Tia: We haven’t talked much lately. I’m beginning to suspect that you may be upset.
Mia: I’ve been telling you that I am. And why.
Tia: Ok, you have my attention now. I miss you. Can we talk?
Mia: Ok.
Tia: Hm. What’s new? Oh, you remember our old friend Lucia? She died recently… complications from a medical treatment for a burn she’d sustained.
Mia: Oh, how sad! She was wonderful.
Tia: Yes, she was. It was sad indeed.
Mia: Thank you for telling me. Hope you’re doing ok.
Tia: You’re welcome. Yes, I am, thanks. Rhea just got diagnosed with second-degree burns and Gia’s been put on oxygen due to issues caused by from long-term smoke inhalation. So many people unwell lately!
Mia: That all sounds rough. I hope they get better soon. Can you see a link between these issues?
Tia: I think that’s just what it’s like to get older. People around you get sick…
Mia: Oh! Look who just appeared across the street – it’s Steve.
Tia: Poor guy – I heard he just split from his wife.
Mia: I thought they were separated a long time ag-oh no! There he goes again with the gasoline. HEY, STOP!
Tia: I don’t think he can hear you…
Mia: Oh, he can hear me. He just doesn’t care.
Tia: He has a cute couple of kids.
Mia:(To Steve) HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! STOP!! (To Tia) Woah… look at all those guards surrounding him. Where did he get the budget for this entourage? Is that where our community fund disappeared to last year? He’s just pouring gasoline on the neighbor’s house with impunity!
Tia: …
(Mia approaches Steve and a heavily armed guard lunges threateningly at her.)
Mia: We’d better get out of here. We are VERY outnumbered.
Tia: We probably shouldn’t have been here in the first place.
Mia: This is my own house! Or at least what’s left of it… Come on!
(Mia grabs Tia’s hand and they run together to hide behind a wall a safe distance away.)
Mia: Can you see now what’s happening? What he’s doing to our village? He’s pouring gasoline right in front of our eyes. And his pockets are overflowing with matches. Weird… Looks like he’s got a whole wheelbarrow of suspicious supplies.
Tia: I can’t really see what you’re talking about.
Mia: He’s right there, look.
Tia: I can sort of make out some shapes but it’s blurry.
Mia: Wait… is your vision ok? When was the last time you checked your eyesight?
Tia: I’ve never had it checked. But it’s ok. I get by just fine.
Mia: How do you get around?
Tia: Other people tell me what’s going on and where to go. When there are conflicting instructions, I go by the majority’s opinion. Or listen to the most reputed experts.
Mia: Have they ever led you astray?
Tia: I try not to think about it.
Mia: Dang… Well, I can help you get checked for glasses, if you like. Then you can navigate things for yourself.
Tia: I’m not sure I want to.
Mia: Why not?
Tia: (small voice) I’m scared.
Mia: Of what you might have to face?
(Tia nods, sadly.)
Mia: Ohhh. You haven’t seen them yet. Your own burns, I mean…
(Tia shakes her head and begins to cry. Mia embraces her and they sob together.
In the background, the house across the street explodes into flames.)
***
“An evil man will burn his own nation to the ground to rule over the ashes.”
– Sun Tzu (?)
***
Testimony- CBC Journalist Exposes The Massive Lies & Propaganda Of CBC At National Citizens Inquiry
The people of the land so feared Agapollumus, the demon of Intolerance who had visited before, that they restructured their society to keep him out.
He had had been a violent force of evil, tearing apart friends, neighbours and families along with their homes, crops and livestock, leaving swaths of carnage in his wake.
The people agreed, “we must not tolerate Intolerance.” But what exactly constituted Intolerance? It was an abstract concept and more difficult to understand than they’d expected so a consensus on its definition needed to be reached to avoid confusion. Any disagreement amongst them would weaken their strong, unified stance against this common enemy. The people developed rules with good intent, which quickly became increasingly restrictive. Those who disputed the general consensus had to be silenced. Those who appeared to threaten the new status quo had to disappear. Differences of creed, appearances, manners of speaking, ways of thinking were not to be tolerated.
In the name of banishing Intolerance, the people opted to redefine their values too, in a way that would not tempt Agapollumus to return. People’s traits that Agapollumus had previously reviled were elevated on a pedestal. Traits that he had appreciated were scorned.
They became confident that Agapollumus was gone for good.
But Agapollumus was crafty. He had never cared which specific traits the people celebrated or spurned. He only cared that the people be divided.
The people’s memories were short – most could not recall how Agapollumus had been invited to the land in the first place. Those who did remember were cast out of society for their different ways of thinking.
Through their attempts to rid the land of his influence, the people reincarnated Agapollumus within their own bodies and through their actions. Unseen to them, he cackled mirthfully as they breathed life into him in this way. Again. And again. And again – for this was how he’d come to visit before and would return again, becoming more powerful each time, aiming to one day destroy them all. Once every 80 to 100 years – the lifespan of an elder, long enough for most people to forget his methods – he’d appear by convincing people it was virtuous to fall for his tricks.
Mia: My house is on fire! Tia: It can’t be that bad… Mia: Look at it! Tia: Meh, I don’t need to.
***
Mia: I need help with this hose – it’s too heavy! Tia: Ah yeah, hoses can be heavy, for sure. Sia: I’ll help! Tia: Wow! That’s so considerate of you, Sia. What a good person you are! (Sia disappears – doesn’t help.)
***
Mia: This fire is awfully hot and I can’t seem to get enough water on it! I think it’s going to burn down. Tia: That would never happen. Mia: It happened to the neighbors down the street already. Tia: That would never happen here.
***
Mia: My house burned down last night. Tia: Ah well. You’ll have another house someday.
***
Mia: I figured out who’s been lighting the houses on fire in the neighborhood. Here’s a surveillance video of him in the act. Tia: Oh, Steve? His mother’s great. Mia: I just saw him carrying a big box of matches and a jug of gasoline up the street. Tia:(Shrug.) He’s made some mistakes. Mia: They’re not mistakes if they’re done on purpose. Tia: Too much drama. Let’s talk about that mailbox over there. Mia: The guy’s a serial arsonist. Tia: That’s a bit paranoid, don’t you think?
***
Mia: I need to talk to you. Tia: I heard the neighbours aren’t speaking. Mia: I feel like you’ve been brushing off my concerns. Tia: Apparently, Saffy didn’t help Taffy put out a house fire and Taffy got her knickers all in a twist over it. Mia: I get the impression you aren’t hearing me. Tia: Isn’t that wild? Mia: I feel like we are having trouble communicating. Tia: I hope we always get along.
Do the bidding of Evil and, though it may seem easy at first, as soon as you are no longer of use to them, they will throw you to the wolves even if you succeed.
Do the bidding of Good and, though it may seem difficult at first, they will embrace you even if you fail.
Thinking in Stomp-Claps 