Vulture Facade - Episode 1

Vulture Facade is a fictional series broken into short episodes. It is inspired by the idea that sometimes we can create an identity for ourselves and attach to it as a form of protection to the outside world.

Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:02

You are listening to Serena Grassa Podcast. Each short fictional story is written and creatively directed by Serena Grassa. If you like the podcast, please remember to follow and subscribe. The next story is the first episode of a series called Vulture Facade. Lola was pissed.

SPEAKER_05 0:24

Fed up with being taken advantage of, sick of people that were vultures, she had recently been roped into free babysitting, like she had no life of her own or nothing better to do. The more she thought about it, the more irritated she felt. How could she get out of this? She just didn't want to do it. She was sick of being taken for a ride and not an ounce of appreciation. Well, just fake appreciation that was clearly manipulative. All this babysitting would lead to is just more of the same crap and seemingly endless abuse of her free time. Just because she didn't work anymore, that was the problem. Maybe she should have stayed working. Then she wouldn't be home, so couldn't be asked to babysit. The more she thought about the upcoming babysitting, the more annoyed and anxious she felt. She would end up doing it always. She needed a good excuse, and she needed one fast.

SPEAKER_03 1:40

Benny heard the phone vibrate, inhaled a breath, and held it prison inside of him, thinking if he somehow stopped there and didn't exhale, he could hide from what was to come.

SPEAKER_04 1:53

He just didn't want to deal with the latest annoyance on his phone. Yeah, right, he thought. Staying in would likely last only one night, if even. Then it will be another message asking him to pay for a meal, clothes, rent, electricity bill, and basically never-ending. This had to stop. Why were they so irresponsible? What would they do when he was gone? What if he got sick and died? Then how would they survive financially? He needed to make them more responsible somehow.

SPEAKER_07 2:56

Today, though, oh boy. Her pile to get through at five minutes to six was clearly three times the size of everyone else's. And that's not all. Everything was classification red for urgent less than 24-hour turnaround. Why on earth did they accept more urgents? They were so money hungry and not an ounce of respect for their staff. And their staff? Well, don't get me started, she thought. One had never used a sewing machine before their first day. When exactly was Clarissa supposed to train her? In all that free time she never had, was it? Another staff member always going home to supposed family emergencies, which was more likely, I don't want to play anymore, so I'm going home scenarios. And the last staff member had the longest conversations ever with the customers: vacation, diet plans, best car to buy. What on earth had any of that got to do with taking measurements, may I ask? She had just had it. She literally wanted the shop to burn down so she wouldn't have to feel this furiosity anymore.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

Lola, Benny, and Clarissa that night all sat down to escape their world and problems for a while by listening to their favorite fiction podcast. It just so happened that would be the same podcast. And if you try hard enough to escape this world using fiction, you really can.

SPEAKER_06 4:36

Go quickly, Lola. Faster. Just keep running.

SPEAKER_04 4:41

Look, there's someone up ahead. If you just keep going, you'll get to them. Don't stop.

SPEAKER_07 4:48

There is no time for slowing down or breaks. You are almost there. Just keep running. I made it.

SPEAKER_08 4:57

Hey, I'm Lola. What are your names?

SPEAKER_02 5:00

I'm Benny. I'm Clarissa. Why were you both running so fast?

SPEAKER_00 5:06

Just wanted to let the story absorb me. So I imagined I was running too.

SPEAKER_08 5:10

Me too. I just really wanted to escape my problems for a while. I guess we should go back soon. To our worlds, you know. Does anyone know the way?

SPEAKER_01 5:21

You are not going back yet. You're all here for a reason. The same reason, in fact. What do you mean? Each one of you had become victims to vultures in your lives, vultures of your time, vultures of your money, vultures of your capacity and morale.

SPEAKER_08 5:41

That's true. I had become victim. Me too.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

Yes, you had, and all three of you were just about to create a facade as a mechanism to deal with your problems. What do you mean, facade? I mean, you were going to create something about yourself, which just isn't true, and use it as a coat of armor. The problem is though, what you are going to create was going to damage you and not the vultures. I'm afraid to tell you that there is no way to leave this world you've stepped into until you challenge the facade.

SPEAKER_08 6:18

You've gotta be kidding me. I only had 20 minutes to listen to a podcast, then I need to go to sleep, as I've to be up early tomorrow, as I've to babysit.

SPEAKER_02 6:27

I can't stay here either. I need to open the dressmaking store. I have the keys as I was the last one to leave yesterday.

SPEAKER_00 6:34

Really, I can't stay either. I need to look after my investments and make some banking transfers.

SPEAKER_01 6:39

This is where you are now, and this is where you'll be staying. The sooner you accept it, the better.

SPEAKER_06 6:56

If you like what you heard, please remember to follow Serena Grassa podcast to get notifications for future episodes.