A Magical Day in the Land of Vocal

Not many know the tale of the land of Vocal. In fact, it is a well-guarded secret place, full of wonders and mysteries that we can only speculate on. Theories run wild, discussions are held in hushed voices, and stories are told around the campfire.

You may know me, you may not. My name is Dani Banani, and I believe that I traveled to that magical land and had my memory wiped. I'm what they call a "Creator." There are others like me, other Creators, who have had the rare privilege of glimpsing deeper inside this mysterious world. All of us can agree on one thing: the information we have is unclear. We've scoured the edges of the land to discover the unknown, but few of us have vague, complicated memories of having gone all the way inside.

I'm here to tell my campfire story. My story of what a day in the land of Vocal is actually like. Fear not, reader, for I'll soften the intense blows of knowledge you're about to behold in this tale in the best way I can. After all, Vocal's magic is a subject we must tread cautiously with. Have a seat and prepare yourself for this adventure.

A day in the life of an insider is one of shocking complications and wildly immoral events. Oh yes, reader, Vocal is magical, but it holds evil.

These so-called "insiders" are also referred to as the "Vocal Curation Team" or some may even call them "moderators." Whatever phrase you choose, one thing stays the same amongst them all: they are of a wicked sort you dare not trifle with, lest you fall victim to their mysterious ways.

Those of us who got closer than others know that there are many levels of insiders, and we cannot say for certain the exact expectations of each level inside Vocal. What we do know is that there are specific goals for each day.

I don't remember how I got inside the large, wild building known as "offices," but I managed to get inside and blend in as one of them. How did I do that, you ask? Well, that's easy! I told all of them that I was there for a tour, and Vocal absolutely offers a tour! I vaguely recall reassuring them that I could and would navigate things on my own, and shockingly, I was trusted...temporarily.

As I toured Vocal, I came across a room with a sign on the door that read "The Unsplash Room." Curious, I opened the door and stepped inside. Things appeared normal at first; just a lot of computers and people seeming to flip through stock photos on them. I approached one such insider and asked, "What are you doing?"

Readers, the answer will horrify you.

She replied, "I'm making it impossible for people to find appropriate stock images. This will make those Creators spend COUNTLESS MINUTES searching!"

Lightning crashed. Flames crawled up the walls, and the room was red within seconds as she cackled maniacally. I gasped, my hand on my chest, as I fled the room with a heart rate comparable to a hummingbird. What horrors awaited me elsewhere? I didn't know, but I knew I had a duty to press on. I needed to know more.

You might say it was heroic of me, but what came next will shake you to your core.

I found what was called "The Publishing Room." This, I knew, had to be something tamer than the dreaded Unsplash Room. I entered quietly and once again, multiple computers whirred as a person sat at each one. To the left, a small table had five insiders seated, and I held my breath as I listened to their conversation.

"So, this one was submitted four days ago, but this one just came in about an hour ago, so let us publish this one first."

"Yes, Jeffrey, that will confuse them. Confusion is uncomfortable."

"Exactly, Chester. Exactly. The person waiting four days will wait one more, just to keep her on her toes. Next, we have a perfectly composed submission, so let's go ahead and reject it for no reason at all."

"No!" a woman cried. "That cannot happen! When does our evil end?!"

Chester shouted, "GUARDS, REMOVE HER!"

Approximately twenty men in cop-like attire barged in and dragged her as she cried, and I melted into the corner of the room, grateful I had yet to be seen.

"Now that that's done, we can move on to ceasing approvals for several hours, because they cannot ever know that we have lives and need to eat meals and tend to personal matters. Let's let them think we're doing it on purpose, though, and forget to respond to e-mails."

"Isn't that the E-mail Room's problem?"

A dark look crossed Jeffrey's face. "We share problems here, Gertie. Don't dismiss this. You saw what happened to Lisa."

I fled after that, rushing down the hallway to find the E-mail Room. Instead of finding that, I came across the room I thought would be the most interesting: The Top Story Room.

I opened the door slowly, hearing quiet voices whisper about which stories belonged on their main page.

"Today is the day, people. This is it. We're going to have the E-mail Room delay e-mails to people about their Top Stories so they're disappointed for hours." She chuckled a deep, evil sound that reverberated from her throat directly into my weary heart. This was too much. What was this evil?

Readers, this was where I lost my memory.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up in my bed, and all I could think about was Vocal Challenges. I rushed to my Chromebook and began typing, article after article, submitting story after story to challenges. I just couldn't. stop. writing.

I believe they wiped my memory, instilled a magical obsession, and I cannot escape it. It must be a curse. Those insiders must be much more than we think they are. But luckily for me, I am strong, and I can remember bits and pieces of what I encountered that horrific day.

To end my campfire story, I must leave you with a warning: beware of the Vocal magic, for it may be an evil greater than any villain in any movie you've ever watched. I leave you with the wisdom that we know everything while we know nothing...

Now, readers, I must keep writing more challenge entries. So many more.