#aspho drabble

[humblereporting]

Reboot

"A small, seaside town that once flourished as a vacation spot now stands as a carved out shell of what it used to be. Things are not what they seem, and danger lurks just around the corner. The night sky greets all with a lovely kiss - the kiss of death.

Welcome... to Asphodel Valley."

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"Good evening, Listeners, and thank you so very much for joining me on this crisp and chilly night. Of course, I don’t know how many of you out there are even listening to me speaking, but I might as well go on, right? Now, you all may be wondering: Why is a man with such a smooth, soothing voice speaking over the radio here in the first place? Who is he? Well, to answer your second question, my name is Cecil - a radio announcer and host of sorts. As for the answer to your first question, well… I’m honestly not so sure myself. You see, according to the feelings - or should I say lack of feelings - in my body, I’m dead. Yup. Dead. How I died is really anyone’s guess, because I don’t even recall myself dying in the first place. But, I can tell you with eighty-percent certainty that I am most definitely, positively dead. Several events in the past are a bit of a blur for me, but all that I can remember is that I awoke to the sound of roaring, crashing waves against the cliff-side. What's even more odd, I can't help but feel that I've... been here before. They do say that déjà vu is a normal feeling that many of us experience, after all.”

"I found myself in a room - resting in a small but oddly-comfortable bed. And as I looked out the small, foggy window and took note of the grey skies, rolling waves, and endless sea, I realized that I was most definitely not in my home community. Where am I? Why was I brought here? How long have I been here? I did not know the answer to any of those questions. All I knew was that this… this place was called Asphodel Valley, and that this would be my new home for the time being. As you can imagine, someone that's originally from a friendly, desert community known as Night Vale does find the coastal environment a bit weird. Regardless, the hordes of figures aimlessly wandering the landscape with loud moans and screeches do remind me so very much of home, so that's definitely a plus.”

"Anyway, all of that rambling aside, I am so pleased to announce that I will be continuing my job from back home, operating as Asphodel Valley’s very own radio reporter! From the local news, to traffic, weather, horoscopes, and pondering the very own meaning and existence of our universe and beyond, I am here to make your evening a pleasant and insightful one. …And just what are the odds that I was provided with some basic broadcasting equipment on this small, bedroom table? It's even portable! Isn't technology just amazing? 

Although, as I said before, I’m not entirely sure if any of this is getting through. … ... I should also note that I never did make any sort of arrangement with the mayor or whatever communications department this town might have, so if I am suddenly taken off the air either temporarily or permanently, well… Then it was nice serving you while I could, my dear Listeners."

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"Anyway, let's move on to the news, shall we?"

Outside my window, for example, there is nothing but the cool ocean breeze and crashing waves to keep me company. I am sitting here, isolated from any sort of present society in this apartment, and all that's here to keep me company are the words 'Save Yourself' scratched in repeatedly on the walls and floor. ... Kind of a crappy thing to leave for someone who's just moved in, don't you think? But, no, what I'm getting at with this is... This looming sense of quiet and isolation that fills both my mind and soul have left me feeling both anxious and at peace. As I let out a breath and fog the cracked window, I can't help but wonder what will happen next. I'm honestly just as confused as you all are, Listeners, and I'll make certain to share any updates that I receive on this story."

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"In other news, the local police station is reported to be currently harboring the smell of rotting flesh inside. All across its dark, long hallways and cells, this terrible stench is overpowering the entire building, and the source of this smell has yet to be found. Without any, direct source located, many theories can be produced about where exactly the smell is coming from. If you're asking me, I'd like to think that it's coming from something like, say, the durian fruit. For those not aware, durian is a popular fruit from southeast Asia that packs quite a terrible smell inside. I remember eating one once, and the flesh had the interesting taste of a soft, almost caramelized onion. But the smell, oh, the smell!

Think about it, Listeners. What if this rotting flesh smell is actually coming from a storage locker in the police station packed with durian fruits? Why someone would want to fill a locker with something like that is beyond me, but I think we're currently living in the times where it's not so polite to judge someone on their personal habits and lifestyles. What could be a putrid but enjoyable fruit to some could be regarded as a sacred, priceless object to another. In fact, if we all begin to regard the durian fruit as our righteous lord and savior, we could very well be blessed with a grand fortune within a manner of days! Let us all make a prayer, Listeners. Let us pray that the source of this smell really is just from a holy, smelly fruit sent by God and not something less... appetizing, to put it softly. ... ... This will also require more investigation before it can be made official, so please take much of this as pure speculation."

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