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Glass
Las tradiciones unescencia de las fiestas comien so na nueva tradicionas. Macy's, Sephora, Best Buy, Imazica, sos ibe o tete a in Google Play or App Store. Yo seldico la musica.
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Copper
Hymns for the Road is a fiction podcast that often takes place inside a moving vehicle. Listener discretion is advised while driving. General content warnings are listed in the show notes.
Glass
It it.
Silver
Last. Would you mind clearing that bit I missed?
Glass
I've got it.
Copper
I can't wait until this is over.
Silver
Don't get attached to it, Copper.
Amber
I'm not. I know what's going to happen. I just. I want to be kind. It's the least we could do.
Silver
You're too sweet for all this, darling.
Copper
Besides, it doesn't deserve kindness after what it put us through to catch it.
Amber
Everything deserves a little kindness.
Copper
And Amber, I'm just trying to lighten the mood.
Glass
Do we have enough space at Silver?
Silver
Almost. My gloves ain't thick enough for all this.
Copper
I want to get this over with as fast as possible.
Glass
We'll be okay. We'll be okay. We haven't fumbled the solstice yet, but we'll be fine.
Amber
I wish there was more I could have done. I felt useless.
Glass
So, Amber, do you remember anything about winter from before?
Copper
Yeah, actually. I feel like it made enough of an impact.
Glass
Hmm. What was your favorite part?
Copper
What do you mean, what was my favorite part?
Glass
It's not a difficult question.
Copper
The food. Glass. It was the food. What else?
Glass
The lights, the decorations. The music.
Copper
Eh, the music was okay.
Glass
You think the music was just okay? You.
Copper
It just wasn't my kind of music. Sue me. And it always got played too much.
Glass
That I can agree with.
Copper
The snow, of course. Loved that.
Glass
Didn't really snow much where I came from. No, it rained a lot, though.
Silver
I'm surprised you could drive so well in it then.
Glass
What can I say? I'm a driving prodigy.
Copper
And there are never any other cars on the road.
Glass
They're intimidated by me.
Copper
What about you, Sylph? You get snow when you were a kid?
Silver
Yeah. You got less and less of it every year.
Amber
Well, now you've got plenty.
Silver
It's the dark that really gets to me.
Copper
Yeah.
Amber
I wish it stayed brighter, longer.
Glass
I kinda like it. My mom used to let me run around the city with a flashlight after it got dark. It made 4:30 feel like an adventure.
Silver
I guess where I lived, things started coming out after dark.
Glass
How much more do we need to do on the setup? Can I help clear off the circle?
Silver
It's almost done. Be easier if it stop snowing. It feels the way monsters did when I was a kid. The ones you can't see unless you're looking away. Like the creatures in the woods my family told me about. Except this time I didn't have a front door to lock and hide behind.
Copper
How are we supposed to keep from staring at something that big? It's just standing there. Right at the edge of the forest. Waiting. Every so often, I think I can feel it. Breathe.
Glass
I keep my eyes down, but sometimes I can still catch glimpses of it. A frostbitten, spindly limb here, twisted upside down. Antler there. There are footprints in the snow. Huge ones, with both clothes and claws at once.
Amber
The air was too cold to smell anything but the rot on its breath.
Silver
I think we could make it look a little nicer.
Glass
It'll probably be okay, Silver.
Silver
I don't work well on probably.
Amber
Do you think we should have fed the goat?
Copper
What, again?
Amber
Yeah.
Glass
I'm sure it's eating whatever dead grass it can find back there. Copper.
Amber
I just feel bad.
Silver
Don't feel bad, Copper. Animals kill other animals. The world's always worked that way.
Amber
Animals kill other animals to eat them.
Copper
Yeah, and somebody's going to eat this one.
Glass
Or they're gonna eat us.
Silver
Glad.
Copper
I feel like this would be easier if we were alone.
Silver
Careful.
Copper
I'm being careful.
Silver
You got the knife, Copper?
Amber
It's still under the seat. I can go get it.
Silver
If you would, please, sweetheart.
Copper
Do you guys ever think about how weird it is that we don't have any weapons?
Silver
What do we need weapons for? They don't work against certain parties.
Copper
Other humans? I don't know. Maybe we could use stuff for hunting.
Silver
We can't hunt. We don't own any of the animals. Except whatever the winners give us for the solstice.
Glass
We have a couple really small knives, like the one in Copper's multitool.
Copper
That doesn't count.
Glass
Oh, what about that laundry bag? It could work as a. You know, A net or something.
Copper
I maybe. Should we count it? If it wasn't made to be a.
Silver
Weapon, we got our brains. That's the most important weapon we'll ever need.
Copper
And our teeth.
Glass
And a ritual dagger.
Amber
And a ritual dagger. It was wrapped up in a bleach stained towel tucked into the space beneath the left backseat. For a moment I unwrapped it. I felt it hum under my palm. I could feel the rhythmic rush of pulses. Creatures around me with beating hearts. My friends, the goat. Whatever animals were hiding in the forest. I let my fingers trace the markings in the stone handle. They weren't words, but they weren't symbols either. Or if they were, I couldn't understand any of it. To me it just looked like scratches. Like something had clawed at the blade and the handle. Like something had tried to get inside. Okay, I've got it.
Silver
Thank you, copper. Give it here.
Glass
Do you want me to do it this year, Silver?
Silver
No, darling. It's all right.
Glass
That's a relief.
Silver
Animal death ain't new to me. I've cleaned a deer or two or a dozen. Haven't managed to get used to this though. It never gets any easier.
Glass
Don't worry, Squeaker. It'll be over soon.
Copper
What? Get away from it. Get away.
Glass
Silver, drop it. I got it.
Silver
Get it.
Copper
Get the goat.
Glass
Glass.
Silver
Oh, you're all right. Let me see. Let me see it.
Glass
It's fine, Silver. It's fine. It only got me a little bit.
Amber
Is the goat still alive?
Silver
The mountain lion didn't break its neck.
Glass
It's got its throat red sprayed all over the white snow.
Copper
It's too dark to see if it's still in the forest.
Amber
The goat didn't look like it was dead. But it wouldn't last much longer. Not with its neck ripped open like that.
Glass
What do we do? Can we save it?
Silver
Shit.
Amber
Shit. Silver, stop.
Copper
Hurry up and get it into the circle. We still have time.
Silver
Dead Amber. It's gone.
Copper
No, we still have it. We can still give it to.
Glass
They've gotten closer, but they don't even move.
Silver
I could feel them watching us.
Amber
They were hungry and it was very cold.
Glass
They're not going to take a dead goat.
Copper
I'll check the car, but we might have some.
Glass
Where's the rest of the arts paper?
Amber
I haven't gotten much back since we lost my component crate. I can think of something.
Copper
What if we just go? What if we all get in the car and we just drive until morning?
Glass
I can ask for help. We can still get out of this. Nobody panic. Nobody panic. We can fix this.
Silver
They're not gonna answer you, Glass.
Glass
They've answered me before.
Silver
It's the winter solstice. Nobody else is even around.
Glass
It's worth a try. I've ridden to Aster before. Stories to pay for my clairvoyance. But this one doesn't get anywhere. It doesn't vanish at all. Maybe it's because I don't have my cards anymore. Maybe Aster is angry at me for losing them. Or maybe Aster can't hear me at all.
Silver
I told you.
Amber
I looked through everything I managed to salvage after we escaped the Heaven Underground. It wasn't much. It wasn't anything. I kept digging, hoping I'd find something, but. But what? I had barely could have gotten us past a toll road. I didn't have enough for this. Silver. I don't have anything, boss.
Copper
Give me the keys.
Glass
Mind telling me the plan first?
Copper
We're running.
Amber
Uh, no, we're not.
Copper
I don't see another option.
Glass
Amber, I don't think running is a great idea, considering how close certain folks are to our car.
Copper
Do you want to stick around and fight something? We could at least go find something. Because if something has to die tonight, it's not going to be one of us.
Silver
We don't need the car to go find something. There's at least one more animal in the woods.
Glass
It's injured.
Copper
Mesh Laundry bag.
Glass
Tire iron.
Silver
Dead goat.
Copper
Ritual dagger in the snow.
Glass
Footprints and blood.
Amber
The dagger could feel it. Follow me.
Glass
It. Look at its leg.
Copper
Silver the goat.
Amber
Let's do.
Silver
Wait. Now. Amber.
Amber
Move.
Glass
Amber.
Silver
Copper. It's.
Glass
It.
Silver
It. It.
Amber
It.
Copper
Hymns for the Road is a podcast written and Produced by Anna McGuire. Starring Maurice Thomas as Silver, Pau Panganibon as Glass, Grizz Siebenek as Amber and Tabitha Bardal as Copper. Original music by Joshua David Mitchell. Sign up for our newsletter@hodgepodgeaudio.com or support our work on Patreon.com Hodgepodgeaudio thank you for listening.
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Episode 16: The Winter Solstice
Release Date: December 22, 2024
Host/Author: Hodgepodge Audio
In Episode 16, titled "The Winter Solstice," of the post-apocalyptic fiction podcast Hymns for the Road, listeners are immersed in the harrowing journey of four survivors navigating a transformed America. As the team faces the challenges of a magical apocalypse, the winter solstice brings added dangers in the form of otherworldly creatures and treacherous landscapes. This episode delves deep into the characters' struggles, both external and internal, highlighting their resilience and the strains of survival in a world where beauty and peril coexist indistinguishably.
The episode unfolds with the survivors—Glass, Copper, Silver, and Amber—preparing for the winter solstice, a pivotal event in their journey through the fantasy wasteland. The group is tense, burdened by recent losses and the looming threats of malevolent creatures that prowl the night.
Initial Preparations and Tensions:
As they prepare, memories of winter from before the apocalypse surface, bringing both comfort and sorrow:
Confronting the Present Dangers: The group confronts the harsh realities of their environment:
Moral Dilemmas and Survival Ethics: A critical moment arises when the group must decide the fate of an injured goat, leading to intense moral deliberation:
The Ritual and Its Implications: The discovery of a ritual dagger becomes a focal point:
Climactic Confrontation: As night deepens, the group faces imminent danger:
The episode crescendos with the group making critical decisions that test their unity and resolve, setting the stage for future challenges.
The interplay between the characters reveals underlying tensions and differing philosophies on survival:
Glass serves as the hopeful mediator, often trying to maintain morale. Her attempt to communicate beyond their immediate plight indicates a reliance on faith or higher powers, which others are skeptical of.
Copper embodies pragmatism and a willingness to take decisive, sometimes ruthless actions. His frustration is evident as he pushes the group towards action, even at the expense of compassion.
Silver juxtaposes experience with skepticism. Having dealt with loss before, Silver recognizes the futility in certain actions but still values intellect over brute force.
Amber represents empathy and the moral compass of the group. Her discomfort with the group's decisions and her internal struggle highlight the emotional toll of their journey.
Survival vs. Morality: The episode explores the conflict between the necessity of survival and maintaining one's moral compass. Decisions about the injured goat symbolize broader ethical dilemmas faced in a post-apocalyptic world.
Isolation and Loneliness: The winter solstice amplifies the sense of isolation, both physically in the desolate landscape and emotionally among the group members.
Faith and Despair: Glass's attempts to reach out to higher powers contrast with Silver's doubt, illustrating the tension between holding onto faith and confronting despair.
Nature's Duality: The world is portrayed as both beautiful and lethal, with stunning landscapes harboring hidden dangers, reflecting the unpredictable nature of their environment.
Glass: “We'll be okay. We haven't fumbled the solstice yet, but we'll be fine.” (03:41)
Copper: “I want to get this over with as fast as possible.” (03:37)
Amber: “Everything deserves a little kindness.” (07:10)
Silver: “Animals kill other animals. The world's always worked that way.” (07:57)
Amber: “I just feel bad. I felt useless.” (05:58)
Glass: “There are footprints in the snow. Huge ones, with both clothes and claws at once.” (07:02)
Silver: “We got our brains. That's the most important weapon we'll ever need.” (09:31)
Episode 16 of Hymns for the Road intensifies the narrative by placing the survivors in the crucible of the winter solstice, a time embodying both darkness and potential rebirth. Through their interactions and the challenges they face, the characters' depths are revealed, and the precarious balance between hope and despair is deftly portrayed. As the season progresses, listeners are left pondering the true cost of survival and the essence of humanity amidst chaos.
For more episodes and updates, visit Hodgepodge Audio or support the podcast on Patreon.