A Doak with all the trimmings...(Phaedrus Machine-Voyce's Thanksgiving)

Session 12.3 from The Doktor's voice recorder, as the Daok is nowhere to be found and the authorities have been called in...

Doktor-"very disturbing trip today with the experiment...(off mic rustling)"
(dream music to fade as Doktor voices over)-"...Voyce was recalling a recent trip to Walmart during the Thanksgiving Holiday Season..." (trail off with some crummy music from a band who will lose half it's members to heroin before the year turns, the other half to apathy)
(real time? who knows) Doktor-"and this excursion troubled you?"

Voyce-"won't go away. I keep seeing (brief pause to readjust)-hearing her call"
Doktor-"Breathe deeply, relax, gooood. Focus on what put you there. Reverse your thoughts from the call...back...jingle of keys...you always lock your car right?"
Voyce-"Hit the key fob twice so there was two beeps. That really annoys her, you know...."

Doktor-(a little brisk, irritated, but catches it) yes Voyce, I...know
it does. We are not going to bring 'her' out right now...walking up
to..."
Voyce-"yes Dok, walking up to the WalMart. Pretty lady in heels, black dress...little kid crying, giving up as drug by arm, don't look up the arm but the kid is all pleading eyes...keep going into................
I came for Sage, you know?...."

Voyce-"various encounters Dok. I find the spice and pause in the aisle, taken away for a moment by the smells to...and a blue hair clips me with her cart, she's wearing a NASCAR jacket and doesn't even look at me as she maneuvers through the traffic on the big oval...she should be locked up DOK, she's dangerous."
Doktor-"yes Voyce, to the checkout..."

Voyce-"still picturing the kid with the snotty nose, drug out the-"
Doktor-"To the checkout Voyce"
Voyce-"Yeah Dok, but....I swing up to the front of the store, not crowded in the checkout lines, and slip in behind an older man in a John Lennon like military coat. Only way i can describe it, reminded me of a coat John Lennon would wear...
and his wife, with only Tide detergent and..."

Doktor-"Why did you stop Voyce?"
Voyce-"Now that was odd Dok. When I looked at the lady, she reminded me of...and then I had to look quickly behind me. The hair on my neck stood right up."
Doktor-"Of what. She reminded you of-"
Voyce-"Odd Dok. Damn strange, I just tried to look at her again and same thing..."

Voyce-"had to glance back over my shoulder...goose bumps, chicken skin, and then the cashier, plump little
thing, chewed off nails,bad inner arm tattoo of...WHAT THE FU-"
Doktor-"whoa! Sit back do-"
Voyce-"Holy Shit Dok! Chicken Skin, plucked, I just remembered and she craned her head back over her shoulder, BIRD-LIKE! and let out a gobble Dok. right at me. Small Black eyes, A BIRD DOK, A BIRD! and she GOBBLED!"

Voyce-"Her husband turned to me and said not to pay her any mind, slightly embarrassed, he had finished paying and me and the bird were just staring at each other, and he pulled her arm, gently 'C'mon Daok, let's go...' and I look over at the cashier expecting some sort of unsaid exchange of, I'm not sure what, and she is just looking at me, or more exactly the Sage in my hand, ring it up, get it going, let's move.."

Doktor-"and then outside into the fresh air, just a-"
Voyce-"That's not the part that won't leave me alone. I pay, but I'm watching John Lennon slowly lead her out the automatic doors. She has the walk of a stroke victim, lifting the dead-ish left leg as she goes, but her head is-,"

Voyce-"I don't know,her head is up, up like a bird, I guess, almost on a neck, a little long and skinny,
and I'm getting that chill on the back of my neck as the cashier hands
me the change and DAMN! if she didn't quick bounce her chin like a bird
again and GOBBLE DOK SHE GOBBLED!"

Dok-"Like a turkey?"
Voyce-"Yeah, I know, but yeah, like a turkey. I dropped my change, was trying to pick it up off the conveyor, fingernails cut a little too close- anyways, I got out of there, fresh air like you said, all I could think of...And ran smack into the back of the lovely couple going through the second set of automatic doors..."

Voyce-"I slow down, after all, it was just a weird second back there, as we walk out into a sunny but chilly November afternoon, gazing as pilgrims must, out across the prairie of vehicles fresh for harvest-"
Doktor-"Voyce-"
Voyce-"I know Dok, but I get relieved, I...well...you know."
Doktor-"I know. Go on."

Voyce-"Well I look across the parking lot looking for my- and damn if she doesn't do it again. But, I'm not surprised, although this one is a little louder, almost more urgent, and i look over at Husband Lennon, and he sees me, kind of shrugs in a way which seems familiar to him, and...My blood freezes..."

Voyce-"My heart literally, figuratively, socially -whatever- freezes. Because from the parking lot an answer call comes up, and from the far end of the doors another call. It's a fucking flock, Dok. Bird woman's head tilts sideways in contemplation and I'm suddenly fascinated, she gobbles again, and I'm holding back a chu-"

Doktor-"Holding back a chuckle, Voyce?"
Voyce-"Yeah, except it died in my throat, a bloated toad which stopped it's happy hop forward to slide back into my stomach like heroin filled balloon."
Doktor-"Why?"
Voyce-"Because another gobble comes from the parking lot and I see it?"
Doktor-"See what? What do you see Voyce? Goddammit, you're scaring me."

Voyce-"I'm scaring me Dok. You sure you want to-"
Doktor-"Yes (came out a sandpaper whisper), what was it?"
Voyce-"A guy in cammo DOK. Sitting in a shopping cart with a box call on his lap, and a BIG shotgun..And people are walking by him like they don't see him..."
Doktor-(a little irritated) Voyce..."
Voyce-"No Dok. I know, but he was there. tucked down in the cart, and the lady let out another gobble..."

Doktor-"OK Voyce. What did you do then?"
Voyce-"I put eyes down at the ground before me and made my way to the car. For some reason, my eyes were watering. I wasn't crying, but I...I don't know..."
Doktor-"And that was....er, it?"
Voyce-"I wish Dok. There was one last gobble just as I hit the key fob to open my car door..."

Doktor-"...and..."
Voyce-(with a sigh)"and the gobble was cut short by a shotgun blast."
Quiet
Voyce-"I just started the engine, turned up the music and wished myself out of there." (pause) "Whataya think Dok?"
Doktor-"Well...my question is-"

Doktor-" Do you prefer dark or light meat?"
A five tick silence and then they both laugh like boys....

end of Session 12.3

🎱
Swansed