Welcome to Meet as pod episode three. I'm your host D Mitas.
We're back with another fantastic tale for you this
week. This is gonna be another one story episode and it's a
good one. Sybil was one of the first stories I received from
the meatus pod Submissions page. It comes to us from Deborah
Walker. Deborah Walker grew up in the most English town in the
country. But she soon hightailed it down to London, where she now
lives with her partner Chris and her two young children. Find
Deborah in the British Museum trawling the past for future
inspirations on her blog, which is linked in the show notes. Or
you can follow her on Twitter at Debow re DVORE E. diverse
stories have appeared and nature's futures Cosmos Bailey
science fiction, and the years best SF a teen narrating Sybil
for us is Sam MC Lich. Sam is an aspiring voiceover actor and is
incredibly excited to be featured on metus pod podcast.
If you like her work, why not check out her SoundCloud page,
which is linked in the show notes or not? She'd like you to
know that choice is entirely up to you. No pressure. I think the
story for the podcast is it brought up all sorts of great
questions in my mind. But what I would do in this situation, how
I would handle it. Would I even be doing what the characters
doing? The story really stuck with me. I think that's what the
best sci fi and fantasy story should do. Should twist your
mind. We'd love to hear what you think about all of our stories.
Stop by me despod.com sometime and check out the discussion
forums. Without any further ado, here's our story.
Sybil by Deborah Walker, the ghost of my future smells of
ash. I thought that you were going to stop smoking. I say
it's been a tough year. She rummages inside her bag and
produces a packet of Marlboro lights. Life doesn't always go
according to plan does it simple. She lights a cigarette
and blows the smoke towards me. Go smoke. A multiplication of
the insubstantial. I think I'll join you. I take a cigarette
from my own pocket while taking a critical look at my future
self. She looks much older than she looked a year ago. She's not
doing herself any favors by not wearing makeup. Her hair looks
dry and brittle and the roots need doing. I see that you
haven't lost any weight. she shrugs diet. It's a waste of
time. I'm nearly 40 I am what I am. She's in one of those moods.
So what's new? I ask? Not much. I say that's not very helpful.
This right is not without sacrifice, you know? I point to
the iron knife balancing on top of the dish of blood water.
Don't I know and she rolls up her sleeve and shows me her
right arm. She is seven years older than me. Seven more scars.
This is how it works. Once a year I can see seven years into
the future. Shall we do the diary? I ask? Yes, that diary.
She takes the leather diary out of her bag. I'd bought it in
Venice on my honeymoon. I'm supposed to ride in it every
day. The Diary of my life. The ghost flicks through the pages.
The trouble with this diary is that it gets a little sketchy in
places. You're drinking a lot at the moment, aren't you? I shrug.
I like a glass of wine or two in the evening. It takes the edge
off. But who is she to judge me? Shall we get on with the
markets? Sure. My future self recites share prices while I
take notes. I play the market, although playing implies that I
have possibility of losing. That's not the case. Not with
the information I'm receiving. I'm the ultimate insider dealer.
When she's finished, she says All right, then I'll be off.
Don't go yet. What is it? She asks impatiently. You don't look
great. Thanks a lot. I mean, what's happened to you in the
last year? I feel sorry for her. But more importantly, I feel
anxious. I need to know. It's best not to talk about personal
stuff. Sippel. You know that? How's Alex? Are you sure you
want to know? It is Alex, isn't it? What's happened? He's not
dead, is he? She likes another cigarette. I do the same. Alex
left me. But last year, you seem so happy ignorance is bliss.
He's been having an affair for the last three years. Alex gave
him an ultimatum. And I lost out. Ellis my best friend Ellis.
That's right. He's talking me through the courts now trying to
get his fair share, as he puts it. I don't believe it. Would I
lie to you? Would I lie to myself? She looks at me. What
are you going to do? Now that you know? I walk to the fridge
and pour myself a glass of cold crisp Chardonnay? I drained the
glass. She watches me with half smile. I refilled the glass. You
shouldn't have told me. At least I gave you a warning. That's
more than I got. She didn't tell you. Timelines are divergent.
Each future me is slightly different. No, she didn't. But I
thought you'd want to know. That's our trouble. We always
want to know. She blows a plume of go smoke towards me. You
could divorce him. You had nine good years of marriage? No, I
didn't. For three of those years Alex was having an affair. She
lets her cigarette fall to the ground. What are you going to do
Sybil? She has a hungry look on her face. She wants me to say
that I'm going to divorce Alex before he had a chance to betray
me. When did I get so bitter? I don't know what I'm going to do.
It's your decision. She says they won't change anything for
me. I'll just carry on in this timeline where he betrayed me.
You can't change the past only the future. And you I say are
you going to look ahead this year? I always do, don't I? she
rubs her arm. Find out how I can improve my perfect life. You
don't need to you must have plenty of money stashed away.
No. I don't need to look into the future. But then again,
neither do you. It's a hard habit to break. She nods. I see
the shadows in her eyes. I know the fear. The same fear that
shrouds me every time I start the ritual. There will come a
day when I reach into the future and my future self will be dead.
What will I see on that night? Well, I see nothingness. Or
something worse. Something unbearably worse. I'm young. She
says I'm only 38 It will be okay to look. Yes. It'll be okay.
Thanks for your help. It's nothing. Be well, Sybil. Be
happy with a word I end the ritual. In my future self
dissipates. I tidy up throwing the blood water down the sink
and washing the bowl. Alex would be home soon. Could I change
make our marriage stronger? Did I want to a key rattles in the
lock Alex's home. What could I say to him? definition is a drug
I reached for the packet of cigarettes. Tomorrow I'll quit
thanks for listening. If you'd like to help support me this pod
and the production of these wonderful stories, you can visit
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but don't change it or sell it. We'll see you next time folks.