Sword and scale contains adult themes and violence and is not intended for all audiences.

Listener discretion is advised.

And this may realize I need to step up and be a better mom.

I mean, I hate to be the bearer by news,

but you're not going to get the opportunity

for a long, long time.

Not only is the state going to have custody of your children,

you're going to jail today.

If I have my way, you're going as an accomplice to murder.

... Some nights start with laughter and with sirens.

No one sees it coming until it's too late.

Some nights are simply born under a bad sign.

You likely won't even feel it at first.

The music's loud, the drinks are flowing,

and it all feels harmless enough.

But violence rarely announces itself.

It rarely sends an RSVP with a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Often it builds quietly, bubbling beneath the surface until it does what all bubbles do,

and it bursts without warning.

And when it does, the people who pay the price are rarely the ones looking for trouble.

They're the ones standing too close when the world suddenly tilts towards chaos.

Okay, turn to shoulder.

...