hangedkay

Ah…! What’s happening? Who am I?

Hello? Why am I here? What's my purpose?

Wait. What do I mean by ‘who am I’?

[Thunder, and the sounds of dogs barking and hunting horns.]

What was that?

Ok, calm down. Think. What do I know? Noise in the sky. That seems far away. How does the sky make such a sound? Is it important that there’s a lot of it? How do I find out what it is for?

Wait, focus. Noise near the ground - that seems more immediate. Something must be creating that noise. But what? Oh! Over there - four-legged creatures with dark fur. Followed by two-legged creatures that have brightly colored fur. Maybe they can tell me who I am?

Hold on. Fur? Hey, I have fur too! Maybe I’m one of them! But… they are so small. Even the ones on two legs seem smaller than me. Am I their parent? I like that thought. But when did I have kids? I never even got to enjoy the creation process. Wait, how do I know about how kids are created?

This is so frustrating! Aargh!

“A savage clamor!”

What did he just call me? Oh, there’s someone else nearby! Over by the water’s edge. And he sees me! Maybe he knows why I am here. Surely so. He was here before I arrived, so he must know where we are and what we are supposed to be doing. Hey! Mister! Hey!

“Well may I get aboard! This is the chase. I am gone forever!”

No, don’t go! I just have a question! Well, a lot of questions. For starters, what do you mean by ‘the chase’?

What a strange way to greet someone, to babble incoherently and then run away. At least he isn’t too fast. I should be able to catch up pretty quickly.

I wonder if he will be friends with me?

[Exit, pursued by a bear]

Wow, that was a strange feeling. Like being watched by a multitude of staring eyes. It’s gone now. But I am pretty sure we were both seen as we came through here. So passive and distant a feeling.

Hold on, what was that again? Pursued by a what, now? And where did those words even come from?

Think. Figure this out. Okay, I run with all four limbs while he uses only two. That makes him slower, so… he must have wanted me to catch up! But now that I have he still won’t stop and face me. And he seems distressed about something out on the water there.

Calm down! We can work this out together!

I need to get him to notice me somehow. Maybe if I act like him, he’ll respond. Okay… let me try to stand up straight here… Wow, that’s not so easy. Better be quick…

Hey, mister! Hey! Listen to me a second!

Oh no! Sorry about that! I was just trying to get your attention. Just a quick tap on the shoulder. I didn’t mean…

Wow, that is a lot of red liquid you have inside you there. And this big white piece, I didn’t mean to take it from you. Here, wait, I can fix it. Hold still. No, no, sit down a second. There you go.

Wow. Okay. What is that smell? That’s… Hmm. That’s new. And why did my body start making noises?

Ugh, everything is making so much noise. The sky, my stomach, the waves crashing in, my stomach, this one screaming, my stomach… My stomach will not stop!

AGH! So much noise! It’s making my teeth ache. Maybe if I clamp down on something, I can stop this infernal rattle in my head.

AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

Oh.

Oh wow.

Hmm.

That…taste.

I can taste! And it tastes…good!

Shush now, ‘nobleman’. I need to investigate this.

Mmm.

Now this seems like a good purpose…

“To see how the bear tore out his shoulder-bone
how he cried to me for help, and said his
name was Antigonus, a nobleman.
And how the poor gentleman roared
and the bear mocked him, both roaring louder than
the sea or weather.”

“Name of mercy, when was this, boy?”

“Now, now. I have not winked since I
saw these sights. The men are not yet cold under
water, nor the bear half dined on the gentleman.
He’s at it now.”

--

(with apologies to both the late Mr. Adams and the far later Mr. Shakespeare)