on his dresser Then tested the temperature by walking out onto the back deck and nothing more than the underpants he'd slept in An early autumn chill drove him back inside and into a warm pair of jogging pants After devouring a bowl of lucky charms and planting a kiss on his mother's distracted cheek He was ready to march the three blocks to school As he closed the door behind him, Mrs. Miner provided her usual instructions Head straight there, no talking to strangers, no goofing around, be good, love you Nate, bye His initial stop came at the midpoint of the chain-link fence that marked the border between the sidewalk and the row of townhouses that marched alongside it He began digging through his bright yellow knapsack, and as he did so, a burly Labrador retriever, he called "monthly", came bolting through the sliding patio door of the nearest rental unit Though the animal's speed made it tough to identify why he thought so, Nathaniel was left with the impression that his visitor was in even more ragged condition than usual Miner had decided to befriend the mutt earlier that summer when he'd watched the red brown canine step onto the small porch that led to the backyard There was something to the way the dog stood, testing the air that reminded Nathaniel of himself, and he'd spent fifteen minutes in idle conversation with his new chum before settling on the name The child had also concluded that Mumprey's owners must sleep late, as the lab seemed in constant need of food when he strolled by Why else would the four-legged beast leap against the fence while barking and generally causing a ruckus? As he'd done every morning since, the boy retrieved the single slice of baloney from his sandwich, and, careful not to dirty his hands with mayo, he tossed it over the metal links Mumprey ceased his intemperate barking to gobble down the processed meat, then he immediately returned to his assault on the barrier Nathaniel, however, had already moved on At the corner, the youth encountered Tobias Swanson, his constant companion since an incident the summer previous, in which the slightly older boy had pulled a sputtering nate from too deep water at the local beach Their conversation began as it had ended the afternoon previous, when they'd parted on the same spot "Maybe you're right about absorbing his atomic breath," said Tobias, "but King Kong would still be defeated by Godzilla's physical attacks He's got like, blades on his back, and a huge biting mouth, what can King Kong do, throw his own pool?" Nathaniel shrugged He did not have his friend's love of giant monster films, but he always did his best to carry his part of the conversation Kong is a great climber, he get up on top of a building and start chucking people in antennas and stuff "Being hit in the nose by a guy in a business suit isn't exactly going to stop Godzilla," replied Tobias The debate continued for the rest of the long block until they encountered a schoolmate known largely as Bull "You ladies headed to school?" he asked "Aren't you?" asked Nathaniel "Nuh-uh, I'm sick," Mom called and told him "But you ain't going today either" The day before the start of classes, while loitering at the McKinley playground, Bull had convinced the fearless boy to climb a massive elm Tobias had been late in returning from his piano lessons, and by the time he'd arrived, it had been necessary to scale the tree to its midpoint Just to have his shouts of "come down!" be heard As Nathaniel finally dropped the last few feet to the ground, he'd found his friend weeping anxious tears It was the sight of his worry that had turned Bull into an enemy of both When news of the incident had reached Mrs. Minor over a soothing pair of chocolate milks, she'd been quick to inform her son he was out of the tree climbing business As well as that of talking to Bull To her son, her word was law And it was only this notion that had kept him safe against his peculiar defect "Great," said Nathaniel, as he attempted to edge around his antagonist "You enjoy hanging out with your mom, we've got to go" The problem, of course, was that the apparent act of courage had simply goaded the ruffian further "No, I don't think you heard me, you're," Tobias put his arm out in the attempt to motion the obstruction aside, and Bull responded with his fist For a moment, Nathaniel stood still, not quite sure how to react Then he caught the split in his comrade's lip Although the violence had baffled him, blood was something his mother had ruled on Blood meant finding an adult, or at least a phone, as quickly as possible He bolted for home "Hell no you ain't telling," said Bull, as he began to follow The accidental daredevil's speed was also his downfall A full tilt run had left him with a cramp, and a seeneered mumfry's home, he was forced to slow It was at the side of the half-open door, and the memory of his friend's red chin That compelled Nathaniel to clamber onto the chain link Close up, the maroon vertical blinds he'd seen so often from the road were filthy, and the smell wafting from the interior Reminded the schoolboy of his mother's cooking on liver and onion night "I need to use your phone, my friend is bleeding," Nathaniel told the shadows beyond the slats When he received no reply, he pushed inside, unaware of Bull jumping the fence behind him The attempted rescuer entered the galley kitchen as the young thugs slipped into the living room The unit's cooking space was nothing more than an L-shaped counter, and a single-seeded white top table But there was a second exit, at the far end, which opened onto the front hallway Much to Nathaniel's disappointment, there was no phone on the wall to match the one that hung in his own home So he turned a quick eye over the greasy wallpaper and heavily scratched-covered doors, then moved on to the opposite hall As he stepped through, Bull's nighies touched down on the dirt-covered linoleum Oblivious to the trail of mud which stained the stairs, Nathaniel decided to expand his search to the upper floor "Momfry?" he asked, as he climbed, but still he received no response He found a phone, finally, in the master bedroom It stood on a small black nightstand beside the decaying carcass of its owner The room had been decorated in a variety of unicorn posters A theme broken only by the black slab of television that had been hung alongside them What lingered of their owner, a once-rotund woman of forty, lay spread across the shimmering moonlight scene of her bedspread In many places, her remains were a little more than bones, as the Labrador, having emptied his dish a month previous, could not afford to be sentimental regarding his meals "That's pretty gross," Nathaniel said aloud It was then that Bull rushed the doorway, but before he might tackle his target, his feet seemed to meet a terrible resistance at what his mind was observing He screamed The noise was enough to raise Momfry, who'd been dreaming of light and color and meat in the coolest corner of its den, the bathtub The dock awoke, hungry He paused briefly at its feeding room to snort Nate's mix of running sweat and deodorant, that moved on Bull was nearly to the ground floor by the time the canine had picked up his urine tainted scent But nonetheless, it was a tight race to the fence Still inside, Nathaniel closed the bedroom door against the noise, and with a steady hand, dialed home Flashpulp is presented by Flashpulp.com, and is released under the Canadian Creative Commons' attribution non-commercial 2.5 license Text and audio commentaries can be sent to Skinner at Skinner.fm, or the voicemail line at 206-338-2792 But be aware that they may appear in a future flashcast We'd also like to thank the Free Sound Project, found at freesound.org For a full listing of effects used during the show, as well as credits for the users who provided them, please check this episode's notes at flashpulp.com And thanks to you for listening. 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