Chapter Text
Galloway was, to put it in the simplest terms he could think of, fucking weird. Rolan couldn’t claim to be surprised by the fact, it was the main reason he had chosen to come live there after all, but still. Going from the relative normalcy of Chicago to a town filled with the constant buzzing and clicking of insects he couldn’t see, shadowy figures that everyone seemed to try and ignore, he was pretty sure he’d seen some kind of purple goo creature crawling into the sewers? It was giving him whiplash, and he didn’t know how the hell to deal with it.
Especially when it seemed like everyone else in the town saw all those things as completely normal. And, well, it was also good, since that meant nobody paid too much attention to Rolan’s own inhuman features either, but still. He’d always thought Rand was making shit up or exaggerating when he complained about how weird his hometown was, but if anything, Rand had been underselling it. This place was weird, and unusual, and terrifying, and it was probably going to be Rolan’s home for the rest of his life.
There was no way he could go back to living a normal life in the normal world with the changes his body had gone through. He’d known that since he woke up a few days ago after a night filled with unimaginable pain that felt like his entire body was falling apart and piecing itself back together, only to discover in the morning that to some extent that had been exactly what had happened.
His eyes had turned from the dark blue they’d always been into an endless void of deep black, his teeth had sharpened into something that almost resembled the mandibles of a bug, and there were jagged antennae sticking out of his head, which warped and confused his senses in a way he couldn’t understand. And then there was his arm. Or what used to be his arm, he had no idea how to describe it anymore. It looked almost like a scythe, although it was probably more similar to the arm of some kind of bug, like a mantis or something. And it was fucking terrifying, the thing was sharp, and far longer than any of his other limbs so he had a hard time controlling it, and just… horrible.
If it weren’t for the arm, he might have been able to just go back to living his life. All the other features could have been hidden away with minimal difficulty, some sunglasses or colored contacts would have worked fine for his eyes, the antennae were basically the same color and length as his hair so just figuring out a way to keep them slicked back with it would have done a fine job hiding them, and the mandibles… Well, those were actually a bit harder. But worst case scenario, he could have just… pulled them out. It would have hurt like hell, but he could have done it.
Not with the arm, though. It was way too big to hide in any meaningful sense, and it was definitely inhuman and monstrous enough that people would notice and get freaked out by it. Which was exactly why he’d had to come to Galloway instead.
He’d heard about the town a lot from Rand ever since they became online friends around five or so years ago, and while before he’d always assumed the shit Rand told him about it was either some weird prank or attempt at scaring him, or just Rand being genuinely insane, after what had happened to him? He’d kind of just had to trust Rand on it.
He’d just sent a message to the other (with some difficulty, figuring out how to use a phone or a laptop with the scythe arm was hard), asking him to please swear on his fucking life that all the things Rand had told him about Galloway was real and not just some elaborate prank, and then telling him that he was moving there when Rand confirmed it.
Rand hadn’t questioned why, not when Rolan had managed to take a picture of himself and send it to the other, and had just offered to pick him up from the airport when he landed instead. And so he’d quit his job as a lawyer, looked for any houses that were available to either buy or rent in the town (he found one almost immediately and decided not to worry about why it was so cheap and what might have happened to the previous inhabitants), had called the few friends he had as well as his family to tell them he was going through an early mid-life crisis and moving to the middle of nowhere, and then he’d packed his shit and left.
And now he was here, in this weird fucking town, in a house he somehow managed to fucking buy in this economy because they were basically giving it away (honestly, he might have moved there even if it weren’t for his bug features with how cheap it was), and now he was just… trying to figure out what to do.
It was late, the sun was getting close to setting, and most of his stuff was still being moved, so he didn’t have much to do. Especially since a lot of the things he liked doing were made much more difficult by the scythe, he couldn’t even read books without accidentally ripping into them with it. Maybe he should start knitting or something, that could have been made easier by having what was sort of a giant needle for an arm? He’d see about it later.
As it was currently, the only thing for him to really do was to listen to the radio that the house had come with. It had had a few pieces of furniture when he bought it, namely a couch, a dining room table with three chairs, a bed in one of the two bedrooms, as well as the radio. He didn’t really understand why on Earth there was a radio in the house, or who even used radios anymore, but it was at least nice to have some music to fill in the silence with.
He was starting to consider just turning the radio off and going to sleep already as one of the random country songs he couldn’t care less about slowly faded out, but right as he was about to get up from the couch to do exactly that, rather than another song starting to play out of the speakers, he instead heard a slightly gravelly and oddly melodic voice speak from the radio.
“A friendly bayou community where the insects are loud, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep. Welcome to Galloway.” The words were followed by what he could only assume to be a theme song for whatever broadcast had started, with a strange and almost unsettling, vaguely rock-like melody.
Rolan relaxed back down onto the couch, it seemed like the town had some kind of news broadcast, then. It would probably be a more interesting listen than the music that had been playing earlier, and maybe it could give him some insight into Galloway? Or at least help him keep himself safe from anything in it that might have been dangerous.
The theme music faded out slowly, and the voice from earlier spoke again, this time filled with much more energy. “Hello listeners! To start things off, I’ve been asked to read out this brief notice.”
The host cleared their throat, and Rolan got the uncomfortable feeling that he’d heard their voice before, although he couldn’t actually place where or when. Sometime recently, that much he was sure of.
When they spoke again, the host sounded much more professional, clearly trying to keep their voice monotone. “The Town Council announces the opening of a new dog park near Galloway Shopping, the grocery store. They would like to remind everyone that dogs are not allowed in the dog park. People are not allowed in the dog park. It’s possible you will see hooded figures in the dog park. Do not approach them. Do not approach the dog park. The fence is electrified and highly dangerous. Try not to look at the dog park and especially do not for any period of time look at the hooded figures. The dog park will not harm you.”
He was maybe a minute in, and already any and all hope of this being a normal news broadcast went straight out the window. Not that he’d really expected it either, but he could always hope for even a little bit of normalcy. Well, at least he’d know to avoid the dog park. And the hooded figures. What was the point of even opening a new dog park if it was so dangerous? Why was he looking for some kind of logic in any of this, he should have realized he wouldn’t get that by now.
The host spoke again, their voice back to the lively and happy way it had sounded before the notice. “And now the news! Mr Dic- sorry, my apologies, Mr Rick man says the angels revealed themselves to him.” Alright then. Angels apparently existed in this town, shit, was he going to have to go back to church? Or were they talking about something other than the biblical angels?
“He said they were ten feet tall, radiant, and one of them was black. Also said they helped him with various household chores, one of them changed a light bulb for him! The porch light to be more specific. He’s offering to sell the old lightbulb, which has been touched by an angel- it was the black angel, if that sweetens the pot for anyone- and asked us to pass along the message that if you’re interested, just contact Mr D- Rickman. He can most often be found teaching at the high school, or in his secret underground bunker in his backyard.”
There was a brief pause of complete silence, and Rolan was just about to start wondering if he’d somehow managed to accidentally unplug the radio while sitting completely still, before the host spoke again. Their voice was softer now, far quieter than before, similar to the way you might talk to a scared kitten or a crying child.
“A new man came into town today. Who is he? What does he want from us? Why his perfect and beautiful pitch black eyes? Why his neatly fitted tan suit? He says he came here to hide from something. Well, I’m sure we’ve all had to hide from something at one point or another. But why now? And why here? And just what does he plan to do in that long since abandoned house he’s living in, the one near the Stack Shack? So many questions that surround this man. So many answers we will most likely never receive.”
Honestly, he shouldn’t have been surprised to hear about his own arrival in the news. It was a small town, new people probably didn’t move in too often, of course people would talk when someone with his features moved in. What was more surprising was what they chose to actually say about him. Nothing about the scythe, or the antennae, barely even a mention of his eyes- which, wait, did they fucking call his eyes beautiful? What the hell was that about?
He barely even had time to react to what he’d heard before the host began talking again, once again loud and energetic, moving onto another topic like it was no big deal, like Rolan wasn’t going through a slight crisis at the moment.
“Just a reminder to all the parents out there, let’s talk about safety when bringing your kids out to play in the swamps and forests! You need to give them plenty of water, make sure the bayou isn’t too deep where they’re wanting to play, and keep an eye on the helicopter colors. Are the unmarked helicopters circling the area black? Probably World Government, so not a great area for that play that day. Are they blue? That’s the Sheriff’s Secret Police, they’ll keep a good eye on your kids, and hardly ever take one.”
Rolan remembered several conversations with Rand where the other had complained about the ‘Secret Police’ and how they kept listening in on everything he did. He’d always dismissed it as some sort of weird conspiracy theory bullshit or something, but apparently not. Galloway just had a Secret Police. Although, he wasn’t really sure if it could be counted as ‘secret’ if the entire town seemed to know about it and talk openly about it.
“Are the helicopters painted with complex murals depicting birds of prey diving? Nobody knows what those helicopters are, or what they want. Don’t play in the area, just return to your home and lock the doors until a Sheriff’s Secret Policeman leaves a carnation on your porch to indicate the danger has passed. Maybe cover your ears to blot out the screams. Also, remember: Gatorade is basically just soda, so give your kids some plain old water and maybe some orange slices while they play. Oh, man, I could go for some orange slices right now… Wish I’d bought some from the store earlier.”
The topic really changed that fast from unmarked helicopters that sometimes stole children to just regular parenting advice that easily, huh? He couldn’t even pretend to feel surprised at this point, the town clearly needed to figure out its priorities better. Or maybe just the radio host did, who the hell knew if other people in this town were more normal. Rand definitely seemed more normal than this, even if just barely.
“A commercial airliner flying through local airspace disappeared today, only to reappear in the Galloway Elementary gymnasium during basketball practice, disrupting practice quite badly.” That definitely wasn’t the most noteworthy detail about that piece of information, but sure.
“The jet roared through the small gym for only a fraction of a second, and before it could strike any players or structures, it vanished again, this time apparently for good.” Well, at least it didn’t sound like anyone got hurt. Or, wait, what about the people in the plane? What happened to them? He didn’t really like thinking about that.
“There is no word yet on if or how this will affect the Galloway Hornets’ game schedule, and also if this could perhaps be the work of their bitter rivals, the Deadwood Phantoms. Deadwood is always trying to show us up through shi- things like fancier uniforms, better pre-game snacks, and quite possibly by transporting a commercial jet into our gymnasium, delaying practice for several minutes at least! For shame, Deadwood, for shame.”
Rolan heard the host take in a deep breath before they continued speaking, the slight anger and disapproval that had started rising in their voice completely gone. Their voice was back to the same soft tone they’d used earlier, although a bit less quiet.
“That new resident, who’s name we know to be Rolan, went shopping earlier today.” Oh fuck, they were back to him now? How did they even figure out his name? And why did they know he’d gone shopping, also, why the hell was that newsworthy?
“He has a sharp jaw, and mandibles that slightly poke out from underneath his lips. His hair is perfect and black, slightly graying on the sides, and his eyes are like a gorgeous, never-ending void.” They kept talking about him with a fond, clearly intrigued voice, but it was like they weren’t actually saying anything important. They hadn’t even brought up the fucking scythe arm yet, and why the hell did they keep describing him with such… overly positive words?
“I actually got the chance to speak with him briefly at Galloway Shopping, dear listeners. We only talked for a very short while, but let me tell you, it was an absolutely wonderful experience.” …oh, he remembered why the host’s voice sounded familiar, now. He had spoken to them at the store, but there had been something so… uncomfortable about them that he’d kind of subconsciously just tried to forget about the interaction, it seemed.
Not uncomfortable in the sense that they’d done or said something weird, everything about them had just seemed almost uncanny. Too smooth skin that seemed to almost glow under the fluorescent lights, long, blonde hair that shifted and moved like it had a mind of its own, and large, round eyes with bright blue irises that genuinely fucking sparkled. Even their movements had been too smooth and calculated. Everything about them had just been so… close to human, but somehow beyond that, like a living doll or a creature disguising itself as a human but going too far to make themself look appealing. It had just been unnerving to look at them. It was unnerving to really even think about them.
“Rolan told me that he’d come to Galloway because his friend had told him our lovely little community was by all accounts somewhat unusual, and he wanted to find a place to stay where people wouldn’t look at him weirdly for his ‘bug-like’ features, as he himself described them. He gave me a somewhat nervous smile, and everything about him was perfect, and I fell in love instantly.”
Wait, what? What the hell? That- who the hell said something like that on a live broadcast to their entire town? He wasn’t given any time to process what had just happened, since the host just kept on talking, like there was nothing strange about what they’d just said.
“Government agents from a vague yet menacing agency were also in the store, watching the two of us from between the shelves. I worry what they might have planned for our lovely new resident, but I’m sure it’s nothing too bad. I hope it’s nothing too bad, at least. Maybe they were just jealous I got to speak to him before they could! I would certainly get jealous if I saw someone else talking to such a gorgeous person.”
Jesus, that was worrying. He hadn’t even noticed anyone watching them, too busy trying to figure out whether he wanted to look at who he now knew to be the radio host and his inhumanely beautiful features, or if he wanted to look away to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of wrongness they brought up inside him. He should probably ask Rand if he had any idea what Rolan should do about that agency or whatever, he really didn’t want to end up in some lab being tested on. Or imprisoned. Or just straight up killed.
“We received a press release this morning!” Were they really just moving on from that? Why had they even brought him up again, the only actually beneficial information the rest of the town might have gotten from that was his name and how he looked. Mostly it was just ‘the new resident bought groceries for himself and also I’m in love with him after talking to him once’, in what world did that count as news?
“The Galloway Business Association is proud to announce the opening of the brand new Galloway Island Paradise and Beach Resort. I got to visit this area myself recently on their invitation, and let me assure you that it is absolutely top of the line and beautiful. Plenty of places to lounge around and sunbathe, and some small, comfortable beachside cottages for people to stay in during their vacation to the beach. Now, there has been some concern about the fact that, given we are in the middle of a bayou, there’s not actually any sand at the beach, or really much ‘beach’ at all.”
Why did he choose to move here? Maybe he should have just tried cutting his own arm off to pass as a regular human or something, this place was going to drive him insane if ‘news’ like this was just going to become a daily occurance. He felt like there was a spotlight pointed straight at him, like no matter what, he was just going to be the center of everyone’s attention and he couldn’t escape it. The thought made his skin crawl.
“And that is a definite drawback, I agree. For instance, the beach huts are currently sat at the edge of the cemetery. The Business Association didn’t provide any specific remedies to this problem, but they assured me that the Beach Resort would be a big boost for Galloway nonetheless. And hey, they’re the business experts here, so I’m sure they know what they’re talking about!”
He felt like his brain was about to explode. He needed a drink, or preferably multiple, and to just turn off the radio and go to sleep already or something. But he didn’t, instead he just kept sitting on the couch, listening to the slightly raspy, melodic, and terrifyingly hypnotizing voice of the radio host.
“The local chapter of the NRA is selling bumper stickers as part of their fundraising week.” Sure, why not at this point. It was certainly a better topic than Rolan himself. “They sent the station one to get some publicity, and hey, we’re here to serve the community, so I’m happy to let you all know about it! The stickers are made from good, sturdy vinyl, and they read: ‘Guns don’t kill people. It’s impossible to be killed by a gun. We are all invincible to bullets and it is a miracle.’ Just stand outside of your front door and shout ‘NRA’ to order one!”
That… definitely sounded like a crime. It wasn’t his expertise, he usually dealt with traffic laws and shit like that, but it definitely sounded like the purposeful spreading of dangerous misinformation or something. Actually, maybe that wasn’t illegal. But it probably should have been. Someone was going to read that and actually shoot themselves or someone else to test it, people were stupid enough for that to happen.
The host paused for a brief moment, before continuing with what was once again a very soft and… lovestruck? Lovestruck sounded like the right word. A very soft and lovestruck tone.
“I spoke with Rand today.” That caught Rolan’s attention, possibly even more than when they’d talked about him before. Of course the radio host would know Rand, everyone in this town probably knew everyone else, but it still somehow surprised him.
“He warned me that one of the houses on Willow Street, just two houses down from the Rands’ own home, doesn’t actually exist.” Rand never really talked to him about specific people in town, just about Galloway in general, so it wasn’t surprising that he didn’t know about Rand seemingly being… friends? With the radio host. It was honestly just a bit surprising that Rand even had friends other than him, he’d always described himself as a shut-in who never spoke to other people. But the tone they were talking about Rand with, it sounded like the two of them were definitely very close.
“‘It seems like it exists,’ Rand explained while waving his soft yet calloused hands frantically. ‘Like it’s just right there when you look at it, and it’s in between two other near-identical houses so it would make more sense for it to be there than not.” But, he says that he did some experiments, and the house is definitely not there. I asked him what he thought of it, mostly just to hear him talk more, but he seemed unsure. He went back inside soon after, muttering something to himself.”
The way they kept talking about Rand, combined with how they’d talked about Rolan himself earlier, it was starting to seem like maybe the host was just very affectionate, rather than actually in love with him. Maybe they just talked about everyone that way, very complimentary and almost flirty with how they described people. It at least would have made more sense than them falling in love with a complete stranger after talking to him for like a minute.
…he kind of hoped that was the case, honestly. Because otherwise, yeah, ‘lovestruck’ was definitely the only word he could think of to describe the way they talked about Rand, and- it wasn’t like he and Rand were dating or something. He didn’t even know if Rand was into guys, he’d never asked and Rand had never brought it up.
But… he’d definitely started developing a crush on the other at some point during the past several years. He’d just never done anything about it because again, he didn’t know if Rand was queer, and he hadn’t wanted to even attempt a long distance relationship. He’d kind of hoped he could have actually gotten the courage to tell Rand how he felt now that they were living in the same place, but if there was already something between Rand and the radio host? That- that’d probably be out the window. Unless they were poly, or in an open relationship, or something?
“A great howling was heard from the Galloway pharmacy yesterday. The pharmacy workers claim no knowledge, although passersby described the sound as being a little like ‘a human soul being destroyed through Black Magick.’ Officer Dudes- now, I don’t know if you’ve seen this guy around. He’s the guy that wears a very low-quality police costume and walks around town claiming to be a member of the police force. He appeared at the scene, and swore he would discover the truth. No one responded because it’s really hard to take him seriously in that costume of his.”
Well, that slightly threw out the possibility of them just being very affectionate and flirty with everyone. Unless that ‘Officer Dudes’ was just an exception. He hoped so, it would have been way easier to wrap his head around the radio host just being like that rather than them genuinely being in love with him after a single conversation.
“Lights, seen in the sky above The Diner. Not the glowing sign of The Diner, no, something higher and beyond that. We know the difference. We’ve caught on to their game, we understand the lights above The Diner’s game. Invaders from another world. Ladies, gentlemen, and those beyond human comprehension, the future is here. And it’s about a hundred feet above The Diner!”
That sounded like some of the conspiracy type shit that Rand would tell him, but he didn’t even care to check if it was actually real or not. He could have pretty easily just looked outside one of the windows, he was close enough to The Diner that he could probably see those mysterious lights above it, but he really didn’t care to. At this point a possible alien invasion was the least of his worries.
“When I spoke with Rand earlier, he told me something very interesting! Of course, he always tells me things that are very interesting, but this was especially interesting.” Oh, they were back to Rand now. He sat up a bit straighter without even really meaning to, fully focusing on what the host was saying. Mostly in hopes of getting some more context to what their relationship might have been like.
“Rand and his… protege? Friend? Replacement younger sibling? Well, Richie Rat, have been monitoring the seismic shifts near the town’s exit, and they’ve found something truly incredible!” It was genuinely concerning that Rolan couldn’t be sure whether the host was talking about a literal rat that Rand was apparently friends with, or if that was just a nickname for a person or something.
“Apparently, their monitors have been indicating wild seismic shifts, meaning that the ground should be going up and down all over the place! Now, I don’t know about you guys, but the ground has been as still as the crust of a tiny globe rocketing through an endless void could be, in my opinion. Rand says they’ve double checked the monitors, and they are in perfect working order. Simply put, there appears to be catastrophic earthquakes happening right here in Galloway that absolutely no one can feel! How cool is that? Well, I’d recommend you all submit an insurance claim anyway. See what you can get out of this, right?”
That sounded like insurance fraud, but whatever. He was mostly just kind of disappointed that the news didn’t actually really give him any more insight into what was going on between Rand and the radio host. Maybe he should just ask Rand about it? He should probably just ask Rand about it.
“Traffic time, listeners! Now, Police- the actual Police, not Officer Dudes- are issuing warnings about ghost cars on the highways. Those cars only visible in the distance, reaching unimaginable speeds, leaving destinations unknown for destinations even more unknown. They would like to remind you that you should not set your speed by these apparitions, and doing so will not be considered following the flow of traffic. However, they do say that it’s probably safe to match speeds with the mysterious lights in the sky, as whatever entities or organizations responsible appear to be cautious and responsible drivers.”
He didn’t even own a car, so that part didn’t really matter to him. Should he get a car? He’d never needed one while living out in the city, the public transit had always been somewhat manageable enough, but maybe he should get one now. It’d make things easier if he ever needed to go somewhere further than a walking distance in the small town or its surrounding areas.
“And now, the weather.”
Instead of a weather report, though, a song started playing out of the speakers. Rolan didn’t really know enough about music to be able to describe it in any meaningful sense, but it did sound good. It was an odd mix of high-energy and loud instrumentals mixed with a slow rhythm and a somber feel.
When the vocals started, he realized they were being sung by the radio host. He couldn’t tell if it was pre-recorded or sung live, all he could really tell was that it sounded nice. He closed his eyes and let himself focus on the music, listening to the host’s nearly hypnotizing voice.
The lyrics to the song were melancholic, almost heartbreaking. They read like a love confession that the writer knew would never be responded to, a deep yearning mixed with a feeling of loss and fear. He almost never cried when listening to music, no matter how sad or upsetting the subject material was, but he felt a tear rise to his eye as he listened to the lyrics and started to grasp what they meant.
Who they might have been about. He’d never heard the song before, and if the host was singing it, it made sense to assume that they had written it as well. And if that was the case… well, he’d hoped they and Rand weren’t dating, hadn’t he? With each passing second that the song continued it started sounding more and more like they weren’t. The host clearly loved someone who didn’t love them back, or who they at least believed wouldn’t love them back, and Rolan doubted they were talking about him. No, most likely they were singing about Rand, confessing their love to practically the entire town through the song, knowing the feeling wasn’t mutual. It somehow felt worse than if he’d found out the two of them were actually just dating.
What the hell did Rand think about it then? Did he know how they felt? Or did he somehow miss the way they spoke about him, completely unaware of the way they made this person feel? No, there was no fucking way anyone was that dense. Even if Rand hadn’t noticed Rolan’s feelings for him either… maybe he just didn’t notice.
The song quieted down slowly as it came to an end, before cutting off completely as the host started speaking again. “Welcome back, listeners.” They sounded a bit quieter than before, definitely softer, maybe even a bit sad. Rolan seriously felt bad for them at this point. Their voice was back to the same energy levels from before when they continued, though.
“The sun didn’t set at the correct time today, Becky let us know during the break. She’s very certain about it, she checked multiple clocks, and the sun definitely set ten minutes later than it was supposed to. I asked her if she had any ideas as to why, but she didn’t offer anything concrete. She told me it wasn’t anything I should worry myself about, though, just wanted to make sure I let all of you know. Oh, and she brought me orange slices! Isn’t she amazing? She’s truly the best girlfriend an almost human entity could ask for!”
Rolan didn’t know who Becky was, but it was starting to seem like the host was in love with far too many people for their own good. At least it sounded like Becky actually loved them back, if they called her their girlfriend. Also, ‘almost human entity’? He guessed the host wasn’t a human, then. What the fuck were they?“I think we should all be more appreciative of the things that we have, like the sun for example! Sure, it’s a bit unusual for the sun to set ten minutes later than it’s supposed to, but shouldn’t we be grateful to have the sun at all? Just imagine how much harder life would be for us if we didn’t have it! The next time the sun rises, whatever time that turns out to be, I suggest you take a moment to feel grateful for all the warmth and light it chooses to gift our bayou community with.”
That was… kind of nice, actually. Worrying, that the sun apparently chose not to follow the laws of the universe, but they were right. People kind of tended to take the sun for granted, especially ever since humanity realized that eclipses and such weren’t the sun literally being destroyed by some cosmic monster. They should appreciate the sun more.
“The Town Council would like to remind you about the tiered heavens, and the hierarchy of angels. The reminder is that you should not know anything about this. The structure of heaven and the angelic organizational chart are privileged information, known only to Town Council members on a need to know basis. Please do not speak to or acknowledge any angels that you may come across while shopping at the Galloway Shopping grocery store or at the Nerdy Game Store and Movie Theatre. They only tell lies, and do not exist. Report all angel sightings to the Town Council for treatment.”
Alright then. No acknowledging the angels. That a highschool teacher had gotten help with his chores from. Because they didn’t exist, sure, okay. Why not at this point.
“And now a brief public service announcement. Alligators. Can they kill your children? Yes.” He couldn’t help the choked laugh that left his mouth at that, just… the bluntness. The slight snicker he was pretty sure he could hear from the host. That definitely didn’t even count as a public service announcement.
“Along those lines, to get personal for a moment-” They’d been getting personal all throughout the broadcast, why were they only acknowledging it now? “-I think the best way to die would be to be drained by a giant spider. Having my insides melted and then sucked out of my body, leaving me empty and hollow, would just give my life such perfect symmetry.”
What… Did that even mean? How would that give it symmetry? Jesus, he had to ask Rand about the radio host the next day. Figure out what the fuck was their deal. Hopefully also find out their name so he could stop calling them just ‘the radio host.’
“Speaking of the Nerdy Game Store and Movie Theatre, its owner, Michael Leou, reports that he has found the entrance to a vast, underground city behind some shelves in the backroom of the store. He said he has not yet ventured into it, merely peered down at its strange spires and broad avenues. He also reports voices of a distant crowd in the depths of that subterranean metropolis. Apparently the entrance was discovered when a large collection of fifth edition D&D books fell from the shelf they were on and into it, clattering down to the city below with sounds that echoed for miles across the impossibly huge cavern. So, you know, whatever population that city has, they know about us now and we might be hearing from them very soon.”
That sounded pretty interesting, actually. He was kind of curious what a giant underground city might have looked like, maybe he could go ask the game store owner if he could look down at it? It just sounded cool.
There was a brief pause before the host continued speaking again, and once again, their voice was back to the soft and loving way it had been so many times during the broadcast already.
“You know, listeners, when Becky came to see me during the break earlier, I realized that Rolan’s- that new resident’s, if anyone forgot- perfect and beautiful black eyes really remind me of her. Just the never-ending deep abyss that threatens to pull you in the longer you stare into it… it’s truly amazing. I could stare at those gorgeous eyes for hours.”
What was he supposed to feel about that? He felt a heat rising to his cheeks as he sighed, and brought up his human hand to rub at his eyes. How was he supposed to deal with constantly being complimented on live radio? Also, calling your girlfriend a never-ending deep abyss sounded kind of rude. Unless she was literally just like a living black hole or something? It sounded disturbingly plausible that the host was just dating a literal black hole at this point.
“Becky is actually still in the studio with me, although she did refuse an interview when I asked. She’s now looking at me, or at least I think she is, it’s always a bit hard to tell, and I’m looking at her, and she’s beautiful. I think she would be blushing if she had blood. Oh, she just called me adorable! I don’t know if she’s close enough to the microphone that you all could hear that. You’re adorable too, babe.”
Rolan did hear something right as Becky apparently spoke, but it definitely didn’t sound like a human talking. It sounded more like some sort of indescribable humming or static, like the sound a broken TV makes when you try to get it to work. Also, Becky didn’t have blood. Good to know.
“Unfortunately, dear listeners, it is starting to get very late. And as much as I enjoy sitting here, talking to you sweetly to all of you out there, it is time for all of us to settle in for another clear and beautiful evening here in Galloway. I hope all of you have someone to sleep through it with, or at least good memories of when you did. Good night, listeners. Good night.”
Their voice quieted down slowly, until it was barely above a whisper, and then it cut off completely, and Rolan was left alone in the silence of the house he was now living in. A few seconds of silence passed, and then the radio started playing a song instead, a random pop song he was sure he’d heard somewhere before.
He was left feeling… oddly empty. Like without the radio host’s voice in his ears there was now something missing from deep within him, leaving him feeling hollow and cold. There really had been something almost hypnotizing about the way they spoke, he just wanted to hear more of it.
The feeling subsided slowly, as the minutes passed without the radio host’s melodic voice, and eventually he was left feeling almost normal. Almost the same as before the broadcast had started. He doubted he was actually the same, though. It felt like there was something inside him, infecting him, slowly taking over all rational thought and leaving him just craving more of that slightly gravelly and beautiful voice.
Jesus, what the fuck was going on with him? Was the whole radio program genuinely just some sort of ploy to hypnotize this town’s citizens or something? Maybe. He wouldn’t put it past this place. Or maybe there was just something about the host that stuck to him, in the same way that there apparently was something about him that stuck to them.
He shook his head and finally stood up from the couch, turning off the radio that had once again gone back to playing just some random music. It was starting to get late and he should probably start heading to bed, and then… tomorrow he’d go see Rand. Ask him about the radio host, figure out what the fuck was their deal. And maybe figure out a bit more of what this entire town’s deal was as well.