WEBVTT - Pink Pig

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<v Speaker 1>M twelve Ghosts is a production of I Heeart three

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<v Speaker 1>D audio and grimm and mild from Aaron Manky Headphones.

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<v Speaker 1>Recommended listener discretion advised. Blow blow thou winter wind. Thou

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<v Speaker 1>art not so unkind as man's ingratitude. Thy tooth is

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<v Speaker 1>not so keen, because thou art not seen, although thy

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<v Speaker 1>breath be rude. When I was a boy, my father

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<v Speaker 1>had a large velvet wingback chair in his study. I

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<v Speaker 1>would sneak in sometimes, specially in midwinter, when the darkness

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<v Speaker 1>and the cold crept in early, and I'd curl up

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<v Speaker 1>in that chair. The warmth of it, the comfort a

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<v Speaker 1>cocoon holding a little boy waiting to transform. That is

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<v Speaker 1>what we seek in the midwinter, a cozy spot to

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<v Speaker 1>wait in while we transform ourselves. Did it work after

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<v Speaker 1>a fashion? It's not true. You know that people can't change,

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<v Speaker 1>They just do it very slowly. We change inch by

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<v Speaker 1>inch over the course of years. The wild passion of

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<v Speaker 1>youth mellows into a sort of patience. We don't notice

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<v Speaker 1>the slow change in others because we travel at the

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<v Speaker 1>same speed, all of us, over the course of a life,

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<v Speaker 1>and so we just assumed that people are static, immovable,

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<v Speaker 1>when I picture myself as very young, I do not

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<v Speaker 1>recognize that boy. He's as far gone as anyone I've lost.

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<v Speaker 1>What of grief? Does that not change us? In one

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<v Speaker 1>great motion? Mm hmm, oh, mine the time, the time? Hello,

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<v Speaker 1>young man, we've been expecting you. Hi. I'm I'm not

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<v Speaker 1>sure I'm in the right place. I think I'm lost. Oh,

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<v Speaker 1>I think you're right where you need to be. Come

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<v Speaker 1>have a saint with Annabelle. H What is it, Lad?

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<v Speaker 1>You look like you've seen a ghost. It's just I'm sorry.

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<v Speaker 1>I thought she was someone else for a moment. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>just me sit, have something to drink, warm up. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>sorry you look a lot like her who It's kind

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<v Speaker 1>of a long story. You seem to be in the

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<v Speaker 1>right place. She's right, glad, we have nothing but time

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<v Speaker 1>tell us about her. I was ten when she first

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<v Speaker 1>came to me. She was just there when my mom

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<v Speaker 1>put out the lights one night, leaving my room after

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<v Speaker 1>tucking me in. I first I thought it was a

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<v Speaker 1>trick of a light. You know, the neighbors next door

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<v Speaker 1>they had these Christmas lights and they'd blink. The stripes

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<v Speaker 1>of her dress were all black and white. I thought

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<v Speaker 1>it was just the shadow of the blinds flashing on

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<v Speaker 1>and then off, on and then off. But when the

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<v Speaker 1>lights disappeared, she didn't. She lingered watching me, and I

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<v Speaker 1>just stared at the shapes of her, the parts I

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<v Speaker 1>could make out. She wasn't fully there. It was like

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<v Speaker 1>a double exposure photograph or a bunch of slides that

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<v Speaker 1>get jammed in the carousel. Flash of light and I

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<v Speaker 1>made at her chest. Lights go off, She's still there,

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<v Speaker 1>gangly arms blink again. She has a frown. Those eyes

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<v Speaker 1>and their running mess care that didn't drip or move.

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<v Speaker 1>I'd look from the window to her. I wasn't scared

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<v Speaker 1>of her at first. I was just trying to make

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<v Speaker 1>it all out magic eide view master. Her hair was

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<v Speaker 1>like Peter Pan or Dorothy Hamill. When Peter Pan comes

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<v Speaker 1>to your window. You're not in danger, you're not haunted,

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<v Speaker 1>you're not cursed, You're just special. Stories taught me that

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<v Speaker 1>the world just opens its magic to you at some point,

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<v Speaker 1>and I thought this was my turn. Looking back, I

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<v Speaker 1>guess it was. The stripes were kind of cool on her,

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<v Speaker 1>like these diagonals. I love diagonals. I was just frozen

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<v Speaker 1>in my bed watching her. I kept waiting for something

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<v Speaker 1>to start. I didn't want to talk first. I didn't

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<v Speaker 1>want to be the one to interrupt what was happening.

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<v Speaker 1>I was scared she'd disappear and never come back, that

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<v Speaker 1>this was all I'd get. And I was also so eager.

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<v Speaker 1>I was shape a king. Her mouth opened just a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit, but instead of a whisper, there was this screech,

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<v Speaker 1>a metal on metal scraping, like like school bus breaks.

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<v Speaker 1>It rang in my ears. It shook my spine, and

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<v Speaker 1>I closed my eyes to shut it out. I opened

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<v Speaker 1>them again, and I was in a big, old department store.

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<v Speaker 1>The lady was with me, smiling and holding my hand,

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<v Speaker 1>and we were rushing past all these toys, train sets

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<v Speaker 1>and stuffed bears and Christmas trees. She wouldn't let go

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<v Speaker 1>of my hand, and I couldn't keep up with her.

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<v Speaker 1>For heels clicked fast on the tile, past the crowds,

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<v Speaker 1>other families sorting through red dresses, points set us ladies

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<v Speaker 1>spritzing passers by with perfume. I could smell it. It

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<v Speaker 1>hung in the air. I wanted to sit down, I

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<v Speaker 1>wanted to stay still. The lady and the stripes wouldn't

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<v Speaker 1>stop for me, though she just kept tugging. I planted

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<v Speaker 1>my feet. She opened her mouth again. This time she

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<v Speaker 1>had a voice, a normal voice. We're going to miss it,

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<v Speaker 1>she said, you need to get in line. I didn't

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<v Speaker 1>feel like moving. The lady just picked me up like

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<v Speaker 1>it was nothing. Click click, click, and everything in the

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<v Speaker 1>place moved past me. I closed my eyes again, hoping

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<v Speaker 1>to will myself awake. If I was dreaming, I wanted

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<v Speaker 1>it to stop. I just like I wanted to be

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<v Speaker 1>where I wanted to be, only that I wanted to rest.

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't want to hurry. I opened my eyes and

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<v Speaker 1>I saw this pigs face. It had eyelashes, and it

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<v Speaker 1>was flying in the air above me. No, I swear

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<v Speaker 1>a giant pig was smiling at me, and it squealed

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<v Speaker 1>and squealed that same metallic noise. It was morning then,

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<v Speaker 1>and I jumped out of bed. I ran to my

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<v Speaker 1>mom's room and I told her about my night. It

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<v Speaker 1>sounds like you had a really bad dream, she said

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<v Speaker 1>to me, rubbing my shoulders. Didn't you watch the Muppets

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<v Speaker 1>last night? This wasn't a muppet, mommy. This was great,

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<v Speaker 1>big and it could fly. Miss Piggy can fly, she

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<v Speaker 1>said to me. Teasing. No, she doesn't. Miss Piggy doesn't fly. Yeah, huh,

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<v Speaker 1>she does, she said back to me. Miss Piggy flew

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<v Speaker 1>and she was on that motorcycle and went through that

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<v Speaker 1>stained glass window. It wasn't like that, I said, that

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<v Speaker 1>was just a movie, and she flies all the time

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<v Speaker 1>when she's in space. I just sighed and went to

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<v Speaker 1>the kitchen for some cereal. I hated when adults wouldn't listen.

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<v Speaker 1>The only thing she said about the Black and White

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<v Speaker 1>lady was that we should maybe start using my night

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<v Speaker 1>light again. My mom never took me on adventures. She

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<v Speaker 1>never took me shopping much, not that I can remember.

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<v Speaker 1>She'd go for groceries while I was in school, or

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<v Speaker 1>she'd just leave me in the car. If she needed

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<v Speaker 1>to run inside to grab something, she just cracked a window.

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<v Speaker 1>You could do that back then. We lived in a

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<v Speaker 1>small town outside Birmingham. I'd only seen stores like the

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<v Speaker 1>ones from my dreams in the movies, but there was

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<v Speaker 1>never a flying pig. The next night, I was pretty

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<v Speaker 1>much home alone. The neighbor girl would occasionally come by

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<v Speaker 1>and check on me, make sure the house wasn't on fire.

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<v Speaker 1>Mom had arranged it. I think Mom was working. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know. I was watching TV, and you know, I

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<v Speaker 1>was laying right in front of it, between it and

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<v Speaker 1>the Christmas tree. There was no one around to tell

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<v Speaker 1>me i'd go blind. Oh wait, Before I watched TV,

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<v Speaker 1>I did check my room to see if that lady

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<v Speaker 1>was standing there, but she wasn't there anyway. So the

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<v Speaker 1>only thing on was the Andy Griffith Show, so I

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<v Speaker 1>was only half watching it and doing a word search.

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<v Speaker 1>And then I wanted some coke, so I pushed myself

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<v Speaker 1>up by my elbows and I rolled like accidentally into

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<v Speaker 1>the Christmas tree. Like five ornaments just crashed down off

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<v Speaker 1>of it. Aluminum balls and glass stars just raining down

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<v Speaker 1>on me, and I flinched, bracing for the whole tree

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<v Speaker 1>to come down, but it didn't. I stood up more

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<v Speaker 1>carefully and I checked out the damage. Most of the

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<v Speaker 1>ornaments were fine, so I put them back on the

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<v Speaker 1>empty branches except one of them. One of the glass

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<v Speaker 1>stars had shattered into little red shards all over the

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<v Speaker 1>tile by the front door. I don't know how it

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<v Speaker 1>got that far from the tree. I went to the kitchen,

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<v Speaker 1>grabbed a dust pan and a broom tried to clean

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<v Speaker 1>up the mess. I even put it in the garbage outside.

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<v Speaker 1>That way, I left no trace for mom to find.

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<v Speaker 1>I was nervous, but the neighbor girl didn't see me

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<v Speaker 1>run out her back. She wasn't watching. Then I went

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<v Speaker 1>into the hall closet to get a replacement ornament from

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<v Speaker 1>out of the box of Christmas stuff, but there weren't

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<v Speaker 1>any more red glass stars in the box. As I

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<v Speaker 1>tugged through it, I reached down into it and I

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<v Speaker 1>felt something cold and a little heavier. Taking it out

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<v Speaker 1>of the box. It was a ceramic ornament. It was

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<v Speaker 1>that pink pig, its eyelashes painted on its ceramics, snout

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<v Speaker 1>and mouth molded into a smile. A name was painted

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<v Speaker 1>on a jingle bell collar around its neck, Priscilla. The

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<v Speaker 1>door to the closet shut behind me, and I was

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<v Speaker 1>in the dark. I heard that squeal again, and I

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<v Speaker 1>was back in that dream. The black and white lady

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<v Speaker 1>was watching me, smiling, but I was away from her

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<v Speaker 1>this time. I had a slip of paper in my hand.

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<v Speaker 1>Hi Jacob, she said, Wave Jacob, but that's not my name.

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<v Speaker 1>I was being crowled with a bunch of other little

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<v Speaker 1>kids into this. It was like a dangling cage someone

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<v Speaker 1>took the paper from me and just shuffled me into

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<v Speaker 1>this metal tube. Around me were all these toddlers wearing

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<v Speaker 1>red coats and bows, and there was this piped inversion

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<v Speaker 1>of jingle bells. All the grown ups were just watching us,

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<v Speaker 1>and the black and white lady waved at me, and

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<v Speaker 1>they slid closed the doors to the cage, and I

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<v Speaker 1>grabbed onto the grates on the windows. Everything was pink.

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<v Speaker 1>I looked in front of me and I saw the

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<v Speaker 1>side of that pink pig's face, those eyelashes. Me and

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<v Speaker 1>the other kids were just inside of her metal guts trapped.

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<v Speaker 1>And then we started moving. We were dangling, flying. I

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<v Speaker 1>looked out the window and we were flying over all

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<v Speaker 1>of these toys. At first, there were train sets. There

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<v Speaker 1>were painted clowns all along the walls. There were signs

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<v Speaker 1>with the pig's face on it, Priscilla, the pink pig.

0:13:50.240 --> 0:13:54.600
<v Speaker 1>Priscilla the pink Pig. All the other kids seemed fine.

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<v Speaker 1>As we flew around the room. I closed my eyes again.

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<v Speaker 1>I tried to make it stop. The squeal of metal

0:14:05.640 --> 0:14:10.079
<v Speaker 1>hit my ears, though, and I felt this chill. Either

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<v Speaker 1>it went down my spine or it was in the air.

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<v Speaker 1>I opened my eyes and I put my hand on

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<v Speaker 1>the metal grate. We weren't flying over toys anymore. Some

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<v Speaker 1>kids were yelling. We were outside in the chilly air,

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<v Speaker 1>flying around a giant Christmas tree. I looked all around me,

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<v Speaker 1>and I saw all these buildings and the sky. I'd

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<v Speaker 1>never seen these buildings before. It wasn't burning him. Nothing

0:14:38.440 --> 0:14:41.920
<v Speaker 1>was familiar. As far as I could tell. We were

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<v Speaker 1>so high up, dangling inside this pig. I know it

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<v Speaker 1>sounds crazy. I looked down and I could see city

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<v Speaker 1>streets below. People looked smaller than ants. And then that

0:14:56.800 --> 0:15:04.280
<v Speaker 1>horrible squeal happened again. And then the door to the

0:15:04.320 --> 0:15:07.480
<v Speaker 1>closet flew open, and my mom asked me what I

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<v Speaker 1>was doing there in the dark. Why would you sleep

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<v Speaker 1>in the closet, She asked me, come out here. I

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<v Speaker 1>let go of the pig ornament, leaving it on the floor,

0:15:19.400 --> 0:15:23.280
<v Speaker 1>and I crawled out of the closet. I'm sorry, I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know what happened. I said to her, when did

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<v Speaker 1>you get back. I've been looking for you all over

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<v Speaker 1>the house for ten minutes. She said, I need your

0:15:34.680 --> 0:15:40.040
<v Speaker 1>help getting the groceries out of the car. The next morning,

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<v Speaker 1>Mom told me to get dressed. She had library books

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<v Speaker 1>to return. If I hurried, I could go with her

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<v Speaker 1>and get some chapter books. I liked Beverly Cleary, the

0:15:50.800 --> 0:15:54.800
<v Speaker 1>Henry Huggins stuff. I was looking through the kids department.

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<v Speaker 1>The staff knew me there. Mom went to look at

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<v Speaker 1>the newspapers and the Mr. Books. I asked the librarian

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<v Speaker 1>if she had any books about Priscilla the pink pig.

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<v Speaker 1>You mean Petunia, she asked me, No, ma'am. I said,

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<v Speaker 1>Priscilla the pink pig. I think it can fly or something.

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<v Speaker 1>She looked at me, weird, you mean that Dumbo looking

0:16:20.760 --> 0:16:26.000
<v Speaker 1>thing in Atlanta. I don't know. I guess that ain't

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<v Speaker 1>a book, she said. Did you all go to Richards

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<v Speaker 1>or something to see Santa Riches? I asked her the

0:16:35.360 --> 0:16:39.800
<v Speaker 1>fancy department store over in Georgia. Librarian lady said, the

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<v Speaker 1>place with the coconut cake and the big tree and

0:16:42.600 --> 0:16:45.840
<v Speaker 1>that kid's pig train that glides on a rail every Christmas.

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<v Speaker 1>My husband took me to see the tree lighting last Thanksgiving.

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<v Speaker 1>It was crowded, but the choirs were good. I've never

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<v Speaker 1>been to Atlanta, I told the lady. The train has

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<v Speaker 1>a face like Dumbo, except with a snout instead of

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<v Speaker 1>a trunk. She said, because we're Southern. I guess what

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<v Speaker 1>do you mean a rail? I started to ask her

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<v Speaker 1>does it chug or does it fly? That's when I

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<v Speaker 1>noticed Mom was standing over me. She told me it

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<v Speaker 1>was time to go. I told her I hadn't picked

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<v Speaker 1>any books out yet, but she told me we had

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<v Speaker 1>to go and that I should make decisions faster. Mom

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<v Speaker 1>didn't have any books either, but she headed to the car.

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<v Speaker 1>Her whole mood had changed. She put me to bed

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<v Speaker 1>early that night, but in the dark of my room

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<v Speaker 1>I could still see the black and white lady watching

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<v Speaker 1>me as the Christmas lights would flash through the blinds.

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<v Speaker 1>My name isn't Jacob, I whispered to her, My name is.

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<v Speaker 1>Outside the door, I could hear my mother talking on

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<v Speaker 1>the phone. Mom had that tone she gets, the one

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<v Speaker 1>where she acts like nothing's bothering her when something is.

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<v Speaker 1>The black and white lady raised her arm. She pointed

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<v Speaker 1>her finger at my bedroom door. I got out of

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<v Speaker 1>bed and put my ear to it. I listened to

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<v Speaker 1>what Mom was saying. She was talking to my aunt Carol,

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<v Speaker 1>but I could only hear my mom. Did you see

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<v Speaker 1>that she killed herself this weekend. Oh but it was

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<v Speaker 1>in yesterday's paper. I ripped out the whole page. The

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<v Speaker 1>library gets it here. They declared Jacob legally dead last week,

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<v Speaker 1>seven years without a trace. I guess no, I don't

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<v Speaker 1>feel bad about it, Carol, He's mine. She wasn't even

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<v Speaker 1>watching him that day. She was shopping for purses. We

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<v Speaker 1>walked out of there before she even noticed the train

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<v Speaker 1>was back. She did it to be with her sons,

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<v Speaker 1>supposedly reunited in heaven. I heard my mom laugh, like

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<v Speaker 1>actually laugh. Good luck finding him there. I turned away

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<v Speaker 1>from the door. The black and white lady just stared

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<v Speaker 1>at me, and I stared back. Some nights, even now,

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<v Speaker 1>especially this time of year, I see the black and

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<v Speaker 1>white lady. She still tries to touch me, but I'm

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<v Speaker 1>out of reach. Oh oh no, you've felt a pull

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<v Speaker 1>towards her your whole life, haven't you. You've come a

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<v Speaker 1>very long way this night, lad. Perhaps you would like

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<v Speaker 1>to rest, Yes, I think I would. Eight room on

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<v Speaker 1>the left, just up the stairs there. Perhaps you'll see

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<v Speaker 1>her in your dreams, Yes, that would be nice. Good night, Annabelle,

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<v Speaker 1>Good night, sir, good night. Sleep well. Has she passed

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<v Speaker 1>through here? M hm, not that I've seen, but that

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't matter. They'll find each other. Love finds her way.

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<v Speaker 1>Twelve Ghosts starring Malcolm McDowell as the Innkeeper and Gina

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<v Speaker 1>Rikiki as Annabelle. Episode eight, The Pink Pig written by

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<v Speaker 1>Benjamin Carr with additional writing by Nicholas Takowski, editing by

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<v Speaker 1>Chris Childs and Stephen Perez, featuring Pat Young as Jacob.

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<v Speaker 1>Directed by Nicolas Takowski. Original score and sound design by

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<v Speaker 1>Chris Childs. Executive producers Aaron Mankey, Matt Frederick, Alexander Williams

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<v Speaker 1>and Nicholas Takowski. Supervising producer Josh Staine. Producers Chris Childs

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<v Speaker 1>and Stephen Perez. Casting by Sunday Bowling c s A

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<v Speaker 1>and Meg Mormon c s A. Production coordinator Wayna Calderon.

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<v Speaker 1>Recorded at Lantern Audio in Atlanta, Georgia, engineered by Chris Gardner,

0:21:47.359 --> 0:21:52.359
<v Speaker 1>Aeros Sound and Recording in Ojai, California, engineered by Ken Arros.

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<v Speaker 1>Twelve Ghosts was created by Nicholas Takowski and is a

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<v Speaker 1>production of iHeart three D Audio and Grim and Mild

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<v Speaker 1>from Aaron Manky. Learn more about the show at Grim

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<v Speaker 1>and mild dot com and find more podcasts from I

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<v Speaker 1>heart Radio by visiting the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

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<v Speaker 1>or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. H