[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Advent Pro||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||-2px|||” custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-50px|auto||auto||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Josefin Slab||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.5em” custom_margin=”0px||30px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
They began arriving soon after the federal investigation. Smiling faces were replaced with humanoid robots and computerized voices. They didn\u2019t have names for us to remember, only cold expressions lacking soul. We could hear them moving through the hallways in the night.<\/span><\/p>\n Too many facilities had failed to make the grade. Poor staffing levels\u2014dire consequences. Life suddenly resembled one of those science fiction movies the grandkids sometimes watched.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis will ensure we deliver an improved product to consumers,\u201d said a man on the TV. \u201cIt will address short staffing across the industry.\u201d The reporter said we were hearing from the Minister for Health and Aging\u2014as if such parts of life could be condensed into titles.<\/span><\/p>\n Please don\u2019t think I\u2019m an old fogy resistant to change. I have nothing against innovation. It can do wonderful things\u2014Derek, across the hallway, would be unable to speak if not for the eye gaze technology he uses to express himself.<\/span><\/p>\n But it was during lunch service one day that I started forming suspicions. Richard shuffled into the dining room, pushing his walking frame.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHi Richard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He usually came to life when somebody greeted him, but today was different. He refused to open his mouth, instead clutching a notepad and pen, scribbling down a message.<\/span><\/p>\n Can\u2019t talk. No teeth.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u201cOh, don\u2019t worry about that, Richard,\u201d I said. \u201cNobody has their own. We understand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He shook his head, wrote another word. <\/span>Missing.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u201cWe can help you look for them,\u201d I said.<\/span><\/p>\n Margaret glanced up from her soup and wiped her mouth. \u201cFourth person,\u201d she said. \u201cLots of missing teeth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDo you think the tooth fairy will come?\u201d asked Catherine, smiling with the remnants of chocolate \u00e9clair dripping from her face.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Catherine,\u201d I said. \u201cEnjoy your \u00e9clair.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Two robots entered the dining room, maneuvering themselves into the doorway, as if they were bouncers preventing us from entering nightclubs\u2014except the clubs were our rooms.<\/span><\/p>\n Richard approached them, presenting a note. <\/span>May I pass?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n They stepped aside, their awkward movements sending a shiver down my spine as Richard shuffled into the hallway.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRichard has passed,\u201d one said. \u201cRest in peace, Richard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The other laughed\u2014a sound like mechanical hiccups.<\/span><\/p>\n Things had certainly changed around here.<\/span><\/p>\n * * *<\/span><\/p>\n I woke in the middle of the night to screams coming from next door. They sounded urgent, so I wandered into the hallway and found a crowd gathering at Catherine\u2019s door.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d I asked Margaret. As a former nurse, I figured she would know better than anyone.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re refusing pain medication,\u201d whispered Margaret.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n She gestured to the robots on either side of Catherine\u2019s bed, pinning down her arms.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSurely they can\u2019t do that?\u201d I asked.<\/span><\/p>\n Margaret shrugged. \u201cOne said it\u2019s part of the new aged care model.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Richard scribbled across his notepad. <\/span>They said we must learn to live with pain.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n We stared at each other.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cReturn to your rooms,\u201d said one of the robots, moving our direction. \u201cEverything is under control.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n * * *<\/span><\/p>\n The following afternoon I noticed something odd. I was struck with a feeling\u2014like I had gone out for the day and left the oven on. Perhaps it was dementia. I heard it creeps up on you in different ways.<\/span><\/p>\n Richard shuffled into my room and presented me with a pink carnation\u2014my favorite. \u201cHow did you know?\u201d I asked.<\/span><\/p>\n He smiled. It was heart-warming to see\u2014still handsome, even without teeth.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Richard,\u201d I said. \u201cFeels wonderful to have something alive in here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The room seemed brighter, less clinical, yet something still niggled. I placed the carnation on a table in the corner of my room. It would look good among the framed photos of loved ones\u2014but then I realized. The photos. My family. They had disappeared.<\/span><\/p>\n I looked at Richard who seemed equally puzzled. I pressed the distress button while staring at the stock images, the fake smiles that now filled my room.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow can I help?\u201d said a robotic voice from behind me.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened to my photos?\u201d I asked. \u201cMy children and grandchildren\u2014they were here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI like these ones better,\u201d the robot said. \u201cThis is your family now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n * * *<\/span><\/p>\n I had never been more grateful for a visit. My daughter, Amelia, arrived the next day with my grandson, Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t seem yourself, Mom,\u201d said Amelia. \u201cCan always tell when something is bothering you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I gestured towards the photos\u2014frames that once held family, now possessed by strangers. \u201cI think the robots are behind it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Henry laughed. \u201cCool.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I forced a smile, didn\u2019t want to scare him. \u201cI thought you might say that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He tugged at Amelia\u2019s hand. \u201cCan we visit the lounge? I want to look at books.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSounds a lovely idea,\u201d I said.<\/span><\/p>\n I was glad to leave my room, the constant presence of those strange faces.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow is everything, <\/span>really<\/span><\/i>?\u201d asked Amelia.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTerrifying,\u201d I said. \u201cYou must get me out of here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Amelia sighed as we entered the lounge, Henry running to the bookshelf. \u201cWe\u2019ve been over this,\u201d said Amelia. \u201cYou live here now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n We sat down and watched Henry flick through various books. A robot paused in the doorway before continuing down the hall. Henry followed.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCome back,\u201d said Amelia, trailing after him.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou also liked to wander at his age,\u201d I said, trying to keep up.<\/span><\/p>\n Henry stalked the robot down a series of corridors, with Amelia calling after him, but the young man was on a mission. We turned a corner and there he was\u2014standing before a utility closet, mouth agape, no robot in sight.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it, dear?\u201d I asked.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLook what the robot has been making.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n We stared into the gloomy cupboard, our eyes resting on what looked like a craft project.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh god,\u201d gasped Amelia. \u201cGet away, Henry!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I placed a hand over my mouth. It resembled one of those models you see in real estate offices\u2014an empty replica of the facility\u2014but made with teeth, nail clippings, and hair.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>Now<\/span><\/i> will you get me out of here?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Josefin Slab||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” custom_padding=”14px||0px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Rowan MacDonald<\/b>\u2019s short fiction has been awarded the Kenan Ince Memorial Prize, judged a finalist in the Tasmanian Writers\u2019 Prize and long-listed for the Furphy Literary Award. His words have appeared in various publications, including <\/span>Overland<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>New Writing Scotland<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>Watershed Review<\/span><\/i>, and <\/span>Sheepshead Review<\/span><\/i>. He lives with his dog, Rosie, who sits beside him for each word he writes. You can find him on Instagram: <\/span>@rowmac89<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”|auto|-100px|auto||” custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/variantlit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Color-Print-Logo-with-full-text-1.jpg”<\/a>; title_text=”Color-Print-Logo-with-full-text-1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” positioning=”relative” vertical_offset=”50px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/variantlit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ncwn-logo.jpg”<\/a>; title_text=”ncwn-logo” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” positioning=”relative” vertical_offset=”50px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_signup provider=”mailpoet” mailpoet_list=”Variant Literature|3″ title=”Subscribe to our Newsletter” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” form_field_background_color=”#000000″ form_field_text_color=”#FFFFFF” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”#000000″ background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#000000″ button_bg_color=”#FFFFFF” button_border_width=”6px” button_border_color=”#000000″ button_border_radius=”20px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_signup][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”81px||4px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u00a9 Variant Literature Inc 2023<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Replacements Rowan MacDonald They began arriving soon after the federal investigation. Smiling faces were replaced with humanoid robots and computerized voices. They didn\u2019t have names for us to remember, only cold expressions lacking soul. We could hear them moving through the hallways in the night. Too many facilities had failed to make the grade. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":159853871,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" [et_pb_section fb_built=\"1\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_row _builder_version=\"4.21.0\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.21.0\" _module_preset=\"default\" text_font=\"Advent Pro||||||||\" text_text_color=\"#000000\" hover_enabled=\"0\" global_colors_info=\"{}\" sticky_enabled=\"0\"]<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=\"1\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" _module_preset=\"default\" custom_margin=\"||-2px|||\" custom_padding=\"0px||0px|||\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_row _builder_version=\"4.21.0\" _module_preset=\"default\" custom_margin=\"-50px|auto||auto||\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.21.0\" _module_preset=\"default\" text_font=\"Josefin Slab||||||||\" text_text_color=\"#000000\" text_font_size=\"16px\" text_line_height=\"1.5em\" custom_margin=\"0px||30px||false|false\" custom_padding=\"0px||0px||false|false\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"]<\/p> In the glowing lobby of Tony Hawk\u2019s Pro Skater, one is to choose<\/span>What Thou Lovest Well Remains American<\/strong><\/h1>
Jeff Whitney<\/span><\/h3>
<\/span>one\u2019s skater. Hair type, board. One can even be an alien or Jesus<\/span>
<\/span>or a number of other secret characters. It\u2019s important to have choices<\/span>
<\/span>otherwise senates would get lazier. Declarations would be made pretty much<\/span>
<\/span>to nothing. On the other hand, too many choices can be an issue, too,<\/span>
<\/span>as we learn in every sitcom ever made when the lovable leading man<\/span>
<\/span>gets roped into too many dates at the same time, changing outfits and<\/span>
<\/span>forgetting to remove or put on the fake mustache, until it all blows up<\/span>
<\/span>in a hilarious way. And if the cameras stayed with this story? If pain<\/span>
<\/span>had no cherry in the middle? No accompanying crowd of people<\/span>
<\/span>laughing? I very rarely wake up in a different country and yet I don\u2019t know<\/span>
<\/span>where I live, what to call it. Like someone went in and set things on hard<\/span>
<\/span>mode. Insane Mode. Immortal. Where once every fifth party the anecdote<\/span>
<\/span>of the bystander gets repeated, and every fifth month you\u2019re the bystander,<\/span>
<\/span>only, because you can\u2019t stand outside of a moment, you never do the thing<\/span>
<\/span>you thought you would, or do it in a really lackluster and disappointing way,<\/span>
<\/span>so that one can continue to believe there is fire on all of our sleeves as we<\/span>
<\/span>just keep drinking cool glasses of water. It\u2019s important I remember that<\/span>
<\/span>the rapture is happening, but it\u2019s the slowest rapture, the last place<\/span>
<\/span>rapture, out of breath, so slow it doesn\u2019t appear to us as anything other<\/span>
<\/span>than regular life, where a mole of oxygen equals six point zero<\/span>
<\/span>two two times ten to the twenty-third atoms, and, when mixed with<\/span>
<\/span>methane, makes combustion, and what have we learned about<\/span>
<\/span>meddling? In the movie a woman asks a mad scientist for a love potion<\/span>
<\/span>and it all goes wrong; everyone so menacing in their passions, not willing<\/span>
<\/span>to accept what they can\u2019t have, so it gets dark fast, with lots of death<\/span>
<\/span>and yes, that\u2019s part of the rapture, too, the love-potion rapture, which could<\/span>
<\/span>happen to anyone. It happened to Matt from the neighborhood. He loved<\/span>
<\/span>fast cars and the fast feelings he chased with the help of beautiful crystals.<\/span>
<\/span>But before that, because he had a PlayStation, his house was a church<\/span>
<\/span>where for hours in the afternoon we got to choose who we would be<\/span>
<\/span>as we skated through the cityscapes of our world. You couldn\u2019t pay me<\/span>
<\/span>to forget it: Matt, sitting on the carpet in front of the biggest TV on the block<\/span>
<\/span>flouting gravity as he executed The Puppet Master, The Tail Slide, The Air-<\/span>
<\/span>walk, pressing left, left, circle, x, as though he was saving our lives, and only he<\/span>
![https:\/\/variantlit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Color-Print-Logo-with-full-text-1.jpg”<\/a>; title_text=”Color-Print-Logo-with-full-text-1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” positioning=”relative” vertical_offset=”50px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”](\"https:\/\/variantlit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Color-Print-Logo-with-full-text-1.jpg”\"){kind=link}
![https:\/\/variantlit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ncwn-logo.jpg”<\/a>; title_text=”ncwn-logo” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” positioning=”relative” vertical_offset=”50px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_signup provider=”mailpoet” mailpoet_list=”Variant Literature|3″ title=”Subscribe to our Newsletter” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” form_field_background_color=”#000000″ form_field_text_color=”#FFFFFF” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”#000000″ background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#000000″ button_bg_color=”#FFFFFF” button_border_width=”6px” button_border_color=”#000000″ button_border_radius=”20px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_signup][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”81px||4px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n\u00a9 Variant Literature Inc 2023<\/em><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Replacements Rowan MacDonald They began arriving soon after the federal investigation. Smiling faces were replaced with humanoid robots and computerized voices. They didn\u2019t have names for us to remember, only cold expressions lacking soul. We could hear them moving through the hallways in the night. Too many facilities had failed to make the grade. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":159853871,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"[et_pb_section fb_built=\"1\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_row _builder_version=\"4.21.0\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.21.0\" _module_preset=\"default\" text_font=\"Advent Pro||||||||\" text_text_color=\"#000000\" hover_enabled=\"0\" global_colors_info=\"{}\" sticky_enabled=\"0\"]<\/p>What Thou Lovest Well Remains American<\/strong><\/h1>\u00a0<\/p>Jeff Whitney<\/span><\/h3>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=\"1\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" _module_preset=\"default\" custom_margin=\"||-2px|||\" custom_padding=\"0px||0px|||\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_row _builder_version=\"4.21.0\" _module_preset=\"default\" custom_margin=\"-50px|auto||auto||\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.21.0\" _module_preset=\"default\" text_font=\"Josefin Slab||||||||\" text_text_color=\"#000000\" text_font_size=\"16px\" text_line_height=\"1.5em\" custom_margin=\"0px||30px||false|false\" custom_padding=\"0px||0px||false|false\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"]<\/p>In the glowing lobby of Tony Hawk\u2019s Pro Skater, one is to choose<\/span><\/span>one\u2019s skater. Hair type, board. One can even be an alien or Jesus<\/span><\/span>or a number of other secret characters. It\u2019s important to have choices<\/span><\/span>otherwise senates would get lazier. Declarations would be made pretty much<\/span><\/span>to nothing. On the other hand, too many choices can be an issue, too,<\/span><\/span>as we learn in every sitcom ever made when the lovable leading man<\/span><\/span>gets roped into too many dates at the same time, changing outfits and<\/span><\/span>forgetting to remove or put on the fake mustache, until it all blows up<\/span><\/span>in a hilarious way. And if the cameras stayed with this story? If pain<\/span><\/span>had no cherry in the middle? No accompanying crowd of people<\/span><\/span>laughing? I very rarely wake up in a different country and yet I don\u2019t know<\/span><\/span>where I live, what to call it. Like someone went in and set things on hard<\/span><\/span>mode. Insane Mode. Immortal. Where once every fifth party the anecdote<\/span><\/span>of the bystander gets repeated, and every fifth month you\u2019re the bystander,<\/span><\/span>only, because you can\u2019t stand outside of a moment, you never do the thing<\/span><\/span>you thought you would, or do it in a really lackluster and disappointing way,<\/span><\/span>so that one can continue to believe there is fire on all of our sleeves as we<\/span><\/span>just keep drinking cool glasses of water. It\u2019s important I remember that<\/span><\/span>the rapture is happening, but it\u2019s the slowest rapture, the last place<\/span><\/span>rapture, out of breath, so slow it doesn\u2019t appear to us as anything other<\/span><\/span>than regular life, where a mole of oxygen equals six point zero<\/span><\/span>two two times ten to the twenty-third atoms, and, when mixed with<\/span><\/span>methane, makes combustion, and what have we learned about<\/span><\/span>meddling? In the movie a woman asks a mad scientist for a love potion<\/span><\/span>and it all goes wrong; everyone so menacing in their passions, not willing<\/span><\/span>to accept what they can\u2019t have, so it gets dark fast, with lots of death<\/span><\/span>and yes, that\u2019s part of the rapture, too, the love-potion rapture, which could<\/span><\/span>happen to anyone. It happened to Matt from the neighborhood. He loved<\/span><\/span>fast cars and the fast feelings he chased with the help of beautiful crystals.<\/span><\/span>But before that, because he had a PlayStation, his house was a church<\/span><\/span>where for hours in the afternoon we got to choose who we would be<\/span><\/span>as we skated through the cityscapes of our world. You couldn\u2019t pay me<\/span><\/span>to forget it: Matt, sitting on the carpet in front of the biggest TV on the block<\/span><\/span>flouting gravity as he executed The Puppet Master, The Tail Slide, The Air-<\/span><\/span>walk, pressing left, left, circle, x, as though he was saving our lives, and only he<\/span>](\"https:\/\/variantlit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ncwn-logo.jpg”\"){kind=link}