0:07

Welcome to the Nightmare Magazine

0:09

Story Podcast. Enter freely

0:11

and of your own free will. I

0:14

am your humble host, Terrence Taylor, one

0:16

very much at home with the children of the night. Stay

0:20

close as my muse, the medieval

0:22

demon Gobra, guides us down

0:24

into beautiful darkness. In

0:28

this episode, listen to Backseat Kiss, written

0:31

by James Tatum and narrated by

0:33

Stephen Rudnicki. But first, a

0:35

word from our sponsors. Hey

0:44

there. Ever wonder what happens to all those amazing

0:46

screenplays that never make it to the big screen?

0:49

No wonder no more. Welcome to Table

0:51

Read Podcast, where we bring those undiscovered

0:53

gems to life. Picture

0:55

this, talented actors giving incredible performances

0:57

with the occasional laugh or blooper

0:59

thrown in, produced by award-winning pros.

1:01

From drama to comedy, TV pilots

1:03

to feature films, there's something for

1:05

everyone. And guess what? We release

1:07

new episodes every week, so don't

1:09

forget to hit that subscribe button.

1:11

Table Read Podcast, where great stories finally

1:13

get their chance to shine. It's

1:23

time to descend the shadowy stairs once more, for

1:25

a good long look behind the curtain of the

1:27

everyday to see what lurks beyond.

1:30

Have we got a nightmare for you? Backseat

1:35

Kiss by James Tatum It

1:40

didn't come as a surprise when AJ

1:42

told me she wanted to open our

1:44

relationship. We'd been an item

1:46

for four years, but by the

1:48

middle of the third year the two of us

1:51

had long since checked out. You could feel it

1:53

in the air. A static.

1:56

Something pushing us apart. I

1:58

don't know why we stayed together. Why

2:01

we wanted to make it work when

2:03

it so obviously wouldn't. Maybe

2:05

it was the rent, or maybe it was

2:07

the fear of being alone. Half

2:10

the reason we'd gotten together in the first

2:12

place was because we were tired of loneliness.

2:15

Maybe we even loved each other. AJ

2:19

never hid her attraction to other men and

2:21

women. It wasn't rare to

2:23

catch her eyefucking acute bartender on date

2:26

night, or to come back

2:28

from the club toilet and find

2:30

her dancing with someone else. Once

2:33

she tried to get me on board to

2:35

the whole couple swapping scene, after

2:37

we met a geeky couple at Comic Con

2:40

who were cosplaying characters from AJ's

2:42

favorite, Annie Mae, I'd

2:45

said no then. I was

2:47

too nervous. AJ says

2:49

that's always been my issue. Well

2:52

I put up with the wayward

2:54

glances with her myriad Instagram followers.

2:58

I put up with the way she treated me

3:00

at Peter's birthday party in the year before we

3:02

all finished university.

3:04

When she sank three bottles of red and

3:06

stumbled into the lips of a varsity rugby

3:09

player dressed in a shirt that was popping

3:11

at the seams. Peter

3:13

tried to console me in his familiar

3:15

heavy-handed way. He told me

3:18

AJ was bad for me, that

3:20

she was too wild to pin down. When

3:23

we got home, AJ burst into tears

3:25

and told me how sorry she was,

3:27

that she was broken, that

3:30

she didn't think she could be fixed, that

3:32

she didn't think she was made for just

3:35

one person. I said it was okay.

3:38

Life went on. Peter kept

3:40

telling me to end things. I continued ignoring

3:43

him. My doctor

3:45

signed me up for a course of

3:47

antidepressants, tiny little capsules that looked

3:49

like teeth and took the weight

3:52

out of my chest like someone reached

3:54

in and pulled out the worst parts of

3:56

me. That was okay. I

3:59

could live with it. Like that. I.

4:01

Think Aj preferred me like that to.

4:04

She said it was a sign we

4:06

were broken together. I. Nodded

4:09

feeling like a television between channels.

4:12

A wanderer through the world floating

4:14

through my early twenties without caring.

4:17

Yes I thought. Everything

4:20

She said Yes! Everything

4:22

any one said. Yes,

4:26

We. Were in the car driving back

4:28

from the station when she signed.

4:31

On pumping and taking the

4:33

slack other her ponytail. To

4:36

spank and work. Of

4:38

small, cramped accountancy offices on

4:40

spend Church Street. I

4:43

work locally running the social media

4:45

campaigns for the council. a boring

4:47

job that made zero use of

4:49

my literature degree. I.

4:51

Envied the social aspect of

4:53

a Jays profession. Always. Going

4:56

out drinking with colleagues, A

4:58

breath always warm with the booze. I've.

5:01

Been thinking she said. That

5:03

maybe we should try something new in

5:06

our relationship. To. Bring the

5:08

love back. I stopped at

5:10

a red light. And. Listen to us.

5:12

He reeled off a grand plan. Pulling.

5:14

Her face towards of the crease lines

5:17

appeared through her foundation. Or

5:19

eyes with deep, mournful wells that

5:21

seems to say. The. Only

5:24

point of this life is to be

5:26

happy. I swallowed. S

5:29

I said. Yes, We can

5:31

try that. A

5:34

face unraveled that the scenes

5:36

the creases slipping away, dimples

5:38

coming out wide on hatched

5:40

it's. She leaned over and kissed

5:42

me on the neck. And I caught a

5:44

whiff of. Something citrusy

5:47

orange. His arms. Later

5:49

that night she wrote me with

5:51

new found enthusiasm. The

5:53

hips bucking and frank. And

5:56

her mouth contorting to make sounds

5:58

either never heard before. It

6:01

was something else town, something. New.

6:03

In age a. Science. Something

6:06

wild and rent and

6:08

bloodthirsty. That left

6:10

me feeling like pray. Like.

6:13

Food. I closed

6:15

my eyes as I came. Too. Scared

6:18

to look. Asia. Told

6:20

me not to be approved. She

6:22

told me to put myself out there. To.

6:24

Talk about my kings. To

6:26

meet girls at bars to fight them. I

6:30

downloaded all the dating apps I followed

6:32

the Social: some of you girls, I've

6:34

unattractive from the office. I.

6:36

Didn't match with any one. I

6:39

waited for others to swipe fast.

6:42

I even paid for the expensive

6:44

versions of the Ups so I

6:46

could see exactly who was snooping

6:48

around my poorly constructed profile. A

6:51

few girls swiped on me. People who

6:53

live nearby. Some. With pictures

6:55

of their children in their profiles which I

6:57

found out. I didn't

7:00

try to swipe back. Aj

7:03

began spending more time away from

7:05

the flat. To posted

7:07

frequently to her social. Always

7:09

with a full face of make up.

7:11

Long stylish red wings trailing from her

7:14

eyes like some Egyptian goddess. She

7:16

look radiant I thought. And. He

7:19

looked happy. Really happy.

7:22

And he up. All the time I couldn't

7:24

shake the feeling as though I was

7:26

seeing her for the first time. The.

7:29

Looking arise was wild. Animalistic.

7:33

Not the eyes of the person.

7:35

I thought strangely. She

7:38

asked me to stop picking her up at the

7:40

station after work. And so

7:42

on my way back from the office,

7:44

I took up the habit of stopping

7:47

other dilapidated American style dinah. Taking.

7:49

A seed near the fog of

7:51

window with spurting cox finger drawn

7:53

and on the condensation. I

7:56

sat there each night. Trembling

7:58

with whole body shape. At

8:00

one point, I. Knew

8:02

what was happening, And you

8:05

aj was in and out of other beds.

8:07

I. Knew she was seeing other man. Other

8:10

women. I knew she was

8:12

having the best sex of the entire

8:14

life and why not? I

8:16

had agreed to it. I'd

8:18

said yes, Yes, Yes, Always

8:20

yes. And if

8:22

I was any sort of man, I'd

8:24

venture out myself and start building up

8:26

proper body count. And when

8:29

Aj came back late at night smelling of

8:31

sweat than sex. Maybe. We

8:33

would trade stories. Well we soap

8:35

the Chinatown. I

8:38

stayed at the diner until my new ha

8:40

would be back. On.

8:44

Know something about the client of an empty

8:46

flat that I couldn't stand. I

8:49

must have resemble the poor shadow of

8:51

a human dry swallowing anti depressants, not

8:53

even bothering to wipe the talks of

8:55

the glass, A waitress took

8:58

pity on me. She approached

9:00

the ask if I wanted the top up.

9:02

Before. Realizing I hadn't touched the first

9:05

got. Then she Harvard. On

9:07

the brink of breaking the ice. I

9:10

looked up. And she smiled

9:12

and the way you might smile at an

9:14

injured animals. Unless his little

9:16

heart. But. There

9:18

was all chocolate curls on her

9:20

face. was beautiful. A

9:22

fluorescent lights tinkled from a name

9:25

tag that said Rebecca. Dislike

9:27

the film. She said. I.

9:30

Blinked out of a one second to.

9:32

Before she tapped an acrylic blue

9:34

nail against her name tag. Rebecca.

9:38

The film. I've not

9:40

seen it. Is. Old. He

9:43

slid into the seat opposite me. And

9:46

said the big Pharma of coffee down on the

9:48

table. Only oh, did I realize how

9:50

young she was. A. Little

9:52

over eighteen was my guess. But.

9:55

With a face worn down by

9:57

life. There. Was no sparkle to

9:59

her. Is no fire. No

10:02

fear. Just. Dormancy.

10:06

You. Look miserable. What Is it? A.

10:08

Divorce. A death. Do

10:11

I look old enough for a divorce? All it

10:13

does. She shrugged. People.

10:16

Die Younger and younger every year. Have

10:19

you heard of all those stories of young men

10:21

going missing? A few men

10:24

around here vanished without a trace. London types.

10:26

I suppose they all just been to Mauritians

10:28

have something. To. Better lives like

10:31

of white skin on pillow it. I

10:33

envy them. They. Don't have to

10:35

sit here. Chasing kids away from

10:37

the windows day after day. Enough

10:40

I asked one of em. I was

10:42

so obsessed with drawing penises. Because.

10:44

Laughed at me. Love. To my

10:46

face. People. My terrible

10:48

I sent. My voice

10:50

shot through with hoarseness. It

10:53

is be better of it was the best for a

10:55

funeral. But. It's just

10:57

a relationship. Is still

10:59

got one. I said no, I didn't.

11:02

It felt liberating to sign. Or

11:05

my classmates science class. the

11:07

diner went was after midnight.

11:10

I messaged Aj to tell how I

11:12

would be backlight. Sure applied

11:15

with a single M O J. A

11:17

winking size. Rebecca

11:19

Spice was a small box like slapped

11:21

with a potted aloe Vera plant and

11:24

the mattress on the floor in one

11:26

corner. She's. As you can

11:28

only afford the place because of oil from still

11:30

paid half the rent even though he no longer

11:32

lived there. Rebecca said

11:34

he'd cheated. It didn't

11:37

make sense. She said to build some

11:39

op, just bring them crashing back down.

11:42

She much about ran from the kitchen

11:45

counter. We sat on the mattress drinking.

11:48

Rebecca told me she'd wanted to be an

11:50

editor at a publishing house. But.

11:52

Hadn't been able to get a position. They.

11:55

Want experience She said. And.

11:57

yet they won't give you the job even as an

11:59

as resistant to get the experience in the

12:01

first place. It's dumb." We

12:05

drank in silence for a while before Rebecca

12:07

sat down her glass and pulled

12:10

herself into me. I

12:12

could taste the memory of a cigarette on her

12:14

breath. My glass slipped

12:16

from my fingers, tumbled off the

12:18

mattress, and spilled onto the floor, leaving

12:21

a bloody stain on the

12:23

oak paneling. After Rebecca cupped my face

12:25

and I felt absolved by the trembling of

12:28

her body in my arms, I thought

12:31

about the look in her eyes and how

12:33

it didn't scare me, and

12:35

I wondered how any of us ended

12:37

up like this so bent out of

12:39

shape and broken beyond belief. After

12:43

sex, we shared a cigarette, the

12:45

little orange ember piercing through the

12:47

dark, and listened to the

12:50

silence of the flat, the sounds

12:52

of the bellowing traffic outside. "'So,

12:56

your ex,'" Rebecca's voice

12:58

cut through the quiet. "'She was

13:00

a bitch. I don't

13:02

have an ex.' The words

13:04

almost leapt out instinctively, but

13:07

I kept them down. Lying

13:09

was new to me, but I

13:11

supposed it had to become part of

13:13

normality. "'I guess so,'

13:16

I said. "'I don't know.' She

13:18

scared me." "'That ugly,'

13:21

Rebecca laughed. "'Come on, show

13:23

us a photo. I want to see.' I

13:27

found my phone and navigated

13:29

to AJ's Instagram. There

13:31

were several new photos of her in

13:33

fancy bars with low lighting and vinyl-covered

13:36

booths. Whoever she

13:38

was currently seeing obviously had more money than

13:40

I did. "'Do you

13:42

see her eyes?' "'Oh, she's

13:45

really pretty,' Rebecca said. "'What

13:47

are you with me for, huh?' She

13:50

craned her neck forward as she

13:52

inspected the photo closely. "'I see what

13:54

you mean. The eyes. They

13:57

look almost red. She looks like so.'

14:00

Thing wearing a person's skin.

14:03

What the hell did you do to her? Or.

14:05

Do you mean. Like

14:08

aside and let the new cigarette

14:10

she told me about ex boyfriend

14:12

the cheetah. Who begged

14:14

to come back and live without again.

14:17

He. Said that he was sorry that he

14:19

made a mistake. All that refers to crop.

14:22

When. He was drunk with was off and. He.

14:24

Says that the girl he slept with a

14:26

legally blonde from his office. Wasn't

14:28

all that anyway that her pussy and of

14:30

a got wet and often that she refused

14:33

to take it up the ass. Eventually.

14:36

Those no choice but to cut him off

14:38

completely. She. Piled on his stuff together.

14:41

And gave him a weekend to move out. Then.

14:43

She stopped cigarettes out on all the cause

14:46

he'd have a gotta. Score! Stole

14:48

the plus she's and. Pawned.

14:50

All the sentimental jewelry. She.

14:53

Bought them on the reading. Andrew. Cox

14:55

over his face and over scrap books.

14:58

That. Was it there? was Over. And.

15:00

For the best. She

15:02

saw him again five months later, when she'd

15:04

been crossing at a red light on her

15:06

way to the diner. It.

15:08

Was raining heavily? As she

15:11

turned against the worst of the rain, She

15:13

caught his face staring out from a

15:15

car. A window ibis

15:17

keeping his reflection fresh. Sheets

15:20

thought about the possibility a million

15:23

times. situations where she might see

15:25

him again. And not

15:27

once did she for see herself

15:29

screaming like a banshee and running

15:32

like a woman possessed. She

15:34

bowed and work moments later, And.

15:37

Came apart and was sobbing mess and

15:39

the women's toilets. Because.

15:41

It didn't even look like a

15:43

person anymore. Rebecca said. He

15:45

looked like a cool it's. Like. He'd

15:47

died. Like some part

15:49

of him had. De.

15:52

sac into a cigarette. His.

15:54

Eyes was sunk so far into

15:56

a space and his cheek bones

15:58

was sticking out. Skyn.

16:02

To pass my sufferings of

16:04

Africa to cry. A

16:07

soft whimpering, soft talk. Like

16:09

a little girl or woken from her

16:11

first er visit nightmare. I've

16:14

never forgotten that she said. Because

16:16

I felt like I'd done that. Like

16:19

it was me who ruined him. Like.

16:22

I the made him into a monster. By.

16:25

Never saw Rebecca again. We.

16:27

Exchanged numbers but neither of us have

16:30

a message to each other. I

16:33

stopped going to the diner, coming back

16:35

to the cold of that. I

16:38

thought it was for the best that

16:40

after our conversation and the dog was

16:42

probable that she wanted to forget all

16:44

about me and my connection to past.

16:47

I. Deleted all the ups

16:49

and counseled the subscriptions. I.

16:52

Decided I was bad for people.

16:55

That. Like a magnet, I brought

16:57

out the worse than them. Aj

17:00

message me on my lunch break a

17:02

week later. She wanted me to

17:04

stay out while she brought a guy home. I.

17:07

Stalked the empty toilet streets

17:10

watching Cosco. past. wondering.

17:12

All the time as I'd look up and sees

17:14

skeleton that the wheel. Or a

17:17

monster with fangs and a

17:19

eyes. Made us nothing.

17:22

And. I never

17:24

saw any. Store.

17:27

After all, because monsters

17:29

didn't exist. Issue

17:32

was in bed when I got back. The

17:34

showed is ready for me she grumbled

17:37

and a half mushy language your sleep.

17:39

Davis. Gone. Or

17:41

guy. I. Under

17:44

Arrest and snowed under the scolding shower

17:46

water for fifteen minutes before I noticed

17:48

the red splatter on the ceramics lot

17:50

of the bathroom. It

17:52

reminded me of the glass of wine I did

17:54

drop the for that goes on a much darker.

17:57

i snapped out of the shower and grabbed

18:00

the towel against the stain. The

18:03

metallic scent of blood was unmistakable.

18:06

The smell filled me with

18:08

rage. I wanted to

18:10

tell A.J. to clean up after herself, but

18:13

I had the towel in my hands before

18:15

I knew it, and I was wiping in

18:17

circular motions until the blood was thin and

18:20

translucent. A.J. was

18:22

asleep when I clambered into the warm

18:24

bed. She snored

18:26

loudly, and I thought about placing

18:29

a pillow over her head, about pushing

18:31

down on it and stopping

18:33

those snores forever. Monster,

18:36

I thought. I

18:38

am the monster, not her.

18:42

Monster. The word

18:44

didn't leave my head. I

18:46

slid a hand over the sheets until I felt the

18:49

warmth of her breath, and very

18:51

carefully parted her lips as

18:53

I ran a finger across the bottom row

18:55

of teeth. They were

18:57

irregularly shaped, some

18:59

like stonehenge pieces or those

19:01

like spearheads. My

19:04

fingers slipped over an elongated

19:06

canine, and I

19:08

felt the skin split. In

19:11

the dark, the cut looked deep and

19:14

black. I

19:16

walked to the kitchen to fetch a plastic, but

19:18

I struggled to get the medical cupboard

19:21

open. I tugged against the

19:23

handle but lacked the strength to swing it open

19:25

all the way. The blood

19:27

dribbled from the incision on my finger, making

19:29

no wet patter on the kitchen floor. What

19:32

are you doing? A.J. asked, appearing

19:34

in her pajamas at the corner of the

19:37

kitchen, rubbing

19:39

sleep from her eyes. The tiredness evaporated when

19:41

she saw the blood. Oh,

19:43

shit! What the hell did you do? She

19:46

hurried over and pulled the cupboard

19:48

open with her pinky. The box

19:51

of plasters tumbled onto the

19:53

floor. A.J. sat me down at the

19:55

dining table, dabbed the blood away from

19:57

my finger, And then wrapped a plaster

19:59

around my finger. I

20:01

do not. Know

20:04

I said. That

20:06

week. Probably. From the blood.

20:09

Got too careless when picking Zero

20:12

The reason. He

20:14

looks in ages. I'll

20:17

make a big dinner tomorrow. I flinched

20:19

as she brought my finger to her

20:21

lips. An image snapped

20:23

in my head like the top of

20:25

a flash camera. A bloody stump bitten

20:27

gleaned from a hand. She

20:31

offered a soft gifts nothing more. You

20:34

coming back to be? In a

20:36

minute I said. And I

20:38

listened to her feet and down the

20:40

hallway back to the bedroom. I

20:43

had a head full of funk more

20:45

that night as I looked up, but

20:48

the frames graduation photo of Aj we

20:50

kept on the ogre was facing the

20:52

kitchen. All. The time

20:54

asking myself, why do you

20:56

have fangs. Why? Do

20:58

you have fangs? Why do

21:01

you have fangs? Then.

21:04

There was the splatter have read on the

21:06

bathroom floor. Smell of blood.

21:09

The way Aj snored like a giant

21:11

in a fairytale. And

21:13

suddenly I could think of nothing

21:16

else other than how exhausted the

21:18

person could get after a good

21:20

meal. Peter

21:23

had events really gotten the hint that

21:25

I didn't care about his opinion. I

21:28

imagine he wrote me off as a lost cause.

21:31

Someone with spend an entire lifespan been

21:33

the the he'll have a Jays stiletto.

21:36

We. Stopped talking of the university.

21:39

He. Got a job in the pharmaceutical

21:41

industry that let him take frequent

21:43

trips to visit the board trees

21:45

and Quebec. He'd. Moved on

21:47

I thought And good for him. Than.

21:51

Two months after Aj and I began

21:53

our little experiment. He. Messaged me

21:55

and asked to meet. We.

21:58

Met at a local coffee shop and. Oh,

22:01

the one that had shelves full of

22:03

beat poetry and made cappuccino. As with

22:05

Odd and the chocolate Tada. Peter.

22:08

Paid for the drinks and brought them over

22:10

to our table. Peter. Looked

22:12

nothing like the meek, scrawny boy

22:14

I'd lived with during University. Strong.

22:17

Muscles bunch of beneath a tight fitting

22:19

t shirt as he moved. His

22:21

hair was puffed up and to a pompadour

22:24

and his teeth was straight out of a

22:26

to spice advent. You're looking

22:28

good I said as I sipped the

22:30

chocolate cat from the cappuccino froth. Wish

22:33

I could say the same about the home and. You

22:36

look like you're only eating cracker bread. I.

22:39

Shrugged. Work. Is stressful,

22:42

Maybe I'll be looking like you soon.

22:45

Peter. Looked like he didn't believe a word I

22:47

said. He sighed and cleared his throat.

22:51

Is a Dark Ages he said straight

22:53

to the point. I think

22:55

the something you need to know. I

22:58

saw her going home with another guy last night.

23:00

A fat guy looked like some

23:02

banker or something. They were

23:04

holding hands and kissing against the street

23:07

lamp and everything. And. Then

23:09

they went up into the skies place.

23:12

He. Paused. Let the silence

23:14

trump and his words. I

23:16

thought you said now. I'm

23:19

looking at you. I think you already have

23:21

an idea. I knew she

23:24

was bad man. all the way through university

23:26

I told you she wasn't good. And

23:28

to that time with that guy in the club at

23:30

my birthday. I. Mean, how many more

23:32

times are you going to let yourself

23:34

be madoff? It's not like

23:37

that I retorted. Billing: Small

23:39

and weak. I. Know about it.

23:41

We've. Opened our relationship.

23:44

I. Slept with someone to. Be.

23:47

To look like someone had rolled a live

23:49

grenade at his feet. You

23:51

know those things always end up

23:53

in disasters, right? I don't know

23:56

a single person who had a

23:58

successful open relationship, man. And they're

24:00

biased in favor of women, too,

24:02

because of. Know society.

24:05

Are you happy for her to

24:08

just be fucking fatties on the

24:10

regular while you are wearing yourself

24:12

bones and. She can do

24:14

what she wants. Were. Both adults.

24:17

Beat. Aside. If that's where

24:19

do you think? I'm. Only

24:21

trying to look out for you. And. It's

24:23

dangerous for her to be out, what with

24:25

people going missing all the time you ever

24:28

think about that. He. Rubbed

24:30

a hand over his forehead, I. Watched

24:32

the biceps work like pistons. If

24:36

I can give you any advice man he said. It's.

24:39

A This. Get out Y u

24:41

ten? Sooner or later, that girl

24:43

is gonna kill you. When

24:46

I got home, I found Aj in

24:48

the kitchen stirring vegetables in the pan.

24:51

A flat smelled of Asian cuisine. Spices

24:54

and soy sauce and meet sizzling

24:56

in a walk. She

24:58

had her hair and the ponytail and she

25:00

was wearing her casual clothes. Joggers.

25:03

And a t shirt for the faded, animate

25:05

graphic. I took

25:07

the day after day to try and get

25:09

some ingredients. She said storing the pan with

25:11

a wooden spoon. I'm. Worried

25:13

that has been? You're getting. I

25:15

forgot that you don't know how to cook

25:17

anything other than chicken nuggets. And

25:20

I'm barely in and. She. Ran

25:22

a hand through her hair, I've

25:24

been a bad girlfriend. Nor you

25:26

haven't I said. And she moved

25:28

into my open arms. Trade.

25:30

For to find my lips. And

25:33

I recoiled. My. Oh.

25:37

I. Bit my tongue, Can. You

25:39

tell? I. Got too excited when I

25:41

found a decent walk for half price. I

25:44

guess I'm a proper adult now. Can

25:46

you fetch me the container from the fridge?

25:48

One I did shop. Is. Going to be

25:50

left. I. Grab

25:52

the handle them heaved. But. All

25:55

my weight into with. The. Door

25:57

didn't budge. It was as

25:59

though someone. The mag locked the fridge

26:01

door while I'd been out. Oh

26:04

dear Aj said as she brushed

26:06

me aside and opened the French.

26:09

You're. Getting bad. Go. And

26:11

take a seat. We.

26:14

Ate and silence. Well as.

26:17

I. Stood before I play. A

26:21

meat beef. And. Looked like. I

26:24

couldn't shake Peter Storrie him up! Ha!

26:26

And the stat banca. I

26:29

couldn't shake the image of a month on

26:31

the bathroom. I. Told Aj

26:33

I wasn't hungry. She. Didn't

26:35

disguise or annoyance, but she didn't

26:38

voice either. I

26:40

wanted to ask you something ages and.

26:44

She'd. Store bought cheesecake and

26:46

sizes and let me have

26:49

spent. And which I eat

26:51

slowly and thought. About

26:53

tonight. I. Was wondering if you

26:55

could drive me some way. To.

26:58

Meet a guy I said matter of factly. Yeah

27:01

Aj replied. Just

27:03

a drop me off where he is. He

27:05

doesn't drive. Would. You do that

27:07

for me. I know it's asking a

27:09

lot and it's fine if you say no. We.

27:12

Could just have a night in and watch a film or

27:14

something. I thought back

27:16

to what Rebecca had said about making her

27:18

ex into a monster. I

27:21

thought about the ways in which

27:23

other people's happiness is always our

27:25

responsibility. I thought

27:27

about the weight Aj looked

27:30

in those instagram posts. always

27:32

so radiant. And happier than

27:34

any time she'd ever been with me. You.

27:37

Had to make sure someone else

27:39

was happy. That was how you

27:41

kept them from becoming monstrous. That

27:44

was how you resist the process.

27:47

Yes, I said. Yes,

27:49

I can do that. right? To

27:52

kiss me on the forehead, unhurried down the

27:54

hallway to get changed, Reappearing.

27:56

Ten minutes later, on a lazy body suit.

27:59

and a pair of faux leather trousers that

28:01

accentuated the curves of her eyes. Something

28:05

primal stirred within me. Fuck

28:08

me, instead, I wanted to say. You don't

28:10

need another man. You have me. But

28:13

when she asked, ready to go, I said

28:16

what I always said. It

28:19

was a late night in winter, and the

28:21

darkness was deep, broken only by

28:24

the lights from nearby villages and cities.

28:28

AJ sat in the back seat, playing

28:30

with her hair, now out of

28:32

a ponytail and tumbling back

28:34

behind elfin ears, her face

28:36

illuminated by the glow of her

28:38

phone, like a narrator in a

28:40

biocide ghost story. In

28:43

the rear mirror, I caught the hellfire glow

28:46

of her eyes, tinged

28:48

red, feral, and

28:50

bloodthirsty. I

28:52

stopped in the town square, which

28:54

was crowded with punters spilling out

28:56

from the bars, stumbling into one

28:59

another's arms, into hedges to vomit,

29:01

into police cars. He

29:04

is on his way, AJ said,

29:06

quietly setting her phone down. Thanks

29:08

for doing this. Then

29:11

she yawned, her jaw spreading

29:13

wide, and I caught her fangs in

29:15

the mirror, each one the

29:17

length of a finger. I

29:20

said he could meet me here, AJ said. Then

29:23

I'll get out. Can you

29:25

open a window a crack? I

29:27

need a smoke to calm my nerves. A

29:30

silhouette formed in the town square, gaining

29:32

features as it moved through the liquid

29:34

dark, becoming whole, becoming

29:37

a person. Whoever it

29:39

was, I thought, I would tell them to

29:41

run for their life, just like

29:43

Rebecca had done. I

29:45

opened my mouth to yell, and

29:48

closed it when I saw the thick

29:50

plates of Peter's chest swaying as he

29:52

moved. He slipped into the

29:54

car, and the vehicle swelled

29:56

with a potent stench of his aftershave.

30:00

You know, I still feel weird about doing

30:02

this while you're in a relationship," Peter said

30:04

as the door clicked shut behind him. I

30:07

didn't even breathe. Can

30:10

you not just end things?

30:13

Is that not easier? I

30:15

don't know. My boyfriend is in the

30:17

front. You can ask him." Peter's

30:20

eyes leapt into the rearview mirror. The

30:23

color drained from his face. Oh,

30:26

fuck. He grabbed the

30:28

door handle, but I mashed a finger onto

30:30

the child block. Dude, I'm

30:32

sorry. I tried to get you out of

30:34

this. I don't want to

30:37

do anything. I just want to drive,"

30:39

AJ commanded. I drove.

30:42

The streetlights blared around us. We

30:45

were going so fast. Nothing

30:47

seemed to matter anymore. The

30:49

entire world had shrunk down to

30:51

fit inside my car, and now

30:54

here we were, the last three

30:56

people who really mattered, trading

30:58

each other's breath. Where

31:01

are we going? I asked. Just

31:03

drive. I'm going to do it while you're driving.

31:05

I've always wanted to do that. Man,

31:08

just stop the car, Peter

31:10

pleaded. She told me it

31:12

was a fucking Uber. You're

31:14

driving so fast. I'm sorry, my...

31:18

AJ pounced on him, smushed her

31:20

face into his. I

31:22

listened to the wet sounds of their

31:24

backseat kiss. We

31:27

pulled out onto an empty stretch of road, and

31:30

I averted my eyes from the world

31:32

hurtling around me to see AJ pinning

31:34

Peter down with one hand and

31:37

using her free hand to tear her

31:39

clothes off, her nails

31:41

tearing fabric to ribbons. Just

31:44

fucking kiss me back, AJ

31:47

screamed. Her voice was

31:49

demonic. More people

31:51

talking at once, a chorus of hell. She

31:54

raked her hand over Peter's t-shirt and

31:56

his tight muscle fit pinged off and

31:58

hit the roof. revealing a

32:00

trail of deep red twine drawn

32:03

across his chest. He screamed,

32:05

but A.J. muddled it with another kiss.

32:08

She pushed him into the seat and swept

32:10

her naked body onto his lap. I

32:13

saw the curve of her ass again, saw

32:15

the tumble of her hair. The

32:18

moonlight sketched out the vertebrae of her

32:20

back. Too many,

32:22

I thought, like multiple

32:24

spines coiled up inside her,

32:26

bonesnakes squirming under the skin.

32:30

Peter's hand came from the left

32:32

and planted the resounding slap across

32:34

A.J.'s face. She laughed, a

32:37

sound like machinery. I

32:39

like it rough. Then

32:42

she turned to see me in the

32:44

mirror and smiled. Keep

32:47

driving, baby. I'm so nearly

32:49

done. I

32:51

watched it happen. The

32:54

mouth extended. It became

32:56

full of teeth. She

32:58

tore Peter's face from his head,

33:01

leaving it looking like a bit open fruit.

33:04

Somehow Peter continued to scream as

33:06

A.J. fit the rest of him

33:09

into her mouth every little piece.

33:12

It was over in a matter of seconds, once

33:15

Peter stopped making any sound at all.

33:19

Then there was the sound of liquid

33:21

pulling off the back seats, off the

33:23

windows, dripping onto the floor

33:25

mats. A.J. rolled

33:27

over onto her back and

33:30

rubbed the blood around her nipples. That

33:33

was so much fun,

33:35

she said again in that

33:38

voice that sounded discordant and

33:40

otherworldly. It

33:43

occurred to me that I could end it

33:45

all right then. I could

33:47

jackknife the car sideways, ram it into

33:50

a street light, bust the bonnet, and

33:52

break both our skulls. But

33:55

I kept the car going forwards, gripping

33:57

the wheel firmly to stop my

33:59

hands. Shaking. Will

34:02

you Do That To Me? I

34:05

voice was wafer thin. A

34:07

smile split her face apart. Traveled

34:09

up towards her eyes. May

34:12

be if you're lucky she said.

34:15

She sucked flesh from her talents.

34:18

For. Now. I just need

34:20

you to keep driving. Can you do that for

34:23

me? I let the

34:25

carcillo to a crawl. Up

34:27

ahead a red light blaze been the dark.

34:30

It was a busy night. And. The crossing

34:32

was packed with stamps. I.

34:35

Wondered what would happen when the car

34:37

finally started to stop. What

34:39

those shapes when do When they glanced

34:41

into the car as they crossed. What

34:45

it was they would see.

34:54

Looking back. You been listening

34:56

to Backseat Kiss by James Tatum. Narrated

34:59

by Stephen Read, Nicky, Are

35:04

you thinking about getting into Dungeons and Dragons? Maybe are

35:06

looking to expand your horizons as a Dm or a

35:08

player? That's the case and it's time for you to

35:10

check out The Dungeon Cast. The Best, the indie podcast

35:12

out there that helps you possibly learn all about the

35:15

game just by listening to and co host well and

35:17

Brian as they break down the lore of a rich

35:19

multi verse fifty years in the making and a light

35:21

hearted and beginner friendly way. They. Cover: Everything

35:23

from character creation options to tips for dungeon

35:26

master's There's something for everyone. no matter how

35:28

long you been playing To the Rpgs, get

35:30

inspired by learning all about the unique planes

35:32

of existence. Get. The indepth knowledge you

35:34

need to help your combat encounters feel impactful

35:36

or learn about the origins of pantheon of

35:38

every race and class the game offers. No

35:40

stone is left unturned. is every edition of

35:42

the games explored and explain and way that

35:44

benefits players of all different levels of experience?

35:46

You can expand your T T Rpg horizons

35:48

and await us as entertaining as it is

35:51

educational just by listening. All you have to

35:53

do is go to your favorite podcast app

35:55

or you tube and search for the dungeon

35:57

cast. He

36:09

more sometimes he also writes.

36:12

His fiction has appeared in Nightmare Magazine

36:14

and Dark Matter Magazine. Were not writing

36:17

he be found working the publishing industry

36:19

and drinking far too much coffee. You

36:23

can find him on Twitter at James

36:25

Underscored Tatum he is currently at work

36:27

or more projects that he can can.

36:30

Stepper, Nicky, the Grammy award winning

36:32

audio book producer and an award

36:35

winning narrator was one Seventeen Audio

36:37

was as well as More Than

36:39

Thirty Five, Your Phone's Woods and

36:41

been named one of audio Files

36:43

Golden Voice. Stephen has been producing

36:46

like to Be Magazine podcasts since

36:48

Twenty Ten, eventually Etti Nightmare Fancy

36:50

Magazine and Sharing the You awards

36:52

for best semi pro scene and

36:54

Twenty Fourteen and Twenty Fifty. I

36:58

May Or Magazine is published by Admin

37:00

Press Copyright. Twenty Twenty Four and

37:02

his podcast is Bruce Bruce gonna

37:04

get easier for his production was

37:06

by gym or music is composed

37:08

Citizen are Jackie K. Thanks for

37:10

listening! This is Turns Taylor. Wish

37:13

you all the best from all

37:15

of us a diaper magazine and

37:17

send you back to your reality

37:19

for now.