It’s incredible how fast word gets around. Before we knew it, our rivals were up to snuff. We changed caliber, we changed manufacturer, but they kept pace. I lost sleep. I tossed and turned over in my bed, there they were.
After a few months of this, I couldn’t sleep at all. I looked over my shoulders every ten seconds or so. I was sure they’d be waiting there once I got to the practice space. I knew they had access to our tapes, so I burned our demos. I knew they were recording my thoughts, so I did my best to stop thinking. I felt an acute vulnerability. It burned. I ran for the river and dove into the partially icy waters. I didn’t have time to tear off my clothes.
Jumping into the river didn’t cool me off. Nothing could cool me off. By the time of my intervention, I spent more than half of the days screaming threats at them. I’ll never understand how they replicated us with such rapidity.