* You are listening to the ▉▁▅▁▄▋█Frequency. All night. Every night. Good evening, morning, day and night to all my listeners out there.
* The broadcast day is starting after a brief errand to drop off yesterday's records. Don't mind the actual time, after all, it's relative.
* Today, I'm transcribing an anthology that contains a story that is universally retold.
* A place in trouble, a stranger offering help, leading the trouble away, the price they demand is too high, the people refuse to pay, so they take the children away.
* Yes, the old story of the pied piper, a selfish creature which unreasonably demanded to be paid for services rendered.
* So many retellings just to make them out the bad guy, who inflicted the original troubles in order to get paid.
* But has anyone ever considered the perpetrator's point of view?
*Small disclaimer, I personally knew that fellow. Decent guy, great musician. I picked their trumpet up together with their dismembered hand after I lost a few fingers on the frontlines. So, I might just the tiniest amount of biased.
* In any case, let me make my case. There is a settlement so filthy and run down, that vermin is drawn to it in numbers beyond manageable by the local feline population. A talented musician offers help, get rid of the vermin and get paid. They do their job and expect a handsome reward. Thus far, just like the script that you are familiar with.
* But here comes the twist, the townspeople refuse to pay on grounds that some of the vermin returned to the garbage pile they call home. Barely a tenth of what was led away and not a single one that was actually in that group. The musician explained that to them, that the vermin will return to them if they don't keep things clean. They were all deaf and demanded that either the musician permanently fixes their problem or gets lost without reward.
* Now, I want you to take a small thinking exercise. You find a family with kids living in literal garbage, would you really abandon the children to stay there?
* If you said yes, then you should visit the local gardening services and enter the mulcher feet first.
* For those that do have a conscience, that is exactly what they did. Rescue innocent children from a town too entitled and stupid to actually solve their problems.
Was the "pied piper" stealing the children away from their parents? Yes.
* But let me point to the part everyone forgets. Those "parents" refused to pay for services rendered, own up to their own mistakes and even tried coercing more out of a helpful wanderer. They were, by all standards, bad people. All my dear friend did, was giving the children a second chance.
* But by some chance, the town convinced the rest of the world, that they were in the right, not the Samaritan that made sure those kids had a chance to live outside of filth.
* My friend got persecuted for the "crime" of offering kids a way out.
* And the little town? Well, technically in ruins for different reasons. But boy did the adults live it up with donations they should have used to search for their kids.
[*The ringing of the Studio's telephone is audible*]
* Ah, I see you are getting eager to join the conversation dear listeners. So without further ado, let me open up the line and thus also our dialogue.
[*click*]
* You're live at the ▉▁▅▁▄▋█Frequency, all night every night. Who am I speaking to?
[*There is shaky sobbing audible on the other end of the line*]
[* I-I thought this might be- I....th-they are overrunning the town. They are everywhere! I managed to hide in the closet with my friend. B-but I think they are in the house already and I don't know where my brother is.]
[* Oh Red Flame's mercy, I'm so scared! Please help me!]
*sigh*
* I am pretty sure, I have been stating this before, but am afraid I have to repeat myself once again. This is not the police, nor the Zs or equal authorities. I can understand it might have seemed as such as you found the number of this line in your telephone book on the last page, written in ancient blood no doubt. However you have only entered a late night show. All I can do for you is send your cry for help into the aether, perhabs give some advise.
[* I-I...I'm sorry, senor. I- *sob* I just....really don't know who else I can ask for help. W-Would it be okay, if I stayed on the phone? Please? It's so dark...]
* ...
* Well. Would you like to introduce yourself, young man?
[* M-My name is....Senza. I-I'm 13 years old and my friend Timidia is 11. I-I would- ... like to greed my brother if that's okay! Ciao Papiro. Timidia e io stiamo bene per ora, ma ci sono dei mostri molto cattivi. Ho paura, Papiro. Puoi tornare a casa e dire loro di andarsene, per favore?]
* I cannot promise you, that Papiro will hear you, but I am glad to assist you keeping the hope up, Senza. Apart of that, I'm afraid all I can do, is to recommend you, to keep your calm. Don't panic. And if they get closer, stay quiet and hold your breath. Or perhabs I can offer you a distraction? What do you think of the pied piper? It is our topic of the night.
[* I see.....I uh-]
[*chuckles nervously under sniffing*]
[* If I may be perfectly honest I would really prefer a figure like that showing up and take us away from here. They've always sounded much less mean, than the mean monsters over here.....Y-you think they come when I wish that they do?]
* Heh, it would not be the first time they surprise me.
[* O-okay than. Uh....S-Senor Piper? I wish for you to be here a-and save our souls and-]
[*there is the noise of a slamming door audible*]
[* Fiamma benedetta! I mostri sono alla porta.] [* Spegnilo! Presto, spegnilo! È troppo rumoroso, ci sentiranno! Voglio andare dalla mia mamma!]
[*click*]
* Well, I guess all that is left to do is to wish our young friend save dreams and that his wish will come true. Senza, in case that you can still hear us, the next song playing is just for you. May it give you determination.
---- This year once again we are using the Creeptober Prompts, proudly presented by @creep-tober ---- --- Wanna support your humble artist? ---
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