1 - FOLKLORE: There is No Once Upon A Time in This Folklore

What if a single object could upend your entire reality? Join us as we follow the footsteps of Dr. Apples, a young prodigy who returns home to find a puzzling mystery that blurs the lines between sanity and trickery. From the unsettling stillness of his untouched room to the eerie discovery of a peculiar pink pillow in his mother's pristine sanctuary, this episode is a rollercoaster of emotions and bewildering thoughts. With every creak of the wooden floors and every moment of eerie silence, you'll be drawn deeper into Dr. Apples' world, where nothing is what it seems.
 
 As Dr. Apples grapples with the enigma of the doll-adorned pillow and the conspicuous absence of his mother, he teeters on the edge of reason. Will he touch the doll that beckons him with both familiarity and strangeness? And what does this trickery mean? This narrative goes beyond a simple mystery, probing into the depths of perspective, intellect, and the power of the mind. Tune in to experience a tale that challenges the boundaries of reality and leaves you questioning the very fabric of existence.

Transcript

1 - FOLKLORE: There is No Once Upon A Time in This Folklore

 Links:
 BUZZSPROUT SIGNUP
NEWSLETTER

#DrApples

INTRO:
[00:00:06.25] - Dr. Apples
Hey, welcome. You're listening to my fictional podcast, Dr. Apples, the podcast version of the mystical fantasy folklore about me. Dr. Apples? That's right, me.

[00:00:22.08] - Lacie
What are you doing?

 [00:00:24.13] - Dr. Apples
I'm podcasting.

 [00:00:26.04] - Lacie
No, you're not.

 [00:00:27.19] - Dr. Apples
Yes.

 [00:00:28.20] - Lacie
No, you're not.

 [00:00:29.35] - Dr. Apples
Yes.

 [00:00:31.17] - Lacie
No.

[00:00:32.05] - Dr. Apples
Yes.

[00:00:33.03] - Lacie
No.

[00:00:34.05] - Dr. Apples
Yes.

[00:00:35.13] - Lacie
No, you're not.

 [00:00:36.49] - Dr. Apples
Oh. Yes, I am.

 [00:00:37.46] - Lacie
No. No, no. Give it.

[00:00:40.10] - Dr. Apples
You give it.

[00:00:41.20] - Lacie
Give it. Give it.

[00:00:45.47] - Dr. Apples
Fine. You podcast, then I'll go check on my pickled fairies.

 [00:00:52.41] - Lacie
Enjoy the show.

 STORY:

[00:00:57.53] - Lacie
There is no once upon a time. This is a story. And if you're looking for a perfect tale with a perfect ending, then this isn't for you. We're in the middle of this story. This narrative teaches you about perspective. This is Dr. Apple's story. I'm being vague, but it'll all make sense later. Whatever. Just learn from him so you won't live a life of regrets and limits. This is why I'm telling you this story. Dr. Apples doesn't live a life of limitations. His life is well lived. Yours should be, too. Upon arriving home by sunset, Dr. Apples ran to his room filled with his findings. Nothing had been touched. He called to his mother.

 [00:01:40.34] - Dr. Apples
Mama.

 [00:01:41.37] - Lacie
To see if she had seen anyone come.

 [00:01:43.53] - Dr. Apples
Mama?

 [00:01:44.39] - Lacie
Hmm. She was out. Perhaps someone messed with the outside of the home. He walked around the shotgun house and noticed that everything was pristine. Dr. Apples frowned as the grass blaze poked his bare toes. The bottoms of his pajamas pants were slightly drenched from touching the damp grass. There's no reason for someone to play such a trick. This had to be a trick, right? Don't they know who he is and what he is capable of? 

 This 16 year old is invincible, right? His face evoked emotions ranging from anger to perplexity, all while daydreaming about various scenarios. Had he finally gone mad? Yes, he was finally insane. The wooden floors squeaked as he rocked back and forth in the rocking chair. From the afternoon right into the night. Dr. Apples pondered on the meaning behind the trickery. His left hand tapped a chair while his right hand clinched into a fist.

 [00:02:53.02] – Teen Dr. Apples
This is pointless, stupid, and evasive. What kind of power play is this? It's an odd, yet foolish one, I must say. I mean, how could I lie down in bed and end up awake by the creek?

 [00:03:06.49] - Lacie
Oh, these mind games aren't for the faint of heart. The only one he knew who would be so devious, so intelligent, so dastardly creative to do such a thing would be himself. After hours of pondering, he found himself wondering, where the hell was his mother?

 [00:03:27.44] – Teen Dr. Apples
She still isn't home. This is unlike her. It's way too late. Something must be wrong. I checked my room before, but did I ever check hers?

 [00:03:39.21] - Lacie
Abruptly, he jolted from the rocking chair. It fell to the side, and by the time it hit the floor, he was in his mother's room. The room was clean, the bed was made up as usual, and nothing was out of place. He squinted his eyes to focus more before noticing a small pillow on the center of the bed. This wasn't his mother's pillow? No. This pillow looked soft to the touch and clashed with his mother's coverlet. 

 The seams were hand stitched together and there was something on it. Whatever it was, it wasn't heavy because there was little to no dent on the pillow. As Dr. Apples moved closer towards it, the room was quiet. When he reached the bed, he noticed that the pink pillow had a beautifully carved ornament. It was a doll that seemed familiar, but he had never seen it before. He had heard of these kinds of dolls, but couldn't recap the specifics immediately. 

 His fingers were spaced apart. The curious hands wanted to touch the doll, but apprehension settled in. He snatched the doll into his right hand with force. Immediately he felt the essence of his mother.

 [00:04:58.34] – Teen Dr. Apples
What?

 [00:05:02.22] - Lacie
Her love smile, joy, the memories, the little nothings of her humming as she walked past him in the hallway.

 [00:05:09.55] - Teen Dr. Apples
What?

 [00:05:10.43] - Lacie
With his palm connected to the piece, he felt a strong vibration within it. The vibration intensified as it moved from his palm to his wrist, arm and finally into his heart. His heart began to pound.

[00:05:24.58] – Teen Dr. Apples
What?

 [00:05:26.05] - Lacie
The vibration turned into shocks. Dr. Apples felt a spirit around his body.

 [00:05:32.10] - Teen Dr. Apples
What?

 [00:05:33.13] - Lacie
It smelt like her. The subtle aroma of Casablanca lily. The aroma encased the room. He slowly peeled each finger to examine the sculpture. It resembled his mother in an eerie way.

 [00:05:48.16] – Teen Dr. Apples
Mommy?

 [00:05:50.13] - Lacie
Instinctively, he knew she was missing and this was in her place. Why?

 OUTRO: 
[00:06:02.32] - Lacie
Well, that's another wild ride in the Dr. Apples universe.

 [00:06:06.26] - Dr. Apples
Don't forget to subscribe, or I'll turn your apples into pickles.

[00:06:12.46] - Lacie
Visit drapples.com for more magical madness. See you next time.

 [00:06:18.42] - Dr. Apples
Bye. Or, as we say in my dimension, apple-a-doodle-doo!

 [00:06:24.29] - Lacie
What dimension?

 [00:06:27.08] - Dr. Apples
Shhh. Just go with it.