Event 5: Dialogue Prompt

Choose one of the following dialogue prompts to include in your story.

”The kitchen smells like murder.”

“Go and be an Olympian.”

Olympic Infiltration
647 words


“Lila, your face is very red this evening. Might I infer that you have consumed something distasteful?”
“You may NOT!”
“And your voice is steadily increasing in volume…”
“Yeah? And who made you in charge of volume control?”
“I am merely making an observation—“
“Xyxl, ugh! YOU aren’t the one who has to try to make friends at school and work on calculus in the evenings!”
“Yes, but that is only because on the occasions you have allowed me to accompany you to the educational facility, the students have considered my secondary eyelids a fascinating combination with a body-shape so similar to that of human beings, and I computed the home-work challenges within milliseconds.”
“Are you saying I’m jealous?”
“I am merely trying to state that I am better adapted to your high-school environment than you are at the present time. But you will get there, Lila.”
“Thanks a lot, Xyxl. That sure makes me feel great.”
“Do not pull a sideways face. Surely there is some thing to reverse your expression?”
“Well… there might be one thing that you could do…”
“State your wishes.”
“You remember the games I told you about? The Olympics?”
“Indeed. A most unusual custom.”
“Well, why don’t you [/b]go and be an Olympian[/b]?”
“Excuse me, I must have misheard. Can you repeat?”
“I said, you should be an Olympian!”
“…Perhaps I’m still misunderstanding. There are still many things I do not know about humans. I apologize for intruding.”
“No, no, you heard me right. Listen, Xyxl, ever since you crash-landed in my backyard three months ago, you’ve been getting better and better at acting human, right?”
“That is true. I can now sit through familial dinners, and your mother only occasionally catches me using my proboscis to eat.”
“…And every time, it’s still gross. But anyway. Not the point. The point is the Olympics are taking place in just a few weeks!”
“What relation does my human-ness have to your intercontinental gaming event?”
“You could compete!”
“I thought only human beings could compete. The games are designed only for Earth-beings, correct?”
“Well, yes, but it’s not as if an alien has ever entered before! Besides, that’s why you would pretend to be a human.”
“There does seem to be some risk associated with that — what if they discovered my identity? When I move my legs rapidly, I could outpace the others, but instead of salt-based liquid pouring from the skin, my skin will begin to turn neon blue in an effort to cool me. And if I swing from a bar, some one may notice my sixth fingers and two-toed feet!”
“True… true. But there’s got to be some event you could do unnoticed. You did three times more pushups than anyone else in my gym class! One-handed!”
“Well… perhaps there is one occasion on which I may participate without being discovered.”
“Tell me!”
“Do you remember showing me the sport in which the entire body is covered? I believe a mask is worn over the face and two opponents try to cut each other’s limbs off with thin pointed sticks.”
“You mean fencing? But Xyxl, they don’t try to hurt each other—“
“Yes, I believe I could do well at that sport! Once I have eliminated all of the opponents, no one will be left to question my identity!”
“Xyxl, eliminate? You just mean once you win, right?”
“On my planet such practices have been banned, but I can imagine that on this heathen planet they are still in place!”
“Whoa whoa whoa… they ARE banned! The goal isn’t to kill someone, it’s just to, well, uh, hit them… gently… oh dear, maybe we are heathen.”
“Perhaps I am not yet familiar enough with Earth customs to participate in an event of this caliber?”
“Yeah buddy… let’s just stay home for this one. We’ll watch it on the TV.”

“I told you; you aren’t capable of making us dinner.”
“Shut up will you, I did my best, and it's not as bad as you think”
“I certainly hope is tastes better than it looks.”
“It looks perfectly fine!”
“It does not! I’ve seen roadkill more appealing.”
“That’s not true and you know it!”
“It looks bad and it smells bad and you’ve stinkified the whole house! It’s disgusting!”
“It doesn’t smell that bad, heck, it doesn’t smell at all! You’re just imagining things!”
“It smells a lot! The kitchen smells like murder.”
“God it’s just a burned turkey stop being so dramatic!”
“I'm not being dramatic, you burned the only thing we had to eat, everything else is closed, the house smells, the kitchen is a mess and I'm hungry!”
“You’re not a little child Naomi stop wailing and complaining! I’m doing my best here!”
“Well your best is horrible!”
“You take that back you ungrateful little twit! How dare you! You’re a spoiled little brat that’s what you are!”
“At least I'm not standing in a pool of soy water in the kitchen covered in mashed potatoes holding a burnt turkey that stinkified the entire house!”
“At least I wasn’t the one who jammed all the windows shut with hot glue and splattered paint all over the walls!”
“At least I'm not the one who ate spoiled asparagus and clogged our only toilet!”
“At least I'm not the one sitting on the couch where the dog vomited in muddy overalls covered in paint and glue!”
“At least I'm not the old grumpy sister that nobody likes!”
“At least I'm not the stereotypical teenager who doesn’t know that stinkified isn’t a real word!”
“At least I’m not the one mom is going to ground forever after tonight!”
“Hey no! She’s going to ground you too! I didn’t destroy the entire house alone!”
“You destroyed the kitchen! And the toilet and the balcony and you let Cookie at eat all the shoes!”
“You destroyed all the plants and the walls and the bedrooms and the cabinet and you gave Cookie a stomach upset!”
“The walls aren’t destroyed!”
“There is paint everywhere!”
“Well how was I supposed to know the microwave would explode!?”
“You put paint in the microwave! What were you expecting!?”
“Well you’re older! This is still your fault!”
“You have to stop blaming me for everything! We would never be here if you had just listened me in the first place!”
“You know that’s not true.”
“It is true! None of this would have happened if hadn’t been so dead set on trying to make me watch Conjuring 2!”
“Oh so it’s my fault for trying to be a good sister?!”
“How is that you being a good sister!?”
“You have no social life I'm helping you!”
“Scaring my pants off is not helping!”
“Yes it is! I’m helping you get over your fears!”
“That doesn’t make any sense!”
"Yes it does!"
"No -"
“Wait. Wait. Was that the bell!?”

...

...


"Moms home.”


...


“Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod what do we do!?”
“Here hold the turkey!”
“Careful don’t slip on the soy water! Or paint! Or dog vomit! Or mud!”

"Welcome back to GHTV where we have a very special sneak peek at our newest television series, Move In or Market, where our team redesigns the home of a couple thinking about moving out to see if they can turn it into their dream home! Here's a clip from our very first episode where our team lead, Melanie, went all out!"

"May I present... your new home!"

"..."

"It's, um..."

"Yeah..."

"Oh, just you wait. Here's the key! I'll let you two do the honors of opening the door."

"Hang on, why is there an 'enter if you dare' sign?"

"It's our complementary anti-door-to-door salesman device!"

"Oh."

"And here we have the entryway... I'm really proud of all the cobweb work. We had a team of the finest spiders weaving round the clock!"

"It's um... quite dusty."

"Part of the charm! And just off to the side we have your living room, now transformed from its former mid-century modern aesthetic."

"Is that a coffin?"

"Yes!"

"...Okay, no explanation or anything...?"

"Would you like to see the master suite?"

"Um. Sure."

"Right this way! Mind the fifth stair, it's a bit finicky--- sometimes you'll step and go right through to the basement!"

"...Honey, I think we should call some housing inspectors."

"What was that?"

"Uh, nothing! Just commented on how much I like the... um... portraits..."

"Oh yes! I'm glad you noticed! These were very hard to get our hands on, but they're well worth it! A bonus perk is that their eyes follow you wherever you go; it's especially useful for childcare!"

"They do what?"

"Master suite time!"

"Augh! Why is there a weird... slime... thing in our bed?"

"He got tired of sleeping under it, of course! We've given you a lot of closet space as well, which was your main concern before--- check it out!"

"Why are there flames coming out of it?"

"Well, since we were working with limited space to begin with, we found that to get you that walk-in feel you wanted, we needed to hire a freelancer to open up a portal to the underworld! You've got tons on space now! Just be careful of demons."

"Demons?"

"There's salt in the bedside table if it gets too serious, don't worry! Let's check out the bathroom!"

"AUGH!"

"Hmm?"

"There's something writing on the mirror! Is that... blood?"

"Oh yes, that happens sometimes! Don't worry though, most of the time it's helpful little reminders!"

"This one just says 'you will die.'"

"Yes! Like I said, helpful reminders! Let's go back downstairs and check out the kitchen!"

"Oh, hang on, this doesn't look too bad! I love the marble counters, and you've really expanded our drawer space!"

"I knew you'd love it! We've also given you a brand new fridge from Abominable Cooling who have generously sponsored this segment! It comes with a drawer freezer as well."

"Oh neat! There's kind of a weird smell though... like rotting?"

"Honey, um... there's a head in this freezer."

"What?"

"Oh, yes! A little memento from our experience renovating! He was one of the ones who fell through the stairs. The rest of him is... well, I can't remember where exactly! I'm sure he'll turn up! We're currently still working on finishing the basement (the gravestones didn't get here in time) so I can't take you down there quite yet, but now you've seen most of your new and improved house! What do you think... are you going to move in or market?"

"Well, since there are creepy portraits---"

"---demons in our bedroom---"

"---and the kitchen smells like murder, I think it's pretty clear what our answer is."

"And?"

"Yes, we'll take it!"

"Perfect! Can I have you just sign here in pig's blood..."

"That's it, folks! Catch the rest of the episode on Monday at 3 am central!"

“I’m telling you, Beau, you need to lay off!”
“Why? You did want a kiss, didn’t you?”
“Not from you! I have a boyfriend. My gosh, you are sick.”
“Fine, fine. I’ll lay off. Are there any snacks in here? I’m craving cookie dough.”
“None of them are for you. Just…Just go sit on the couch. I need to go grab the project from my bag.”
“Alright, I’ll be wai-ting.”
“Ugh.”
“Hey, Beau! Have you seen Adah anywhere?”
“Oh, she just went to her room. Can you tell her to hurry up?”
“What’s got you in such a rush? Do you actually care about your science project?”
“Ha ha, very funny. I just had something I wanted to tell her.”
“Hmm. Alright. I’ll go tell her, but don’t move, okay? She’ll have my head if you disappear during her designated homework time.”
“Fine.”
“Alright, I’m back. Have you researched anything? We need as much information as we can get if we’re gonna write a paper on mitochondria.”
“Not yet. But I have been researching something else.”
“Oh? What?”
“How to win your heart.”
“Beau-”
“And it said that all I have to do is lean in…”
“wait-”
“Pull you close…”
“Please don’t-”
“And kiss you.”
“GET AWAY FROM ME!”
“Adah? Adah, I’m coming!”
“Wait! Don’t. Just… Just give me a second.”
“This is fine, Adah. You can totally hide a one-hundred-and-thirty-pound guy in your house without Talia finding out. I…Just have…To put him…In the fridge! Perfect.”
“Adah? Where’d Beau go?”
“Give me a second! Yes! He fits.”
“Adah, why do I smell blood? The kitchen smells like murder.”
“I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
“Oh yes you do. As your big sister, it is my job to know every minute detail about you.”
“Come on, Tal. It’s not like I’m hiding anything.”
“You most certainly are. Step away from the fridge, Adah.”
“But what’s in there is a surprise! You don’t want to ruin your surprise, do you?”
“I’m perfectly capable of dealing with the loss. Move away from the fridge.”
“No.”
“No? You can’t say no to me.”
“I can. You’re not my mom.”
“Adah…”
“I…I…”
“Please, step away from the fridge. Before dad gets home and it’s too late.”
“Well…Fine.”
“AH!”
“Tal? Are you okay?”
“There’s a body on top of me! There’s a-”
“I know. Just hold still. There. He’s nicely packed away in the fridge again.”
“He-He-”
“Didn’t dodge my punch in time. I’m much stronger than I thought.”
“This is horrific! This is terrifying! This is…Incredible.”
“Thanks. But what do we do with the body?”
“Considering Dad’s a cop…Nothing? It would be worse to be charged with murder and lying to an officer.”
“Oh, come on, Talia. You’re more creative than that. Step outside your goody-two-shoes bubble and think creatively.”
“Um…”
“Come on. Think.”
“Alright, fine. I have a stupid idea, but I’m going to need you to hide. Got it?”
“Got it!”
“Okay. We need to get Beau up the stairs and in your bed.”
“Ew. There’s no way I’m putting Beau’s filthy corpse in my bed.”
“Do it or I’m giving you away to Dad.”
“Fine. One step…Two steps… Ugh. This is too heavy!”
“Here. I’ll help.”
“Five more steps. We’re doing it!”
“Yes, carrying a corpse into your bed. I’m very proud.”
“Stop being so pessimistic.”
“He’s on the bed. What now?”
“I’ll put the blankets over him. You go hide in the closet.”
“Alright.”
“Girls? I’m home!”
“Dad! We’re up here.”
“You sound worried. Are you okay?”
“It’s Adah. She’s really sick.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“I didn’t want to wake her, since she seems so half-dead. It’s probably best not to touch her.”
“Why does she look so big?”
“When she started getting sick, she got really bloated. Can you go make her favorite soup? It might wake her up.”
“Alright. Stay with her, okay?”
“Got it!”
“Is he gone?”
“Yes. But what do we do now?”
“One step at a time, Talia.”

"Come on, don't just stand there silently."
…
"You didn't go through all that to stand here in silence now."
…
"Come on, Ari."
…
"Ari."
…
"This has always been your dream, so what are you waiting for?"
…
"They are waiting for you."
…
"Do you hear? This is already the second convocation."
…
"Ari."
…
,,What is wrong with you?"
,,I do not know."
"Ari."
"I...I don't know if I should go there."
"Isn't this your dream by any chance?"
,,It is, but..."
,,So where is the problem?"
,,I do not know. Simply…”
"Boy, don't be so shy anymore. You know we don't have much time left, so if there's something you want to say - like explaining why you've been hiding in the shadows for an hour - you don't have much time left."
"I'm not good enough."
"But I'm begging you, Ari..."
,,Not. I am not."
,,You are."
"You don't mean it honestly. You're just trying to dare me.”
"There are easier ways to get you into the amphitheater, and you know that."
…
"It's really big, isn't it?
"Huh?"
"Amphitheater. It's huge."
"Hey."
"Are you nervous?"
,,I do not know."
"Strange. You usually have a lot to say, but today you're keeping it simple. Fine. We can stand here in silence and look at the dusty amphitheater and all the people in it who have the same dream as you."
"I just have nothing to say."
"But Ari, this is your big day."
"Maybe I don't want my big day."
…
"Maybe I want another ordinary and boring day. I want to go to the market with you and sell olives. I want to swim in the river. I want to climb olive trees."
…
…
"So you want everything to be like before."
"You could have forgiven that dramatic sigh."
"You should go there. Run that round. Enjoy it."
"And win-"
"The winner doesn't matter. This is your dream, Ari. Go. Fulfill it. Enjoy the run. Enjoy what you're doing and don't worry about whether you'll win."
"Since when are you a master of speeches?"
,,I am not. I'm just trying."
,,Okay then."
,,Okay what?"
,,I'm coming. I'll run it off."
…
"Gar?"
,,Yes?"
"One last thing."
…
…
…
…
"You know I'm not very good at hugging."
"It doesn't matter."
…
…
…
"I should probably go."
,,Yes. Probably yes."
"So..."
"Go, Ari. Go and be an Olympian.”

“You don’t understand the things I’ve given up for you. The sacrifices I’ve made, the dreams I abandoned, all so you could have chances of a normal life.”

“But Mom, I didn’t even know until now! Why didn’t you tell me? It’s like you were hiding this from me!”

"Because I wanted to protect you! Do you think it's easy hiding the truth? Every day, I worried someone would find out. That you would be dragged into a world you weren’t ready for."

"Protect me? From what? From who I really am? You can’t just decide that for me!"

“Oh, but I can, young lady. You are not ready for these things—your father isn’t ready. You are to stay here, and that’s final. He doesn’t even know you; you haven’t even had time to interact with the man! What makes you think you can just pop up and ‘oh I’m your daughter’ your way into his domain?”

"know where I come from! How could you keep this from me? It’s a part of who I am."

"Because knowing doesn’t always help. Sometimes, it only brings more pain. I was trying to shield you from that."

"B-But it’s my pain to deal with, not yours! I have a right to meet him, to understand my powers. You can't keep me locked away forever."

“You aren’t eighteen yet. Until then, you belong here, in Atlanta. You are not to see him, under any circumstances, are we clear? I wasn’t trying to lock you away. I was trying to give you a chance at a life without the chaos and danger that comes with being a demi-god.”

"Mom, I need to know him. I need to know this part of myself. Don’t you understand? This isn't just about you anymore. It's about me too!"

"Of course, I understand! But you don’t know what you’re asking for. You don’t know what it’s like to be part of that world, to be constantly under scrutiny, to have enemies because of who your father is."

“So help me understand, then! Don’t just leave me in the dark! You know… all these years, all the ‘fathers’ I’ve had, all the pain you’ve put me through… don’t you think I deserve something that could change my life? I don’t want to be stuck here. I don’t want to be a nobody; I want to make a change—especially if I have the capability to do so.”

"And what if it puts you in danger? What if knowing him brings more harm than good? I can't bear the thought of losing you."

"But keeping me here, sheltered, isn’t the answer. I need to find my own path, make my own mistakes. I promise, I’ll be careful, but I need to try. I need to know who I am."

“I’ve spent so long trying to keep you safe. Maybe... maybe it’s time I let you see for yourself. I’ll help you understand. But you have to promise me you’ll stay cautious.”

“I promise, Mom.”

"I remember the first time I met your father… he was unlike anyone I had ever known. Powerful. I’d never felt so much power radiate off one person. Our worlds were too different. I had to make a choice when I found out I was pregnant with you. And some days, I regret not allowing you to experience that side of yourself, especially today."

“What’s his name?”

“Zeus.”

“Zeus? Like… like the king of the gods? Does that mean I…I-I’m…”

“Yes. You’re of divine blood.”

“So, all those times I felt… strange, or powerful, or like I didn’t belong… it’s because of him?”

“It’s because of who you are. The blood of the king of the gods runs through your veins. But with that power comes great responsibility and danger. That’s why I kept it from you.”

“What happens now? Do I go to Olympus? Do I meet him?”

“It… it won’t be easy. The gods are not like us. They have their own rules, their own ways of doing things. And Zeus… he’s not always the most approachable.”

“But I have to try. I have to know him, and I have to understand my powers. I can’t keep living in the dark.”

"I’ll guide you as best I can, but I can’t go with you. My place is here. I’ve worked hard to create a safe life for you away from all this."

"But how can I do this without you?"

“You have to trust that you’re stronger than you know. But the journey to Olympus is one you must go on alone.”

“O-Okay, Mom.”

“Go be an Olympian. I’ll be here waiting for you, always.”

“Just like that sweetie, lovely job!”

“Thanks, mum.”

“Push the dough flat with your hands first. That will get rid of any big air bubbles. Then, we take the rolling pin and make it very thin. That makes it flaky.”

“Like this?”

“Exactly. That is perfect… absolutely perfect.”

“Maybe one day I can take over the business, mommy!”

“Jason Finch… the best pie maker in the entire world! I can already see it, my love. You are going to shine.”

“I am going to shine!!”

“You are going to help so many people… all of these unfortunate souls, too lost to help themselves.”

“What do you mean, mommy?”

“Someday you will understand, Jason. But not yet. Mommy loves you, okay?”

“Mom.. mom what are you-”

-

“Today marks the 27th day of the nationwide manhunt for Josephine Finch. The woman accused of serial killing over 75 victims who have gone missing in California, Arizona, Utah, and Idaho, dating back 25 years. She is believed to have been making human meat pies to dispose of the bodies, selling them to thousands of people in the Finch Family Pie Shop, since 1999. Her most recent victim, her own son, seven year old Jason Finch.

-
“This is Natasha Steel reporting live, we have an update to the Josephine Finch manhunt taking place all over the United States. I am currently standing in front of the Finch Family Pie Shop, with Detective Brett Johnson. Detective Johnson, tell us what we are seeing here.”

“Thanks Natasha. From examining the pie shop, as well as the adjacent family home, we have made some chilling discoveries. It is believed that Jason Finch may still be alive. Only parts of his body have been identified in pies, so we believe that he may have escaped. We have also found bins full of human teeth and hair, leading us to believe that this case is much bigger than we previously thought. We are looking at thousands of victims here. We are searching the house thoroughly and… well, the kitchen smells like murder. The whereabouts of Josephine is still completely unknown. Some are claiming that she must have fled the country, but we cannot be sure until we find her. If anyone sees Jason, or Josephine, call the police immediately and do not engage.”

-
“Hmmmmm, hmmmmmm, hmmmmm, hmmmm. One chop, two chops, three chops, and four. Yes, rest, don’t fight me anymore. Hmmmmm.”

“Mother.”

“Hmmmmmm, hmmmmm, hmmmmm, hmmmmmm. Jason, is that you?”

“It is.”

“Come over here, my dear. Help mommy make the pies.”

“Okay.”

“Good job, look how good you have gotten at this.”

“I push the dough flat to get rid of air bubbles. People need air to survive. I use the bloody rolling pin to flatten it, that makes more room for the meat. It is flaky and delicate, but delicious.”

“Look how you have grown, Jason, my love. Even with one arm, you can do it perfectly.”

“And even without your leg, so can you too, mum, help all their unfortunate souls. I finally understand. ”

“I love you sweetie.”

“I love you too, mommy.”

“Oh my goodness! How did she score that high? She way under-turned on the triple axel! And the performance was completely lacking artistry!”

“Are you…are you seriously critiquing an Olympic figure skater right now?”

“Yes! This high score is bullshit and I’m not afraid to say it!”

“Sarah, you’re twenty five and bigger than a size zero. Don’t tell me you can do better.”

“Hey, I won 'Best Effort' in figure skating classes as a kid. That has to count for something.”

“Oh really?”

“Really!”

“Well, you go and be an Olympian then! See how far your old participation trophy-worthy skills can take you.”

“You sound…skeptical.”

“Me? Skeptical? Never.”

“Well, just you watch me, Olivia! I’m signing up for figure skating lessons right…now!”

***

“Wow, I can’t believe she’s actually doing it! We’re really here at the Olympic Trials.”

“I know! It’s been two years since I told her to go for it. Turns out spite is a powerful motivator…oh there she is! Oh my God! Sarah! You look amazing!”

“Thank you. I spent hours gluing the rhinestones on this dress.”

“Ahem.”

“Oh, sorry, Dan. We spent hours gluing rhinestones.”

“Worth every second, baby. You’re gonna knock them dead, my pretty little disco ball!”

“Oh my god, you two, this isn’t an Olympic make out competition! If you need me, I’ll be at that trashcan over there puking."

"Hey, watch it!"

“Sorry! I’m just running super late…Olivia? Olivia Swanson?”

“Um...hi? And you are...?"

“Chris. Chris Bacon? We auditioned for Footloose together back in high school?”

“Oh, right. I remember you now. You…never got a call back. Shame.”

“Yeah, thought the name might help me, but I guess not. It’s all good, though. I channeled my rage at not making it in theater into my other passion of figure skating. And now I’m here! The favorite to win the men’s final and go to the Olympics!”

“Oh. Congrats."

“Um…who is that over there with Danny?”

“Oh, you know Dan? Yeah, he’s Sarah’s boyfriend.”

“Sarah? The Sarah Chambers? Unlikely underdog who went from chunky couch potato to almost-Olympian?”

“Hey! She's not chunky!"

"I mean, for figure skating..."

"Okay, you have a point. But still."

"Sorry. Um...let's go talk over there.”

"Why?"

"I have to tell you something, but I don't want our Olympic PDA Champions to overhear us."

"Ugh, fine."

"Okay, what did you want to tell me?"

“Yeah, so, um, how I know Danny…let’s just say we’ve met. Down at the Pink Pony Club. And..."

"Wait, that's a real place? I thought it was just a song."

"It's a real place. Where heterosexuals fear to tread. And Danny and I...might have exchanged more than a friendly handshake."

“Oh. My. God. I mean, not gonna lie, I had my suspicions, but…man. Sarah's gonna be devastated.”

“Yeah, it sucks. But she has to know…”

“No! Get back here! It can wait until after the trials. We can’t mess this up for her.”

“Fine. But after that, that two timing motherfucker is going to get a blue raspberry Icee bath. Come on, let’s go buy them out at the concession stand.”

“I'll hit the ceiling or else I'll tear up this town..."

"Ooh, this place has some good music. 'Cut loose. Footloose. Kick off your Sunday, shoes. Please, Louise..."

“Weird. That guy singing in front of us in line looks a lot like..."

“My third cousin once removed Kevin? It sure is. Hey, Kevin, glad you could make it!"

“Chris! I've been looking all over for you! Can't wait to see my favorite third cousin tear up that Olympic ice. Hi Olivia, nice to meet you! I’m Kevin.”

“Ah…um…hi. How…how do you know my name?”

“You played Ariel in the Stanford High School’s 2018 production of Footloose. Best high school rendition I’ve ever seen.”

“Um…wow, thank you. You were there?"

“Yeah, I tried to get backstage to meet you guys, but security stopped me. I really hate busting out the ‘Don’t you know who I am?’ line, but it didn’t even work. I sent you some flowers, though.”

“That was really you? I mean, it was signed, but…all this time I thought that was my friends pulling a prank on me. Guess I owe them an apology.”

“Say, Kev, can you buy us some Icees? We've got a dumbass cheater to dunk.”

“Absolutely. I hate cheaters. But never call me Kev again.”

"Got it. Sorry."

“Next in line?”

“Yes, twenty blue raspberry Icees, please."

“Miss Green! Where did you hide the corpse? Don’t tell me you didn’t even leave some crumbs?”

“Yo, yo wait a minute. Corpse? Crumbs? Why are you shouting like that? I’m literally standing right here man.”

“You dare ask me such a question, Miss Green?”

“Uhm yeah, what up Ollie? You look like a tomato!”

“You know pretty well what you have done, Miss Green.”

“Oh, would you stop the formalities? Miss, Miss and well, dare. Honestly, what’s bugging you?”

”The kitchen smells like murder. You know pretty well what I’m talking about.”

“OMG, what did you do? Don’t tell me it’s the neighbour’s bird again.”

“I don’t think it’s clear. Let’s try again, alright, Hayley, are you eating the last piece of cake with green, black sprinkles?”

“Uhm… No idea what you’re talking about, Ollie.”

“Are you sure, you took it from the fridge behind the second bottle of pickles? ‘Cause that was my piece.”

“Still no idea what this is about.”

“The crumbs around your lips betray you, dear sister. As does the icing on the carpet. You’ve murdered my cake!”

“Come on, Ollie. Are we honestly going to make a fuss about that?”

“Fuss? Interesting how your mortal friends can change you Hayley.”

“Ollie, I’m pretty sure that’s not the only reason you're mad.”

“Oh, do you want me to spell it out for you, dear sister? My cake was murdered!”

“Bro, really? Wow, you’re still such a baby.”

“I have a feeling a knife’s going to be here real soon, Miss Hayley Green.”

“Yet I’m not running Miss Olivia Green.”

“Oh stop acting like a sophisticated brat, Hayley.”

“Is this the part where I say some kind of Thor Odinson kinda vibe line where he argues with his younger brother. You know I’m older, right? So that means-”

“We! I’m sorry, I should not shout. First of all, we are not dragging fictional people in here. Especially not Thor Odinson.”

“Oh sister, you’re melting.”

“Could you please, behave for once in your life”

“Why, it’s more fun like this. You're turning into a tomato again.”

“Tomato. Interesting comparison.”

“Yeah right. Funny one also, if you really think about it, sister.”

“Just tell me if that was my cake or not?”

“I thought it was clear by now. Ollie, you really have to spend some time with humans, man.”

“Did you! Or did you not eat my cake? Answer my question!”

“Jeez, hell yeah I did. And I do not regret it. You see what I did there, that was a Cisco line.”

“You are the most impossible person I’ve ever met, Miss Hayley Green.”

“That’s it? No trying to kill me or something? Giving me the silent treatment for the rest of the year or stealing my Ice cream? ”

“Unlike you, I have some honour flowing through these veins.”

“Alright, I guess that’s it. Want to watch another episode of Shadow & Bone?”

“I would love that, Hayley.”

“Good, I’ll make popcorn.”

“With butter please.”

“Will do, Hayley.”

“The kitchen smells like murder.”

“That bad? The garlic is strong. But I thought the candles would help a bit. They’re scented. Maybe not. Hmm.”

“What scent did the candle have?”

“Honestly? Dunno. Ever since you brought that cat in the house, I can’t smell anything. Plugged nose and all. Cute cat, but gosh. My body sure doesn’t like him. Speaking of which…”

“Heyyy little buddy. How’s it going?”

“Gah! Cat on counter! Don’t let him near the rice!”

“I doubt Castor is dumb enough to get into a boiling pot of rice, Chantelle. He’s got a brain on his head, you know. There you go, buddy. On the floor now. Uh, bye?”

“You know I caught him getting his head stuck in a jar, right? Twice. No, three times.”

“Maybe he was just hungry. You can never know with this fella.”

“Empty. The jar was empty. Hey, Everli, can you hand me that package?”

“‘Forbidden rice.’ Huh, I’ve never seen dark rice before. Why is it forbidden?”

“No idea. Only rice we have, though. So. I also didn’t have time to go to the store. Not like I have money lying around.”

“And your mom–?”

“– is still at work.”

“Is she gonna be angry about, uh… all this? I doubt she’d like the house smelling like this.”

“How bad is it?”

“Have you ever smelled a skunk?”

“No.”

“Pray you never will. Okay, imagine rotting onions, something sour or–or… bitter? And now combine that with a corpse and rubber.”

“Corpse?”

“Hence the murder.”

“Ah.”

“What even happened here? I can’t imagine even you managing to make such a horrid concoction, even if you were trying to bring the undead out of their graves.”

“‘Even me?’ I mean… okay fair, I suck at cooking. I dropped the garlic bottle. Smashed to pieces. Garlic everywhere. Hey, you got shoes on? Oh wait, is Castor okay?”

“Where did you drop the garlic?”

“Near the – oh he’s probably fine. It was near the sink. I don’t think he went past the island.”

“And where is the candle?”

“Already blown out.”

“No, I mean, where is it? I wanna see what scent it was.”

“Oh, sorry. On the dining table.”

“Uhh, Chantelle? Where did you get this candle?”

“What? Dunno. Probably at Butterfly and Beauty Works. Why?”

“I’ve never seen “Burning Rubber” there. Or–or anywhere, really.”

“That’s what it is? Really?”

“You sure you can’t smell anything, Chantelle? It–it’s pretty awful in here.”

“No! Are you serious?”

“Take a look for yourself.”

“And… I remember now. My dad bought this for my mom. A present on April Fools. Why didn’t I read the label? AND WHY DIDN’T I SET A TIMER? HOLD ON.”

“Is it burnt?”

“More burnt than it was before? Yes. Oh yes.”

“How do you burn rice?”

“Not adding enough water?”

“Chantelle.”

“One way.”

“Chantelle.”

“Forgetting a timer. That too.”

“Chantelle.”

“Everli?”

“Maybe just stick to the video games?”

“Wish life had a reset button. Help me open the windows?”

“I gotchu. Uh, Chantelle?”

“Yes?”

“The burner is still on.”

“Everli, without you this house would’ve burned down a long time ago. Thank you.”

“I–I don’t know about the ashes, but I can tell you your mom won’t have to suffer the atrocious smell you’ve got going here.”

“You’re a bit late. She’s here.”

“She is?”

“Saw her car out the window.”

“Well, rest in peace, Chantelle. Nice knowing you.”

“Not gonna stay for dinner?”

“I’ll pass.”

“The rice might not be burnt. It’s black. It’s hard to tell.”

“I–I can smell the burning from here. I’d be prepared for your smoke detectors to go off soon – they probably will.”

“Right on cue. Look, head on home. I can clean stuff up. And explain why the house is burning down.”

“Chantelle! I’m home! Everything okay?”

“Cya, Everli.”

“Don’t worry, Chantelle. I’ll be back for Castor.”

“If he doesn’t scratch you first.”

“If he doesn’t get his head stuck in another jar. Bye Chantelle.”

"Daddy! Welcome home. Mommy's painting the kitchen."

"Hey, munchkin! Why's Mommy painting? Did you make a mess?"

"Nuh-uh! I was playing dress-up dollies with Mommy when one of her friends came over. She told me to play in my room and not come back down until you came home."

"Mommy had a friend over?"

"Yeah! With loud footsteps like a monster. Bam, bam, bam!"

"And Mommy didn't let you see him?"

"No. I could only see his shadow in the window. He was huge. Like a bear or a dinosaur! And he yelled a lot. He must've been very happy to see Mommy."

"Did you hear what they were doing?"

"Not really. They were yelling a lot and then Mommy dropped something in the kitchen and he left. It was so far away from when you were coming home, so I went downstairs to see if Mommy needed help picking up. But Mommy was painting! And she must've been very sleepy since she took a nap in all the paint! Silly Mommy."

"She... fell asleep in the paint? What color is the paint, Rebecca?"

"Are you okay, Daddy...?"

"Tell me the color of the paint!"

"Ow! You're hurting me! It was red! It's red, Daddy! Let go!"

"Oh god."

"Daddy...? You shouldn't wake Mommy up. Wait—"

"EMMA! Please, no. Emma, wake up. Please. What happened? Who did this to you?"

"Daddy, what's wrong?"

"Rebecca go to your room. Stay in there and don't come out until I get you."

"But—"

"No buts! Go!

"Fine!"

"There's no pulse. Emma. You need to fight. Come on! No, no."

"Nine-one-one, what's your emergency?"

"My wife, she's... I need help!"

"What's wrong with your wife, sir? Can you describe the scene?"

"The kitchen smells like murder. There's so much blood. I'm going to be sick. She won't stop bleeding! You need to save her! Please!"

"We'll send a unit your way shortly. Please try to stay calm. Where is she bleeding?"

"Everywhere! There's a knife. Oh god, there's a knife."

"Please don't touch it, sir. Just stay back. The paramedics are on their way."

"She's not breathing. Why is she not breathing?"

"It's going to be okay. Just breathe."

"Emma! They're coming! Don't die, please! You can't leave me and Rebecca alone. We need you. Please."

"Would you like me to stay on the line with you, sir?"

"My daughter. I have to tell my daughter. Painting. She thought you were painting, Emma. It's going to destroy her. How could you let that man into our house?"

"A man was in your house? Do you think he could be connected to the crime?"

"My daughter said she heard a man. She said he was yelling. Yelling at my wife before he..."

"It's okay. That's good. The police can use that to find him. We will find him, sir."

"I have to tell my daughter."

"Please, sir, stay on the—"

"Rebecca! I'm coming up. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for hurting you."

"Daddy? Is it over?"

"Almost, sweetie. It's almost over."

"I'm scared. You're crying."

"It's okay. I got you. Come here. We'll be okay."

"Is Mommy awake?"

"N-No. Mommy's... Mommy's very tired. She might not wake up for... a long time."

"I hope she feels better soon. I don't like it when Mommy feels bad."

"Neither do I, baby. Neither do I."

"Lord Death, there's another one."

"A-Another one? So soon. Its only been four months hasn't it?"

"Yes my lord. I. We. Well they all did their best. No one wanted this. But. Fate is a cruel, cruel thing."

"You've consulted everyone? The child had to die? Tell me. Pl-please."

"Y-yes mi lord. I have. Everyone that I can ask. Everything I can do. Love herself gave the final declaration. Nothing could save the poor child."

"Did she say the line?"

"Yes my Lord. 'The kitchen smells like murder'. Word for word."

"Very well. I must be professional in this matter. Send the child through. S-end t-he..."

"I understand Lord Death. It will be done."



"Whoo? Who youu? You Papa? Papa? Papaaa!"

"N-no sweetie! I'm not Papa. Papa's. Papa's busy right now."

"No Papa? Mama? Where Mama?"

"N-No b-baby. I..."

"Want Mama! Want Mama!"

"Mama will come get you baby. Mama will. I. I'm a friend on Mama and Papa. I'll keep you safe till they come back."

"Mamaaa! Papaaa!"

"Its okay sweetie. Its okay. You'll be okay. Mama and Papa will come back soon."

"But Mama! Mama said she never leave. Mama promise."

"I know baby. I know. Mama never breaks promise. Mama will come back."



"Lord Death, Lady Love had an idea."

"Whatever it is, make it quick. I must go tend to her again poor darling. She hasn't stopped crying yet. I..."

"Well this idea will help."

"Go on then."

"Goldie."

"I know you love one liners but that tells me quite literally nothing about what I need to know right now."

"Remember? Three weeks ago. The poor golden retriever we built that custom little play area for."

"Ah yes. The sweetest thing. I can't believe how hard that must've been as a choice."

"Well what if our baby here got a new friend. And that friend was Goldie."

"Of. Course. You said Lady Love gave you this idea?"

"Yes. She saw it herself. Two wounded souls. The two kinds that should never walk these halls..

"Amen."

".... brought together and maybe. Just maybe. They can make each other whole. For just long enough."

"For just long enough. That is. That is brilliant. Have them make the necessary preparations. I'll bring the baby over in just a second."



"Baby! Look! Say Hi! New friend! This is Goldie!"

"WOOF! WOOF!"

"G-Goli? Goli! You Goli!"

"Yes baby! Goldie!"

"WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!"

"Goli!"

"Go on. Say hi baby!"

"Goli! Goli warm! Like Mama! Like Goli!"

"WOOF!"

"Yay Goli!"

"They-they're actually bonding!"

"It was meant to be."

"Thank you Lady Love! I. I don't know how much longer I could've gone on seeing the poor thing cry for her mama and papa night after unceasing night."

"Of course Death. Love is cruel sometimes. The pain it can bring...ahh...its hard to think about. Even for me. However. There's always a light. Always. You just need to never stop looking."

"I can see that. Poor Goldie here was feeling horrible too. I was at a loss on her situation too to be honest."

"That dear Death is why we all keep fighting. In the end. In the end it will be alright."

"Thank you Lady Love.'

"The pleasure is all mine Lord Death!"

"Well let's leave these two precious angels to it then."

"Of course we're going to come check every twelve hours."

"I-I already cleared out a space in my schedule."

"That's the spirit Death."



"A very good afternoon to you ma'am!"

"I. What did I do? Please no. I haven't done anything heinous. I just. I just want to know if my daughter made it here. That's all. Its been over a decade now. I understand its just another soul but..."

"Mrs. Danvers, don't worry. I'm simply here to show you to her!"

"Really? She's here! You promise? This isn't a sick joke."

"Oh It could never be Mrs. Danvers. We take our littlest angels quite seriously."



"Mama! Mama! You cameee! Lookk! I made a friend! Goli!! Golii meet Mama! Mama meet Golii!"

"Baby! Baby! You're here. You've not aged a day! Its you. It's really you. Baby! Baby!"



"I don't remember authorizing that time be slowed Lady Love!"

"Funny you say that Lord Death. I don't remember you failing to notice something like that for a whole decade."

"Fate works in its mysterious ways."

"Fate does indeed."

“Ugh!”

“What’s the matter now, Sarah?”

“I dropped this stupid ball again! I can’t stand it!”

“Woah, you’ll knock something over… Well, now it’s gone. Who knows where it ended up.”

“Who cares?”

“Your coach does, and since I’m her, I want you to go over there and find it. Don’t you roll your eyes at me, young lady. You’ve been training for six hours, and thanks to your new attitude, you just made it an additional two.”

“Seriously, Laura— Fine. Here’s the ball. Can’t we work on another apparatus, like ribbon?!”

“So you can waste your time on something else? Yeah, no… Okay, get into your starting position. I want you to go through the routine without the music. Don’t think of anything else, not the timing, not your technique, just keep your eyes on the ball. Ready?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Go.”

…

“Ohh, I lost the ball again. What’s wrong with me?”

“Well, you were pretty good up until the end of the routine.”

“Obviously, it’s not good enough if I can’t control the ball. World Championship’s Silver Medalist, and this is where I am: chasing after a small rubber ball. I’ll be a laughing stock at trials.”

“Look on the bright side. Trials aren't for another two months, so you’ll have plenty of time to perfect your routines. And you’re a monster with the ribbon. Even if your ball routine isn’t spectacular, it won’t be enough to end your chances at the Olympics.”

“But—”
“But nothing. Come here; sit with me for a moment. Listen, Sarah: I don’t know what’s going on with you, but you can’t doubt yourself like this. Not when you’re this close to Olympic trials. You have to be mentally prepared. Mistakes happen. I’ve been there. You’ve been there. The best of the best in the world have been there time and time again.”

“I know…”

“So, don’t beat yourself up about it. Pressure is good, but it can be one son of a bitch. Too much pressure can hurt you so much up here.”

“Laura, this could be my only chance to make it to the Olympics.”

“Were you even listening to me? Kid, you’re sixteen years old. You are young and healthy. Even if you don’t make the team (don’t look at me like that, I said if), your career isn’t over. By 2028, you’ll still be a rythmast gymnast. And the next four years, and the next. A lot of athletes return for multiple Games.”

“I guess that’s true. It’s just— I worked so hard to get to this point. Starting late, the costs. I just don’t want to let my family down. They sacrificed so much to help me do this sport. If I fail now, it’s like I’m shitting on them for believing in me. ”

“Aw, kid, don’t make me tear up. Come here. You won a bunch of medals, you’re talented and hardworking. Everyone at the gym loves and respects you. You’re amazing, you know that? ”

“Hmm.”

“I mean it. Whatever happens here or two months from now, nothing will change about your skills. Everyone has an off day. But you have a passion and love for this sport, and if you carry that with you to training or competition, you’ll accept those little mistakes and grow from them. Go and be an Olympian. We’re all behind you.”

“Wow, Laura. I never knew you actually had a heart. Yikes, I’m kidding, haha. But, really, thanks for that. That–that meant a lot. I think I want to practice my ball routine again.”

“As long as you’re not going to damage my property, I think that’s a good idea.”