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For the Record presents - The Night before Saints’ Day, a Halloween Special

[Tape clicks on, ominous ambiance]

T’was the night before Saints’ Day, on All Hallows’ Eve
And children all over were ready to leave
To frolic the streets going house to house,
Scavenging up sweets and treats like a mouse.
Adorned all in costumes from their toes to their heads
While decorations all round inspire mild dreads.
And far above them all the stars twinkle and blink
(Though the latter is far more literal than you’d think)
As we humans live our lives in ignorant bliss
Dire beings regard them from dimensional abyss
For on all days of fear, from the worst to least
Those entities from beyond shall emerge to feast.
For on this one, and every dark Halloween
We are joined in our revels… by a dreaded Fourteen.

The first to arrive and enclose those unaware
Brings a feeling of choking tightness into the thick air
Feet sink in the ground, followed by all the rest
With no chance to dig, deep down you are pressed.

As down in the earth you lie buried within
You may feel crawling creatures a-tickling your skin
Inside you and outside, little cavities form
Whilst your body’s chosen as a new hive by the Swarm

Though what’s really happening? One cannot be sure
The answers escape the mind and all stays obscure.
The light fades too swiftly, of night we’re reminded
Bound deep in the darkness, we find ourselves blinded.

But what’s this? In the shadows at last there’s a spark!
But you’d wish you could have stayed safe enclosed in the dark.
For those sparks rise to flames and encircle around
Till there’s naught left but terror and ash to be found.

Whilst all this transpires to your abject dismay
Your secrets are torn out before light of day
Mouth opens, words spill out, and harsh truths are told
They roll down with the tears as bigger pictures unfold

In the distance, eyes watch you, grouped in eight
And once they scurry forward, your escape is too late
Despite your desire, you’re strung and distrait
Bound about and tied tight in strings of fate

Left in this tangled and vulnerable state despite your will
You feel sudden sharp eyes around you, hungering for a kill
This whole ordeal had finally lost any semblance of fun
Now the only instinct burning inside you is: RUN

The chase only takes you so far, and you soon slow your pace
Allowing your pursuers to pounce on you and tear at a rapid pace.
Their claws dig deep and scarring, setting your blood free
And finally, you retaliate, and start your own slashing spree

The aftermath is visceral, yet fills you with peace
Despite your bones seeing daylight, the assault did cease.
There’s no escape unblemished, your form now contorted
Muscles stretched out thin and structure distorted

You sink to your knees drowning in guts and dread
As visions of swirling colors dance in your head.
The surroundings morph around with your illusions
And only propagate with your increased confusions

Who are you? Who am I? What is this place?
Oh, so many faceless folks in this mixed and masked space
We all dance in unison, a strange dance unknown
Run away from the so-called party and find yourself alone.

Perhaps solitude is better suited, away from the fears
Fog starts to cloud around, condensing into your tears.
All sole in this place, feeling hollow and bereft.
Lying down on the ground to grasp what is left

Suddenly, you’re stretched to all corners of space
Forced to fill the void, a wretched place
And still when all is said and done, you painfully know
You still have room to infinitely expand and grow

And in one swift blink, it’s over, all gone
Reality feels lost to you, fear’s meager pawn.
Is there truly any worth to enduring such fear,
When it is not merely exclusive to one day a year?

Now you feel scarred, pressed and opposed
Overspread, nearly dead, alone and exposed
Lost in thoughts and space, pulled about and controlled
Dirtied, left to rot in a swallowing hole.
Darkened, seared, and yet unwantedly seen,
And now it can end, this dreaded Halloween.

This special episode of “For The Record” was written, directed, produced, and performed by Shalhevet Ebner, and edited by Floris “Swiftly” Bordewijk. It used sounds from freesound.org, under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License. For full accreditation, see the show notes. To be kept up to date on new episodes, submit your statement, or to get involved in production, you can follow us on Twitter @ftrecordpod, on Tumblr at fortherecordpod, or view our website at fortherecordpodcast.co.uk. Stay safe, take care, and Happy Halloween.