Chapter 1, Episode 1

Transcript: Chapter 1, Episode 1

The cover of Into the Smoke chapter 1. Blaze, a spirit medium with shoulder-length red hair and tattooed hands uses a lighter to summon Alastor, a dark, smoky ghost, who holds the medium while inhaling his breath. Text reads: Into the Smoke. Chapter 1: The Medium. Bob Appavu.

In a dark, smoky room, a pair of hands belonging to an elderly robed woman hold out an ornate beaded crown of vines, flowers, and leaves. Below the crown is the bowed head of a teenaged redhead, his eyes closed and his chin-length hair pulled back in a messy bun.

The elderly woman says, “It’s time for your initiation, Blaze.”

She places the crown on his head, and he opens his eyes. She continues, “At last, your training has concluded… and you’re now ready to channel spirits without the aid of a mentor.”

As she smudges a dark green substance on his forehead, she says, “You’re a gifted medium.”

She then streaks the substance on his cheek and says, “Every day, you impress me more than the last.”

Standing in the shadows, she says, “But your vast skills do not come without risk. And that’s why you must always follow the three cardinal rules of spirit seeing.”

She holds up a finger. “Rule #1: You must never commune with more than one spirit at the same time.”

Another finger up. “Rule #2: You must never allow a spirit to inhale your life’s breath.”

She holds up three fingers inches away from Blaze’s face, as he stares up at her nervously. She says, “And most importantly, rule #3.”

Leaning in close to his face, she says, “You must never… ever… be intimate with a spirit. Do you understand?”

Blaze stares silently for a moment, kneeling and lit from below as smoke rises around him. He hesitates.

Then he says, “Yes, Madame Evelyn.”

The scene fades to black.

White text appears: 8 Years Later.

A new scene gradually fades in, revealing the living room of Blaze’s apartment, which is dimly lit by an array of candles. Blaze, wearing a loose, opened shirt, kneels sideways on the sofa, sandwiched between a light-blue-tinted male ghost wearing a 1920s newsboy outfit and a smoky-red-tinted male ghost wearing the same era’s pants from a National Guard uniform. He kisses the light ghost, while the red ghost sits behind him and strokes his leg. Behind them, two female ghosts in historical party dresses embrace while a third with a short curly bob watches on. To the right, two 1920’s-era male ghosts kiss. In the distance, behind the kitchen counter, the light-tinted ghost of an apron-wearing babushka uses oven mitts to hold a pie on a baking sheet.

Blaze’s lips part from the blue-tinted newsboy ghost’s, and the pale white vapor of his breath is visible between their mouths.

In front of the sofa, atop the three-sectioned coffee table are numerous lit candles dripping with melted wax. “Hurry,” Blaze says.

The view focuses on three lit tealights.

Blaze leans back on the sofa with the newsboy ghost above him. Faint, ornate tattoos are visible on his fingers and shoulders. He grips the ghost’s shoulder and tells him, “The last candles are almost out…”

The view returns to the tealights, which are now burned down to the bottom and only faintly lit.

In the darkness, Blaze tilts his head back, and his mouth breaks into a faint, gasping smile.

Then the candles burn out, smoke rising from the burnt wicks.

Cut to black.

A logo appears: Into the Smoke. Intothesmokecomic.com

Text reads: This episode is brought to you by my awesome patrons! An image shows a collection of signatures in various colors, sizes, and handwriting styles, alongside Otto the cat with a roughly sketched pointy hat. After the signatures, more text reads: plus additional anonymous supporters! patreon.com/bob_artist.

A cropped episode 1 panel of Blaze making out with two ghosts appears. Text reads: The original R-rated version of this episode is available at patreon.com/bob_artist