Episode 4 - Bodies

## Bodies

A white drawing on a black background of two pairs of hands. The hands in the upper left are clawed with red scars, the hands in the lower right corner are human and wrapped with red strings. The image is framed with a white border.

### Author

William A. Wellman

Dylan goes on a long walk, Diggory makes some revelations, and Jonah comes back from the edge. The theme of tonight’s episode is Bodies.

***Content Warnings:** Static, body horror, death + injury, abuse, self-harm, homophobia, blood*

## Intro - Your Body Is A Temple

Nikignik speaks to the Dreamers about bodies, specifically saying that you - the listener - are the god of the temple that is your body. Everything in it is sacred, including every flaw. They are speaking from the outside of a sixteenth story window. The world that they look out on has not yet abandoned hope and is shining and bright in its obliviousness. History changed the night this story took place, when the black rains fell.

## Story One - Let Me Sleep Forever

Dylan is unable to sleep due to a storm. He decides to go for a walk in the rain and leaves the bed he shares with his partner, Ashley. He forgoes his raincoat and walks into the night. As the rain falls onto his face and into his eyes and mouth, he knows that soon he will rest.

Dylan begins to walk, thinking only of how tired he is and how much he wants to rest. As he walks through the city, he passes fires burning in the street. Eventually, he leaves the city and follows a highway. A star in the sky draws his attention and he follows it, even as he wears away the tread on his shoes and his clothes turn to tatters.

At long last, Dylan reaches a lake. He walks straight into it and doesn't mind as he inhales water as he is finally able to rest. Moss and weeds grow on him. During winter, the ice covers him. During summer, the water becomes warm and comfortable. Marine life blossoms around him and Dylan hopes that he can sleep here forever, and then falls asleep.

### Interlude One - Walter Pensive's Groundskeeping

Nikignik warns living listeners in the Hallowoods not to interact with any creature they might believe to be not alive. Although these revenants can be found throughout the forest or even your yard, they do not perceive reality the way you do.

Instead, call Walter Pensive's Groundskeeping. Although he looks old, Walt has years of experience dealing with peaceful and not-so-peaceful revenants. Watch for Walt's white hearse. Walt accepts many forms of currency to pay for his services, including hot meals and strange artifacts.

## Story Two - Childhood Bed

Diggory Graves has been walking alone in the woods since burning the piano in Episode 1 - Keys. They are attacked by two antlered creatures and their arm is torn off in the scuffle, letting Diggory see that all that fills him is cotton. A flash of bright light scares the creatures away and Diggory turns to see the source of the light, Percy Reed.

Diggory is confused about how Percy is there, since they thought that destroying the piano Percy was tethered to would release him. However, Percy points to the piano key in Diggory's pocket, which he is still bound to. Diggory apologizes and offers to destroy the key, but Percy stays their hand. As Percy gazes at Diggory, Diggory wonders how they must look right now. Their hair is matted and filthy hair, and their face is still a mystery to them.

Diggory collects their arm as Percy looks past the trees. Diggory joins him and they see a large, dilapidated manor that fills Diggory with a sense of overwhelming dread.

The pair approach the manor and as Diggory recognizes the manor, they're sent "plummeting deep into a starless sky".

### Marketing - Beauty Line

Lady Ethel Mallory advertises the Botulus Beauty Line, which supports a realistic beauty that may differ from societal standards, whether that be frizzy hair or multiple eyes or screaming faces. She does warn that the products may have side effects, including rapid tissue degeneration.

### Story Two, Continued - Childhood Bed

Nikignik is angered by the interruption of their broadcast, saying that dreams are ancient and sacred and inappropriate for advertising. They then return to Diggory Graves.

Diggory is a woman in a sedan driving to the same manor, where an elderly lady sits embroidering a small piece of fabric on the front porch. The older woman hugs the younger one, forgoing the handshake that was offered. The elderly woman compliments her guest, saying that she listens to every press release and that she has beautiful lips and a marvelous mind to get the job done. The younger woman can only manage a quick thank you. Her attention is drawn to the embroidery, which reads "Property of Dig-".

Diggory awakens as Percy leans over them. Diggory explains that this was the place where they woke up. The two walk up to the manor, passing an old, rotted rocking chair. Although their memories are hazy, Diggory follows a familiar path up several flights of stairs to an open door. They warn Percy that they do not remember what is in that room, only that they are afraid of it. When they tell Percy that he doesn't have to go in with them, Percy reminds Diggory that since nothing can make true contact with his body, there isn't a whole lot that can harm him.

The room is lined with tables and shelves filled with sewing supplies and jars. In the center is a large, marble table. As Diggory is examining the room, Percy turns around holding, to his and Diggory's surprise, a pair of silver scissors. Percy, ecstatic he can actually interact with something, cuts his palm with the blade of the scissors. He attempts to cut the threads on his lips, but accepts Diggory's help when they offer it.

Diggory carefully snips and pulls out each stitch in Percy's lips and Percy speaks for the first time in untold years to thank them. Diggory then sews their other arm back on. Once that has been completed, Percy offers to cut Diggory's hair. They sit perfectly still as Percy exposes their face for the first time.

The pair leaves the manor. Diggory is once again not alone. They are comforted by Percy's presence, and look forward to creating new memories.

### Interlude Two - We Are Lights

Nikignik encourages the listeners to accept their bodies as they are. Although some struggle less with their appearance than others, very few look at their reflection and like everything that they see.

They admit that it took them a long time to come to terms with their forms, since they do not consider themself to be as beautiful as their peers. However, they do not care. They, with their many eyes in the dark, are unique and beautiful. It is important to accept and love oneself with ferocity and without hesitation. Appearances can be changed and altered, but it is important to love the light inside yourself, your innate being.

## Story Three - Bloody Boots

Jonah Duckworth is falling through blackness and flashes of green light. After falling for what seems to be a long time, his fear has turned to curiosity. He muses on whether he is in heaven or hell, since it doesn't seem nice enough to be heaven but it's not too bad for hell. He had always imagined the afterlife to be a big, tranquil pond where he could fish and hold hands with his soul mate, who he had always pictured as a hairy man.

The flashing green light begins to grow brighter as Jonah falls, and the void burns white.

Jonah then wakes at the shore that is mentioned in Episode 2 - Dogs, unsure of where he is and eager to get back to Zelda. His hat is missing. Before he can leave however, he is attacked by the Fisher. He returns to the green and black void, and notices a "distant but impossibly large" shape before being blinded by the lights.

He wakes again in the same place when the sun is beginning to set, unharmed but surrounded by pools of muddy blood and dog tracks. Certain that he died in this spot moments ago, he pats himself down and feels for injuries. Finding himself to be strangely not Fisher food, he runs into the forest. He can only think of getting away from his blood and back to Zelda. It is only when he is deep in the forest that he realizes he has lost his sense of direction.

Jonah trips on wire while running through the forest. He frees himself, but a sack is thrown over his head and he is dragged into the forest by webbed claws.

## Outro

Nikignik reiterates the importance of bodies. Humans usually take comfort in bodies, as long as they are occupied. Humans, they muse, are not very good at confronting their own mortality. They spend their whole short lives trying to forget how small they are in comparison to the vast expanse of the universe, until they are nothing in comparison to the universe.

They advise listeners to set anyone who makes the listener feel bad about their own body on fire and bury them deep in the earth, as it is the fire that burns in the listener that people should fear.