The Exception

[id: the individual panels, showing the horse transform into the dragon and then another horse coming out of the dragon’s mouth and the dragon’s skin being shed like a hood. The second half was definitely not in the first gif.]/end id.

it seems normal but then

what is this

turn to page 394 motherfucker

The more people you have for this game, the better. It has to happen at night. The people get into a straight line, and begin to walk in that line all around the area. They cannot turn around and look at each other, and cannot speak; with the exception of the person at the front of the line.

That persons job is to begin the role call. They simply say, “Role Call!” And their name, then each person down the line says their name in turn.

Here’s the kicker: there’s one person not included in the line. The Taker. They have the job of stealing away the person at the end of the line as silently as possible. The game’s sole purpose is to instill a sense of fear and paranoia in whoever is in front, because as more people get taken, there are less and less people to say their names during the Role Call.

The front person decides when they want to start the Role Call. Obviously, the more often it’s said, the less scary it is. But as more and more people disappear, they become Takers and can then do more damage than just the one.

Some Takers can replace the person they stole, making the person directly in front of them either incredibly paranoid or safe. At least until the Role Call. Takers cannot say anything during it, so it usually ends up more terrifying to know that the person behind you is silent. Again, everyone in the line cannot make a sound except responding to the Role Call.

The game is over when the person in front is taken. There is no winning, only waiting. Waiting for your turn to go. Imagine the fear that person in front has, when they softly announce “Role Call” only to find that everyone behind them is gone.

I started crying today at the museum because they had reconstructed the shoes of Otzi the iceman.

Either he or someone he knew who cared about him made these shoes out of grass and bear skin and twine and he was wearing them when he died over five thousand years ago.

And a Czech researcher and his students did reconstructions of these shoes and wore them to the same place where he died to test them out and they were like yep! These shoes are really cozy and comfy and didn’t give us blisters while hiking!

we will try to make your shoes, too, fascinated with the technique. how well you made something that worked with technology we no longer fully understand or appreciate- but they worked, and they worked well.

we will remember your dog, and we will cry for your dog, long after you are here to do it. we will weep about being so alike, in our love for our dogs. we will bury our dogs with their favorite toys, too, with the same sorrow in our hearts. we will read translations of what you carved on the grave of your beloved dog and grieve your dog, because you are not here to do it. if I could reach back through time and tell you one thing, it might be that- that we love our dogs, too. (and we also love yours.)

🎃 PLANT YOUR PUMPKINS 🎃