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In the heart of a wood which lost its name long ago, is a place where a seeker of stories

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may go.

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If you've arrived in a story's your desire, come, take a seat, for what you require is

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a tale from the second storytime.

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Hello and welcome.

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I am the second storyteller, and today I have been anticipating your arrival.

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In fact, I had just the story in mind for today, and have cleverly prepared it ahead

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of time.

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It's what I would say if only I could remember where I put the bloomin' thing.

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I swear, my bedside table tends to accumulate so many books that might start making the

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library jealous.

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Aha, there it is.

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Ah, brilliant.

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I had the feeling I'd find it all the way up here, and that's one last day where I

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need to confront my poor organizational skills.

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Oh.

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Seeing as we find ourselves up here anyway, let's say we go out on the balcony in the

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sun.

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Coincidentally, today's tale also has to do with missing things.

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So, let's have a seat, and read today's story, Boulun.

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Matt and Henry each tossed a penny into the tiny stream.

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These were a necessary payment, as the boys were certain that a man eating troll lived

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under the wooden board which bridged the creek.

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But throwing pennies into the shallow, slow-moving water was an effective way to keep from being

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eaten.

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Despite a week of troll-related nightmares, and the subsequent lectures from their mothers

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on the non-existence of trolls, the boys refused to have their imaginations swayed.

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What did adults know about trolls anyway?

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A trove of pennies had accumulated at the bottom of the creek, and Matt and Henry vowed

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that one day they would reclaim their lost treasure in what they were certain would be

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the greatest adventure of their lives.

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The boys crossed the bridge and made their way through the thick pine trees until they

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found themselves in an open field of grass.

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They had discovered this place around a year ago, in the woods behind Henry's house, and

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it had served as their own secret space ever since.

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The field had been the site of many great battles staged by Matt and Henry, and the

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best their imagination had to offer.

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There had been the epic struggle of dinosaurs versus the mutant bat people, and of course

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the invasion of the giant mantis men, where the two eight-year-old boys had bravely fought

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side by side to defend their field.

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It was a space where the boys' imaginations could roam freely, but on this particular

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day, it was the only place for a Matt to agree to tell Henry his secret.

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Okay, so now will you tell me what happened to your first balloon? Henry pleaded.

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On either side of Henry there floated a simple golden balloon on a white ribbon.

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They followed Henry obediently, wherever he walked, waiting for Henry to use the wishes

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they held.

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Matt on the other hand had only one balloon, hanging in the air on his left side.

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Henry knew that this mat and Matt had used his wish, but Matt had refused to talk about

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it outside of the secret space.

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You know how Jim Shuss beat me up last week?

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Yeah?

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And you know how he's been out of school last week with chicken pox?

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Yeah?

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Wait, it isn't chicken pox?

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Nope, I used my wish to turn Jim Shuss into a zebra.

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It seemed like an age before the boys laughter is subsided and Henry could speak coherently

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again.

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A zebra?

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That's awesome!

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Will he be a zebra forever?

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Nah, his parents will just take him to a wish-reverser.

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My mom and dad said that they have this drink you can take if someone makes a wish that

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turns you into something.

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They said there was a huge problem when they were kids, but then some guy used his wish

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to get a recipe for a drink that had reverse wishes like that.

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Aw.

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It was hardly worth using a wish to turn Jim Shuss into a zebra if they can just turn

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him back.

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Sure, it was worth it, Matt exclaimed as he attempted and failed to do a handstand.

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He can beat me up all he likes, but he's too much of a weenie to use his balloon on

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me.

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Yeah, but didn't you get in trouble for using yours?

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Big time.

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You're supposed to get a big party for when you decide to make your wish, but since I

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used my wish to turn someone into a zebra, my mom and dad said no party.

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And I can't tell anybody that I made that wish either.

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They said it would be bragging, and they don't want me to be proud of it.

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But you told me.

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Matt rolled his eyes.

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Well of course I told you.

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That's different.

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You're my best friend.

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But that's why I couldn't say anything at school.

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Mostly since I only have one balloon, everybody knows I made my wish.

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So if I started telling people what I did, it'd get back to my parents and I'd be

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grounded for the rest of my life.

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It's bad enough being grounded for the whole month.

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The only reason I get to stay at your place tonight is because we'd already planned it.

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Mom didn't think it'd be fair to you.

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Henry glanced up at his own two balloons.

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The space on Matt's right side looked so odd without his other balloon hanging there.

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Too bad you used your wish.

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I don't know what I want to use mine for.

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I still have one balloon left.

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Henry shook his head.

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Yeah, one that you'll never use.

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Everybody knows you can't use your second balloon.

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You'll disappear if you do.

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Your parents told you that too, huh?

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Well yeah, everybody knows that's what happens.

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That's just an urban legend.

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You ever see someone use their second balloon?

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Of course not.

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Who'd want to disappear like that?

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It's just a story parents tell their kids so they grow up to be responsible or something.

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But if they've made it up, how come your parents and my parents still have their second

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balloon?

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Matt had to think about this before deciding on an answer.

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Well, they're grown-ups.

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They're boring.

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Their parents probably trick them the same way.

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If it's made up, then why don't you use your second balloon?

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Matt looked up at his single balloon apprehensively.

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Henry grinned, knowing he'd won the debate.

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See, even you're too chicken to try it.

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I am not, Matt shot back.

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I'm already in trouble for using my first balloon.

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Mum and dad will kill me if I use the other one.

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Feeling victorious, Henry made clucking noises at his best friend.

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This was enough to provoke Matt.

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Fine, he grabbed a string of his remaining balloon.

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I wish I could fly.

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I don't want wings or anything.

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I just want to be able to fly whenever I want.

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The balloon burst, a bright light shining out of it, then vanished entirely.

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Matt stepped up into the air and floated casually.

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He grinned down at Henry triumphantly.

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See, I told you, and now I can fly.

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So what do you say to that?

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But Henry didn't respond.

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His eyes were wide and unblinking.

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His mouth hung open a little, but not in the comical way.

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Matt had never seen a more horrified face in his life.

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What is it?

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What's wrong with Matt glimpsed at his own hands?

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They were slowly becoming transparent.

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Matt realized that all of him was vanishing as well.

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He landed on the ground and reached out to Henry, opening his mouth to scream.

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But Matt no longer had a voice with which to make sound.

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Henry stood frozen in horror before Matt's hand could reach his best friend he was gone,

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like fog burning away under the gentle touch of the sun.

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When Matt and Henry failed to return to the house for dinner, Henry's parents searched

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the place where they knew the boys would be.

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They found Henry, pale and shaking, both of his hands wrapped tightly around the string

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of one of his own balloons.

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He repeated the words, I wish he'd come back, I wish he'd come back, in a voice so small

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and hoarse.

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He'd been saying it for hours.

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But his balloon wouldn't pop.

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There was no golden light and no reversing Matt's wish.

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Jim Shust returned to the class the following week.

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What an interesting world we got to peek into.

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I wonder what I would wish for.

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Well, I suppose a lot of things spring to mind.

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Perhaps a smidgen of skill with cooking?

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Maybe a bookmark that reminds me to put it back in the book when I close it?

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Oh, or maybe a chocolate egg filled with an infinite number of smaller chocolate eggs?

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Huh.

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It looks upstaring at me like that, I know what I said.

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I suppose the better question now really is what would I wish for that would mean vanishing

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into the unknown?

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Hmm.

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Well, for now, I really ought to go put the story back in its proper shelf.

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I swear, as time goes on it seems increasingly difficult to keep things in their proper place.

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Ah, but I'm rambling.

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Thank you for joining me today.

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Be well and carry today's story in your heart.

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Today's tale has ended, but return once again to this place where you are considered a friend.

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Return to this tower in its mysterious dweller for more from the library of The Second Storyteller.

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Thank you for listening to The Second Storyteller.

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If you have a prompt for a story, please send it to thesecondstoryteller at gmail.com.

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If your prompt is selected, your name will be credited at the end of the episode.

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Today's prompt was Forbidden Wishes, submitted by Corbinic.

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If you would like to help support the future of this podcast, please consider becoming

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a patron by going to patreon.com slash thesecondstoryteller.

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A donation as small as a dollar is greatly appreciated and helps keep us going.

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A donation of just $10 a month puts you on the list of current library card holders,

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and your name will be read at the end of the episode.

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The Second Storyteller podcast and the featured stories were written and created by Katie Chacon.

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The role of the second storyteller is played by Charles Scott.

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Today's voice of the story was provided by Charles Scott.

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The voice of the intro and outro is Chris Camp, and you can find the fantastic games

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he's worked on at rix.itch.io.

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That's riks.itch.io.

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The music was written by Fintan, who can be found at garbagebag, all one word,.itch.io.

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The second storyteller will return next month with more magic, fun, and of course, a story

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to tell.