-- Subtitle --

Eternal life comes at a price.

-- Description --

The Second Rat is a forty minute audio story by David Barr Kirtley.

-- Excerpt --

"Now, Mr. Rawlins. You've made remarkable amounts of money investing in the marketplace. Tell us, what's your secret?"

"It's really quite simple, Dan," I said. "You see, I can rewind life."

There was long pause. I heard a technician cough.

"I'm sorry," Findley said finally. "What was that?"

"The way you rewind a tape. I can do it in real life. I can go back to any point in my past and start over. I observe which stocks do well, then rewind and invest in those."

-- Author's Comments --

"The Second Rat was the first piece I wrote at the 1999 Clarion writer's workshop, when I was 21. I had spent the preceding weeks mulling over the idea, and had thought out the story very carefully and vividly. I did the actual writing in an intense creative frenzy, feeling half-feverish from the muggy summer heat in the non-air-conditioned dorm. When I typed the final lines, my eyes welled with tears. It affected me deeply. It's very special to have a story grab hold of you like that."

(David Barr Kirtley)

-- Credits --

Written by David Barr Kirtley
Performed by Bob Barnes
Art by Thomas Meldgaard Nielsen
Music by James Guymon

Produced by MechMuse Audio Anthology at MechMuse.com

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