My girlfriend and I get tortured for a living | It Reads At Night

It Reads At Night presents... "My girlfriend and I get tortured for a living. Something went seriously wrong during her last session and now she's different" by u/orangeplr

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Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:04

That's only one thing left to do. It reads at night.

SPEAKER_04 0:27

Oh shit.

SPEAKER_03 0:28

That felt like a Woo! I'm at a restaurant. Oh. I'm all warm and tingly. Hello everybody! Welcome back to the It Reads At Night Podcast! My name is Austin. What is your name? I'm Alex. Sure. Get ready. First things first, we want to apologize to anyone who might be tuning into all these. All one of you. All one of you and all three episodes. One to four of you. Um life got a little crazy. Uh if you remember the last the beginning of the last episode, we kind of foreshadowed a really big snowstorm coming through town, and it may or may not be really bad. Well, it it turned out to be really fucking bad.

SPEAKER_02 1:14

Pretty fucking bad.

SPEAKER_03 1:15

Really bad.

SPEAKER_02 1:17

We were both heavily affected and made us it made us late to class. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:22

We missed the bus.

SPEAKER_02 1:24

I missed the bus.

SPEAKER_03 1:25

That, and then there's a whole lot of other silly little things we won't get into. All that to say, we're very sorry, and um it probably won't happen again. But you know, we're not gonna give you half-ass shit. We're gonna give you the bits we got. Full ass shit. Full ass full of shit. Yeah. So welcome back. It's re It Reads at Night. Um once again, this is episode six, I believe. Um I believe so. Yeah, we're six deep in this horrible nightmare. Um once again, it is somehow cold. It's been so long since our last recording, and the seasons have changed from winter to spring, and it's been glorious weather for most of the time. Yeah. Getting up to the eighties, creeping up that high, you know, sometimes even the nineties, but tonight, of course, when we're outside, dipping back down into the high 30s, low forties. So uh we're freezing yet again. And uh that's just more to the punishment. So last week we read a really good story last week, like for sure. Last month or whatever, uh, we read a really good story about some some some teenage kids getting up to no good in the the caves of Appalachia. Climb down Grandma Cave, Got Mercedes Girl. And we really liked that one. We think you should check that out and check out all the other ones too. Um, but tonight we've got a brand spanking new one for you, everybody. And it's got a crazy title. I've not read it, of course. We never read these. Um, but even the editor. The editor hasn't the editor hasn't even Jesus read this. Um uh yeah, I'll read the title real quick. It's called My Girlfriend and I Get Tortured for a Living. Something went seriously wrong during her last session, and now she's different. So I don't know what the hell we're getting into. Hopefully, um nothing too crazy, but you know, maybe a little crazy. I can get down with that. Stories written by Orange PLR on Reddit. Um just kinda told me to share the Reddit around when we we spoke. There is an Instagram, there's a Venmo, okay, there's a magazine. Not sure if you um want me to disclose that, but all I all I'll say is that Russ wrote this story. And feel free to check them out on Reddit. Once again, U slash orange PLR. Nice. Got a few stories out there. Um and let's see if you sort by top. Top all time. Uh yeah, he's got a few bangers, it seems. Some no sleep bangers, some some with 5,000 upvotes, some with four. That's awesome. Uh, this one didn't do half bad. Uh I think he got a few thousand or no, sorry, eight hundred. So if you like the story, check it out, give it, contribute, uh, run that story up, and then read the other ones too. Um yeah, so a little rusty on the old presentation here, but um if you like the show, stick around. Uh we're only six episodes deep, like we said. Uh support us. We're on all the things. YouTube support us. Support us. Support us. I need support. I'm scared. Um we just like doing this. That's about all I gotta say. You got anything to say, Alex? I've been hogging the mic. Yeah, I'm brain dead, so. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:02

I think we're alright. I think let's get into this.

SPEAKER_03 5:04

Let's get into this. Alright. Well, so uh once again, we're going to be reading. My girlfriend and I get tortured for a living. I'm excited. I'm definitely excited. I wasn't done! Fuck! Sorry, it's it's a two-sentence title. Oh, yeah. It's a two-sentence title. But uh, yeah, it's got quite the gripping hook here. And I am just curious as all hack as to what we're getting ourselves into. Um there doesn't appear to be any sort of trigger warnings or NSFWs. Yeah, we'll see if that sh is a bad call. Maybe there should be, but I don't know. Uh people seem to like it. The comments are positive, calling it a 10 out of 10. Great story, very engaging, amazing story. Uh yeah. Whoa, the ending. That was another one. So, yeah, stick around. This might be pretty juicy. My girlfriend and I get tortured for a living. Something went seriously wrong during her last session, and now she's different. I've always had a bit of a passion for odd jobs. When I was a teenager, I discovered Craigslist, and everything just kind of snowballed from there. You wouldn't believe the kinds of things you can find on the internet, the kind of jobs you can secure without having to do any paperwork. Most of the time, the people hiring either don't want to be traceable by the government, or they're just too fuck, or they're just far too desperate at that point to add any additional hoops to jump through. That was how I met Chelsea. It was actually a really funny story. Perfect for telling at parties. It would be perfect for our wedding too, and for telling our kids. It would have been, at least. Uh oh. Something bad happened. Something bad happened. Craigslist already. I'm enjoying that aspect. Craigslist isn't even really a thing anymore, right? No, it it definitely exists, but it's uh have they nerfed it? To where it's not as uh shady. I just feel like I don't hear much about it anymore. No, it used to be the thing.

SPEAKER_02 7:39

Uh Facebook Marketplace took its place for sure. Which is definitely gets bad. Craigslist, I tried to go on Craigslist, I think, uh four or five months ago to see what kind of music gear they had on there. Yeah. Because I sold a lot of music gear on Craigslist back in the day. Really? Yeah. Uh guitar pedals and stuff. And I bought I bought some synths on there and all that. It's fucking nothing, dude. It's just barren. It's like, yeah, nerfed is a good way to put it.

SPEAKER_03 8:08

That's a shame. It was like uh one of those little wild corners of the internet. Yeah. But I'm I'm I'm enjoying that the the story is like diving back into that. Because this isn't like an old story like seven months ago is when this was posted, so it's it's cool. Alright, anyway. Uh I'm gonna read the Chelsea part again. That was how I met Chelsea. It was actually a really funny story. Perfect for telling at parties. It would be perfect for a wedding, too. And for telling our kids. It would have been, at least. We met because we had both been hired to come to this birthday party, a kid turning eleven. Neither of us fully knew what the job entailed when we agreed, which might have been a sign that we shouldn't have, but we were both informed we'd be paid handsomely. And that was all that either of us needed to hear. When we got there, Frank, a middle-aged guy with a salt and pepper beard, who smelled strongly of patchouli and marinara sauce, informed us we were to get in a huge screaming match around the middle of the party. We were playing a couple from a few houses down, who were really on the fritz, I guess. We weren't told why, just what to do. I'm still not sure why he wanted us to do that. I was hesitant. I wasn't much of an actor, but Chelsea. She threw herself into the role wholeheartedly. A couple of hours later we were sitting on the curb a block away, and she was holding a bag of frozen carrots against my swollen cheekbone, and I was nursing a blunt, wincing at how my chocolate milk soaked clothing stuck to my skin. Right away, I'm I'm just liking this guy's uh writing style. It's pretty uh real life. Yeah, it's it's easy going. Uh dude was on Craigslist and drinks chocolate milk, so man, you know you hate to see spilled chocolate milk. You hate to see it. Yeah. Tragedy. Okay. We compared stories of our strangest jobs, our craziest experiences, the worst things we'd ever done to make a couple bucks. We both agreed that anything below a felony was fair game. But we gravitated towards weird, yet legal and harmless tasks. She had a passion for all of it that I'd never seen in anyone I'd ever met. She was really doing it for the experiences, not the money. She was a thrill seeker. I fell in love with her quickly. Like getting hit over the head with a blunt object. It was aggressive and immediate. A couple of months later, we got a place together, and the rest was history. We fell into a nice domestic routine. She made me coffee in the morning and kissed my forehead when I walked into the kitchen. We took turns cooking dinner and doing the dishes, and we watched hours of reality television slop on our sofa that was just big enough for the two. We ran out of breath. It's a long sentence. So I'll I'll go back. She made me she made me coffee in the morning and kissed my forehead when I walked into the kitchen. We took turns cooking dinner and doing the dishes, and we watched hours of reality television slop on our sofa that was just big enough for two. We talked about the future. We talked about a dog and two kids and a yard. It all just fell into place. Her friends liked me, and my friends liked her, and our families were the same. My mother became a little too obsessed with having a grandchild, and I had to beg her to stop asking Chelsea about her cycle. But none of them knew about our secret life. The jobs we did together when everyone went home. It was just for us. And it was exciting. The secret hobby that we shared. The first call from OEM came on a quiet Friday. Chelsea was at her job as a barista, and I was at home getting some cleaning done before having lunch with my parents, like an old person. I was used to getting calls that didn't have identification, considering all my side jobs, so I didn't bat an eye at the no caller ID on my screen. What was different, however, was the automated message that played as soon as I picked up the call.

SPEAKER_02 12:46

This call may be recorded for quality assurance and training purposes. Please state your first and last name and your date of birth.

SPEAKER_03 12:54

I frowned, tossing the rag I'd been cleaning the stove with onto the kitchen counter.

SPEAKER_02 13:01

Julian Raines, May 14th, 1999.

SPEAKER_03 13:06

There was a silence and then a beep. Then a man spoke. Non-automated this time. Hello, Mr. Rains. I've been informed you might be looking for a job. When Chelsea got home, I was waiting for her on the couch. She came up behind me, cupped my face in her hands, and kissed the top of my head. Hey babe. I said, trying to keep the excitement out of my voice. How was work?

SPEAKER_04 13:34

Exhausting.

SPEAKER_03 13:38

Come on, Chelsea sounds like a bro a real catch.

SPEAKER_05 13:42

Exhausting.

SPEAKER_02 13:44

She's so tired. It's fucking being a barista's hard work. Okay, fine. I'll accept it.

SPEAKER_03 13:53

Do it one more time for me.

SPEAKER_04 13:56

Exhausting!

unknown 13:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:58

She slumped over the back of the couch, smushing the cushions.

SPEAKER_02 14:04

Oh, that's her. Okay. But I gotta get I get it. Does that mean they both got it? I think they both got it, yeah. Alright. But I got this but I got this crazy voicemail.

SPEAKER_03 14:15

The facility was in what looked from the outside like a dilapidated warehouse. The man who picked up the man who picked us up in a long black car was very quiet, answering our questions and single word responses and keeping his eyes on the road. Chelsea and I kept giving each other small glances and squeezing each other's hands the entire way there. Yeah, he's our friend was it Julian Rains? He's like, Is there chocolate milk involved? Because that'll do it. No payment needed.

SPEAKER_02 15:00

What does it say? A long a long black car? Yeah. The man picked us up in a long black car and he looked at it and he was like, mmm. Chocolate milk.

SPEAKER_03 15:09

I bet there's chocolate milk in there. It looks like they have a Anyway. Anyway, Jesus. What was that about? A man greeted us at the car door. Opening it up. A man greeted us at the car door, opening it for us with a smile. He was tall and thin, and he wore a crisp suit with his dark hair slicked back. Not a strand askew.

unknown 15:35

Fuck.

SPEAKER_02 15:35

It's hard to remember. I'm doing three voices and it's hard. What do you Mr. and Mrs. Reigns, I presume?

SPEAKER_03 15:41

Is this are you saying this is the guy that called them or is this a little henchman?

SPEAKER_02 15:45

Oh shit.

SPEAKER_03 15:46

I don't know. It's kinda up to you, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 15:48

What kinda mister Mr. and Mrs. Reigns, I presume. We'll make them evil. We'll make them all evil from here on out.

SPEAKER_03 15:57

Okay. Chelsea looked down shyly. I was surprised. She was never shy. But this situation definitely felt more professional than what we were used to. Oh.

SPEAKER_02 16:14

Just little noises. Every time I have to read something, oh we aren't married. Oh. Oh, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_03 16:26

The man tapped his forehead with the palm of his hand good naturedly.

SPEAKER_04 16:31

Well, we're making him fucking evil.

SPEAKER_03 16:34

And then all of a sudden, for the first time ever, they're just like nice guys. He's a nice man. Okay, maybe go back to your Fuck.

SPEAKER_04 16:42

Oh, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_02 16:44

Man tapped his head. The man tapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. His his f fucking his hand good naturedly.

SPEAKER_04 16:52

I'm so sorry, Miss Sutherland. Miss Sutherland, of course. Fuck.

SPEAKER_03 16:59

I like I mean, sure. He's kind of nerdy sounding almost. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:04

But it's that's also my female voice.

SPEAKER_03 17:07

I don't know. Make one of them more feminine. Figure it out! I know, dude. Figure it out!

SPEAKER_02 17:12

This sucks.

SPEAKER_03 17:13

You're fired. Yeah. Drink more piss.

SPEAKER_02 17:16

Yeah. If it was warm, this wouldn't be happening. I swear to fucking god.

SPEAKER_03 17:21

Yeah, when the s when the summer comes around, this show is gonna elevate.

SPEAKER_02 17:26

Uh pretty sure.

SPEAKER_03 17:28

Sutherland. Miss Sutherland, of course. He reached out to shake her hand and then mine. Eager.

SPEAKER_02 17:35

My name is Malcolm Kessler, and you can just call me Kessler. Would you like to know what you're doing here?

SPEAKER_03 17:42

We let Kessler lead us into the building. On the inside, it looked far less run down. We were greeted with long white hallways and bustling professionals holding coffees and clipboards, wearing matching white lab coats. That's a bad sign. Is this like a hospital? Chelsea asked, gazing around in awe. I took her hand again, and she gave it a squeeze.

SPEAKER_02 18:07

No, not a hospital, although there are medical professionals here, and we do certainly have access to those kinds of tools.

SPEAKER_03 18:13

He offered us a sly grin. We entered a room with a metal table and four chairs, and not much else. A woman with her hair tied up in a tight bun came in, placed a stack of papers on the table, and scurried away. Kessler gestured for us to take a seat. This he said slowly, looking from me to Chelsea and back again. This is OEM. Do you know what that stands for? He waited for us to shake our heads before continuing.

SPEAKER_04 18:47

This is the Office of Enhanced Methods.

SPEAKER_03 18:51

I blinked at him, the white fluorescent lights making my eyes burn. What does that mean? I'm glad you asked. Kessler leaned back in his seat, folding his hands in his lap.

SPEAKER_02 19:03

Essentially, here at OEM, we test torture methods. See what works, see what doesn't, and see what we need to change or scale back on. You know?

SPEAKER_03 19:13

Oh no! Hell yeah. Alright. I could feel Chelsea looking at me. I looked back. I couldn't quite read her expression, but somehow I still could get the gist.

SPEAKER_02 19:25

Is this uh a government project?

SPEAKER_03 19:31

She asked. Her eyes still locked on mine and her brows furrowing. Kessler chuckled.

SPEAKER_02 19:37

Uh you could say that. So why so why do you need us?

SPEAKER_03 19:43

I asked, even though I felt I might know the answer, finally looking away from my girlfriend and back at the man in front of us. Kessler sighed, leaning forward again, resting his elbows on the table. He had quite a sharp face, but it managed to feel charming and welcoming purely from his expression. I wondered if he'd practice that. I'll level with you, he said, quieter than before.

SPEAKER_02 20:10

We need volunteers. But finding volunteers for something like this is difficult. That's why now we're looking for people like you. People who are interested in doing odd jobs like this one. We're offering a large amount of compensation.

SPEAKER_03 20:27

I pressed my lips together, searching his face for any sign of deception or exaggeration. I found none. I glanced back at Chelsea, who was looking at the stack of paperwork.

SPEAKER_02 20:42

How much is it how much compensation?

SPEAKER_03 20:44

I asked finally, when it became clear that no one else was going to say it. I expected Kessler to laugh. He didn't.

SPEAKER_02 20:54

Are you two looking to get married?

SPEAKER_03 20:57

I felt the room heat up. Truthfully, I had bought the ring a month ago. I was just waiting for the right time. And a time when we could properly plan for a wedding, without the stress of becoming bankrupt for it. Uh yes, I mean, eventually. Have you seen how much those venues cost these days? Kessler raised his eyebrows sympathetically, leaning even closer to us.

SPEAKER_02 21:23

Not to mention a honeymoon. And you're looking to have kids? Start a family? Send those kids to college? Grow old and retire?

SPEAKER_03 21:30

The man actually reached out. Actually took my hand in one of his and Chelsea's in his other. I felt like the air in the room was being sucked out of it.

SPEAKER_02 21:40

I'm going to be honest with the two of you. I am not going to mince words. It's tough out there right now. I could make it so you never have to uh worry about money again.

SPEAKER_03 21:52

He left us in the room to let us talk alone, and I could have sworn I heard the lock click behind him, but to be Fair, I was feeling pretty jumpy by that point. Chelsea and I sat for a moment in silence. This is a lot, she muttered, running her fingers through her hair. This place is crazy. I reached over to flip through the paperwork, chewing on my bottom lip. I saw words like non-disclosure agreement, liability, medical care. I put the paperwork back down and took her hand again. This is a lot of money.

SPEAKER_02 22:31

He seemed serious. Would we be considered like war criminals if we took part in this?

SPEAKER_03 22:38

She laughed. But I could tell she was anxious. I shrugged slowly. She rubbed at her face with her free hand. A nervous habit of hers. I reached over and tucked some hair behind her ear, smiling. She smiled back apprehensively. There was something neither of us were saying, something neither of us wanted to point out. How bad was the job to offer that amount of compensation? Still, there was a buzz between us. This was what we did. We signed up for strange things, for experiences. Chelsea lived for things like this. I think I knew the second we got there that she would end up wanting to do it. When Kessler came back, I stood up, pushing my chair back and wiping my sweaty hands on my jeans.

SPEAKER_02 23:32

What kind of torture are we talking about?

SPEAKER_03 23:35

His smile was wide. I can show you now if you'd like. He explained as he led us back down the hall, guiding us into a different room that was essentially the exact same as the one we had just been in, but with more cameras mounted on the walls and with different chairs. I winced a little when I saw the wrist and ankle restraints attached to the sterile metal frame. Everything we do here stays within these walls, he told us, gesturing for us to take a seat. Chelsea and I shared a look, then obeyed.

SPEAKER_02 24:10

Communication-wise, but also physically. We will do nothing to you permanently, fuck. Fuck. We will do nothing to permanently damage you, and we have medical staff on site for any treatment you may need.

SPEAKER_03 24:29

As if on cue, a man in one of the lab coats bustled into the room, pushing a cart. He began strapping down our wrists, leaving our legs unrestrained.

SPEAKER_02 24:39

Everything is voluntary. Kessler continued. Nothing will happen to you without your explicit consent, although we may need to withhold some details in order to get the most accurate reading on your reactions. You can leave or discontinue your contracts at any time.

SPEAKER_03 24:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 24:56

I'm trying to give him a fucking like kinda upturn at the end.

SPEAKER_03 25:01

Yeah. I think you're doing a solid job. I think I what do we think, guys?

SPEAKER_02 25:08

I want a round I want a round of applause. I don't want to say his name like that. Yeah, for real. I want to stun to the left though. Actually. Um do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Um yeah, um this is like I'm soft thinking of severance.

SPEAKER_03 25:38

Yeah, I was that's what I was thinking. Very severancey. And a few other things I've seen, although I can't pull them. I mean, kind of like hostile. That's actually what I'm thinking, is the I'm it's got the clinical nature of severance. Yes. It's like the setting or like the the vibe of hostile.

SPEAKER_02 25:55

It's got the big feeling of hostile. Yeah. That's what I'm seeing in my head. And I couldn't remember what movie it was.

SPEAKER_03 26:00

But I'm really liking it. Uh so far it's very believable. Uh the character is nice. The writing style is great. I mean, this guy could write a book easily. He's just flow is very natural. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:12

The uh shit, what's it called? Starts with a P. Whereas it's just like people pros. It's just people talking. Yeah, he does a great job.

SPEAKER_03 26:20

Yeah, it's very everyone sounds natural so far. Like the dialogue's not cringe. Um, not by my standards, at least. Yeah. It's good stuff so far. I mean. It's making this piss taste better and better.

SPEAKER_02 26:33

It's kind of funny that this is like something to say, but like the names are pretty believable. Yeah. They're like pretty good names.

SPEAKER_03 26:41

I like Julian Raines. Yeah, it's a pretty real name. Also, although also, Julian Raines, 1999. You couldn't put that on no sleep. Can't put personal info.

SPEAKER_04 26:56

You couldn't put that on no you couldn't put that on no sleep.

SPEAKER_02 27:01

You couldn't.

SPEAKER_03 27:02

Luckily, this isn't on no sleep. It's on r slash scary stories. Oh. Little PSA there that no sleep. Is just crazy. Kind of fucking annoying sometimes, guys. Can't put a name down.

SPEAKER_02 27:15

It is nuts. Yeah. Considering small made up stories that are made up and it's not actually real.

SPEAKER_00 27:23

It's supposed to look real.

SPEAKER_03 27:25

Fuck off.

SPEAKER_02 27:26

Yeah, in real life people have names.

SPEAKER_03 27:28

But at this point, everyone knows no sleep isn't real. Yeah. That was like the thing, you know, back in 2015 or whatever. It could it could be convincing. Now we know. We know damn well it's not real. I don't know why they have to keep the facade up because they are admittedly the biggest uh story like uh outlet for new writers and all that. I wish they would just do away with all that bullshit. But anyway, yeah, good names.

SPEAKER_02 27:55

Good names, good pros. I will say the one thing uh about no sleep, it did work when I was young.

SPEAKER_03 28:00

Yeah. I mean it was fantastic for um the time period.

SPEAKER_02 28:05

Especially when like I was a kid, I had no idea.

SPEAKER_03 28:08

It made sense to have those rules. Yeah. But now everyone knows it's you know not real.

SPEAKER_02 28:15

This is what I will say, this is crazy. So there he's like, have a seat, you know, we're just talking about it. And then they get restrained. They just get restrained immediately. I would have been like, g okay, it's time to okay, I I Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:26

Let's go home and sleep on it.

SPEAKER_02 28:28

Yeah, it's I'm actually gonna leave.

SPEAKER_03 28:30

Obviously, I don't trust this man. No. The fact that they're just getting him right to it, a little fishy. A little spooky. Little fish is um yeah, I don't know where it's gonna go, honestly.

SPEAKER_02 28:46

I don't either, but from the name, all we know is that they accept this job and it goes too far. So I'm wondering what too far is, so I guess we gotta see what they're about to do.

SPEAKER_03 28:53

Sure thing. Okay. Um yeah, so Kessler just said you can you can basically discontinue this at any time. Uh Ideally. Yeah, we'll see. The man in lab coat started putting on medical gloves. I swallowed hard. What is he gonna do? Kessler nodded at the man, who procured a syringe from his cart, examining the needle carefully and then picking up a little glass bottle to draw from. This is let's call it a sample.

SPEAKER_02 29:27

This is something we've been working on for a while now, and it's already been tested many times with a high success rate.

SPEAKER_03 29:33

I wondered what a high success rate in this context was. A large sum of pain? The right amount of screaming.

SPEAKER_02 29:42

Usually, we'd probably hook you up to various brain sensors, but we'll start light today.

SPEAKER_03 29:48

The doctor, was he a doctor, approached Chelsea, who squirmed anxiously. He wiped her arm with an alcohol swab and began feeling around for a good vein. I watched her, trying to look encouraging when her eyes met mine.

SPEAKER_02 30:07

This is sort of liquid electrocution per se.

SPEAKER_03 30:14

Great!

SPEAKER_02 30:15

That's fucking crazy. Yeah. That's crazy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:18

That would suck. Ugh, it's gross. I hate needles and veins and everything, so this is gross to me.

SPEAKER_02 30:24

Yeah, that's the torture. Imagine getting like your insides all like staticky. Buzzied.

SPEAKER_03 30:31

Ugh. Yeah, that also doesn't sound nice. Before either of us could reply to that, the doctor was inserting the needle into Chelsea's arm and pushing down on the plunger. I watched her body seize up, her eyes going wide and glassy. She was perfectly still for a moment, save for her mouth falling open, and her entire face going slack. And then she began to twitch and spasm, her limbs jerking with no control. Then she screamed. A gurgling, horrifying sound. And I was stuck with panic. I was so distracted I barely felt the needle sliding into my own arm. And then it felt like I was being set on fire. We didn't go back to that place for a couple of months. Kessler told us to take our time to think about it. As he handed us a tall stack of dollar bills. The feeling of the money almost bulging out of my pocket almost made up for the pain. He had told the truth. They didn't last. It felt like the effects of the injection lasted an hour, but we were told it had only been a few minutes before it wore off. I expected it to be weak leaving the facility. Or I expected to be weak leaving the facility, and prepared myself to be embarrassed to handle it worse than my girlfriend did. But the feeling faded fast. In fact, I almost felt more alive. We were given a brief interview where a younger man scribbled extensive notes, and then we were free to go. The first thing Chelsea said to me when we got outside was, What a rush! Chocolate milk on me, girl.

SPEAKER_02 32:23

Just like running down the street. Let's go to the milk bar.

SPEAKER_03 32:25

Dude, that did I pause everything with that?

SPEAKER_02 32:30

From eyes wide shut. Milk bar. Or no, I'm a clockwork orange. Yeah, what the fuck? No, it was in Eyes Wide Shut. That was the party. That was Eyes Wide Shut. That was a milk bar.

SPEAKER_03 32:40

That was a milk bar. Yeah. They were drinking milk that whole movie. Do you remember masks?

SPEAKER_02 32:44

Because they didn't want people to see their milk bustache.

SPEAKER_03 32:47

Got milk? Not them. Nope. Nope. They made them add. They were embarrassed because milk is like a children's drink. Don't look at milk. They're supposed to be drinking wine and gin and adult things, but they like the milk.

SPEAKER_02 32:59

And we sit here drinking piss.

SPEAKER_03 33:03

Like real men.

SPEAKER_02 33:04

Okay. This is insane.

SPEAKER_03 33:06

Yeah, I love this so far. It's really uh it's really engaging. And I'm a little bit engaging.

SPEAKER_02 33:12

It's moving at the a really nice pace.

SPEAKER_03 33:15

Yeah, it's just, yeah, it's just the beats are nice. Yes. I like the pacing.

SPEAKER_02 33:20

Uh what a rush. She said, that's so fucked up. I get this. Chelsea's like She's kind of a bad girl.

SPEAKER_03 33:28

She's gonna she's she's the one that's gonna like she's she's the vehicle to bring this to the next level, I think. She's into this. Yeah. Beyond the money.

SPEAKER_02 33:38

She's she's got she definitely is a screw loose.

SPEAKER_03 33:40

Yeah, like she's an adrenaline junkie, clearly.

SPEAKER_02 33:43

But in a way that's like a little bit uh not not uh reckless is not the right word. And not self-harm is not the right word, but if you like combine them.

SPEAKER_03 33:53

She's like reckless with her self Rolf harm.

SPEAKER_02 34:00

Rm. No, but she yeah. Uh I mean, obviously, like the adrenaline thing is like putting yourself in danger, but there's like a step further than that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:09

Where like There is a word I can't think of it.

SPEAKER_02 34:13

You're like almost. Yeah, I don't know. But that's her, and she's about to get this nice young man into careless. She's car.

SPEAKER_03 34:25

This bitch is careless. She's careless. Throwing her life away.

SPEAKER_02 34:28

And she's gonna take this nice young man into the pits of hell. Drag him across a style. Yeah. Drag him across a cheese grater and leave him down there.

SPEAKER_03 34:40

I like the roam the romantic elements that's going on. Because you don't really see that a lot. Yeah. Except in like the best of creepy pastas and scary stories online. Uh they'll implement like romance or coming of age stuff, and it that always works really well. But I like that.

SPEAKER_02 34:57

If it works, it's it's the delineation line because if a I I'd say a lot of people do it. If it's if if it's done well, yeah, it's very, very good.

SPEAKER_03 35:05

But if it's like a 14-year-old who's never like experienced love, it's like, uh I kissed her and she was sexy, but then she died. But this feels very organic. Like this person's definitely a little older, more matured, has like probably experienced lost love. Yeah, has has had some heartbreak. Uh also understands it at least. But yeah, I'm like bought into the relationship, and I am a little scared about what's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_02 35:34

Well, you could tell that this is like uh fuck, what do you call it? I mean it's like it's burning hot.

unknown 35:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:43

It's burning really hot, it's burning too hot because it's gonna burn out. Yeah. This is like something bad's gonna happen. That flame is way too hot.

SPEAKER_03 35:50

Yeah. It reminds me of Better Call Saul, which you haven't seen. No.

SPEAKER_02 35:55

That that's uh that's how I would describe a certain relationship between Jesse and the uh the girl who is also. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 36:05

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 36:05

Yeah. Yes. And they're having it so good, and shit's so right.

SPEAKER_03 36:09

That's probably a better example.

SPEAKER_02 36:10

But they same thing, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:13

Same riders, they fall over the same patterns, but yeah, definitely burn and aught.

SPEAKER_02 36:19

That's how I feel about that Saul guy from the better called Saul thing.

SPEAKER_03 36:22

Saw Man. Saw. Alright. Fuck. What a rush! Sorry, I okay. Still, we we waited a while. It felt like a next step in our odd jobs hobby to make this a regular thing. Like something a little bit depraved. It was dystopian. It was strange and scary. Even though the sensation was gone, I could vividly remember what the injection had done to me, how it had torn through my veins, how I had wondered if I was dying. And that was supposed to just be a sample. But eventually, neither of us could stay away. The money was good. Beyond good. At first, we kept it a secret from each other, as if we were doing something bad. She would head off to work, and I would drive to the warehouse. They would inject me, feed me things, they made me sick, toss me around, even beat me, and then I would drive home, still reeling and sore. Chelsea started acting strange, staying up after I went to bed, but I couldn't exactly call her out on it, because I was being strange too. Literally, the next like paragraph, the burning hot thing is like extremely like there. They're fucking sneaking off to get beaten a warehouse. That's awesome. They won't even tell each other. Alright. Neither of us wanted to put any pressure on the other, I guess. And I don't think either of us liked the idea of the other getting tortured.

SPEAKER_02 38:00

That was my thought. Like w r right, that paragraph. Yeah. I was like, they definitely just don't want the other one doing it.

SPEAKER_03 38:07

Yeah. It'd be hard to do it like the first time when they were together.

SPEAKER_02 38:11

I thought about that, you know. That's horrible.

SPEAKER_03 38:14

Oh, if you see someone you love. Like especially because they're kinda in like a honeymoon phase. They're super in love. They got the butterflies.

SPEAKER_04 38:23

No, Chelsea!

SPEAKER_03 38:25

Chelsea! She's getting stuck by fucking.

SPEAKER_04 38:28

They put electricity in her blood!

SPEAKER_03 38:33

They're electrocuting her blood!

SPEAKER_04 38:36

No!

SPEAKER_03 38:39

Beat the hell out of you! Kessel Kessler fucking get out of these cuffs. I'm picturing Napoleon Dynamite now. Kessler! You're bound! I can get out of these cuffs. I'm gonna car out of your ass when I get out of these cuffs.

SPEAKER_02 38:53

He's sitting there with his arms cuffed. Yeah. And he's just staring at Kessler. He's like, I can get out of these cuffs. And then he just keeps staring at it.

SPEAKER_03 39:06

I can break these cuffs. I can get all of these. That's like a really old viral video. Yeah. I can break these cuffs.

SPEAKER_02 39:16

You probably don't remember. He definitely wasn't Southern.

SPEAKER_03 39:20

It was in Las Vegas. I think it was Las Vegas.

SPEAKER_02 39:23

I'm pretty sure.

SPEAKER_03 39:25

Shut the fuck up. Drink your piss. I could drink this p. I could drink this piss. Maybe we got we gotta get back to they don't like the idea of each other being tortured, so they're sneaking out and doing it on their own.

SPEAKER_02 39:39

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 39:40

At least they're not cheating on each other. Such a good couple. God ghouls, guys. Alright. It was all but confirmed in my mind that we were both doing the same thing when I caught her coming through the front door at almost 3 a.m., rubbing at her temple like she had a horrible migraine. I was sitting on the couch reading a book, waiting for her. She stopped cold, her eyes going wide. I couldn't help but chuckle.

SPEAKER_02 40:08

Cheating on me?

SPEAKER_03 40:10

I guess. She laughed, plopping down next to me on the couch. Not exactly. Alright, what are these voices?

SPEAKER_02 40:20

Not exactly Well now, I mean, honestly, they're just okay. The cheating only thing was real because it made her laugh. Yeah. And it was obviously he doesn't think that because he figured it out. Yeah. And then she figured out that he figured it out. So she's being silly back. They're so uh healthy at the moment. They're so ideal. They're so ideal.

SPEAKER_03 40:41

I wish like I thought this was gonna build contention between them, but it seems like they're about to healthfully just talk about it. Alright. I pulled her to me, and she rested her head on my shoulder.

SPEAKER_02 40:54

Let's just do it together, okay? From now on, let's just do it together.

SPEAKER_03 40:59

I waited for an answer, but after a minute, all I got was a snore. Just like that. We went together the next weekend. Kessler greeted us, patting each of us on our backs cheerfully.

SPEAKER_02 41:23

Great to see you two together again. The work you both have been doing here is just fantastic.

SPEAKER_03 41:32

Chelsea and I eyed each other, and she gave me a little punch on the arm. I grinned at her.

SPEAKER_02 41:39

I have something different for you two today. Now that you're here together, if you're up for it.

SPEAKER_03 41:45

No. We had a good thing going, Kessler. My smile faded a little, twisting into mild concern. I licked my lips. Different how. He waved me off, guiding us into one of the rooms. The same chairs greeted us with their cuffs and restraints. A doctor was already inside, toying with some kind of strap. It looked sort of like a headband.

SPEAKER_02 42:16

We'd like to try something more psychological. What? Got more there. We'd like to try something more psychological. Than you're used to.

SPEAKER_03 42:31

I stopped in my tracks. Kessler and Chelsea both turned to face me. Their eyebrows in sync. Psychological torture? I was getting vivid images in my head. All of the psychological horror movies I'd ever seen rushing back to me. Physical pain was one thing, but sanity was delicate. Something that shouldn't be played with. Kessler approached me, placing his hands on each of my shoulders, and offered me a reassuring smile. Think about it, Mr. Reigns. He said. Shut the fuck up.

SPEAKER_02 43:14

Listen. What do they say? What do you say when it's you're playing a game and then you fuck it up the first time? It's just a test. Oh. It's a skill issue. It's a it's a skill issue. That but also uh we're just cold. Yeah, it's really cold. Uh this is just a joke, and that was a joke, and this is a joke. It's all Minecraft. It's all Minecraft. So the next video is gonna be the next podcast is gonna be really good. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 43:44

This is all this is the Minecraft podcast. We actually built this entire thing in Minecraft.

SPEAKER_02 43:49

This is one of those episodes that's n when you look back on the distography, you go, That one wasn't the best one.

SPEAKER_03 43:55

Yeah, this is the one you skip over. But the story's not not 'cause of the story, 'cause of the hosts. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:00

Yeah, there's some of those out there.

SPEAKER_03 44:02

Yeah, I'm just kidding. I guess. Think about it, Mr. Reigns. And blah blah blah. His uh he said, his voice kind.

SPEAKER_02 44:16

I'm gonna skip over your shit. I'm gonna say blah blah blah. I'm just gonna read all the Yeah, you just do it. It will be a brief test.

SPEAKER_03 44:25

Alright, don't do the little widowly voice on me.

SPEAKER_02 44:29

Keep it together. Keep it together. So funny. The vo the voice is so close to that. I know. I mean. It will uh it will be a brief test. It'll only last around 30 seconds. Like I've said, nothing will leave this facility. And we have professionals to assess your middle state directly afterwards. Thirty s thirty seconds for enough money to buy you a used car.

SPEAKER_03 44:56

I worried my lips together. The fear I'd had in the past creeping back in. If it wasn't dangerous, why was it worth so much money? Sorry, I read that wrong because a cop just fucking lit the lights up. I worried my lips together. The fear I'd had in the past creeping back in. If it wasn't dangerous, why was it worth so much? Worth more than we'd been paid for anything before. Come on, Jules. Chelsea smiled at me from behind him. She didn't look afraid, and it soothed me a little. We'll do it together. I nodded reluctantly. Almost as soon as my chin raised to do so, the doctor was slipping the headband on. Two metal plates digging into my forehead. I felt my muscles tense up. We took our seats, and Chelsea reached over to grab my hand. They didn't strap us down this time, which I hardly thought about until after it was too late. The doctor put Chelsea's headband on too, and she made a face at me, which made me bite back a laugh. Ready? Kessler asked. Then he nodded at the doctor, who pressed something on what looked like a keyboard, and Julie started to scream. The second he touched the thing, she was screaming. It wasn't like any scream I had ever heard before. Not like the one from the first time we'd been here, and not in any horror movie. Certainly never in real life. It felt like my eardrums were bursting, and it only grew louder and more shrill. It was desperate. It was beyond torture, beyond pain, beyond anything a human could possibly endure. I imagined hell. I imagine I imagined that souls being dragged to damnation. Might sound something like that scream. I wasn't even religious. She squeezed my hand and I felt my bones cracking. Josie! Josie? I rocketed out of my seat, trying to shake her, trying to ignore the searing pain. She wouldn't let go of my hand, couldn't. Her hands were wide open and dead, looking right at me, but not seeing anything. Still, tears streamed from them, more tears than I'd ever seen anyone cry. I whipped back around, the doctor was typing urgently at his computer, and Kessler was staring, his hands out, and his eyes moving rapidly back and forth like he was in shock. Jesus Christ, do something! I screamed. Fucking do something! Chelsea was gasping now, a ragged sound that bounced around in my head. It felt like I could do it felt like I could hear nothing, but that horrible wet gasp. Just dead air and her throat clawing for breath, drool seeping from her mouth and down her chin. Finally, I ripped the headband off her. Instantly, she went slack, letting go of my hand. The room was silent for a moment. Then Kessler muttered something to the other man, and the doctor rushed out the door.

SPEAKER_02 48:28

Oh shit. Chelsea? Ah shit, Chelsea. I was in it. I was like actually like I was reading along, but I was seeing it in my head. Pretty pretty good. Chelsea?

SPEAKER_03 48:44

How'd it look in your head? It's terrible horrible. It is horrible. I'm picturing the dentist office.

SPEAKER_02 48:51

Basically. Base yeah, basically. Chelsea? Chelsea!

SPEAKER_03 48:58

Baby, are you okay? I kneeled in front of her, rubbing her knee. She wouldn't look at me. Wouldn't move. For a second, I wondered if she was dead. Please answer me. Right when I was about to check her pulse, her head turned. She wasn't screaming anymore, but her eyes were just as dead as they had been before when they met mine. They didn't even look like her eyes anymore. She opened her mouth, and out of it came a horrible whispery sound, like she'd forgotten how to use her tongue. I leaned in closer, trying to smile at her weakly. What is it, honey? Please. She gasped. No more. I felt hot. I felt like I had a horrible fever. I reached up, I touched her wet face.

SPEAKER_05 49:57

It's over, baby.

SPEAKER_03 49:59

No more. It's over. She stared at me. If you could call it that. But she wasn't in her body anymore. This was something else. She twitched. Just kill me. I turned back to look at Kessler. He looked just as shocked as I did, anxiously adjusting his tie. For a moment we met eyes, and I knew what he was thinking. Something had gone horribly, unbelievably wrong here. And he didn't know how to fix it. The effects the next few hours were a horrible blur. I remember doctors rushing around, wheeling Chelsea out of the room, despite my pleas to know where they were going, to let me go with them. I sat alone in the cold, sterile room, her scream echoing around in my head. I cried. I begged the cameras in the corners of the room. I banged my head against the table. Someone came in and bandaged up my broken hand, but no one would tell me anything. It felt like days that I was in there. Honestly, it could have been. When the door finally opened again and Kessler stepped through it, I couldn't even feel relieved. I just felt broken. Where is she? I croaked, raising my head. Is she okay? He said nothing. Just sat down in front of me. He was back to business. The horrified expression I'd last seen him have completely wiped away. Although I could have sworn his face was a little pale. He took an envelope out of his pocket and placed it on the metal table between us. Miss Sutherland is right outside. She's unharmed and feeling fine. I choked out a sob. I couldn't help it. I hid my face in my hands. Kessler cleared his throat and continued.

SPEAKER_02 52:11

You are to take this envelope. Inside is a check for$700,000. And one of our drivers is going to take you to the emergency room, where you will need to What? Where you will have your hand? That's it? Fuck! I'm starting over. I just can't I just can't believe it's just about the hand. It's just the hand. You are to take this envelope. Inside is a check for$700,000. One of our drivers is going to take you to an emergency room where you will have your hand properly treated. Any further medical bills will be completely covered by us. You are to do this and then go home and never return here. Do you understand?

SPEAKER_03 52:51

I looked up at him, and I nodded. I was angry. I wanted to yell, demand answers, threaten to sue, but I was far too exhausted for any of that. I just wanted to see Chelsea. I just wanted to go home. Kessler nodded, his mouth pressed into a thin line.

SPEAKER_02 53:17

We at OEM are terribly ashamed about what took place today.

SPEAKER_03 53:22

Please accept our deepest condolences. Something about that rubbed me the wrong way, made my skin prickle, but my mind was numb. I just nodded again, taking the envelope and shoving it into my pocket. Chelsea was just outside, like he'd said, and she smiled when she saw me. I gathered her in my arms and squeezed, breathing in the scent of her hair, kissing the side of her neck.

SPEAKER_05 53:52

Thank God you're okay. Hey.

SPEAKER_02 53:58

Well, I feel like it's about to be like she's not even the same person. Yeah, like a vegetable.

SPEAKER_03 54:02

Hey. Hey. Don't cry. She pulled back, kissing my cheek. She pulled back, kissing my cheek and wiping away my tears.

SPEAKER_04 54:14

I'm more than okay, baby.

SPEAKER_03 54:16

What a rush. A laugh burst out of me like an uncontrollable cough. You're a psychopath.

SPEAKER_04 54:26

You like it?

SPEAKER_02 54:33

The story doesn't really deserve this. Yeah. I'm sorry. You're bad.

SPEAKER_03 54:39

As promised, we were taken to the hospital where I was put in a cast. My hand was broken in three different places. As Chelsea sat with me while they examined it, a horrible, anxious feeling crept over me. When I looked at her, all she did was smile. I couldn't sleep that night. I stared at the ceiling, white spots drifting across my vision, my hand throbbing dully on my chest. Chelsea's back pressed against the side of my arm was the only thing that made me feel any calmer. I turned to look at the back of her head, chewing on my lip. The room felt too quiet, too dark after spending so long in that bright, sterile room. I was restless. Chelsea? I whispered. Are you awake? She said nothing. She wasn't snoring, but I swore I could hear her heart beating. Kathunk. Kathunk. Kathunk. I sighed. What did you feel? When it was happening. I knew she wouldn't respond, but I asked anyways. I needed to talk, even if it was just to myself. Kathunk. Kathunk. I felt her shift a little, her back moving with each of her breaths. Her heartbeat began to speed up. Only then did I begin to wonder why I could hear it all and so loud. I sat up a little, leaning on my elbows. I stroked her hair. Hey baby. Are you okay? No answer. Ca thunk, kathunk, kathunk. Suddenly I had that feeling. I had that feeling children get at night. When they become positive there's someone in the closet or just outside their bedroom door. Someone they don't know. Panic raced through me, and whether it was rational or not, I had to see her face. I had to be sure she was alive and she was herself, and she was real. I reached over and took her arm, rolling her towards me. Chelsea's eyes were wide open, bloodshot, and my heart jumped into my throat when I realized it hadn't been her heartbeat that I had been hearing. It had been her gasping for air, her throat closing and opening again rapidly, swallowing and heaving dryly in the dark like an animal about to throw up. Cathunk, kathunk, cathunk. I shook her awake, sitting straight up in the bed. She gasped, blinking at me almost sleepily, rubbing at her eyes. Julian Her voice was raspy, tired and dry, but otherwise normal. I flicked on the bedside lamp, breathing hard. Babe, what's wrong? I shook my head. I couldn't look at her. Couldn't breathe. I felt her wrap her arms around me, shushing me gently and stroking my hair.

SPEAKER_05 57:46

You you were Sh it's okay. It's okay now. Jules?

SPEAKER_02 57:59

Oh, it's still her. Yeah. It's the yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_05 58:03

You were Sh it's okay, it's okay now, Jules. I'm okay. Just a bad dream.

SPEAKER_03 58:11

But it wasn't a dream. I knew it wasn't. After that, my girlfriend was different. She wasn't herself. I tried to go back to normal. She certainly tried to. She went to work like before, saw her friends, watched television with me on our couch, but it didn't feel like she was really there anymore. She didn't sleep much at all, and when she did, it was strange and restless. I more than once caught her sleeping with her eyes wide open, just like that first night. Once I asked her what her dreams had been like recently, and she hesitated before telling me.

SPEAKER_02 58:57

You know how when meat is fresh and the muscles are still alive, so they move and squirm, even though the animal is dead?

SPEAKER_03 59:04

She smiled and ruffled my hair. That's what the back of my eyelids look like now. Oh God.

SPEAKER_02 59:14

Jeez, that's actually that's that's pretty scary.

SPEAKER_03 59:16

Yeah, what the fuck? The worst part was how normal she pretended to be, how fine she told me she felt, how she kissed me like always, and how she tried to joke, but it never came out quite right. I reached my limit one night, a month later, when I got home after having a drink with some friends. The house was completely dark, completely silent, completely still. The second I opened the door, I felt it. The unexplainable terror, like there was a man in the closet. It didn't feel right in there. Nothing felt like it was in the right place, even though I knew it must have been. Everything just felt wrong. Chelsea, I called out quietly, shrugging off my jacket, wet from the rain. Are you awake, honey? No answer. I went to go upstairs when I saw her. She was down our hallway, her head was half poking out around the corner, only her eyes showing in the darkness wide open, staring at me, but not seeing me. I hate that. That's pretty fucked up. Her head was half poking around around the corner. Uh gross. She started to scream, and it was even worse to not be able to see her mouth. She screamed in short bursts like a panting dog, the blood curdling sounds jolting out of her. So I don't like that part at all where she's peeking around the corner. Imagine that totally dark hallway. Well, I would just see your your girlfriend like poking around the corner. No, I'd hate it. And then she just starts going in a completely silent house.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:06

I think it's like, you know, you joke, you tease, you even maybe try to give a fright to your partner and you yeeeze. Perhaps. But you know, like, I I definitely do all that. You know, it's fun. Um I do all this. Hide behind a door and just you know, jump out and stuff. Um but this is like, you know, you get home, all the lights are out, it's she should, you know, she's probably in bed. You see that, you're like, what the fuck? You know, it scares you and you stop, you're like, oh whatever. But then imagine like a real screaming, like stuttered screaming like this. Like loud.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:46

The pants of a dog. That's such a unique like description of screaming. Because usually you think of screams in like long or like a short yelp. This is like short yelp, just over and over and over while she's staring at him from across a dark hallway. Yeah. I'm sure like us.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:06

You just see only the whites of her eyes. It's like so fucked up. That's gross. So this is like, you know, it's in the horror movie. What? It's in the horror story subreddit. What is it? Scary stories. Scary stories, yeah. I was like, man, this is, you know, it's it's a it's it's a good story. It's like kinda scary. I know it's going somewhere, but this is like all of a sudden spooky. Yeah, like actually scary.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:33

You've got me. Alright. She started to scream, and it was even worse to not be able to see her mouth. She screamed in short bursts like a panting dog, the blood curdling sounds jolting out of her. Fight or flight kicked in. I turned around and walked right back out the door, closing it behind me.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:59

That's not totally valid, though.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:02

Fuck that. I'm going to Chili's. I walked until I was across the street before looking back at the house. She was in our bedroom window. The lights turned on, illuminating her silhouette. I watched her rear back and slam her head into the glass once, then again, then again, something dark and liquid trickling down the f to the frame. The paramedics had to tie her down to keep her from thrashing or from hurting herself. I watched as they took her away, begging them to kill her. I tried to call OEM, but all I got was a message that the number had been disconnected. I drove back there while she was still in the hospital, but there was nothing left but an empty warehouse. When I picked her up, she was completely normal again. The only proof of the episode being the stitches on her forehead. It was that day, the day I picked her up, when I felt completely broken down and helpless, that I started to hear her voice. Honey. I looked over at my girlfriend, or what my girlfriend had become. She was staring out the window, smiling peacefully. What was that? She glanced at me. Her smile widening. Nothing, Julian. I didn't say anything. I turned back to the road, convinced I was just losing my mind. I had to be. It would make sense. But then I heard it again.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:51

Julian, open your eyes, honey. It's okay. Jesus Christ, Kessler.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:58

Would you take that thing? Oh fuck, I'm gonna do it again.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:00

Fuck!

SPEAKER_02 1:05:01

The most important.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:03

Julian, open your eyes, honey. It's okay. Jesus Christ, Kessler, would you take that thing off him? I think he's had enough.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:11

It's been weeks since then now. We're home. We're safe. Or at least that's what Chelsea says. I'm trying to believe her. I know it was in my head. I know it was just whatever that device did to me. But it felt so real when it was happening. I'm terrified one day I'll wake up again in that room, and I don't think if I did, I would bounce back so quickly. And that is the end. Oh my god, if my girlfriend and I get tortured for a living, something went seriously wrong during her last session, and now she's different.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:00

We don't want to fructose corn zero towards our high fructose corn zero from both uh well from cows, of course. And we do it ethically, and we put those cows. I mean the fructose corn zero in a great big truck to a great big building. And somehow it all ends up on your kitchen table for you to enjoy it. So good at all make your art.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:32

That ending was fucking nuts! That was did they just throw in there at the end the very, very, very last few sentences that he was still in his psychological torture?

SPEAKER_02 1:06:43

Yeah. Now, listen. It is really good. Yeah. But it's also like And then I woke up from the dream. And then I woke up.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:54

Well, it's But it's better than that. It is. It's kind of the opposite. Well, not the opposite, but he's still in the dream.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:01

Well, yeah, he's like, That's what that's saying, right?

SPEAKER_03 1:07:03

Like he's he had a little almost like a coma thing. Like when you're in a coma and you can hear people talking to you from the outside.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:13

Is that what you got from the ending?

SPEAKER_03 1:07:15

Well, I think it's back now.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:19

I think I think it is open-ended. But what I understood is he's in the coma. Yeah. He wakes up, like last two paragraphs, and the last little bit, the last paragraph is basically like, I woke up from that. But I like have no idea if my reality's real. What if I wake up again? I don't know if I come back. Like at that point I'm done. Like I have no idea what's real at all. Yeah. Yeah. That's so fucked up.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:47

Yeah. That's cool. That's a cool story.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:52

It is.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:52

It's not as I'm It's not as in your face. It's kinda it's referencing the story itself. It's psychological.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:03

Everything we read, basically. Or like like to read. This was good. Not that we didn't like it. Uh is has been and probably will be, for the most part, supernatural. Or like adjacent. Where it's like the cave. Or like there's an entity. There's an entity drumming the cloud. Uh yeah. Yeah, exactly. And this was like I was expecting something like that, kinda waiting for it. When she stuck her head around and was screaming, I was like, Yeah. Oh, she's turned into a goblin.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:36

Like holy shit. Yeah, the They've they've given her the goblin drug.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:42

That was cool though.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:43

That was cool. I like how there was no supernatural element, just kind of psychological torment and not really knowing. I guess at the end you don't even know like if this is a reliable narrator or not. Kind of like where the fuck is he?

SPEAKER_02 1:08:59

Yeah. And it's like at least I think this is what it wants, is like, yeah, this is when they both came back and he's in the psychological part, like the last one they did. Um but who knows? It could be any of 'em. Yeah. Or though it could be it's either that one or it's the first one.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:20

The first ever. But I think it's when they first went to Kessler.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:26

Probably not, but uh That's a fun idea too.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:28

I think I think there's enough uh like open-endedness to it where you can you can play around with i any of those. It's the first time they ever went, or it's like what happened in the story chronologically. Cool story though, I really liked that. Um written, great pacing all the way through. Good dialogue, I would say. Um convincing romance. Yeah. Yeah, they get it they get it on until they don't.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:02

And then he Yeah. The um title of the story. Yeah. I mean it is what happens. Like that's it's now it's actually referencing his psychological torment. It's like something went wrong with her shit, but it's actually the vision he had. But it led me the whole time to believe that it was all real. Like all the stuff he was seeing with her. Yeah. So the the title kind of I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:32

Plays with you.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:33

But yeah, it plays with you, yeah. Because it makes sense after you finish reading it, but while I'm reading, I'm like, yep, that's what's happening. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I'm not questioning a thing.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:41

Yeah. You got the reliable narrator for a lot of it. You trust his word and his his perception of what's happening, and then it it gets flipped on its head right at the end there. Very solid.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:55

That's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:56

Love when that happens. Um it's really cold.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:01

Yeah, it's horribly cold. It's like honestly super aggravating.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:06

I know. Not about it.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:08

I just want to feel comfortable in my own skin.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:10

I know. Why do people live I don't get you people that live way up high up in the northern areas of of the world. That's just fucking diabolical. That's torture. Such horsecock. That's like done. It's like a form of self-torment, self-hate. Uh, sadism. Disrespect, sadism, all of it. Why do you put yourself through this shit? It's miserable. It's cold.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:33

Uncomfortable. My fucking muscles are tightening up. I feel like I have a fucking two paddles on my head and I'm gonna torture with my girlfriend.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:39

Oh yeah. Fuck. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 1:11:43

I mean, fuck. Honestly though.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:46

You've been there.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:48

It makes it hard to like. I'm like trying to read the story, my hands are seizing up.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:53

Yeah, my I'm trying to unscrew this piss jug right now, and it's just really hard to do.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:58

Uh realistically, when it's warm, my narration's gonna be so fucking good. Oh yeah? I do, I will, I'll I'll take the L. I gotta take some shit. Oh. It's a good story. I didn't need to joke joke on it so much.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:17

Well, I don't think it was I don't think it was too bad. You gotta you gotta poke fun at things sometimes. I mean, we weren't even poking fun at the story, it was more just like, what if I said this in a silly voice? Okay. Okay. But um that was the story. I don't want to read the title again because it's long. My girlfriend and I get tortured for a living. Um we will link it in the description. We will link uh orange PLR PLRs. Orange P L R's PL Reddit as well. Uh I'm not sure why that's all I was told to link, and uh I agree. So I'm gonna put that in there. You guys can read. This was a fucking banger and a half, so uh that leads me to believe all the other ones are of the same quality or better. Uh so give old Orange PLR here a round of applause and a pat on the back and a f an uh an updote or something. I don't know what you fucking weird Redditors do. Give him give this kind stranger some gold. Why don't you do that?

SPEAKER_02 1:13:28

Guy, it's just a dude in like rags. You can see the the the green smell marks coming off him. They're like it's like a it's like medieval peasant. Give him give him some gold. Give him some gold.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:41

The peasant. Um yeah, we're probably gonna scoot boot and boogie out of here because we're gonna freeze to death. We've been climatized to the warm weather, and now it's just right back to February where we left off, so it's been fitting. But uh thanks for tuning in. Uh we will plan on coming back next Thursday. Yeah. Um there shouldn't be any other fucking we have no natural disasters on the docket for this month. At the moment, it is tornado season though. But nothing is uh warning of it at the moment. We'll let you know.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:17

There's there's yeah, for sure there are big warnings.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:20

There's big warnings?

SPEAKER_02 1:14:21

Yeah, it's gonna like storm all next week. Well this weekend next week.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:26

Tornadically? I think so.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:28

When it storms that much.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:29

Fuck. Well, we'll see, guys. We'll try it out here.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:33

You find out, you'll see next week.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:34

We're living through the new world here. Um, thanks for tuning in, watching us freeze to death and read a cool fucking story. Support the author, check out our other episodes. We've got five other bangerinos on the YouTube channel, on the audio platforms. We're on Spotify, we're on YouTube, yeah, we're on all the other audio things. Money. We got Instagram, we got TikTok. Fuck yeah. Yeah, we got subscribe buttons. We got subscribers, we got subscribers, we got followers. You should follow us. Yeah, I write stories as well. You check that out on Reddit. That's everything, that's pretty sure everything's linked. It's money. Um, yeah, I love you. I love you, and uh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:14

I love you. I love you. I love you, and I love you. I love you, and I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.

unknown 1:15:22

I love you.