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4HOMAS 0EPPER 3OUTH $UPONT !VENUE -INNEAPOLIS *ULY $EAR -R #OSGROVE ) HAVE SOME INFORMATION ) THINK MIGHT INTEREST YOU ) HOPE YOU THINK THATS A GOOD OPENING LINE BECAUSE )VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT A LOT (OW TO WRITE A LETTER ASKING SOMEONE )VE NEVER MET TO READ SOMETHING THEY WONT BELIEVE 4HAT LAST BITS NOT SO GOOD IS IT ) USED TO READ A LOT OF lCTION HORROR AND STUFF LIKE THAT AND IN THOSE BOOKS THE PROTAGONIST OFTEN SAYS h) CANT REMEMBER WHEN ) lRST REALIZEDv BUT THIS ONE WONT "ECAUSE ITS NOT lCTION ) CAN REMEMBER ) OFTEN WISH ) COULDNT BUT ) CAN !ND NOW ) NEED TO TELL SOMEONE ELSE WHO CAN REMEMBER OR AT LEAST MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION ISNT LOST ) SUPPOSE )D BETTER BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING BECAUSE ITS A STRANGE STORY )M ALMOST CERTAIN YOU WONT BELIEVE IT ) WOULDNT HAVE IF ) HADNT SEEN IT n BUT IF ) TELL YOU THE WAY IT STARTED YOU MIGHT BELIEVE IT ENOUGH TO KEEP READING )M AN ARTIST YOU SEE ) REALLY CANT REMEMBER LEARNING TO DRAW TO SEE THINGS WITH MY EYES AND TO PUT THEM ON PAPER SO OTHERS COULD SEE THEM TOO ) NEVER WONDERED WHAT ) WOULD DO FOR A LIVING JUST HONED MY SKILLS IN COLLEGE AND WALKED STRAIGHT INTO A JOB AS A TECHNICAL ILLUSTRATOR FOR A PUBLISHER PRODUCING ACADEMIC TEXTBOOKS ) SPENT MY DAYS IN A SMALL OFlCE DRAWING WHATEVER WAS PUT IN FRONT OF ME BONES FOSSILS $ISSECTIONS EVEN FOR MEDICAL TEXTS ) SUPPOSE THE STUDENTS NEVER THINK ABOUT WHERE THE DRAWINGS COME FROM AND OTHER PEOPLE WOULD BE HORRIlED IF THEY THOUGHT ABOUT IT THE NICE CLEAN BLACK AND WHITE AS RED AND BLUE AND PURPLE AND THE SMELL BUT ) LIKED IT ) WAS COMFORTABLE IN MY OFlCE OR OTHER PEOPLES LABS OBSERVING TRANSLATING COLOR TEXTURE LIGHT AND SHADOW INTO SHADES OF BLACK ON WHITE -OST PEOPLE DONT OFTEN SEE WHATS REALLY THERE YOU KNOW OR RATHER THEY SEE IT BUT THEIR BRAINS EDIT THE INFORMATION lLLING IN ANY GAPS WITH WHAT EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THEM IN THE PAST ) THINK THAT IF THEY SEE SOMETHING TRULY STRANGE COMPLETELY BEYOND THEIR EXPERIENCE THEIR BRAINS EDIT THAT TOO SUBSTITUTING SOMETHING THAT MAKES MORE SENSE IN THE WORLD THEY KNOW )M AN ARTIST A TRAINED ILLUSTRATOR -Y BRAIN DOESNT DO THAT ) SEE WHATS REALLY THERE )T STARTED AS A LOVELY DAY )D BEEN WORKING mAT OUT ALL WEEK TO MAKE A DEADLINE DRAWING lSH ALL STARING EYES AND SPINES AND mABBY GREY mESH ) HAD TO GO IN ON 3ATURDAY TO INK THE LAST DRAWING "Y THE TIME )D lNISHED ALL ) COULD SMELL WAS lSH AND FORMALIN SO ) DECIDED TO WALK HOME THE LONG WAY THROUGH THE PARK TO GET SOME FRESH AIR OR )D HAVE TO SKIP DINNER 4HE SUN WAS SINKING INTO THE LAKE AND FAMILIES WERE PACKING UP THEIR PICNICS TO GO HOME WHEN ) REACHED THE PARK PARENTS CLOSING THE COOLERS AND KIDS DRAGGING THEIR BASEBALL BATS BACK TO THE CARS )T WAS WONDERFUL 4HE GRASS WAS GREEN THE POPLARS WERE EVERY SHADE OF YELLOW GOLD AND BRONZE IN THE LOW SUN AND THE SHARP SMELL OF THEIR LEAVES mUSHED THE FORMALIN OUT OF MY SINUSES ) SLOWED MY PACE AS ) CAME TO THE EDGE OF THE PARK ADMIRING THE COLORS ! YOUNG COUPLE WAS WALKING ALONG THE EDGE OF THE TREES HOLDING HANDS (E SAID SOMETHING SHE TURNED AND KISSED HIM LAUGHING !S ) WATCHED TWO DOGS BOUNDED UP LOOKED LIKE THOSE BLACK ONES LABS THAT SEEM TO LAUGH AT PEOPLE 4HE DOGS JUST STOOD TAILS WAGGING LOOKING EXPECTANT AND AFTER A MOMENT THE GUY SHRUGGED PICKED UP A STICK AND THREW IT )T mEW THROUGH THE AIR BEHIND ME AND THE DOGS BARKED HAPPILY AND TOOK OFF AFTER IT 4HEY RAN PAST ME GRINNING MOUTHS FULL OF TEETH ,OTS OF TEETH GLEAMING WHITE AGAINST mOPPY PINK TONGUES 4HE COUPLE TURNED AND WALKED OFF HER HEAD ON HIS SHOULDER 4HE DOGS RAN PAST THE STICK AROUND IT AND BACK TOWARDS THE COUPLE DISAPPEARING INTO THE TREES /NE OF THEM RAN A LITTLE CLOSER THIS TIME ITS HEAD SWIVELLING UP TO LOOK AT ME AS IT WENT PAST ) TOO WALKED AWAY -Y LEGS KEPT MOVING AS MY BRAIN WRESTLED WITH WHAT MY EYES HAD SEEN TEETH TOO MANY TEETH ) CARRIED ON WALKING LISTENING TO THE HIGH DISTANT SCREAMS OF THE GULLS OVER THE
LAKE WATCHING MEMORY RATHER THAN THE CRACKS IN THE SIDEWALK 4HEIR LAUGHING MOUTHS WERE TOO BIG THE SHARPLY SERRATED TEETH TOO BIG AND THE CLAWS ON THEIR HIND FEET HAD LEFT GASHES IN THE GREEN TURF 4HAT COULDNT BE RIGHT ) DIDNT SEE THEM ) MUST HAVE IMAGINED IT $O YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT )M TELLING YOU $O YOU ) DIDNT BELIEVE MY EYES ) $ID .OT "ELIEVE -Y %YES ) KEPT WALKING ALL THE WAY HOME /N THE NEWS THAT EVENING THEY REPORTED A HORRIlC MURDER ! YOUNG WOMAN HAD BEEN RIPPED TO PIECES BY A FRENZIED ATTACKER IN THE LAKESIDE TREES 4HERE WERE SHOTS OF BLUE mASHING LIGHTS AND BLOOD RED AGAINST GOLD LEAVES BUT IT WAS ALRIGHT THEYD CAUGHT THE MURDERER (ER BOYFRIEND HADNT LEFT THE SCENE WAS FOUND SEMICOMATOSE DRUGGED OUT OF HIS MIND 4HEY SHOWED HIM BEING BUNDLED AWAY AND THE REPORTERS TALKED WISELY ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES %XCEPT HE THEYD BEEN lNE WHEN ) SAW THEM ABOUT MINUTES BEFORE SHE DIED RED AND GOLD IN THE SETTING SUN 4HE POLICE CALLED FOR WITNESSES ) TOLD THEM ABOUT THE DOGS BUT THEY DIDNT BELIEVE ME 4HEY KNEW )D BEEN DRINKING THEY COULD SMELL IT ON MY BREATH ) TOOK 7EDNESDAY OFF WHEN THE PARK OPENED AGAIN WALKED THERE ALL DAY AND SAW NOTHING BUT TREES AND LEAVES AND GRASS AND SILENT GULLS )T WAS COLDER WHEN ) WENT THE NEXT 3ATURDAY ) SAT ON A BENCH FEEDING THE GULLS AND WATCHING THE SHADOWS UNDER THE TREES ) CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF MOVEMENT SOMETHING BLACK BUT IT WAS ONLY A JOGGER RUNNING THE PATHS $ID SOMETHING MOVE UNDER THE TREES ) COULDNT BE CERTAIN ) DIDNT TRUST MY EYES YOU SEE 4HAT NIGHT ) WENT INTO TOWN AND TRIED TO GET DRUNK BUT ) DRANK TOO MUCH AND WAS SICK AND SPENT THE NIGHT WALKING INSTEAD !ND WHILE ) WAS WALKING TRYING NOT TO THINK ) SAW SOMETHING ELSE AND THIS TIME ) BELIEVED MY EYES AND THAT IS HOW IT STARTED $ID YOU SEE "LADE ) OFTEN SEE HIM IN MY DREAMS ALL BLACK AND SILVER STRIDING THROUGH THE NIGHT KILLING THEM "UT )VE NEVER SEEN IT )VE NEVER SEEN ONE DIE $O YOU BELIEVE ME !RE YOU INTERESTED ) HOPE SO )M TIRED )M AFRAID !ND )M SO VERY TIRED OF BEING AFRAID OF WONDERING WHEN )LL MAKE THE MISTAKE THAT KILLS ME 4HEYRE CUNNING THEYRE VERY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO AND ) MIGHT HAVE MISSED ONE NOT SEEN IT 2EAD THE lLES )VE SENT 4HERE ARE OTHER COPIES )VE SENT THEM TO OTHER PEOPLE ) THOUGHT ) HOPED MIGHT BE INTERESTED BUT 9/5 MIGHT BE THE ONLY PERSON WHO SEES REALITY INSTEAD OF SOMETHING YOUR BRAIN THINKS MAKES MORE SENSE 4HERE MUST BE SOMEONE ELSE WHO WILL BELIEVE THEIR EYES 9OURS MOST SINCERELY
03 )TS INTERESTED ME FOR YEARS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PEN AND INK ON PAPER AND THE BONE ON THE TABLE THE WORDS ON THE PAGES AND THE IDEAS THE WORDS CONVEY 2EALITY AND WHAT WE PERCEIVE IT TO BE 4HERES A lNELY HONED DISTINCTION BETWEEN PERCEPTION AND MADNESS ITS A RAZORS EDGE )VE BEEN WALKING FOR YEARS AND )M BLEEDING &OR