This story was inspired by the story Welcome to Night Vale by cupidity11
This is Carlos/Cecil, rated M for possible adult themes and language (though I doubt I need it but it's better to be safe than sorry)
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9
Slowly I opened my eyes in the morning. I hadn't had this good of a night sleep in a few weeks.
For everyone's protection, they are keeping the name and description of the fugitive secret, but indicate that all strangers should be mistrusted and avoided…as well as friends and loved ones, because how well do you know those people anyway? Are you aware of their location every second of every day? Who among us does not have secrets?
I sighed when Cecil's voice greeted me. I sat up and flipped the covers off of myself, quickly heading to take a shower. I rubbed my still short hair and sighed. I let the water fall on my face as I pondered what happened to Telly. I hadn't seen him recently. After finishing up, I got out of the shower and got dressed. I figured that today I should break the cycle of having cereal and made myself some pancakes. As I finished, my question about Telly was answered.
Well, Telly was seen recently, wandering the Sand Wastes, howling at the sky, and holding up Carlos' shorn locks as though begging God to reverse the crime he has done. Reports indicate that his skin was blistering, that his eyes were bleary, and that he was recently seen trying to give a cactus a haircut, whispering and cooing into what he seemed to think was its ear.
To me it seemed a little harsh that this is what happened to Telly. I'd asked him to cut my hair, and I didn't give him any restrictions on how short to make it. Part of me wanted to tell Cecil this, but the other part of me knew he wouldn't believe it. I sighed and shook my head, continuing to enjoy my pancakes.
Listeners, I am not one to stand aside harshly and say that man deserves the punishment that comes to him, but I also am not sorry to see Telly in this state, given his crime.
I sighed loudly and shook my head. I started to wash dishes so I didn't have to when I got home, idly listening to what Cecil was saying.
Ladies and gentlemen, I must say that I am not a cat person. But I have really grown to love Khoshekh, the stray cat that has made his home here at the radio station. I discovered Khoshekh several weeks ago, hovering in a fixed location in the men's bathroom—and he's remained there ever since.
The men at the station, of course, have taken to keeping the sink at a light trickle, so he can get water, and we even take turns buying Science Diet Low-Calorie Cat Food. It turns out little Khoshekh is getting a bit chubby, since he can't actually exercise in his unmovable, levitating state.
I began to think about that cat. I wasn't sure if I'd be going there to actually see the cat myself, but I wondered if it would actually get exercise since it is floating. Levitation probably takes some calories, so how could he not be getting exercise? I jotted this down after finishing the dishes and headed downstairs.
"What are we looking into today?" I asked.
"I don't know." Amber replied. I glanced at her and nodded slowly. Normally we had something to do. It was weird to almost have a day off.
An update on the Pyramid reported on earlier:
"Pyramid?" I asked Amber. She shrugged.
"I'm just feeling tired. I don't want to investigate it if you don't mind." Amber said. They'd worked almost non-stop since they came, and I had taken a couple of days off.
"Take the day then." I replied to her.
"Seriously?" She said.
"You've told me to on occasion." I replied. Amber smiled at me.
"All of you take the day. Go and relax. I'll look into this pyramid thing myself. Or maybe I won't. I don't know." I said.
When your whole team was feeling lazy it was hard to be productive. But, none of us really left the science building. We just bounced ideas off for what we wanted to look into. We also idly listened to Cecil's radio show, thought we weren't really paying attention to it. We were just using today's show as background noise.
"Does the microwave still make things explode?" I asked, "I remember we were about to test it when the Glow Cloud came through."
"I don't know. Maybe." Amber said, sprawled out as much as she could be in her swivel chair. I nodded.
"It does." Damian said as he came back to us, sighing softly. He looked like he'd tried making himself lunch. I gave him a sympathetic wince.
"We should get a new one." Amber said. She made no moves to get up, and nor did I. Today was just a lazy day, wasn't it?
"So, other than sitting here and talking what are we doing?" Damian asked. He had the most energy out of all of us. I was a little jealous.
"Listening to Cecil." I replied honestly. Damian nodded.
"Do you mind if I do research?" He asked.
"Knock yourself out." I replied, feeling exhausted. I guess it was because I'd just gotten a great night sleep after having two weeks of shit sleep that I was just exhausted. It was nice to have a lazy day though. Damian glanced among us and shrugged. He didn't understand our need to be lazy. He headed into the labs quietly. I thought about following him.
"Damian?" I called out.
"Yeah?" He called back.
"What were you planning on doing?" I asked.
"Well, I'm not sure. Maybe I'd start working on the microwave problem." Damian replied, heading out of the lab with a toolbox.
"What were you going to do exactly?" Amber asked.
"I was going to take it apart and see if something was inside the machinery." Damian replied. I shrugged.
"Don't get yourself killed." Amber teased. Damian rolled his eyes while I watched her nervously. I stood up and followed Damian into the kitchen. Damian had un-plugged the microwave at this point and started taking it apart. He glanced over his shoulder when he noticed me hovering.
"Hey Carlos. What's up?" He asked.
"I uh…" I stammered. I didn't want to tell him that I was afraid of him dying on me.
"Afraid that you'll lose another friend?" He asked slyly.
"Yeah. A lot has happened." I replied.
"I don't blame you." Damian mumbled. He checked the inside, and sighed.
"Nothing?" I asked him.
"Nothing." He answered simply, putting the microwave back together. He seemed disappointed. I walked back into the main room and wrote down the microwave findings.
"Somewhere there is a map. And on that map is Earth. And attached to Earth is an arrow that says your name and lists your lifespan. Some of you die standing, others sitting. Many of you die in cars. I can never die. It is difficult for me to understand the concept that I am attempting to convey. I cannot show you this vision, but you may imagine it. Step forward and tell someone of it, please."
I stared at the radio, confused. We probably should have been paying attention to Cecil's broadcast. I sighed and continued writing my notes down, reading over them a few times. Damian and I bounced ideas back and forth about what could be causing the microwave to suddenly blow up food. My phone rang from my desk. I picked it up, not really thinking about who was on the other end.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Hello Carlos." Cecil replied happily, "I wanted to tell you I've gotten nothing on the little girl so far."
"Oh right." I answered, flustered, "Did you ask about it?"
"Nobody else seems to have reported it other than you." Cecil said, concerned.
"Weird." I mumbled, writing it down.
"If you're busy I can call later." Cecil said, flustered.
"Yeah. Sorry." I replied.
"Goodnight Carlos." Cecil said, hanging up.
"Who was it?" Samantha asked, closing the door.
"It was Cecil. I asked him to look into something." I replied calmly, glancing back at Damian.
Damian shrugged, heading back into the kitchen. I followed. I wasn't entirely in the mood to deal with Samantha and her hatred of Cecil. Damian stood and watched the microwave, his arms folded.
"Do you think it will blow something up if it's unplugged?" Damian asked.
"I have no idea." I replied.
Damian shrugged. He picked up a glass of water and opened the microwave, putting it inside. He unplugged the machine, then set the timer. He hit "Start". We waited, expecting nothing, but the microwave came to life. I watched in awe as it heated the water. Damian and I stared at each other, shivering. When the microwave stopped, we checked the water. It was fine, just a bit warm. Carefully, I took the glass of water we'd left in the freezer and stuck it in the microwave. I turned it on, at the same time and temperature. The microwave hummed, and dinged. The glass was warm and some of the ice was melted, but it hadn't exploded.
I jotted this down, looking at Damian.
"Let's just leave it unplugged for now." I said.
Damian nodded.
Being in the desert, we get a lot of sun, and doctors are encouraging Night Vale Citizens to do regular skin checks. You may think that freckle or mole is harmless, but you never know when it will grow into something much worse.
Damian and I stared at each other, our brows creased. What the hell was Cecil talking about?
Surgeons at Night Vale General Hospital are noticing an uptick in dermatological growths related to sun exposure. Doctors describe these growths as "15-inch spiraled horns."
I jotted it down. This town does usually have some form of radiation present, or at least whenever I check. So maybe the horns aren't in relation to the sun, but most likely they are a factor in it. I noted that I might want to talk to Cecil about it later.
The horns mostly protrude from the lower back or knees. Unchecked, these horns can develop a glistening shine, small leather saddles, and bright red lips on the very tip.
I noted that this didn't sound like any mutation I've heard of.
So check your skin at least once a week in the mirror. Dermatologists recommend a three-step process. 1. Search meticulously for 15-inch horns protruding from your body. Don't overlook anything. 2. If you find any suspicious growths, mark them with a chalk pentagon. 3. Gently remove the affected skin area with a sterilized razor blade, or similarly clean crafting blade.
Why would the hospital be asking residents to perform surgery on themselves? I wrote that question down too, sighing and rubbing my head. Cecil was…calm, about it. I wouldn't have advised doing this.
I noticed a few of the other scientists checking themselves. I sighed, shaking my head slightly. I glanced outside, wondering what exactly we were going to do. We had lists and lists of minor occurrences to look into, but it just seemed…normal here. Were we just going to research all of the small things to put together the big picture, or were we going to go for the big picture?
This decision is not without its controversy, as the existing street signs are entirely in braille. One critic, Paul Birmingham, says removing these signs will deflate the earth.
I glanced back at the radio, raising my eyebrows. If that's what is being taught in Night Vale schools…I shook my head, writing a note down to have Cecil try to spread the word about actual science.
As a member of the Air-Filled Earth Society, Paul believes that Earth is a precariously-inflated orb that could pop or sag at any moment.
"We've gotta stop teaching all these religious propaganda in our schools and start teaching real science," Paul shouted from his lean-to behind the library.
I have to admit, listeners, he makes a valid point.
I sighed, shaking my head again. I rubbed my forehead, walking to the list.
"What else do we want to look into today?" I asked, irritated.
"I don't really know." Damian said, "The clocks are all one minute behind. Do we want to see what's behind all of that?"
"Maybe. I'm getting a bit interested in the pyramid. I think I'll check that out."
I grabbed the car keys but Samantha grabbed my arm.
"I don't think you should go out there." She said.
Update on the Pyramid situation. Flaky-Os Board of Directors are vehemently denying—some of them at gunpoint—that they have any part in the Pyramid that is stubbornly continuing to exist in our town.
They are sneaky ones! I hope the new line of cereal turns out to be worth the hype. Meanwhile, the Pyramid itself has altered its broadcast, sending out a second message, which is as follows:
"Everything you do matters, except your life. Death will be the last action you undertake. I do not live, but I exist. What is my purpose? I will not tell you. One day you will discover your purpose, and then you will tell no one. And then you will die."
I didn't think this was just some clever campaign, but…If they were being held at gunpoint that was pretty convincing. I sighed, putting the keys down. I wrote down what the pyramid said, wondering if they were using some type of code. I heard Cecil passively mention codes as well, so potentially we were on the same page.
The weather played as I sat at my desk, struggling to figure out what kind of code they might be using. Maybe the words were what they were, and we were supposed to interoperate them our own separate way? But how would that actually mean anything for an ad campaign?
Meanwhile, the Pyramid has left behind a much tinier Pyramid, a mere souvenir of its looming, inscrutable mass. This tiny Pyramid is broadcasting one final message—a farewell from the geometric shape that stole our hearts.
So let us wrap up our show today with its words:
I prepared myself to write as Cecil spoke.
"Somewhere there is a map. And on that map is Earth. And attached to Earth is an arrow that says your name and lists your lifespan. Some of you die standing, others sitting. Many of you die in cars. I can never die. It is difficult for me to understand the concept that I am attempting to convey. I cannot show you this vision, but you may imagine it. Step forward and tell someone of it, please."
My brow creased at the words. I, again, attempted to understand a hidden code in vain. The final words of Cecil's broadcast stuck with me as I struggled with the meaning of the Pyramid.
Speaking of the nighttime, I truly hope you have a good one, Night Vale. Goodnight.
I'm so sorry this chapter took forever! I got busy with college and I just lost the muse. But, I'm listening to Welcome to Night Vale again, and so the muse is coming back. I will hopefully get through a lot of them, since it's summer right now. *fanfare*