Mazemouth: Ep 1 - Support Group

Welcome to May's Mouth, a Ghostwax interlude. May's Mouth is set in the worlds of Ghostwax, but is a shade darker and contains graphic content. Listener discretion is advised. Episode one, support group.

Rain falls on a dirty alley. Smoke trails up from the cigarette clutched in the fingers of a young man. He waits nervously watching a set of stairs with a rusted railing. He's ten minutes late. They'll think he's not coming now or never. The man takes a last drag. He goes in.

You came of shit. Sorry, no, I'll get it. We've all got reasons to be nervous. That's why we're eh. Everyone's inside.

Yeah, I'm sorry, I'm late.

Oh good, Just glad you're eh. Yeah, wasn't supposed to rain.

Huh.

The weather weird lately, is it? Don't you think?

The room smells like a wet basement and coffee. The man finds more people like him. They look haunted, all of them seem thin, worn through.

Oh shit, he came in, Vicky, I owe you a coke?

Yeah, I told you he needs it bad as we do.

Hi, got you here?

Yeah, kind of can't believe I am.

We all stood out in the rain, wondered if we were really gonna come down here too.

Yep, Like, oh my god, am I really gonna go in there and talk to people about the shit that came out of my walls or the people that got pulled in?

But we wandered in flames?

Ah, it's okay. You aren't feeling good lately, are you? Dies he aches and pains.

Yeah, it's part of it.

Okay, everybody, relax. We have a way we do this.

You mean, now we pretend this isn't insane by playing around with the support group pantomime a theater.

Shit, fig you can't be starting this already.

Dude, I'm hungry. Can we just cut to the chase.

We have a way we do this?

Fine, fuck, then let's do it.

The man notices there is an empty folding chair for him. Light from a street lamp outside almost hits it like a spotlight.

Sorry to keep everyone waiting.

It's fine, have some coffee, Okay, let's get started.

The man in charge of the meeting is big. He looks like he works out a lot. Somehow, Even with the muscles and broad shoulders, he still seems thin too.

Hi everyone, my name is Ben Conning. That is my real name. But again, no one has to use the real name if they don't want to, just give an alia, So whatever you like. I have seen the maze. Two years ago, my wife and I picked up an old wardrobe off a curbside. They had a sign on it that said free, so we took it home. Didn't think anything of it. It was nice, solid. We had bad dreams the first night. They got worse, became night terrors by the end of the week. Didn't imagine it had

Holy shit, it.

Can be overwhelming to hear other people admit to seeing it too, the maze and what comes out of it. That's normal.

I just thought that what happened to my brother and I I had just felt like alone on a desert island.

You know, John, that's good sharing. But we have a way we do this. We go around clockwise like then we get to you.

Yeah.

Sorry, you said you saw the maze.

I did. After what happened. I followed the blood. I had a knife, one of my hunting knives. Don't know what I was thinking. I was chasing it, I guess. But I opened the wardrobe and the back of it was a whole way cold stones criss crossing up into the air, the air inside the space, inside the space. You know, I got lost. When I came back out, I was two towns over. I never went back home. I tried anything to get back to normal, new job, new city, new country. But well, you know, well I

My name is Molly sharp. I've seen the maze. I guess, I guess. I just wanted to say this week has been easier than most of them. Empty is the word. We're all running from emptiness to emptiness. I got lost in the maze for a week after I chased mister long legs into it, trying to trying to get it to let go of Lincoln, my son. I didn't need to eat or sleep. I mean I didn't for the

No talking about future plans yet, right right, one thing at a time.

First we get right, then we.

Get moving right, Just gonna jump right in here. I'm Figment Loneley, and I've seen the maze. That really is my name, by the way, I know no one believes me, but it is. My parents were in the Novetera Church of Oneness, So okay, whatever, Hi, I'm fig and I think it's dumb. We do this every time. Yeah, I get it's for what do you want us to call you? John? Sure? I mean it's not like John really matters right, like

It was.

So weird. Its bites made their flesh swell up like clusters of grapes, and it ate those like they weren't what it needed, but it was making them what it wanted. Huh oh right, Sorry, John, I guess I'm done.

Oh real fucking nice, real fucking nice. Fig he's green, he's fucking green around the gilds and he's been here for like what ten minutes, not even even ten five? God, I'm sorry, new guy.

Don't run off. And it would be really really bad if you tried to run off, because we need you. We sure, we for sure need you. This shit has to stop, you know, John, And you've seen it.

I could tell you've seen it.

How do I know?

How do I know? How do I know?

I know?

I know because the thing that took my daughter, or things, a group of things. I don't know if they did it to you too. I know I can tell that look in your eye, the way check over your shoulder. But I think more than anything, you know what, there's a there's a smell. Yeah, I don't know if other people can smell it. It's not a bad smell. It's like it's like a storm in the air. I don't know the others the others say they can't smell it.

I uh, you.

Know, there's something else I wanted to say. Yeah, it's uh, it's important to me that we all agree. Okay, we aren't just here to support one another, right, I mean, we are looking for a way to find it way back in. We've gone over and over checked all the places we found ways in before, but they don't use those anymore. They come in and out, they attack and retreat, hit and runs. But but we are going to find a way back and we are going to make it right. Yeah,

And they've.

They've locked me up for saying it. But you guys, you guys, you guys have seen it too. So yeah, yeah, the ship. I'm I'm Vicky, Vicky Cassetti.

That's my name.

Okay, John, your turn, just tell us whatever you need to.

Okay, I'm let's just go with John.

Still, this is really this is really a.

Lot gotta say. The thing like we talked about.

Oh, my name is John, and I've seen the mace perfect. I've been in groups like this before I get the whole ritual thing. I spent some time in Autumn's the mental health facility after what after the back of the garage, my brother.

His legs just.

Fuck.

Yeah, I don't think I could. Yeah, I'm just gonna skip. But I believe you.

I finally believe myself. I saw this, this thing happen. And I mean, when you see something like that, like aliens or monsters or whatever.

I mean.

I mean, if I was religious, I'd think it was demons. If I was a conspiracy person, I'd think aliens. If I was another way, I'd think like ghosts. But you see shit with your own two eyes, and you like, can't believe.

Certain kinds of things.

But after all the meds and the therapy and the nightmares and the sounds, it won't go. And I found Ben online and and at a certain point, you're just like, I am crazy fuck forever.

Maybe something else.

It's something else, John, You're not delusional.

Well not just delusional. Hallucinations are part of it, though you are fucked forever.

I am pretty messed up. But it feels a lot better to know I'm not alone.

How many people does this happen to? How is it not gotten out? I mean cameras in everyone's pocket.

You can't capture the maze.

But how do people don't know?

We aren't sure, aren't sure?

There's people keeping it secret.

Vicky is convinced of a conspiracy. Their headquarters is just behind the Great Wall of.

Ice, mean mean, nasty twink.

What do we do? We have to do something?

Yes, yes, I'm really glad to hear you say that.

Yeah, but what revenge? I would definitely like some revenge. But are they like what demons? Animals you can kill? But are they demons? Or what do we even do if you can't record them? How do we expose it? I feel like we have to expose it.

We have plans, but finding a way is the first step.

How there are people that help them? We don't know if they know what they're doing, but we think there's like a network of people involved.

We shouldn't say anymore, not yet, but we are doing something. We've got plans.

I want to help.

Okay, yes, great, you will, John, You get it right that we have to stop this. This place wherever it is, is preying on people, on children. It has to end. We have to end it. Whatever it takes. How say you swear to do anything it takes? What say you'll do whatever it takes, and we'll tell you everything. What I need to hear you say it?

Okay, I'll do whatever it takes.

How strange it is when a thing changes, when a group turns on you. You can feel it, can't you?

Hm?

Hm?

Okay?

Then?

Oh, good dinner and a show.

What the fuck?

You know? That horrible ache you're feeling, the one that's worse and worse every night, Well that feeling isn't gonna go away. It's going to keep on gnawing at your bones until it's crawling around in your marrow ants like hot lead port striped through your nervous system. There's plants in the jungle that have little fiberglass poison filled needles in them, getting your skin. And it hurts so bad and for so long that some people kill themselves. You're

What the fuck is happening? What are you saying?

Is locked? John? Stay seated? This is gonna happen.

The large man named Ben has gotten up, taken off his coat, and rolled up his sleeves. He has a hunting knife in a holster at his side.

Early on, when we had first met up, there was another guy, Chucky. Yeah, and Chucky had been to the Maze before us, so he was hurting the worst. He was going nuts, tearing his skin all night, trying to get it out of him, poor devil. Vicky tried to stop him, keep from hurting himself, and he he turned on it started biting her.

Vicky shows him the deep white crescence all over her arms.

So Vicky shot him.

I can't believe y' all don't carry all the time with the shit that's out there.

Shut him in the chest, punctured one of his lungs.

Ben is stretching like he's getting ready for a workout, and this.

Air came pouring out of his lungs. It was well, we all remembered it from the Maze. It's that air changes you, makes you need it. We were dying without it, so here it came pouring out of poor Chucky, and when we breathed it, we got right. It was months before the pain came back.

I want to get it through your head.

We are all dying. It's one of us or all of us. Ben brought you in, so it's you or him.

What the fuck is this?

This is a necessity, John, You'll get it if you make it. If you don't, just trust us that we have to do this.

Ben tosses him a large hunting knife in a leather sheath. It thumps to the floor.

Pick it up.

No, no, no, no no, you're crazy and you're a coward.

What the fuck did you say?

You ran when that thing started sucking the blood out of your brother's legs. You could have saved him, You could have tried. Fuck you, I'm going to count to ten and then I'm gonna stab you to death. John. If you don't fight back, you're gonna die, and we're going to breathe the air in your lungs that we need. Have you killed me instead? You can breathe me with my blessing. You can take my place.

Don't fucking do this.

Be a man like you weren't when your brother begged you to help him.

He's trying to row you up, so you'll fight back and he won't have to feel as guilty.

Ah.

Fuck here, you fucking psychos.

John never really has a chance. Surprised, scared, betrayed all for show. You suppose assuage the guilt, eat what you kill. At the center of a ring of overturned metal chairs, John tried to breathe.

Jesus yugh you okay, yeah, it's not deep.

John tried to breathe, but the air wouldn't come in. It would only go out. And it wasn't just air.

Ohlujah, don't waste it.

Oh.

John had wanted people to believe him.

They did.

John wanted people to surround him.

They did.

He wanted someone to take his pain away. They breathed him in. He took theirs away instead.

Thank you for listening to Ghost Wax, a production of Foreign Tall Tales. Find us at Farign Talltales dot squarespace dot com. If you like the show, please rate and review and consider joining us on Patreon at Patreon dot com slash Farign Tall Tales. Ghost Wax is written and directed by Robert Knutsen, production and editing by Aaron Schoenrock,