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People are too close to the edge of the broken bridge, where the rebar hang like dead ar on their shoulders Teenagers and gangoff the suspension cables that rise to the sky and disappear into the wispy fog gathering above
The thickening mist has oing to fight them?
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There must be a thousand people here I can tell froe showing either
‘I don’t understand,’ I say when I reach the twins onstage They’re dressed inpatched-up hobo outfits coerated bed-head hair They each hold e ice creaive theer clear to them Don’t they have an ounce of common sense?’
Dee checks to make sure his mic is turned off ‘It’s not about common sense’ Dee surveys the croith some pride
Duic or practicality or anything that rin
‘That’s the whole point of a talent show,’ says Dee, doing a spin onstage ‘It’s illogical, chaotic, stupid, and a whole hell of a lot of fun’ Dee nods to Dum ‘It’s what sets us apart from monkeys What other species puts on talent shows?’
‘Yeah, okay, but what about the danger?’ I ask
‘That I don’t quite have an answer for,’ says Duerous’ Dee waves to the crowd ‘They know they’ll only have twenty-five seconds to evacuate Everybody knohat they’re getting into’
‘Maybe they’re sick of being nothingfor their lives’ Dee sticks his tongue out at the kids sitting on shoulders ‘Maybe they’re ready to be huain, if only for an hour’
I think about that We’ve been scratching by since the angels got here Everyone, even the gangs, has been afraid Constantly worried about food and shelter and basic human necessities Worried about whether friends and fa out in theus alive
And now there’s this A talent show Silly and nonsensical Stupid and fun Together Laughing Being part of the hu about the horrors that have happened and will happen but choosing to live anyway Maybe there’s an art to being human
Sometimes I feel like a Martian in the middle of all this humanity
‘Or,’ says Du after the’ – he turns on his ical recreational vehicle!’ He sweeps his arht to make the projection behind him dim, but it’s a picture of a scratched-up RV