S1:E17 - How Will You Be

 
 

Chellen heads home with Bree after school and discovers a city neighborhood she's never been to. Chellen is unprepared for what she finds and the potential dangers lurking around every corner. Which begs the question, how can Bree and her mom live like this?

Distinct Poplar is a twice monthly young adult (YA) short story series of dark fantasy and storybook horror, written and narrated by Matt Herzberg. Distinct Poplar takes place in a sprawling city, where the supernatural and fantastic things are common place. This vast metropolis looks and feels like a fairy tale kingdom come to life and thrust unceremoniously into the modern era. Here, people practically live on top of one another, covered in the grime and hardships of everyday city living, and always keeping an eye out for the dark and sinister things awaiting just around the corner. Here you will find six legged rat creatures, neighborhood swallowing storms, and cats who stalk children...hungry for their laughter.

Music:

Little Drunk, Quiet Floats - Puddle of Infinity

 
 

Smile Quiet Looking Up - Puddle of Infinity

 
 

Boat Floating - Puddle of Infinity

 
 

Leoforos Alexandras - Dan Bodan

 
 

Series 1 Episodes:

Featured
S1:E19 - The Call
S1:E19 - The Call

Chellen's encounter with the strange monkey's face puts her in a position to break one of her peoples most sacred precepts.

S1:E18 - Shadow Puppets
S1:E18 - Shadow Puppets

Now that Chellen is in Bree's apartment they have only to wait for her mom to get home. Chellen is still apprehensive about Bree's strange request, to confront her mother and beat her up. Never the less she will remain in the cramped apartment for a least a little while longer, despite her own reservations. While they wait, Bree shows Chellen her vast collection of things she's scavenged from school.

S1:E17 - How Will You Be
S1:E17 - How Will You Be

Chellen heads home with Bree after school and discovers a city neighborhood she's never been to. Chellen is unprepared for what she finds and the potential dangers looking around every corner. Which begs the question, how can Bree and her mom live like this?

S1:E16 - Roms
S1:E16 - Roms

Chellen does her best to communicate to Bree what it means to be a Rom thus solidifying their newly formed friendship. But theres more to Bree's cry for help at stake...what else must Chellen do to protect her new friend?

S1:E15 - Pool
S1:E15 - Pool

Chellen descends into the giant, empty, and ancient swimming pool. Cautiously leaving safety and security to venture deep to an unfamiliar place with Bree. Will she be able to reason with the younger girl, or will things end as badly as Chellen has predicted? 

S1:E14 - 100d
S1:E14 - 100d

Chellen enlists some help to figure out what Bree had written on her hand. It reads "100d", and Chellen has to figure it out by lunch time, so she can find the secret special hiding place where Bree waits for her. Too bad this is really all for nothing, Chellen has to stop being friends with Bree and she is not looking forward to telling her.

S1:E13 - Punishment
S1:E13 - Punishment

How would Chellen's parents react to her breaking of the rules of their culture and family identity? Can she risk their ire by becoming friends with Bree?

S1:E12 - This Moment
S1:E12 - This Moment

With Bree safe and the tardy bell ringing, Chellen attempts to avoid the creepy disciplinarian, Mr. Blackweal who chases her down the hallways of Cagger Highschool. Can she make it class or will Blackweal catch her?

S1:E11 - The Business
S1:E11 - The Business

Chellen confronts the bully, Durga Drumlicht who's reign of terror over Bree must come to an end. Chellen confronts the bully, Durga Drumlicht who's reign of terror over Bree must come to an end. But Chellen has never confronted a bully before...whatever will she do?

S1:E10 - A Champion
S1:E10 - A Champion

Bree needs help but is Chellen the only one who can come to her aid? Surely there has to be someone else in the entire school who is more qualified and better suited then Chellen. Because Chellen is a Rom and Rom's don't get involved in the lives of the Typicals.

S1:E9 - Protection Needed
S1:E9 - Protection Needed

Breegland Van Neef, an odd girl at Cagger Highschool in the city of Distinct Poplar, starts putting up signs at school with a strange request. Is Chellen the only one who's noticing this and what does it mean? 

S1:E8 - The Name Face Collector
S1:E8 - The Name Face Collector

On the annual holiday called, The Day of Masks, nobody would know if you played hooky from school. Yet every girl and boy at Cagger High are too scared to try. Because of The Name-Face Collectors...

S1:E7 - Not In Anyone's Lifetime (part 4)
S1:E7 - Not In Anyone's Lifetime (part 4)

Chellen decides to confront Blixit and discovers why the boy has been so fixated on her.

S1:E6 - Not In Anyone's Lifetime (part 3)
S1:E6 - Not In Anyone's Lifetime (part 3)

Chellen returns the notebook and to her surprise finds that it will come back her way before she knows it.

S1:E5 - Not In Anyone's Lifetime (part 2)
S1:E5 - Not In Anyone's Lifetime (part 2)

Chellen must see what is in the notebook that the spying creeper, Blixit J. Blacht has been using to take notes about her. But if she gets a hold of it, will she be ready for whats inside?

S1:E4 - Not In Anyone's Lifetime (part 1)
S1:E4 - Not In Anyone's Lifetime (part 1)

Chellen is bright and hopeful for a brand new semester of her freshman year of high school. Maybe she'll get lucky this time and find somebody in one of her classes thats just like her, a Rom. Being a Rom is all about being a misfit in the city of Distinct Poplar, and sometimes Rom's have difficulties making friends.

S1:E3 - The Ritual (part 2)
S1:E3 - The Ritual (part 2)

The moment has come and the ritual is almost complete. What vile intentions do the secret teachers have in store for the students of Distinct Poplar schools?

S1:E2 - The Ritual (part 1)
S1:E2 - The Ritual (part 1)

She's been invited to a secret ritual on, The Day of Masks an annual holiday of anonymity where teacher and student alike wear masks to school. She's pretty sure everyone around her is a teacher in disguise, but what is The Ritual and what will she have to do in order to survive it?

S1:E1 - A Strange Holiday of Masks
S1:E1 - A Strange Holiday of Masks

Eventually every neighborhood had their very own Day of Masks. They celebrated with elaborate parades and ghastly looking parade floats. These things were originally designed to be menacing, bright and colorful, but in an off-putting and gaudy kind of way. The messed up idea being, that the newcomers to the neighborhood would see them and get scared. Childish I know, but you should see these things! 

S1:E0 - Blackweal
S1:E0 - Blackweal

Bilby Blackweal is a teacher at Cagger high school who’s career has been stuck ever since “The Incident”. An expert in discipline, Blackweal’s nefarious methods for order are brought into question when “the incident” exposes his truly dark and cruel nature.


Series 1Matt HerzbergAudio fiction, audiofiction, audio fic, audio fiction, Audio Book, Audiobook, audiobook, fairy tale, Fantasy, YA Audiobooks, YA, matt herzberg, Free Audiobooks, distinct poplar