Chapter 1, Episode 7

Transcript: Chapter 1, Episode 7

Blaze walks down the city street with a soft smile, various high-rises visible behind him. His grocery bag is hanging from his shoulder, the baguette and leafy greens sticking out from the top. He narrates, “In the evenings, I usually have a house call. Chicago is full of haunted houses, so there’s never a shortage of work. Not everyone can tolerate living with a spirit, so I do what I can to help them.”

He continues, “But I always tell the homeowners that my real client is the spirit. I don’t even take payment from the living. The spirits find a way to take care of me.” He remembers being inside a thrift store, his eyes lighting up with wonder while the ghost of a short blond woman with cat-eye glasses points across the room and says, “Ooh, that one would sell for a fortune!”

In present time, Blaze continues down the street and narrates, “No house calls tonight, though. Evie cleared my schedule. So now I’m headed home to cook dinner.”

He squints to the side and smiles mischievously. “Hmm…” he narrates.

Before him are two options. To the left is a bright lit city street lined with gleaming street lamps. The sidewalk is neatly paved, and the buildings along the street show light emanating welcomingly from many of the windows. To the right is a shadowy alley with broken, uneven pavement, exposed pipes on the buildings’ exterior brick walls, and a dark puddle in the middle of the sloped walkway. He narrates, “Which route today?”

Blaze walks down the dimly lit alley, smiling and unconcerned. Behind him, two rough-looking men step out from their hiding spot next to a trash bin. The bald man rubs his knuckles threateningly, and the goateed man holds a knife. Blaze narrates, “My living friends always tell me not to take the back alleys home…”

As he pulls out his lighter at his side and flicks it on, he continues, “But I don’t see any reason not to.”

The view pans down the narrow alley flanked by old brick high-rises. Blaze continues fearlessly down the alley, the lit lighter at his side. His scarf and coat blow in the wind. Behind him, a long-haired ghost wearing a minidress and heels chucks a trash bin at the goateed man. A second ghost in a puffer coat lifts a second bin above his head as the bald man kneels cowering on the floor. In the distance, a third ghost leans back against the wall, looking relaxed with his hands in his pockets.

Fade to black.

Later, Blaze walks down another street, his grocery bag still over his shoulder with the baguette sticking out behind him.

As he heads further down the street, a flash of magenta energy radiates from within the building across the street.

Blaze’s eyes go wide, and he freezes, startled. The energy echoes back out through his chest, emanating in a magenta burst.

He falls to his knees and clutches his chest while groaning, “ngh… Ahh!”

He grits his teeth and thinks to himself, “This feeling…”

His hand claws at his chest and he thinks, “I can’t speak. I can barely breathe… It’s like I’ve been impaled through the back and out my chest…”

He squeezes his eyes shut and continues, “It’s the echo of someone’s deathblow… A spirit being torn from its body…”

He squints up with concern, his hair hanging in his eyes.

Towering before him is the building across across the street. It’s a cathedral. He narrates, “Someone was just killed in there.”

Fade to black.

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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.