Hello and welcome to the Drabblecast, episode 490.

The Drabblecast is an audio fiction magazine that brings strange stories by strange authors to strange listeners,

such as yourself. I'm your host, Norm Sherman. Folks, before we get started, just wanted to mention

at the Kickstarter for my third studio album, the instruction book that launched last week I mentioned on

last week's show, is now over 75% funded. So that's pretty exciting, and you can get in on it if you

like my music and want to hear more.

Or maybe you're not acquainted with that whole side of your gracious

Drabblecast host and producer Uncle Norm. And I'm going to see what's up. Just go to kickstarter.com slash projects slash drablcast slash the instruction book. That's a lot. So the link will be in our show notes. and you can also just go to kickstarter.com and do a search for Norm Sherman.

It'll come up there and you can check it out.

Aside from the digital album, CDs, and vinyl, there's also some drabble swag up there listed as add-ons, and some higher perks like me covering any song you want, or me even writing you a song about anything you want. And you people are pretty weird, let's not dance around it, so I know what I'm opening myself up to here. Really, though, I'm excited to be writing music again. I'm recording and producing this one all by myself, and it's going to be good times. Thank you to the 90 backers who've already jumped in. You guys are amazing. And for those of you interested out there, again, click on the link in our show notes or search for me on Kickstarter. It'll come right up.

All right, on to this week's story.

Slime on My Hackles by Jessica Jewel.

Jessica's a science fiction writer who lives in Hamilton, Ontario, with her husband and two daughters.

This one's a drabble cast in original, and it's weird as a motherfriker, so I love it.

Without further ado, we bring you Slime on My Hackles by Jessica Jewel.

I actually thought myself lucky the night I met Daphne.

Of all the dingy back alley bars, Gungalow had to offer, Fated led him to Baffles, and wouldn't you know it, into the seat next to mine. I wasn't usually so susceptible to a pretty face with a sad story, but something about Dauphany got to me. He'd arrived only days prior in the last wave of refugees from Lupriel. With only his looks to lean on, it wouldn't have been long before he was selling his hackles on the street if I hadn't stepped into help. If only I'd

known how much that help would cost me. As it was, I could barely afford my current lifestyle,

and Dauphany hadn't worked a day in his life. He was afraid of our neighborhood, the shakes,

for its tremors and the rough jackals

who lived there, afraid of the jellies, gungalows locals, afraid of everything, really. Somehow,

leaving him never crossed my mind. We were in this together now, which ultimately led me to approach

...