Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] The creator. Shadows of the soul chapter four reconciling the impossible over the next few days, Danny finds himself paralyzed, mentally shocked by the unsettling crossover from fiction to reality by the shadow woman. The lady he thought existed only in his imagination is now seemingly part of his real life, a scenario he had written about in his radio drama but never envisioned happening. The eerie convergence of his fictional world and reality has left him disoriented, unable to make sense of it all. He combs his manuscript, trying to find clues, searching for a thread that connects his writing to what's happened. But the more he reads, the more tangled the situation becomes. As if the lines between the worlds are blurring beyond repair. A part of me, maybe my subconscious, is writing this and that's what's going on and why I don't remember writing what I did. And maybe she's really just my subconscious.
[00:01:07] And just as Danny begins to feel a spark of understanding, there's a knock on the door interrupting his thoughts, pulling him back into the present. His former employees, David and Trish, stand in the doorway. We decided to check on you. David grins, then adds, well, you stood us up, which is fine, but there was no text or call and when we tried to reach out to you, the phone was shut off so we figured wed drop by. You know, you nearly ran over half that coffee shop. What happened? You dashed out of there. You saw a ghost? David is a tall, thin man in his early thirties with a technical background, carrying a deep respect for Danny, but also driven by his entrepreneurial spirit. Danny leads them to his living room and then answers. Did I see a ghost? Well, yeah, you might put it that way. I'm sorry I got. Well, you know, this bug that I had and I had to make a beeline out of there. If it makes you feel any better, I even left a very attractive blonde lady at the table we were supposed to sit at. Whatever this bug is that I have, it seems to be staying with me now, in my stomach. Danny hates lying, but it's easier than explaining what he's been going through. I really should have called. I'm so sorry. It's not my way.
[00:02:27] It just slipped my mind. And when I record, you know, I'm working on a radio drama, all the phones get shut off. So I'm sorry I didn't get your call. And hey, Trish, don't look so concerned. Everything's fine. We'll just reschedule. It's nothing major.
[00:02:43] David's curiosity is peaked though. Well, we noticed that you said you left a woman at the table. We went over to where you were sitting. No one was there. It was an empty table the whole time. Except for you. Danny is visibly shaken. Really? Well, that's odd. David with a grim expression, then turns serious. By the way, I wanted to tell you about how the partners are forcing me out just like they did you. I guess the new guys want to take advantage in a ruthless way of a tech driven society. You know, AI cutting costs, basically dehumanizing the business. You were the first. I guess I'm one of the last to go. And I guess they didn't like the old guard hanging around. We got to send out resumes now.
[00:03:33] Yeah, it sounds about right.
[00:03:36] The new guys want to do it their way, but we can deal with it ourselves.
[00:03:41] The scene shifts to a bookstore. The protagonist is lost in thought, scanning the shelves, looking at books, when he spots the fictional woman that he saw in the coffee shop. Say you're the woman from the cafe. He goes up to her. The woman from the book turns and smiles. Well, hello again. Fancy meeting you here. Are you looking for something specific, or you plan on chit chatting for a bit and then dashing out again? Danny tries to explain. Well, I hope I'm not insulting you, but. Well, you're just like the shadow woman, the fictional character from my book. And maybe you too, like my book. You're a creation of my mind, and yet I. Youre so real. He peers in on her admiringly and also curiously. She stares back boldly, unflinching. So he continues their talk. Well, maybe youre just something there to inspire me somehow.
[00:04:45] Or its just a crazy coincidence. Twice in one week? How could that be? And they say theres no coincidences.
[00:04:54] He catches himself. I've been very thoughtless. I mean, if you're a real person and a real soul. I haven't been very kind, but the writer's imaginary friend is insightful. Well, maybe all this is just fate, Danny. Or maybe you were meant to see me again.
[00:05:14] He studies her closely. You know, you really do remind me of your fictional double. Someone from my radio drama. It's so uncanny. The fictional woman smiles mysteriously. Well, maybe that's why you created her. To run into her and to interact. And in doing that, you can carry out what you created me for, if that's what you did. Maybe we're all just creations of someone subconscious. You know, the subconscious can be a powerful thing.
[00:05:49] That could be the reason why you don't even remember writing about me.
[00:05:55] She pauses, then leans in. Or am I more something that has truly entered the physical world. This world that you're a part of. Something you wonder about. Someone you hope truly exists. Danny's mouth drops open. How do you know? I know all this. This has been in my thoughts, but I never said it.
[00:06:19] And the woman laughs lightly. Well, lucky guess. Or maybe you're just that predictable again. Without waiting for an answer, she turns to pick a book up from the shelf, handing it to him. Here, take this book. It's about a man who finds something he didn't even know he was looking for. As Danny checks out the back cover, the mysterious woman winks at him. And I'll be seeing you around. She walks away, leaving him staring after her, the book in his hand.
[00:06:52] She disappears, weaving a path through the bookshelves and with the other customers amongst her, Danny finds himself at a resume writing party with David and Trisha. He hopes to help them. They seek his input. Its a welcome change from writing. In his study, Danny orders a pizza for everybody. Tricia says, friendly. David and I figured that you could tell us what bosses look for. Well, you know, its been five years, Danny says. And things must have changed. But David countered. Well, a new job still starts with a resume, so why not do it right? By the way, how's life treating you with this radio drama? Trish was telling me all about it. Well, this may sound crazy, the strangest thing happening. The living 3d likeness of the main character in that book. I've run into her twice in one week. The same person, the same character lookalike I've been writing about.
[00:07:58] Trisha frowns. Well that's odd. What's she like?
[00:08:02] And Dani sighs. Well, she's mysterious, confident. She knows more about me than she should. Things that only the character would know. And I didn't even write things down so she would have to be in the character's head or in my mind to know about this. Trisha smiles. Well, you know how to keep things interesting. But seriously, have you thought about where all this is leading to? Well, maybe to a mental ward, Danny says. Trisha persists. I mean, if she's real and not just a figment of your imagination.
[00:08:38] Well, if she's real, Danny says, it's a very scary thing.
[00:08:43] I can't stop thinking about her and it's like she's pulling me deeper into something.
[00:08:49] Well, the likelihood is, Danny says, that she's just a figment of a tired mind and I just need a regular routine and a regular job again. But David isn't so convinced. You know, Einstein said when confronted with the impossible, we can dismiss it as illusion. But progress comes from accepting the impossible and seeking to understand it.
[00:09:18] The following day, back in his study, the writer returns to the radio drama.
[00:09:25] The more the author wrote, the more compelling and real the character became. She went beyond now the confines of the story. She was no longer just a character. She was a presence, a force that he couldn't ignore anymore. For she was real.
[00:09:46] There is the sound of the door creaking open. The protagonist stops typing, startled, but the room is empty.
[00:09:54] Is someone there? He calls out. Theres only silence. Then a soft voice, barely audible, echoes through the room. You created me. And now I am here. Danny stands up, confused, looking around. What? Whos there? The voice fades, leaving only the sound of his breathing. He sits back down, shaken.
[00:10:20] She's. She's here.
[00:10:24] Whoa. What could she want? He slowly steadies himself. I never believed in spirits or craziness. But like David says, progress comes from accepting the impossible and seeking to understand it. I need to figure this out. The protagonist reaches for the book the mysterious woman gave him at the bookstore. He flips through it and a handwritten note falls out. He picks it up, reading aloud. Look closer and you will find what you've been searching for. He stares at the note, the realization dawning on him.
[00:11:03] Danny looks at the note a second time, reading it, pondering it. And then he asks, who are.
