Our story continues:
Everything is collapsing. The world is folding in on itself. There is no ground. There isn't even a "down," really. The only solid things here are you and the people who were, a moment, ago, statues. You know it's time to go.
The little old man is still there, in a way, but he too has lost his form. He's gone amorphous and angry, and he's swirled into the chaos of the collapsing world.
Everyone is panicking. To be honest, you're panicking a bit yourself. You still don't know how to get out. You don't think the power of your cynicism can create a way back home.
But the girl next door, who seems not to have been hurt at all by her time as a statue, points out that if this place is as fragile as it seems, surely you can punch back through to reality. And she reaches out and tears a strip out of the chaos. You're not entirely sure how. Her confidence may be helping. You're kind of astonished she still has it after what just happened.
Through the tear, you can see the inside of the house next door. The former statues are already hurtling towards it. As you and your companion join them, you feel the old man, who is no longer really an old man, grasping for you.
He misses.
The trip back is almost as strange as the trip there, for the opposite reason. You have got used to the topsy-turvy world, to the extent that your own world now feels topsy-turvy itself. Also, the room is filling up with former statues. They are all sorts: of every age and race, some looking as if you could have passed them on the street without noticing, some wearing unusual or old-fashioned clothing. They are yelling at you and each other, but you can understand only a few of them.
And then they're gone. It's not clear how or where. You would find that convenient, but you have a sneaking suspicion they're not really gone. You're sure they're out there in the world somewhere, and you don't figure you've heard the last of them. You're due for a third adventure at some point, after all.
The last shreds of the other world fade away. You and the girl next door face each other across the room.
The stylophone had to come into this one because we were going back through the mirror. This time, however, it was accompanied by the toy piano, not the organ, to accentuate the oddness of the situation.
One more chapter to go...
@thedutchwidows Feb 2022
Lovely - again, great skill to play the two instruments like that. Even though you're just playing one note on the piano while playing the stylophone, it hurts my head to think in those opposing patterns (tapping and sliding); or at least I could probably do both, but not in a musical way. Did I say that last time? I might have done, but it's true, and I'm consistent at least.
As for the story, am I wrong to be disappointed that (a) cynicism does not appear to be the universally helpful super power I'd hoped it was, and (b) girl next door turns out to be useful after all, despite being the gullible one that caused all the trouble with her gung-ho attitude and lack of care? Is that so very wrong? Probably, but I can't help it. Although everyone deserved a redemptive arc in a story. Except the old waggly-eyebrow guy. He deserves no redemption. Looking forward to see how this ends!
@zecoop Feb 2022
This is inspiring on many levels. Great playing and interplay with both instruments. I have both a toy grand piano and a Stylophone but didn’t get much use of either due to busy other FAWMing. This was beautiful and I’ll need to check out the rest of the story. Wonderful!!
@burrsettles Feb 2022
wow, while i was watching your other stylophone video you apparently posted this (your second?)... i haven't followed your story throughout all the "chapters" but sounds like this is a trippy turn of events. fun combo of instruments!