December 28, 2021 • 19 mins
Hear these episodes add free by supporting the show on Patreon.
Family reunions are rarely ever simple.
It's no different for Victoria, regardless of how strange her world can be. Now, at a time when her life has been filled by distracting complications, the last thing she needs to be worrying about is her brother. Especially when he appears out of nowhere and starts asking her for favours.
Then again, hasn't she always had to worry about Merritt?
Cast (in order of appearance):
Victoria Bigglesworth-Hayes: Amber Collins
Merritt Bigglesworth-Hayes: Louie Pollard
Cuckoo Stone, Narrator: Cynthia Lowman
Author: Christopher Long
Editor/Producer: Daniel Foytik
Art: Jeanette Andromeda of JeanetteCreations.com
Score: Nico Vettese of We Talk of Dreams
A 9th Story Studios Production, All rights reserved. | Foytik, Collins, Vettese
Support us on Patreon for ad free episodes and extra content.
Listen and Subscribe: iTunes | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Google Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher
THEMES:
"The Lift Arrives, (Opening Theme Music):
"Victoria's Music Box, (Victoria's Theme)"
The Lift Closing Theme Music
Composed and Recorded by Nico Vettese of We Talk of Dreams
www.wetalkofdreams.com
FX:
Sound FX: freesound.org, audioblocks.com
AUDIO RECORDING
Sound Design by Davis Walden, of The Viridian Wild audio drama podcast.
Producer/ Creator: Daniel Foytik
Executive Producers: Amber Collins, Nico Vettese
Visit The Lift: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Victoria's Lift and all core characters, places, and situations are property of Daniel Foytik, 9th Story Studios, and 9th Story Publishing and may not be used in any form without explicit written permission.
Family reunions are rarely ever simple.
It's no different for Victoria, regardless of how strange her world can be. Now, at a time when her life has been filled by distracting complications, the last thing she needs to be worrying about is her brother. Especially when he appears out of nowhere and starts asking her for favours.
Then again, hasn't she always had to worry about Merritt?
Cast (in order of appearance):
Victoria Bigglesworth-Hayes: Amber Collins
Merritt Bigglesworth-Hayes: Louie Pollard
Cuckoo Stone, Narrator: Cynthia Lowman
Author: Christopher Long
Editor/Producer: Daniel Foytik
Art: Jeanette Andromeda of JeanetteCreations.com
Score: Nico Vettese of We Talk of Dreams
A 9th Story Studios Production, All rights reserved. | Foytik, Collins, Vettese
Support us on Patreon for ad free episodes and extra content.
Listen and Subscribe: iTunes | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Google Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher
THEMES:
"The Lift Arrives, (Opening Theme Music):
"Victoria's Music Box, (Victoria's Theme)"
The Lift Closing Theme Music
Composed and Recorded by Nico Vettese of We Talk of Dreams
www.wetalkofdreams.com
FX:
Sound FX: freesound.org, audioblocks.com
AUDIO RECORDING
Sound Design by Davis Walden, of The Viridian Wild audio drama podcast.
Producer/ Creator: Daniel Foytik
Executive Producers: Amber Collins, Nico Vettese
Visit The Lift: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Victoria's Lift and all core characters, places, and situations are property of Daniel Foytik, 9th Story Studios, and 9th Story Publishing and may not be used in any form without explicit written permission.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
Ninth Story Studios giving Story a Voice. Welcome to the list, Get ready
to take the ride. Hello,I'm Daniel Fotchni. Thank you for joining
(00:41):
us for a special episode of Victoria'sLeft. Today we're presenting the third chapter
of our ten part mini series byChristopher Long Entitled to Those Who Thrive in
the Dark. The series dives deepinto the mythos of Victoria's world and features
Victoria facing ancient gods, faith folkmonsters, old enemies, and certain little
brother with ulterior motives. Before weget started today, a big thank you
(01:03):
to those who are supporting the show. Those supporting the show at the five
dollars a month level and above,here are these episodes before anyone else.
And honestly, it's you, thesupporters, that make this show possible.
If you're not yet supporting the showand you'd like to do that, you
can do so at patreon dot com. Forward slash Victoria's Lift, And in
case you didn't know, this serieswill also be released as a novella at
(01:25):
the end of the run, withan expanded story that takes us deeper into
Victoria's world. Now, hold ontight and let's go for a ride into
the shadows on Victoria's lift. Victoria'sleft to those who thrive in the dark.
(02:23):
Chapter three, Anon Shiny by ChristopherLong. What do you want?
You've been hiding this room from meagain, haven't you. It's nice I
asked you a question, merit.I know you move it around at night,
(02:44):
trying to keep it to yourself.No, I don't. You never
did like sharing. That's why youwait until you think we're all asleep before
you start changing things, keeping allyour secrets safe for another day. I
don't know what you're talking about,Fine, be that way. I always
find out what I want in theend. Then why are you here?
(03:06):
I don't have time to worry aboutyou right now. I came because I
heard you crying, and now Isuppose you're going to laugh at me.
No, I came to check onyou. Something isn't right with you,
Victoria. Everybody here can feel it. Stop pretending you care about me.
Just go back to whatever dark littlecorner you call home and leave me alone.
(03:28):
I'm not pretending. Well. You'renot fooling anyone, whether you want
to admit it or not. We'reall we really have here. Without me,
you'd be on your own if You'reall I have. Then I am
on my own. Who else isthere? The cats? Your little helpers
out in the big wide world.None of your friends ever stick around for
(03:50):
long. Most of them probably forgetyou as soon as they step out of
your lift. If it wasn't forme, you'd be completely alone. I
am not alone. Don't stamp yourfoot at me. I'm your brother.
Is it so hard to believe that? I want to help you? But
you're not? Are you? Youhaven't been my brother for a long time?
(04:12):
Only in the same way you're notcompletely my sister. But under everything
this place put on us, we'restill who we were. You're still bossy,
You're still annoying and spoilt, AndI know something is upsetting you.
What's that got to do with anything? Only I get to upset my big
sister. If anyone else tries it, they have to answer to me.
(04:35):
Well, I'm fine, so youcan go away. Now You're not fine,
You're a mess. I just gota little sad, that's all.
As your precious lift finally seized up. Is that it so many souls to
save, no way to ferry themto their tests? Oooho, It's nothing
(04:55):
like that. It's this flower.That's not a flower. It's a weed.
It is not a weed at leastI don't think it's a weed.
I've been trying to help it grow, but it won't mudge. It doesn't
die, and it won't grow.It's stuck like us. And that made
(05:18):
you cry like a little baby.I knew you wouldn't understand. After everything
we've been through, you're crying overa little weed that shouldn't even be here.
I I dream about it blooming.My other won't let me dream your
other. I haven't slept since theday you fell. It won't let me.
(05:41):
It lets me feel tired sometimes,just like it lets me feel hungry
or thirsty. It likes me tosuffer, so I don't forget it's there.
It won't forgive me because of thatstupid music box. I know you
keep looking for it. That's notme. I'm not in charge of that,
(06:02):
not always. Then maybe we canget it out of you. You
can't even make a weed grow.I'm serious. We have all of these
books, or maybe I'm not likeyou. I don't get to be like
you. You have things to do. You have a raise on Detra,
(06:23):
a purpose that was meant for me. Now, all I'm meant to be
is your opposite. I'm meant tohurt you, stop you, upset you.
But I don't want that, notall the time. That's my other.
Why do you think I keep away? I just assumed you were up
to some You don't know how muchit takes to keep myself out of reach.
(06:47):
It can get so lonely in thedarkest corners of this place. I
never thought about it before, butI won't have you feeling rotten, Victoria.
Not are the something so stupid asa weed. It is not stupid,
and it is not a weed.It matters. Everything here matters.
(07:11):
You've never understood that, Oh,everything matters, does it? How often
do you go down to the basement, Victoria. People make their choice.
The ones you go down there haveno one to blame but themselves. You
see, you're spoiled. Stop callingme that, but you are. You
act like you're only leading people tothe lions den and holding the door open
(07:32):
for them. When they're torn toshreds. You pretend like it had nothing
to do with you. You liketo think your little hands are so clean.
It's not true, and you knowit. You make everything here so
complicated choices. Who needs to wastetheir time on choices? Most of your
(07:53):
visitors have already made their decision,So why tempt people when you can just
get straight to their punishment. I'mnot tempting anyone. Besides, if I
thought like you, then this wholebuilding would be the basement. You see.
You think you don't think like me, but you do. You only
act like you're the nice one.The people down in the dark don't think
(08:16):
you're nice. I told you theymade their choice, which you offered them.
Stop trying to confuse me. I'mnot in the mood for any of
your game. Fine pounce will blowyour green eyes at me. No one's
coming to make you feel better,And I won't tell you how to make
that flower grow either. I don'tknow why I'm listening to you. You
(08:37):
don't even know how to spell guarden. Just because you're the eldest doesn't mean
you know everything. I know everypart of this place. I've explored it
top to bottom. I know howit all works. Also, I've spent
a lot of time in Father's gardenbefore we ever came here. Father headed
garden. We went out there torelax. He would go out in the
(09:01):
mornings and chase the birds away fromhis fruit, or watch the bees busy
buzzing between his flowers. He wouldtake me with him sometimes when I was
very little and I couldn't sleep.I can remember all of it here.
How I don't remember his garden.My mother lets me see things when I've
been good. That's why I rememberfather taking me outside and teaching me the
(09:24):
names of all the plants. Heshowed me how to grow them, how
to save them when they're sick.But this plant isn't in a garden,
so it's still a plant, andyou you really want to help me.
It's only a weed. What harmcould it do to help you grow a
weed? I just want a littlefavor in return. What sort of favor
(09:48):
you won't like it? Try me. I want to hear the music box
play. How stupid do you thinkI am? You want me to let
you play with the music box.You keep trying to steal from me,
the music box that we is meantto be mine. You mean I didn't
steal it? You did, Ididn't steal It doesn't matter. I just
want to hear one tune, andwe both know it won't play for me.
(10:11):
Not since your foreign friend fiddled withthe controls and fixed it only for
you. That's why I need youto play it. I don't know.
Please, I promise I won't eventry and hold it. There's no other
music here, not unless someone downin the basement starts to sing. Or
(10:31):
there's music in one of the rooms. But that's not music, not really,
that's just more of this place.I want to hear something from outside,
and if I do that, you'llhelp me cross my heart hope to
die. No tricks, no tricks. We'll have a truce like father used
to do if he was too tiredto keep playing. I remember that he
(10:54):
would wave his pocket square and say, truth, that's right. That's what
I'm doing today. I'm here tohelp my big sister. Okay, fine,
I'll let you play one tune ifyou show me how to save my
plant. Thank you, thank youso much. She won't regret it,
I promise, And it's going tobe easy, really easy. Have you
ever killed two birds with one stone? That's just an old saying. It
(11:18):
depends on how good your aim isand how sharp your stone is. Look
that music box can do things withits music. You've seen it happen.
So turn the handle, hold thelid open, and play something to your
weed. It will grow and I'llget my tune. It can't be that
simple. I don't know why youdidn't think of it yourself. Look at
(11:39):
the lid the tree of course,See you don't know everything. Come on,
why won't you work? It's notplaying anything. I don't think it
likes me being this close, soI'll stand outside the door. But you
wanted a tune, I'll still hearit. You can't blame it for not
(12:01):
trusting me. You don't trust me, I'd like to trust you. Ready.
I know we don't like him,and I know we can't exactly trust
him, but he looks so lonely, and he came to check on me.
He's never done that before. Maybehe's trying to tell me that I'm
(12:24):
all he has here. Please dothis for me. Two birds, one
stone, remember, ready, byTry not to picture the look on her
brother's face as he lingered just beyondthe door, probably with a hand clutched
over his grinning lips to keep thesmug little chuckles thin. Trust me when
(12:50):
I say that's a smile. Younever need to see merrit it's working,
it's growing. He wasn't wrong whenhe said he knew that place well.
He'd scoured every inch of it whilsthe listened to the dark voice in his
head whispered answers to all his questions. They had found the shadow in the
(13:15):
basement. Together, they had seenthe seed clutched in its bony grasp,
and known this was their chance totake back what was rightfully theirs. They
had made the deal which led tothis catastrophe. How do I make it
stop? Oh? That plant grewall right. It grew roots like elephant
(13:37):
trunks or tentacles, branching with thestrength of wrecking balls. It didn't just
grow, It stampeded, frithed,it evaded. Everything it touched, was
demolished, laught as little more thancrumbling shreds. The walls, the floors,
(14:00):
everything gave way to the monstrous treeborn from old magic. Oh,
that smug little monster must have knownhe was about to win. A minute,
he heard her drop. Her musicgrows. I can reach you,
(14:22):
but it was no use. Ourlittle hero was desperate. She was reaching
too far. She'd forgotten to checkher footing. She was lucky she managed
to grab that remaining splintering for him, not that it would buy her a
lot of time, rot help,I can't hold on, Oh dear,
(14:48):
has someone dropped this fine looking musicbox? Not that anyone present was likely
to help her. Thank goodness,I remember to keep hold of this old
crank when that inventing friend of yoursgot all creative. This isn't you.
(15:09):
I know, this isn't you.You have to fight your dark bits.
He called it. True. Youhad such a strong grip last time,
clinging to my music box. Let'ssee how strong you are now. We've
all seen brothers and sisters tormenting eachother through one game after another. Well,
(15:31):
there was murder in this wain.There was hatred in this brother's eyes
that could have burned a hundred forus. As he raised his heel over
his sister's failing grip and stamped downhard. This little piggy went to market.
Very don't do this. This littlepiggy stayed home. No, I
(15:58):
can't mold on. Victory is rarelya pretty thing, But that day,
in that place, victory was inaberration. It was a sour rain,
full of destruction and pain and splinters. This little piggy had roast beef,
please, and this little piggy hadnone. H And that day, for
(16:29):
the second time in her life,the little girl fell so far that she
felt like she would never hit theground. And all the time she fell,
she knew this was only happening becauseshe wanted so desperately to trust some
one she used to love and stilldid despite many reasons she shouldn't. Thank
(17:10):
you for joining us today for ourthird chapter of our special ten part mini
series by Christopher Long to those whoThrive in the Dark. Big thank you
to our supporters on Patreon for makingthe show and this mini series possible.
If you're not yet supporting the show, you can do that at patreon dot
com. Forward slash Victoria's Left.Today's episode featured Cynthia Loman as Cuckoostone,
(17:32):
our Tales narrator, Ambercollins as Victoria, and Louis Pollard as Merit. Sound
design was created by Davis Walden,our sound designer and the creator of The
Verdian Wild podcast. The Verdian Wildis a fantasy adventure audio drama podcast featuring
mytho zoologist Sebastian Verwood as he travelsthe world studying magical Creatures. You can
(17:52):
find the show at the Verdianwild dotcom. That's v I R I D
I A N, or you cansubscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts.
Today's custom score, all incidental music, and our intro and outro themes
were created by our resident composer,Nico vites Off We Talk of Dreams.
Find Nico at We Talk of Dreamsdot com and streaming on Twitch. Artwork
(18:15):
is by Janet Andromeda, illustrator,artist, YouTuber and all around amazing human.
Find her being creative at Janette Creationsdot com. Our author is Christopher
Long. You can find him atCjlongwords dot com. Chris has been featured
on Victoria's Lift, Shadows at theDoor, and The Wicked Library multiple times.
More of his work is available onAmazon. Story editor and producer is
(18:40):
Daniel Foyteck of Ninth Story Studios.That's me until next time. Keep your
music box wound and follow Victoria onTwitter at lift guide. That's right,
Victoria has her own Twitter account.Head over to Twitter and give her a
follow at lift guide
Ninth Story Studios giving Story a Voice. Welcome to the list, Get ready
to take the ride. Hello,I'm Daniel Fotchni. Thank you for joining
(00:41):
us for a special episode of Victoria'sLeft. Today we're presenting the third chapter
of our ten part mini series byChristopher Long Entitled to Those Who Thrive in
the Dark. The series dives deepinto the mythos of Victoria's world and features
Victoria facing ancient gods, faith folkmonsters, old enemies, and certain little
brother with ulterior motives. Before weget started today, a big thank you
(01:03):
to those who are supporting the show. Those supporting the show at the five
dollars a month level and above,here are these episodes before anyone else.
And honestly, it's you, thesupporters, that make this show possible.
If you're not yet supporting the showand you'd like to do that, you
can do so at patreon dot com. Forward slash Victoria's Lift, And in
case you didn't know, this serieswill also be released as a novella at
(01:25):
the end of the run, withan expanded story that takes us deeper into
Victoria's world. Now, hold ontight and let's go for a ride into
the shadows on Victoria's lift. Victoria'sleft to those who thrive in the dark.
(02:23):
Chapter three, Anon Shiny by ChristopherLong. What do you want?
You've been hiding this room from meagain, haven't you. It's nice I
asked you a question, merit.I know you move it around at night,
(02:44):
trying to keep it to yourself.No, I don't. You never
did like sharing. That's why youwait until you think we're all asleep before
you start changing things, keeping allyour secrets safe for another day. I
don't know what you're talking about,Fine, be that way. I always
find out what I want in theend. Then why are you here?
(03:06):
I don't have time to worry aboutyou right now. I came because I
heard you crying, and now Isuppose you're going to laugh at me.
No, I came to check onyou. Something isn't right with you,
Victoria. Everybody here can feel it. Stop pretending you care about me.
Just go back to whatever dark littlecorner you call home and leave me alone.
(03:28):
I'm not pretending. Well. You'renot fooling anyone, whether you want
to admit it or not. We'reall we really have here. Without me,
you'd be on your own if You'reall I have. Then I am
on my own. Who else isthere? The cats? Your little helpers
out in the big wide world.None of your friends ever stick around for
(03:50):
long. Most of them probably forgetyou as soon as they step out of
your lift. If it wasn't forme, you'd be completely alone. I
am not alone. Don't stamp yourfoot at me. I'm your brother.
Is it so hard to believe that? I want to help you? But
you're not? Are you? Youhaven't been my brother for a long time?
(04:12):
Only in the same way you're notcompletely my sister. But under everything
this place put on us, we'restill who we were. You're still bossy,
You're still annoying and spoilt, AndI know something is upsetting you.
What's that got to do with anything? Only I get to upset my big
sister. If anyone else tries it, they have to answer to me.
(04:35):
Well, I'm fine, so youcan go away. Now You're not fine,
You're a mess. I just gota little sad, that's all.
As your precious lift finally seized up. Is that it so many souls to
save, no way to ferry themto their tests? Oooho, It's nothing
(04:55):
like that. It's this flower.That's not a flower. It's a weed.
It is not a weed at leastI don't think it's a weed.
I've been trying to help it grow, but it won't mudge. It doesn't
die, and it won't grow.It's stuck like us. And that made
(05:18):
you cry like a little baby.I knew you wouldn't understand. After everything
we've been through, you're crying overa little weed that shouldn't even be here.
I I dream about it blooming.My other won't let me dream your
other. I haven't slept since theday you fell. It won't let me.
(05:41):
It lets me feel tired sometimes,just like it lets me feel hungry
or thirsty. It likes me tosuffer, so I don't forget it's there.
It won't forgive me because of thatstupid music box. I know you
keep looking for it. That's notme. I'm not in charge of that,
(06:02):
not always. Then maybe we canget it out of you. You
can't even make a weed grow.I'm serious. We have all of these
books, or maybe I'm not likeyou. I don't get to be like
you. You have things to do. You have a raise on Detra,
(06:23):
a purpose that was meant for me. Now, all I'm meant to be
is your opposite. I'm meant tohurt you, stop you, upset you.
But I don't want that, notall the time. That's my other.
Why do you think I keep away? I just assumed you were up
to some You don't know how muchit takes to keep myself out of reach.
(06:47):
It can get so lonely in thedarkest corners of this place. I
never thought about it before, butI won't have you feeling rotten, Victoria.
Not are the something so stupid asa weed. It is not stupid,
and it is not a weed.It matters. Everything here matters.
(07:11):
You've never understood that, Oh,everything matters, does it? How often
do you go down to the basement, Victoria. People make their choice.
The ones you go down there haveno one to blame but themselves. You
see, you're spoiled. Stop callingme that, but you are. You
act like you're only leading people tothe lions den and holding the door open
(07:32):
for them. When they're torn toshreds. You pretend like it had nothing
to do with you. You liketo think your little hands are so clean.
It's not true, and you knowit. You make everything here so
complicated choices. Who needs to wastetheir time on choices? Most of your
(07:53):
visitors have already made their decision,So why tempt people when you can just
get straight to their punishment. I'mnot tempting anyone. Besides, if I
thought like you, then this wholebuilding would be the basement. You see.
You think you don't think like me, but you do. You only
act like you're the nice one.The people down in the dark don't think
(08:16):
you're nice. I told you theymade their choice, which you offered them.
Stop trying to confuse me. I'mnot in the mood for any of
your game. Fine pounce will blowyour green eyes at me. No one's
coming to make you feel better,And I won't tell you how to make
that flower grow either. I don'tknow why I'm listening to you. You
(08:37):
don't even know how to spell guarden. Just because you're the eldest doesn't mean
you know everything. I know everypart of this place. I've explored it
top to bottom. I know howit all works. Also, I've spent
a lot of time in Father's gardenbefore we ever came here. Father headed
garden. We went out there torelax. He would go out in the
(09:01):
mornings and chase the birds away fromhis fruit, or watch the bees busy
buzzing between his flowers. He wouldtake me with him sometimes when I was
very little and I couldn't sleep.I can remember all of it here.
How I don't remember his garden.My mother lets me see things when I've
been good. That's why I rememberfather taking me outside and teaching me the
(09:24):
names of all the plants. Heshowed me how to grow them, how
to save them when they're sick.But this plant isn't in a garden,
so it's still a plant, andyou you really want to help me.
It's only a weed. What harmcould it do to help you grow a
weed? I just want a littlefavor in return. What sort of favor
(09:48):
you won't like it? Try me. I want to hear the music box
play. How stupid do you thinkI am? You want me to let
you play with the music box.You keep trying to steal from me,
the music box that we is meantto be mine. You mean I didn't
steal it? You did, Ididn't steal It doesn't matter. I just
want to hear one tune, andwe both know it won't play for me.
(10:11):
Not since your foreign friend fiddled withthe controls and fixed it only for
you. That's why I need youto play it. I don't know.
Please, I promise I won't eventry and hold it. There's no other
music here, not unless someone downin the basement starts to sing. Or
(10:31):
there's music in one of the rooms. But that's not music, not really,
that's just more of this place.I want to hear something from outside,
and if I do that, you'llhelp me cross my heart hope to
die. No tricks, no tricks. We'll have a truce like father used
to do if he was too tiredto keep playing. I remember that he
(10:54):
would wave his pocket square and say, truth, that's right. That's what
I'm doing today. I'm here tohelp my big sister. Okay, fine,
I'll let you play one tune ifyou show me how to save my
plant. Thank you, thank youso much. She won't regret it,
I promise, And it's going tobe easy, really easy. Have you
ever killed two birds with one stone? That's just an old saying. It
(11:18):
depends on how good your aim isand how sharp your stone is. Look
that music box can do things withits music. You've seen it happen.
So turn the handle, hold thelid open, and play something to your
weed. It will grow and I'llget my tune. It can't be that
simple. I don't know why youdidn't think of it yourself. Look at
(11:39):
the lid the tree of course,See you don't know everything. Come on,
why won't you work? It's notplaying anything. I don't think it
likes me being this close, soI'll stand outside the door. But you
wanted a tune, I'll still hearit. You can't blame it for not
(12:01):
trusting me. You don't trust me, I'd like to trust you. Ready.
I know we don't like him,and I know we can't exactly trust
him, but he looks so lonely, and he came to check on me.
He's never done that before. Maybehe's trying to tell me that I'm
(12:24):
all he has here. Please dothis for me. Two birds, one
stone, remember, ready, byTry not to picture the look on her
brother's face as he lingered just beyondthe door, probably with a hand clutched
over his grinning lips to keep thesmug little chuckles thin. Trust me when
(12:50):
I say that's a smile. Younever need to see merrit it's working,
it's growing. He wasn't wrong whenhe said he knew that place well.
He'd scoured every inch of it whilsthe listened to the dark voice in his
head whispered answers to all his questions. They had found the shadow in the
(13:15):
basement. Together, they had seenthe seed clutched in its bony grasp,
and known this was their chance totake back what was rightfully theirs. They
had made the deal which led tothis catastrophe. How do I make it
stop? Oh? That plant grewall right. It grew roots like elephant
(13:37):
trunks or tentacles, branching with thestrength of wrecking balls. It didn't just
grow, It stampeded, frithed,it evaded. Everything it touched, was
demolished, laught as little more thancrumbling shreds. The walls, the floors,
(14:00):
everything gave way to the monstrous treeborn from old magic. Oh,
that smug little monster must have knownhe was about to win. A minute,
he heard her drop. Her musicgrows. I can reach you,
(14:22):
but it was no use. Ourlittle hero was desperate. She was reaching
too far. She'd forgotten to checkher footing. She was lucky she managed
to grab that remaining splintering for him, not that it would buy her a
lot of time, rot help,I can't hold on, Oh dear,
(14:48):
has someone dropped this fine looking musicbox? Not that anyone present was likely
to help her. Thank goodness,I remember to keep hold of this old
crank when that inventing friend of yoursgot all creative. This isn't you.
(15:09):
I know, this isn't you.You have to fight your dark bits.
He called it. True. Youhad such a strong grip last time,
clinging to my music box. Let'ssee how strong you are now. We've
all seen brothers and sisters tormenting eachother through one game after another. Well,
(15:31):
there was murder in this wain.There was hatred in this brother's eyes
that could have burned a hundred forus. As he raised his heel over
his sister's failing grip and stamped downhard. This little piggy went to market.
Very don't do this. This littlepiggy stayed home. No, I
(15:58):
can't mold on. Victory is rarelya pretty thing, But that day,
in that place, victory was inaberration. It was a sour rain,
full of destruction and pain and splinters. This little piggy had roast beef,
please, and this little piggy hadnone. H And that day, for
(16:29):
the second time in her life,the little girl fell so far that she
felt like she would never hit theground. And all the time she fell,
she knew this was only happening becauseshe wanted so desperately to trust some
one she used to love and stilldid despite many reasons she shouldn't. Thank
(17:10):
you for joining us today for ourthird chapter of our special ten part mini
series by Christopher Long to those whoThrive in the Dark. Big thank you
to our supporters on Patreon for makingthe show and this mini series possible.
If you're not yet supporting the show, you can do that at patreon dot
com. Forward slash Victoria's Left.Today's episode featured Cynthia Loman as Cuckoostone,
(17:32):
our Tales narrator, Ambercollins as Victoria, and Louis Pollard as Merit. Sound
design was created by Davis Walden,our sound designer and the creator of The
Verdian Wild podcast. The Verdian Wildis a fantasy adventure audio drama podcast featuring
mytho zoologist Sebastian Verwood as he travelsthe world studying magical Creatures. You can
(17:52):
find the show at the Verdianwild dotcom. That's v I R I D
I A N, or you cansubscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts.
Today's custom score, all incidental music, and our intro and outro themes
were created by our resident composer,Nico vites Off We Talk of Dreams.
Find Nico at We Talk of Dreamsdot com and streaming on Twitch. Artwork
(18:15):
is by Janet Andromeda, illustrator,artist, YouTuber and all around amazing human.
Find her being creative at Janette Creationsdot com. Our author is Christopher
Long. You can find him atCjlongwords dot com. Chris has been featured
on Victoria's Lift, Shadows at theDoor, and The Wicked Library multiple times.
More of his work is available onAmazon. Story editor and producer is
(18:40):
Daniel Foyteck of Ninth Story Studios.That's me until next time. Keep your
music box wound and follow Victoria onTwitter at lift guide. That's right,
Victoria has her own Twitter account.Head over to Twitter and give her a
follow at lift guide
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