Bogleech.com's 2014 Horror Write-off:
" Owen Scott Doctoral Thesis Abridged Interview Number 37 "
Submitted by Brian Shadensack
Thesis Summary: I believe that in treating the homeless population problem purely on a clinical level we have dehumanized the homeless population. Outside of the Psychologist or the Social Workers office I believe that I can show that the we need to treat the homeless population as people, not a statistic, will will lead to helping the homeless population in a more caring and natural way.For time and location of interview please see appendix A.
Transcript of Interview Number 37
Interviewer: Owen Scott
Interviewee: Jasper Roberts
Subject appears to be a relatively healthy homeless person at his age (refused to say, appears to be late 50s). Subject is roughly five feet ten inches and average build. While he appears to be irrationally paranoid and speaks to himself; he does not show other abnormal behaviors meaning that a diagnosis of schizophrenia is unlikely. Subject was found through suggestion by Bo Little (See Interview Number 24). Subject was originally hesitant to interview, but once project was described to Subject and Subject agreed the interview.
Note on the editing of this transcript: For clarity purposes this transcript has been abridged compared to the original audio log, * marks sections that have been shortened, for an unedited transcript please see Interview Number 37 in Section S5.
-Begin Transcript-
Scott: Alright, Jasper. Tell me about yourself.
Roberts: You don't know me, we ain't on a first name basis, you call me Mr. Roberts.
Scott: Ok, Roberts...
Roberts: I said call me Mr. Roberts.
Scott: Ok Mr. Roberts, tell me about yourself.
Roberts: Why do you want to know, are you going to use it against me?
Scott: You agreed to be interviewed. You heard about my project and agreed to be interviewed.
Roberts: Alright, and your project was?
Scott: To prove that; while yes there is an increased percentage of mental illness in the homeless population as compared to the non homeless population; that because of their homelessness they aren't treated like people and having unstructured interviews and treating them like anybody else can have a positive effect on their mental health.
Roberts: Ok, ok, I was just making sure it wasn't a scam. Well my name is Jasper Roberts, Mr. Roberts to you, I've been homeless as long as I can remember, uhhh...hold on...shut up, shut up, shut up.
Scott: Are you alright?
Roberts: Yea, sometimes my brain gets way too loud, you know? But I've been homeless as long as I can remember. I used to bounce between facilities, you know the Community Centers, the Soup Kitchens, Hostels, everywhere that would take me; but they aren't nice anymore.
Scott: What do you mean by not nice?
Roberts: Well, they used to feed me, put a roof over my head for a night; you couldn't do it everyday though, that was always the rule...
Scott: Why was that the rule?
Roberts: Well, like it wasn't a rule for the places, it was a rule between homeless. If you go everyday, then someone else may not be able to get their food, someone might not get a roof over their head, Its all volunteer and donation, so they can only do much. If you didn't go everyday, yea you may not eat for a day or two, but like it guarantees that another person can survive the disease for another day.
Scott: The disease?
Roberts: Homelessness, man you’ve heard that before.
Scott: I have not.
Roberts: Boy, don't lie to me.
Scott: I'm not lying.
Roberts: Yes you are, apologize, I know you've at least heard it from Bo at this point.
Scott: You know Bo?
Roberts: I ain't tellin you shit till you apologize.
Scott: How do you know I talked to Bo?
Roberts: Not telling.
Scott: Did she tell you?
Roberts: Apologize first.
Scott: I'm sorry.
Roberts: You're not, but I think thats the best I'm going to get out of you.
Scott: So how do you know I've talked to Bo?
Roberts: I heard the lie when you told me you haven't heard the phrase the disease.
Scott: Heard the lie?
Roberts: Yea, I can hear lies, like in my brain. Well not just lies...its more like I can hear everything that people have done in the recent past, every little bad thing.
Scott: Bad things?
Roberts: Yea like everything, from the fact that you didn't wash your hands last time you used the bathroom or the fact that your camera operator refused to help pay for lunch. I mean I hear big things too. Luckily you haven't done anything big in a while. Watch this.
Note: Interviewee points at a man walking across the street.
Roberts: Yell “hey that's my phone.”
Scott: What?
Roberts: Yea, he's young. Just stole his first phone. Found it on a bench. Maybe stole is a strong word, but he feels that he stole it. So thats good enough. Just yell at the kid, tell him that that's your phone.
Note: Interviewer yells at unidentified person across street.
Scott: Ok... Hey, give me back my phone!
Note: Unidentified person starts running.
Scott: I didn't even have to chase him.
Roberts: Yea he feels really bad about it.
Scott: Well that could be just a really lucky guess.
Roberts: Fine, fine. You didn't wash your hand when you went to the bathroom at the Texaco on 54th. The reason you didn't wash your hands is because you felt that there were too many black people there. And that makes you uncomfortable and you wanted to get out of there. When buying hot dogs, cause it was the quickest food to buy, you not only wiped your hand on your cameramans hotdog, since he's refused to help pay, but also hid the ketchup under the hotdog. The ketchup that your cameraman specifically asked for you not to get, and you claimed not to like. You feel worse about the hotdog then being uncomfortable around black people. Which is a weird thing for someone who wants to have a Doctorate in Social Work to feel.
Camera operator: Dude.
Roberts: I can go on.
Scott: No, that's fine. When did you start hearing all these “bad things”?
Roberts: Well I used to hang with the group of homeless people, and my friend Bo, nice lady, neurotic as hell, but nice, had this boyfriend named Sean. Shut up....shut up.....I don't need to expose that...no...no....
Scott: What, what's wrong?
Roberts: Like, I never talk about that night. Or that day that followed. But the second I started, the voices got louder, they dug deeper into the past. Roberts: Ok...ok, Ill try to keep it under control. No I won't say that. No, what's wrong with you...anyways...shut up....so like Bo invites me to a meal, they caught what she called a dog and Sean was gonna....but...shut up...butcher it. And I get there. Yes I know the camera operator stole pot from his roommate for about a year.
Note: Interviewer audibly stifles a laugh.
Roberts: Is my nose bleeding? My nose feels like its bleeding.
Scott: Is everything alright?
Roberts: No, like normally I hear the voices, and that’s it. I get a bit paranoid. A bit twitchy, but now it feels like there trying to burst out of my head. Saying them out loud, though, thats helping...shut...just make it stop...Ok, ok...so...so my nose isn't bleeding?
Scott: No.
Roberts: Ok...good. So I, I, I go to this thing with Bo, and Seans there. And bam, he like brings the "dog" out. But its no dog. Its like a giant tumor. And I know what the sounds like. But its like a big ass tumor. Like big, red, hairy, just like a big piece of diseased flesh. Right? And so he cuts into it, and it screams, like ever hear the scream of something with no throat, no mouth even? It sticks...it sticks…
Note: Interviewee points at building across the street.
Roberts:There's a guy in that building who beats his wife...anyways so like he cuts it, and I can't get it out of my mind. But, I'm so hungry. I eat it, and its the best fucking thing I've ever had. But my god I regret it.
Scott: Why?
Roberts: Well I gorge myself, like a pig, and fall asleep. I wake up, see another hobo. And bam, know he killed someone...recently, see another...and bam he's on heroin. Like he used to be.
Note: Roberts points at the camera operator.
Scott: What?
Camera operator:...
Roberts: And yea the voices won't shut up. But its only big things, right. And all I can think is yea, its the meat, its the meats fault, no...its Sean’s fault, he started it. So, I go a bit crazy, but you can't stalk Sean right? Like hes completely forgettable. So I start to try to deal...deal with it like you dealt with your jealousy when you buried your little sisters hamster, man you were 12, you knew better. Anyways, like I see this guy, with Bo. And I'm not like dressed special or anything, they can tell it's me. But there like don't rob us, like they can't tell who I am. And next thing I know, right, next thing I know I stabbed him. A few times. Quite a few times. In the neck. But he has the cleaver, he always has the cleaver. The one used on the tumor, and he swings at me. Gets my stomach. I look down, and see my guts hanging out.
Note: Interviewee raises shirt.
Scott: You don't have to show the scar, we believe you.
Roberts: Thats the point man, like I don't have a scar anymore. I never had one. Like it healed, quick, like minutes quick. I was so scared, I ran to the police, like I swear I saw my intestines hanging out. And all I wanted was to turn myself in. But the second I walk in to the police station I can hear everything...like the cop I talked to took the last donut, another took the last candy bar out of the vending machine, another one cheated on their diet. I had to get out of there. Thats when I had to stop going to shel...its gone....like the headaches gone....I feel better...man I know its rude, but I got to get ou of here...lay down...
Scott: What?
Roberts: I never saw Sean again, Bo doesn't know but she doesn't trust me. Like can you take drive me out to somewhere not so populated? I'll tell you one more thing.
Scott: Deal.
Note: Until last exchange tape is small talk as Interviewer takes Interviewee to the outskirts of Chicago, near the Interfaith House Homeless Shelter, upon leaving the car Interviewee turns towards Interviewer.
Roberts: She'll never forgive you.
Scott: What?
Roberts: She will never forgive you.
Note: Interviewee leaves.
Scott: Cut the tape.
Camera Operator: What?
Scott: Cut...The...Tape...Please…
-End Transcript-