The Trash Hole

Reset Incident Report: Iteration #1213

Experiment Initiation - April 11, 1991

Script Readout:

Camera rapidly zooms in and out on a pile of trash. A boing boing sound plays.

Speaker: Struggle with trash?

An overwhelmed father figure appears, weeping.

Pathetic Paternal: Yes!

Like Sisyphus the father figure lugs a massive bag of trash up the hill. He continues to weep.

Speaker: Tired of taking out heavy bags of trash over and over again?

Pathetic Paternal: YES!

Camera spins, transitioning to an image of a white male hand pointing to a black semi-cylindrical shape, abyssal darkness lies within.

Speaker: Then you need, Trash Hole, the innovative solution to all your filthy needs! 

The hand throws away a crumpled piece of paper into the Trash Hole, and then covers it with a handled lid.

Speaker: Just throw away your trash into the Trash Hole, cover with the handy sealing system, and ignore the sound of chewing!

The hand removes the lid. Revealing only the endless darkness within.

Speaker: And presto! The Trash Hole makes it disappear!

The hand proceeds to throw away the image of a crying woman, the image of a demonic face, and the image of a skull.

Speaker: And the Trash Hole doesn't just get rid of your pesky material garbage, but your immaterial waste as well! Get rid of traumatic past events, unwanted personality traits, and even your fear of death!

The end slide reveals pricing, a phone number, and the Trash Hole in a star-shaped window. The words: "TRASH HOLE" undulate in and out in bright red text.

Speaker: Order now! Only 4 easy payments of $44.99! Call now at 000-000-0000!

 November 1, 1990 - Ferra Bower, age 42, dies of head trauma from an automobile accident.

December 12, 1990 - Randall Bower, age 41, meets Felicia Tanner, age 28.

March 20, 1991 - Randall Bower marries Felicia Tanner. Sandra Bower, age 16, is not invited to the ceremony.

April 3, 1991 - Felicia Bower, Tad Bower, age 6, and Tamara Bower, age 10, move into the Bower residence.

April 10, 1991 - Sandra Bower is returned home by officers following being reported missing. She was found walking to her friend's house 9 miles away from her residence. Officers report that Randall Bower forbids Sandra from seeing her friend.

April 11, 1991 - Randall Bower sees the advertisement.

April 13, 1991 - Randal Bower orders the Trash Hole.

April 11, 1991 - Figment, Ohio. Population 27, 741. 113 Brewer St. 5 Residents.

Officers respond to a noise complaint. Reported as a family dispute.

April 18, 1991 - Figment, Ohio. Population 27, 739. 112 Brewer St. 5 Residents.

The Trash Hole receives 3 Objects:

A locket containing a picture of Sandra Bower depicted age 1 and Ferra Bower, depicted age 27.

A framed photo of Sandra, depicted age 6, Randall, depicted age 31, and Ferra Bower, depicted age 32 at Lockley Park.

A blanket knit by Ferra Bower at age 18.

April 27, 1991 - Figment, Ohio. Population 27, 039. 109 Brewer St. 5 Residents.

The Trash Hole receives 3 Objects:

Pain.

The memory of a car crash.

Grief.

May 12, 1991 - Figment, Ohio. Population, 26, 245. 101 Brewer St. 5 Residents.

The Trash Hole receives 3 Objects:

Randall Bower's memory of Ferra Bower.

Randall Bower's frustration with Sandra Bower.

Sandra Bower's hope.

May 29, 1991 - Figment, Ohio. Population, 22, 002. 006 Brew St. 4 Residents.

The Trash Hole Receives 1 Object:

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October 11, 1991 - Figment, Ohio. Population 1. 1 St. 1 Resident.

Randall Bower is alone. Randall Bower does not remember why he is alone. Randal Bower does not feel pain. Does not feel loss. Does not know anything but alone. There was a time he threw things down the Trash Hole. It has grown to be more of a trash pit now. Maybe it was always that way. There is nothing to throw way anymore. He does not remember this, but he threw everything away already. His is the only house. The rest have been replaced by Trash Pits. No. Those have always been there. 

This has always been the way it is.

Randall Bower is alone.

The world is thin, so thin. Randall Bower cannot think. Randall Bower cannot remember. Randall Bower knows no pain. Randall Bower knows no pleasure. It has all been thrown away.

The Trash Hole Receives 1 Object:

Pathetic Paternal.

October 12, 1991 - Reset Initiated.

The Trash Hole Receives 1 Object:

Figment, Ohio. Population 0.

Special thanks to Gorinich for some dang good idea riffing!