TRAVELOGUE
June 3rd
This is just a small account of everything that happens as it happens.
Taking notes when you can.
…
I took a train here.
I was the only one on.
Passing nothing but dirt for days.
Got off at an empty station.
The conductor was friendly.
He’s left me to myself.
I’m on a bench.
Wind blows bad around here.
…
I walked 3 hours.
Saw nothing that whole time.
Finally a red shack.
Like a mirage.
Couldn’t believe it but as I got closer I realized it was an encampment of several shacks.
I made it.
…
I see locals.
Pale white bodies immune to the heat.
They’re taking me in right away.
I’m the first person they’ve seen in years besides the mailman.
Malcolm introduced himself to me.
He’s got wild hair.
His clothes are clean.
Not a trace of dust to be seen.
Like everyone else.
They all have smiles.
They’ve never seen a camera before.
…
I told Malcolm I’m there to show the world his way of life.
He doesn’t really know what I mean by this but he’s okay with it.
…
He shows me his cousin.
She has no hair at all.
She levitates.
I ask her how she does it and she shrugs.
It’s confusing I would even ask.
I took a picture.
She didn’t like that.
I can’t do that with the flash on.
…
I meet Ernie.
He has a big front tooth and that’s about it.
He says he can walk on his hands
I laughed but he was serious
He almost hit me
Thankful for Malcolm
Didn’t take a picture.
I meet everyone.
They all live modestly.
No one likes performing.
But these people are full of magic.
…
There is a big fire to celebrate me.
They make a feast on skillets.
Never thought to cook this animal before.
It melts in my mouth.
They wheel out this woman and she reads palms.
She spends the night performing miracles.
Things I’ll never forget.
Things I could never explain.
I see a man fart so hard the earth shakes.
I see Ernie walk on hands.
I’m taking pictures this time.
What are you doing?
Nothing at all just checking the time.
They kill a goat.
It’s not nice.
I’m tired.
Drunk.
I sleep in a spare shack.
A blanket.
A ratty cot.
Dust and wind whispers to me to go to sleep.
…
I had a vivid dream that I was married to Malcolm’s cousin and we raised kids here.
I forgot my old life and learned to read minds.
Cook food with a thought.
I made love ferociously.
…
June 4th
Next day
Malcolm woke me up
He said we’re going to the cliffs.
So I’m going to the cliffs.
…
There are rotting heads in a circle.
This is how they honor their dead.
Malcolm does a prayer
Couldn’t recreate it if I tried
Dust howls around us
Sand in my asscrack
He took me to a cave
I’ve never seen stalagmite up close
Taking pictures.
He does another prayer
We’re walking far from the shacks
My feet are sore
There is a crater
Something big created it.
We look out over the great expanse and Malcolm cries.
I hold him.
…
June 5th
Last night was intense
I told Malcolm I have to leave soon but he wants me to stay
Don’t need to be back for a week or two
…
June 6th
I bathed in a hot spring
I talked to my ancestors through the stalagmite.
…
June 17th
Go back to the board and tell them everything.
They love it and are giving me the money
I start shooting in a month
None of the actors I want though
Who the fuck is Adrien fucking Lively
…
July 20th
My actors are stupid
They don’t capture the magic
They ask dumb questions
I make them feel dumb
…
July 23rd
The board needs to see me
They say I’m not making a movie people want to see
I said I’m just trying to be honest
I’m trying to show the world their way of life
You’re not making a documentary
And this shit is fucked up
I told them I think It’s beautiful
Well this chick who levitates? What if she does it cuz she’s possessed? And her eyes start glowing?
Oh shit one goes
And what if she like teleports??
The conversation gets away from me
Fuck these fucking people
Fuck
I need money.
I need to fuck.
…
August 20th
There is a rough cut of the film.
I’m going to show it to Malcolm.
…
August 26th
I have to take a train at 5 this morning
…
August 29th
The walk to the shacks isn’t as bad
Malcolm greets me with open arms
They all do
I love these people
They’ve never seen a projector before
They spend the day helping me craft the screen.
They take orders from me and they understand me.
All of us gather and sit cross legged under the stars
I run the projector
The movie is awful
I can tell the longer it goes
I already knew this though
Ernie is confused by seeing himself but not himself
Everyone is confused by themselves
They look at me bewildered and I try to keep a smile
They see their town for what it never was.
The rotting heads of their dead coming to life and singing.
…
Malcolm broke the projector
The studio will reimburse me
He accused me of having sex with his cousin the first time I came.
It can’t be true.
He said if I ever come back he will eat me.
It sounded like a joke but it wasn’t.
Tears were in his eyes when he said it.
I betrayed him.
I gathered my things and left.
I return to the world.
…
June 3rd
The film is a success.