1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:18,880 In the heart of a wood which lost its name long ago, is a place where a seeker of stories 2 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:19,880 may go. 3 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:27,960 If you've arrived in a story's your desire, come, take a seat, for what you require is 4 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:30,960 a tale from the second storytime. 5 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:02,640 Well, there's just gotta be a clue in here somewhere. 6 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:04,840 Find anything under the bed, Hilbert? 7 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,600 Well just keep- oh, hello. 8 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:13,640 I'm sure you recognize this place as my old protege's quarters. 9 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:19,200 Well since he's not using it anymore, Hilbert and I thought we'd just tidy up a little 10 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,200 in here. 11 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaking of which, I would very much like to thank you for your patience. 12 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:32,120 I'm sure it's been a little jarring having a familiar host disappear, but I really just 13 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:34,440 want to reassure you that I abs- 14 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:37,800 They are up to something. 15 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:43,240 The first storyteller is surely, surely up to something and it can't possibly be good. 16 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:47,480 Ah, please, you have to do something- 17 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:50,400 Perfect timing as usual, Hilbert. 18 00:01:50,400 --> 00:02:10,600 Make yourself comfortable, dear, and we can begin today's story. 19 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:12,720 Pencil 20 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,320 Imagine a pencil. 21 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:19,800 You are a student, trying to write a prose piece on pencils. 22 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:24,240 You bring the pencil to the sharpener at the back of the classroom and grind it until 23 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:26,480 the point is sharp. 24 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,840 You touch the tip lightly to test the sharpness. 25 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:33,600 In your carelessness, the tip pierces your finger. 26 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:38,200 As blood flows from your finger, you drop the pencil in your embarrassment and ask the 27 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:40,480 teacher for a pass to the nurse. 28 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:48,760 You curse the pencil under your breath and trudge off to find a band-aid. 29 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,560 Imagine that you have no pencils. 30 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:56,840 You need one to finish an essay on penguins and other flightless bird blurbos. 31 00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:01,160 Your teacher was insistent that the draft should be written in pencil. 32 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:06,240 You have waited until last minute and with no pencils, the school day looms a mere five 33 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:07,800 hours away. 34 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:12,720 You have been up all night, turning the house inside out to find one little pencil. 35 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:17,920 After dumping the contents of your desk onto the floor, you find a tiny pencil, but it 36 00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:21,800 says dull as a parent's lecture about the good old days. 37 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,680 You find a tiny sharpener and you finally begin writing your essay. 38 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:30,480 Unfortunately, you spent so much time finding a pencil that you have only an hour before 39 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:32,680 you have to get ready for school. 40 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:35,720 The essay is supposed to be five pages long. 41 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:41,840 The time has come for some professional grade bullshitting. 42 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:43,880 Imagine that you are a writer. 43 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,240 Your deadline is approaching and you are behind schedule. 44 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:52,240 You need a new short story and you needed it to be written a month ago. 45 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:56,200 Taking a sip from your fifth cup of watery coffee grounds, you pull your pencil out from 46 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:57,680 behind your ear. 47 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:02,360 Tapping the pencil to your nose, you curse loudly to nobody as writer's block fogs your 48 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:03,600 brain. 49 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:10,960 You have tried yoga, long walks, and all sorts of junk, but your mind remains clouded. 50 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,680 Then you fall asleep, still clutching your pencil. 51 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:18,240 You remember a story from your sophomore year of high school. 52 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:23,360 It had something to do with bread and has no relevance to your current situation. 53 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:28,280 As you wake, you feel your mind lift from the stagnant wasteland of writer's block 54 00:04:28,280 --> 00:04:33,040 and you touch pencil to paper. 55 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:37,040 Imagine you are a pencil with an eraser shaped like an orange. 56 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:42,680 You sit in a non-descript red plastic cup on Halloween night next to a bowl overflowing 57 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:43,680 with candy. 58 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:49,280 It is difficult to feel like anything particularly special when you are sitting in a cup, alongside 59 00:04:49,280 --> 00:04:54,920 eleven other novelty pencils, hoping that a child is going to choose you over any number 60 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:58,200 of sugary treasures from the bowl next to you. 61 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:02,800 You are thoroughly unsurprised when three girls in colorful cloaks float over to the 62 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,520 table and rummage happily through the candy bowl. 63 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:10,680 The adult overseeing the table suddenly lifts the cup you are sitting in and offers it to 64 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:12,080 the girls. 65 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:16,800 You are totally unprepared for their delight, particularly when a hand lifts you from the 66 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,800 cup, admiring your orange-shaped eraser. 67 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:26,640 The girl refers to you as perfect, and your feelings of being unspectacular vanish in 68 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:28,920 the crisp October air. 69 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:34,000 You are now the most magical object in the world. 70 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:39,440 There once was a girl by the name of Rosalie, living in a small village who wrote the most 71 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:43,200 beautiful poetry with a bright green pencil. 72 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:48,480 Rosalie's sister, Madeline, decided to steal the pencil and use the power for herself. 73 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:54,480 One night, Madeline crept into Rosalie's room and stole the pencil and a scrap of paper. 74 00:05:54,480 --> 00:06:01,280 In her room, Madeline touched the pencil to paper and waited for something to happen. 75 00:06:01,280 --> 00:06:02,760 Nothing did. 76 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:04,920 Madeline tried talking to the pencil. 77 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:06,640 She tried tapping the pencil. 78 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:09,600 She tried holding it as tightly as she could. 79 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,480 When nothing worked, Madeline snapped the pencil in half. 80 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:17,640 The next morning, Rosalie could not find her green pencil. 81 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:21,680 She opened her pencil case and withdrew a purple pencil. 82 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:28,480 She sharpened it and began the work of writing another beautiful poem. 83 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:31,080 I have given you a pencil. 84 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:36,920 It lies on a table untouched because you are unsure if it is yours to take. 85 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:40,560 I've placed it there in the hopes that you will find it. 86 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:46,600 This pencil can unlock entire worlds and allow other people to experience your thoughts and 87 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:48,400 feelings. 88 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:52,400 This pencil is a key to your mind. 89 00:06:52,400 --> 00:07:09,520 This is an ordinary pencil. 90 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:10,920 No no, back there. 91 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:13,200 Wedged just behind the nightstand. 92 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:16,880 Yes, toss that up here. 93 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:19,880 Worst day of my life. 94 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:26,280 The first storyteller enchanted every single stair in the tower to werewolf howl whenever 95 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:27,920 I stepped on one. 96 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:30,720 Truly this is what hell sounds like. 97 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:33,320 Oh, I remember that. 98 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:35,600 That was a very good day. 99 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,040 Oh no, no no no. 100 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:39,040 Not the journal. 101 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:40,040 I can't believe they- 102 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,640 Gives me an incredible idea. 103 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:45,600 Thank you for joining us today, my dear. 104 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:48,920 I really do hope you enjoyed the story. 105 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:56,800 I think I might just start working on a little something, so I might have an update for you 106 00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:59,160 on your next visit. 107 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:20,360 Until next time, be well and carry today's story in your heart. 108 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:28,800 Today's tale has ended, but return once again to this place where you are considered a friend. 109 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:32,560 Return to this tower in its mysterious dweller. 110 00:08:32,560 --> 00:08:41,720 For more from the library of The Second Storyteller. 111 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:45,000 Thank you for listening to The Second Storyteller. 112 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:52,000 If you have a prompt for a story, please send it to thesecondstoryteller at gmail.com. 113 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:56,800 If your prompt is selected, your name will be credited at the end of the episode. 114 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:04,280 Your first prompt was, rewrite something you wrote a long time ago, submitted by LM. 115 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:08,840 If you would like to help support the future of this podcast, please consider becoming 116 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:15,520 a patron by going to patreon.com slash thesecondstoryteller. 117 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:21,000 A donation as small as a dollar is greatly appreciated and helps keep us going. 118 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:26,480 A donation of just $10 a month puts you on the list of current library card holders, 119 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:29,280 and your name will be read at the end of the episode. 120 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:34,440 The Second Storyteller podcast and the featured stories were written and created by Katie 121 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:35,560 Chacon. 122 00:09:35,560 --> 00:09:38,760 The role of the second storyteller is played by Charles Scott. 123 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:43,560 The role of the first storyteller is played by Katie Chacon. 124 00:09:43,560 --> 00:09:47,400 Today's voice of the story was provided by Katie Chacon. 125 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:52,480 The voice of the intro and outro is Chris Camp, and you can find the fantastic games he's 126 00:09:52,480 --> 00:10:00,920 worked on at rix.itch.io. 127 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:08,400 The music was written by Fintan, who can be found at garbagebag, all one word,.itch.io. 128 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:14,760 The second storyteller will return next month with more magic, fun, and of course, a story 129 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:25,480 to tell.