Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] The creator. Shadows of the soul chapter one hopes and dreams Danny Silver, in his mid fifties, sat at his desk, writing, the soft light of the lamp casting a warm glow over the stacks of manuscripts, papers, and notebooks scattered all around him. Danny, his gray hair neatly trimmed, matching the weariness in his blue eyes. Eyes that had once been full of hope but now seemed to search for something to fill the void left by years of disappointment. Fit and trim, Danny had always been disciplined, but the toll of a life searching for purpose was beginning to show.
[00:00:44] Danny Silver had spent the last five years writing book after book, self publishing them with the hopes that one day something would take off. But the reality was different. His works remain largely unnoticed and his once promising business taken over by opportunistic partners who forced him out. And the most painful aspect wasnt just the betrayal by his colleagues, but the lingering question were these people ever truly his friends? Or were they simply using him?
[00:01:16] Amid his frenetic typing, Danny sighs. And then a phone rings in the background. He pauses.
[00:01:23] Hello?
[00:01:25] Hey, Danny, it's Stan. Doctor Harrison. You called my office.
[00:01:33] I reached out. Doctor Harrison.
[00:01:36] I was feeling so obsolete. Are you getting at it all, Danny?
[00:01:42] Are you leaving that study of yours? Danny pauses, then answers. To be honest, doc, it's been rough. With the business gone and my books collecting dust, it's really hard to stay motivated, even to get out. I understand, but you can't just stay in the house all day. Have you been sticking to the medication and the routines we discussed? You know, getting up on time, going to bed at a specific time, working out at the gym? Oh yeah, I'm doing those things. But it's like there's this emptiness in me that I can't shake. I'm working on something new, though. It's a radio drama. I'm trying to channel all this, whatever it is, into something creative like you said to do. And Harrison says, hey, you stay in touch with your brother Bob, or maybe your niece? Danny sighs. Well, you know how it goes with Bob. If we talk, it ends with an argument. And as for my niece, her relationship, it's all consuming. With her boyfriend, she has to call me on the slythere when she's alone in the car running errands by herself. The boyfriend is that possessive. But you know, I have done something positive. I've signed up to volunteer at a food bank. And then there's also these radio dramas that I've begun to write. And Doctor Harrison says, well, that's a good step. Volunteering certainly helps. And creativity can be a powerful outlet. It can help you heal. Just remember to keep up with your appointments with me, and don't hesitate to call in the meanwhile, if you need to talk.
[00:03:20] And Danny says, well, thanks, Stan. I think I'll keep that in mind.
[00:03:26] The call ends and the typing continues, the endless, frenetic work that's been going on now for years.
[00:03:34] Danny ever committed to writing something that will put him back into relevance? The scene shifts to a quiet cafe in town. There's the ambient noise of soft chatter and clinking dishes. Danny is meeting with his former office manager, Tricia. Tricia is in her early thirties, tall, slim, with a sharp mind and a keen sense of humor. Her presence had always brought a sense of order to the chaos that had engulfed Danny's business. And now, as she sat across from him, her usual upbeat demeanor seemed slightly subdued, a reflection about the uncertainty she felt about the man she had once helped to manage a thriving business for Trisha. Friendly and upbeat, but still guarded, says, you know, we miss you at the office a lot. Things just aren't the same. It's like we're all waiting for a signal to move forward. And Danny laughed slightly. I think we're all looking for a signal to move forward. All of us except for the partners who forced me out. And I'm sure you will just have to move on like everybody else. You and David, the IT guy. And you all should.
[00:04:49] And by the way, I'm trying to move forward, too. I've got this new project I'm working on. Trisha raises an eyebrow. Oh, another book? No, not this time. I'm writing a radio drama now. It's different. There's this character I've created and she's starting to feel real. More real than anything else I've ever written. Maybe more real than even the people in my life. Trisha says. Real? Well, how so?
[00:05:21] Well, she's strong and independent, but there's something about her. I. I just don't know how to describe it. It's like she's more than just a character, she's becoming more. Tricia smiles. Danny, you've always had a vivid imagination, and maybe she's what you need right now. Someone to help you find your way back. By the way, that girl I tried to fix you up with, are you dating her or are you going out at all on dates? And Danny's thoughtful. Well, not really. To be honest, I kind of took a break after one or two dates in general.
[00:05:59] Maybe it's just that I'm not ready for it. It's certainly not the girl. It's that I'm not in that kind of headspace right now.
[00:06:09] The ambient noise fades away as the two continue to talk, but the focus shifts back to Danny's thoughts. The fictional woman he mentioned, she's there, as vivid as the people he sees in the cafe, as vivid as the people he runs into every day. But this mysterious woman from his radio drama, she is different, the woman he couldn't find in real life. And that's what scares him.
[00:06:38] He returns to his study and the book. It's an interesting situation. The book is about a writer who falls in love with the mysterious female character he's writing about. Only Danny finds that he himself has fallen in love with this mysterious woman, and they in turn have some kind of fantastical connection, as if he himself has stepped into the shoes of the fictional writer that he's created in the drama. The sound of typing fills the room again, but now there's a subtle tension in the air. Danny pauses, staring at the screen. He can nearly see the mysterious woman. He certainly feels her character, and he asks aloud, rhetorically, who are you?
[00:07:30] Then he looks at his script and he's shocked, page after page of description that he has no recollection of even writing. He reads aloud from the script.
[00:07:44] I am everything you've ever wanted but never had. I am the strength you seek, the independence you admire, the love you've lost. I am real, but I exist for now only in your mind, on the fictional side of the two worlds that you inhabit.
[00:08:07] Danny pauses, the weight of his words sinking in. Real only in my mind.
[00:08:15] As he speaks, the image of the mysterious woman forms in his imagination.
[00:08:21] She actually stands before him in his mind space, her long blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, her eyes a captivating mix of allure and intensity. She exudes an aura of mystery, a woman who seems both to be thrilling and yet slightly dangerous. There's a deep sense of loyalty in her gaze, a strength that reassures him, however, even if it keeps him on edge. For a brief moment, he's lost in the vision of her, this compelling figure who offers both excitement and unwavering support, a presence that feels almost tangible, even though he knows she exists only in his mind. The phone ringing interrupts his thoughts. Hello?
[00:09:07] It's his ex girlfriend, Theresa. Hey, it's me.
[00:09:12] I was worried about you. And you know, you do sound off. Even the last time too. We talked. Everything okay? In Danny's mind, Theresa's image flickers. A woman of multiethnic heritage, tall and beautiful, with almond shaped eyes and a radiant smile that once had captivated him. But behind her cheery disposition lays the pain of betrayal, a wound that never fully healed. Oh, me? I'm just fine. I'm just caught up in this new book, this new project. There's a character, and she feels so real. Like, too real. Teresa teases him slightly. Well, careful now. You're starting to sound like one of your stories in maybe one of those tv stories where the people start talking to themselves. Maybe you need to step back, get outside. And Danny sighs. Well, maybe. But I can't stop. I need to see where this goes, Theresa says, just don't lose yourself, okay? Promise me that you get caught up day and night. You work, you forget there's real people around you, Danny answers. Teresa, we've been through this before, and it doesn't mean you were right to do what you did. And Theresa's tone grows solemnity. I know, I know. Just promise me that you won't get caught up in the book like you did when we were together.
[00:10:31] You'd never talk to me. You'd never go anywhere, stay in the house all day long before that computer. Remember that. You can't meet people sitting in the house and typing a book. And even if you do, she won't stick around if you ignore her. Women, relationships, they need attention. And Danny, itching to return to his work, says in a distracted tone, yeah, I promise. The call ends and the scene closes with the sound of Danny typing again, this time more cautiously, as if he's aware of something or someone watching him.
