Part 1 of 1
Read the full text, as well as the show notes, at http://flashpulp.com
Tonight, in our final urban legend of the summer, we present The Phantom Surburb, a strange tale of misadventure. To learn more about this questionable myth, visit wiki.flashpulp.com
[Music] Welcome to FlashPulp Special Episode 7. Tonight, we present The Phantom Suburb. This week's episodes are brought to you by the Parsec Nominated Podcast, Geek Out with Mainframe. This is Richard Green, aka Mainframe of the Geek Out with Mainframe podcast. I can be found at GeekOut with Mainframe.com. With hundreds of Geek interview podcasts, I have one of them. Interviews have included people such as Michael Plastit, Gerald Axelrod, D.C. Herring, J.R. Murdock, Chris John Ellis, Mark, the encapsulated one-kill fall, Paul E. Cooley, and Nathan Lowell with more to come in 2011. So come to GeekOut with Mainframe.com, where our geek flag always flies high. FlashPulp 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, in our final urban legend of the summer, we present The Phantom Suburb, a strange tale of misadventure. To learn more about this questionable myth, visit wiki.flashpulp.com, The Phantom Suburb, written by J.R.D. Skinner, art and narration by Popen X, and audio produced by Jessica May. [Music] Accounts of The Phantom Suburb have appeared in nearly every city with public transportation. The tale opens with the victim having just suffered an extremely difficult day, often topped by the towing of their car, although variations have the automobile simply unable to start. Whatever the case, the narrator has no choice but to weirdly catch an empty bus, whose sides are plastered with a red mural, assumed to be a promotion for a local museum's exhibit on demonic theology, or possibly an impending metal concert. Once in their seat, and under the influence of the monotonous drone of the tires, they soon surrender to sleep. It is the driver, gruffly informing the fare that they've come to their destination, that wakes them. Unable to see properly through the advertisements, and still dazed from their nap, the passenger stumbles off, only to find an unfamiliar sidewalk. While the chill in the night air razzes them, they begin to understand the nature of their situation. In an attempt to get their bearings, they walk away from the post and bench which mark the stop, and pass long stretches of identical houses. They ascertain that their cell phone is without signal, and reaching the end of the block, the lost traveler encounters another setback. None of the well-kept street signs contain any text. Some try further corners, but all eventually find themselves approaching one of the blank-faced houses alongside the boulevards and crescents. The two-story buildings are said to come in four designs, easily distinguished by their window configurations. The lawns are described as pristine, and sporting trimmed hedges. The identifying numbers on the dwellings are noted to be random, and in no particular order. Many doors are hammered upon before the panicked knocker tries a handle, and realizes that the entrance is unlocked. Brazen with the frustration of an unanswered call, they enter the home, but discover, behind the drawn blinds, a perfectly empty interior. Usually the assumption is made that the neighborhood is still somehow under construction, but no amount of wandering brings the missing to the development's edge. Additional acts of trespassing turn out more of the same, only with an occasional variation. In frequently, recountings include mention of a hidden, partially decomposed body, leaning within a shadowy bathroom, or closet. The corpse's apparel is contemporary, and it's rare that a cause of death is identifiable. And it is, however, it appears the unknown person has been hung with an article of their own clothing. An invariable link between the stories is their finale. In every instance, the storyteller reports escaping in the same way. Once much time is spent drifting through the endless march of residences, they manage, by plan or coincidence, to relocate the stop, or perhaps a similar post and bench. They then decide to wait. Hunger tempts them away from their post, but steely patience is rewarded. The rumble is attributed at first to a hallucination, but shortly a broad windowed bus arrived. Despite their sobbed questions, the silent balding driver pays no attention to their condition, and instead rules away from the curb. Any attempt to physically engage the man results in the vehicle weaving dangerously, and the wayfarer in the end is forced to locate a place to sit. Moving through what seems like endless gloom, relief gives way to exhaustion, and finally a second dose. Through another abrupt debarkation, answers as to the location or purpose of the phantom suburb ride into the darkness. Although most say that, by then, they were pleased just to be again where they'd started. 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@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. If you enjoyed the show, please tell your friends. [Music]
