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Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and welcome to Stephane

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Speaker 1: Never Told You production of iHeartRadio and Welcome Once Again.

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Speaker 1: Two are once a month Sminthy fiction segment which is

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Speaker 1: ongoing Terminus, which is a story I wrote in twenty

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Speaker 1: ten for Dana Raimo, and we're just going to go

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Speaker 1: through it. We're just going through it. This is chapter

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Speaker 1: eight point two. Again. As I said in the previous episode,

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Speaker 1: I think it might actually be chapter seven, but something

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Speaker 1: went around. But anyway, that doesn't matter. We're in for

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Speaker 1: to chapter eight, which was a longer chapter as I

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Speaker 1: always thanks to our super producer Christina, who makes these possible.

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Speaker 1: If this is not your thing, I totally understand, especially

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Speaker 1: right now because it is kind of dark. So I'll

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Speaker 1: give you a quick recamp of what's happened. We've got

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Speaker 1: a virus that is wiping out the human population. It's

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Speaker 1: making it difficult for people to have children, so humanity

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Speaker 1: is just dying off. Any child that is born is

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Speaker 1: placed under the jurisdiction of the Board of Better Parenting,

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Speaker 1: and there's this really religious organization called arm Arm that

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Speaker 1: works with the government and they're in control of all

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Speaker 1: these things. Our main character Tilda has escaped with her

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Speaker 1: illegally born child, Madison. It's been seven years. They're on,

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Speaker 1: they're on, the enforcers are after them. Things aren't looking good.

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Speaker 1: They get captured, Tilda get shot, They make a daring escape,

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Speaker 1: and then they are rescued by this woman named Lynn,

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Speaker 1: who has lost a child of her own. And it's nice.

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Speaker 1: They get to like half pancakes and be in a

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Speaker 1: house and there's water, and they take showers and they

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Speaker 1: sleep in beds and it's really nice. But Tilda realizes

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Speaker 1: the enforcers are not going to stop looking for them

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Speaker 1: because they are priority number one case, and she makes

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Speaker 1: the difficult decision to leave. And Lynne has told her

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Speaker 1: about the fabled resistance in Kansas City that is perhaps

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Speaker 1: looking for a cure for HSV five and till the

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Speaker 1: decides to try to find it with very vague instructions.

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Speaker 1: So once again, this was written before I played The

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Speaker 1: Last of Us. Okay, so ahead, don't come at me.

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Speaker 1: I just I was telling Samantha, if you look at

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Speaker 1: a map, it makes sense when you're traveling across the country,

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Speaker 1: you would go that way. So content morning around depression, sadness,

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Speaker 1: discussions of philosoph a child to around sex, internalized ableism,

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Speaker 1: around disease. Yeah, totally hear you if this is not

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Speaker 1: for you right now. Also, don't yell at me if

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Speaker 1: I got the roads incorrect. Okay, I did spend an

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Speaker 1: embarrassing amount of time looking at a map and trying

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Speaker 1: to figure it out. But I just just go with it,

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Speaker 1: you knowing a suspension of disbelief. Yes, thank you. So

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Speaker 1: with that note, let us get into the fiction section.

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Speaker 1: Tilda left the kitchen and entered the sitting room to

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Speaker 1: find Madison on his stomach on the carpet, legs scissoring

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Speaker 1: as he perused what. Judging by its larger size and haft,

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Speaker 1: Tilda guest to pay a textbook social studies, Lynne Head

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Speaker 1: mouthed to her. He looked up at her, a sunny

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Speaker 1: smile breaking out on his face, his skin unmarked by

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Speaker 1: the virus like a time bomb in his blood, waiting

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Speaker 1: patiently to detonate. Sinking down next to him on the carpet,

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Speaker 1: Tilda queried, what are you reading about? Madison wrinkled his nose,

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Speaker 1: enunciating each syllable, clearly citizenship and civic responsibility. His response

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Speaker 1: had an unsure lilt to it despite his careful and

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Speaker 1: correct pronunciation. Tilda imagined he'd heard those words before in

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Speaker 1: different contexts and had a basic sketch up their dictionary meaning,

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Speaker 1: but no concept of what they really meant. Those things

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Speaker 1: meant very little to anyone anymore, especially considering they'll life

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Speaker 1: they spent trying to keep away from others and evade

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Speaker 1: the state. Did they really used to be? He looked

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Speaker 1: down at the book for guidance Holidays. Tilda glance down

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Speaker 1: at the illustrations, colorful pictures of cornucopias and jack O'Lanterns

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Speaker 1: and decorated evergreens crammed into the bottom corner of the page. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: she murmured. Madison swung his eyes up to meet her

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Speaker 1: as curiosity. I'll light in them. Did you celebrate them

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Speaker 1: with your family when you're a kid? Tilda situated herself

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Speaker 1: so she lay on her stomach next to Madison, her

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Speaker 1: fist propping up her chin. I did, sort of. My

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Speaker 1: mother used to cook some of the traditional foods, read

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Speaker 1: me stories. If she could find music, she'd play it.

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Speaker 1: She trailed off, reminiscing holidays have been fading away for

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Speaker 1: a while. By the time Tilda was introduced to them.

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Speaker 1: There were no days off, no decorations, just small family

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Speaker 1: celebrations by those that remembered and cared, usually those lucky

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Speaker 1: enough to have children. Wow. Tilda gave Madison a thoughtful look,

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Speaker 1: smiling a little at his amazement. Maybe we'll have one

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Speaker 1: of our own little holidays someday when we find somewhere.

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Speaker 1: Madison craned his neck, frowning. We have found somewhere, haven't we,

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Speaker 1: dreed unfurling in her gut, Tilda took hold of his

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Speaker 1: tiny hand, such a small hands, and gentled her voice. No, mouse,

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Speaker 1: I can't stay here. His face fell, hazel eyes glistening.

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Speaker 1: Why not? Why can't we day, she sighed, hating this.

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Speaker 1: The enforcers know we're somewhere around here. They'll find us eventually,

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Speaker 1: But we could hide. Madison pushed himself to his knees.

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Speaker 1: Tilda did the same, and they'd leave an attractive possibility,

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Speaker 1: but Untilda's view an unlikely one. They were relentless. We

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Speaker 1: can't they won't stop. Lynn has done enough for us.

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Speaker 1: We can't put her in danger any longer. Madison's lip trembled,

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Speaker 1: his eyes glassy and wide. I'm sorry, Tilda, whispered. I

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Speaker 1: know you want to stay. I do too, but we

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Speaker 1: have to leave tonight, tonight, Madison repeated, tears escaping and

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Speaker 1: spilling down his pale cheeks. Yes, we're going to pack

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Speaker 1: a few things, get some warmer clothes, and leave when

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Speaker 1: it gets dark. Madison sniffled, wiping his face at the

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Speaker 1: back of his hand. But what about your leg I'll

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Speaker 1: be fine, she assured, but we'll have to be very careful.

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Speaker 1: They'll be looking for us overcome. Madison covered his face

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Speaker 1: with his hands, shoulders quaking. Tilda scooted closer, looping her

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Speaker 1: arm around his shoulders and pulling him to her. I

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Speaker 1: don't want to leave, he sobbed, his words mangled, I know, Tilda,

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Speaker 1: suit this hair, please. Tilda didn't couldn't respond to that.

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Speaker 1: After a while, when his crying subsided, Tilda told him.

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Speaker 1: Linde says there's a place. There might be a place,

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Speaker 1: she amended, But people like us hiding from enforcers close

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Speaker 1: to hear that's where we're going, okay. Madison showed no

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Speaker 1: sign of hearing her for a moment, but then he

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Speaker 1: nodded minutely against her chest. She sighed, almost disappointed, like

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Speaker 1: she'd wanted him to talk her out of it, to

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Speaker 1: give her a reason to stay. Her hand wove in

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Speaker 1: his brown hair, soft with washing, and she kissed his forehead.

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Speaker 1: You're so brave, you know that. No, I'm not, he denied, petulantly,

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Speaker 1: muffled by where his head was buried into Tilda's shoulder.

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Speaker 1: She laughed, yes, you are. They sat in silence for

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Speaker 1: a long moment, both dreading the night that lay before them.

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Speaker 1: You should take a nap, Tilda informed him softly, but

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Speaker 1: he resisted. No, it's my last day here. I don't

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Speaker 1: want to spend it sleeping. You need to get some

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Speaker 1: rest before tonight, she said, reasonably, but she didn't have

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Speaker 1: it in her to make him. I'll rest while read,

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Speaker 1: he promised, earnestly, the vestiges of sadness starting to disappear. Caving,

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Speaker 1: Tilda let him return to his book, laughing at the

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Speaker 1: exaggerated concentration he directed at it, ruffling his hair affectionately.

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Speaker 1: Tilda stood Cobwebs of exhaustion crowded her own mind, but

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Speaker 1: she fought them off. Heading down the hall to check

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Speaker 1: on Lynn, she stopped at the doorway, watching Lynne was

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Speaker 1: sorting through clothes methodical, neatly folding the items that passed

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Speaker 1: inspection and placing them in a midsized black back back.

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Speaker 1: She startled, catching sight of Tilda at the door. Embarrassed,

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Speaker 1: Tilda ask, can I help you with anything? No, dear

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Speaker 1: Lynde said firmly. Why don't you lie down for a bit?

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Speaker 1: Or you might want to try some stretches for your leg.

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Speaker 1: I'll get you when it's time for lunch, and then

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Speaker 1: while take a look at them, map to figure out

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Speaker 1: your best root. Tilda pause for a moment before nodding

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Speaker 1: an assent, heading to the room she'd been sleeping in

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Speaker 1: and set about stretching her leg. She found her dexterity

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Speaker 1: to be slightly hindered, only a few winces making it

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Speaker 1: to her face. Her muscles relaxed and she yawned, reclining

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Speaker 1: to lay back on the floor. Her eyes fluttered close,

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Speaker 1: her chest raising and falling evenly. Colors swirled and faded

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Speaker 1: in front of her eyes. Lynde's gentle voice snapped her

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Speaker 1: out of her dose. Couldn't have made it to bed,

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Speaker 1: she teased, offering her hand up to help tilta to

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Speaker 1: her feet. Tilda shook, the numbness from her limbs, stumbling

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Speaker 1: after the woman who had found them and brought them

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Speaker 1: into her home. Another wide yawned, stretching over her face.

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Speaker 1: Laughter broke through the haze of half sleep during Tilda's thoughts.

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Speaker 1: Slow and useless, Lynde stood at the entrance to the

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Speaker 1: sitting room, muffling her chuckles with a hand covering her lips.

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Speaker 1: Tilda caught up to her, following her gaze. Madison had

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Speaker 1: fallen asleep with his face pressed into the pages of

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Speaker 1: the book Legs and arms blade. He snored quietly, face

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Speaker 1: smooth of worry and sleep. Like his mother he is.

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Speaker 1: Lynne quardled kneeling next to him and gently grasping his shoulder,

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Speaker 1: shaking him to wake him. Madison jerked awake. He looked up,

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Speaker 1: blinking alishly, cheek creased and hair Must I fell asleep,

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Speaker 1: he slurred, rubbing his eyes. Yes you did, Lynne agreed,

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Speaker 1: good naturedly. Now it's time for lunch. Are you hungry?

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Speaker 1: Madison blinked a few more times, face blank, then he nodded,

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Speaker 1: getting to his feet clumsily. A plate of toast, boiled eggs,

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Speaker 1: and salad awaited them. Glasses of water and silver ware

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Speaker 1: already set, The meal was noticeably more subdued, all three

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Speaker 1: preoccupied with the coming goodbye, the knowledge that they most

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Speaker 1: likely would never see each other again, casting a pall

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Speaker 1: over them. Madison only ate half of his plate before

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Speaker 1: he pushed it away, hands in his lap and hiccuping softly,

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Speaker 1: Lynne cooed an endearment, abandoning her own food to wrap

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Speaker 1: her arms around the thin boy, murmuring into his ear

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Speaker 1: and rubbing his back the contents. Untilda's stomach curdled as

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Speaker 1: she watched them helpless, a stranger intruding on something private.

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Speaker 1: Lynne started to sing, softly, rocking Madison. Tilda couldn't remember

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Speaker 1: the last time she'd done that for him. She washed

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Speaker 1: a stone, something eroding inside her. The need to apologize

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Speaker 1: overwhelmed her, but she couldn't make herself speak. Lynne finished

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Speaker 1: her song, Madison's crying turning into tiny sniffles. The woman

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Speaker 1: eased the boy back so she could look into his eyes.

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Speaker 1: It'll be all right, dear, you'll see. You just have

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Speaker 1: to be brave and do what your mother says. Her

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Speaker 1: smile wavered but held, and Madison nodded dutifully. Good boy.

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Speaker 1: She praised now hop down and go rest up. I'm

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Speaker 1: going to pack some rations for you and your mom. Listlessly,

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Speaker 1: Madison slip from the woman's lap and disappeared into the

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Speaker 1: setting room. Lynne cleared the table, bending their uneaten food

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Speaker 1: to Tilda. She said, I have some granola bars, fruit almonds.

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Speaker 1: She rifled around her cupboards. Not much else that will

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Speaker 1: travel well. I'm afraid water, of course, Tilda swallowed, breaking

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Speaker 1: herself free of the numbness. It's plenty, she assured Lynne,

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Speaker 1: her voice delicate. Thank you. She knew the simple phrase

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Speaker 1: could not convey all the sincerity she felt, nor encompass

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Speaker 1: all Lynn had done and was doing for them. If

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Speaker 1: not for you, I might have died, and Madison it

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Speaker 1: did not bear thinking about. She closed her eyes, banishing

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Speaker 1: what might have been from her mind. Thank you. Lynde

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Speaker 1: started to brush off the apology as unneeded, but drew

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Speaker 1: up short at the expression on Tilda's face. They held

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Speaker 1: each other's gaze for a long moment, the woman deprived

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Speaker 1: of her child and the lost mother. Lynne nodded, accepting

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Speaker 1: her gratitude. Lynn abruptly turned and busied herself, stacking items

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Speaker 1: on the cor She faltered with the bottles of water,

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Speaker 1: knocking one to its side. She took a deep breath

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Speaker 1: and pressed her palms into the countertop. Tilda watched and passively,

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Speaker 1: you take care of that child. Lynne's roy shook with

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Speaker 1: the depth of her emotion, but otherwise was quite firm, commanding,

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Speaker 1: Even it goes against everything, I have to let you

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Speaker 1: both go. You promise me that I won't regret it.

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Speaker 1: Promise me you will put him above everything else. Behind

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00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,280
Speaker 1: the glasses, her eyes glinted fixed on Tilda, looking for

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00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:31,800
Speaker 1: any sign of weakness, any reason to keep her from

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00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:37,960
Speaker 1: taking Madison and leaving. I promise, Tilda said, unyielding. I

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00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:43,400
Speaker 1: am nothing without him. Lynn nodded curtly. Good. She strode

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00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:45,760
Speaker 1: past Tilda and down the hall, returning with the backpack

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00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:48,120
Speaker 1: she'd been folding closed into earlier, and began to fill

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00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,400
Speaker 1: it with the assortment of snacks she'd put together. Briskly,

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00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,040
Speaker 1: She said, I've set aside some warmer clothes for you

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00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,760
Speaker 1: both to put on before you leave. The sizes might

221
00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:58,559
Speaker 1: be a bit on the large side, but I won't

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00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:00,640
Speaker 1: have you out gallivanting in the coal with the rags

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Speaker 1: that you showed up in. Tilda smirked at that. Once

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00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:06,160
Speaker 1: the last of the rations were packed away, Lynne went

225
00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:07,840
Speaker 1: over to a set of drawers next to the door,

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00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:11,080
Speaker 1: fishing around until she located a map. She unfolded it

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00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:13,080
Speaker 1: and spread it out on the kitchen table, smoothing it

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00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:16,400
Speaker 1: with her hands. They both leaned over the square where

229
00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:19,200
Speaker 1: Tepeka lay, tracing the criss crossing blue and red lines

230
00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:22,640
Speaker 1: to Kansas City. The quickest route is to take I forty,

231
00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:25,960
Speaker 1: Lynn said authoritatively. But it is also the most likely

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00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,960
Speaker 1: to have enforcers patrolling it. Unfortunately, I don't think you

233
00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:31,440
Speaker 1: have much of a choice. There aren't much in the

234
00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:33,480
Speaker 1: way of roads out there, or at least not once

235
00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:35,640
Speaker 1: that don't dead end or turned into dirt roads in

236
00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:38,200
Speaker 1: the middle of nowhere. She glanced up to see if

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00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:42,320
Speaker 1: Tilda disagreed, but Tilda concurred it'll be easier to follow, definitely.

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00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:46,040
Speaker 1: With a nod, Lynn continued, Now, to get there, you

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00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:48,360
Speaker 1: take sixth Avenue East up until you get to Ice

240
00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,200
Speaker 1: seventy exit east, and from there it's a straight shot

241
00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:56,040
Speaker 1: to Kansas City, about sixty miles. Sounds simple enough, Tilda said,

242
00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:58,720
Speaker 1: a little wary, leaning over the map, doing a quick

243
00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:01,400
Speaker 1: catalog of the cities crossed through in case they needed

244
00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:05,119
Speaker 1: to replenish supplies, the number of bridges, the number of rivers.

245
00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:09,640
Speaker 1: Lynne snorted, or adjusting her glasses. Tilda hunched forward, trying

246
00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:11,920
Speaker 1: to memorize the mess of lines and symbols, but knowing

247
00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:14,400
Speaker 1: that it wouldn't matter out there, cold and hungry and

248
00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,360
Speaker 1: hunted when it didn't look like a map, but an

249
00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:20,760
Speaker 1: unending river of gray blurring with the sky at the horizon.

250
00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:23,560
Speaker 1: Where do we go once we get to Kansas City?

251
00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:27,960
Speaker 1: Lynne shook her head. I don't know. Any decent resistance

252
00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:31,360
Speaker 1: wouldn't advertise its existence if the enforcers couldn't find it.

253
00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:35,760
Speaker 1: What hope did she have? Like I said, Dan mentioned

254
00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:40,360
Speaker 1: the Liberty Memorial, But I don't know where's that, Tilda ask,

255
00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:43,520
Speaker 1: figuring it was worth knowing. Lynne hunched over the map,

256
00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:47,120
Speaker 1: muttering under her breath. Ah. She japped the map with

257
00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:50,520
Speaker 1: her finger. Here to the south, Take I thirty five

258
00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:53,280
Speaker 1: down until you get to the Broadway exit. After that

259
00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:56,160
Speaker 1: there should be signs. Maybe you'll see it. I have

260
00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:59,320
Speaker 1: no idea how big it is. Tilda nodded, running her

261
00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:02,600
Speaker 1: hand through her hair. It was something she'd just have

262
00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:05,520
Speaker 1: to hope there'd be some sign that this resistance existed

263
00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:08,720
Speaker 1: in the first place. A lot of this plan relied

264
00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:12,760
Speaker 1: on hope. I'll give this to you, Lynne decided, folding

265
00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:14,320
Speaker 1: up the map and slipping it into one of the

266
00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:17,120
Speaker 1: pack's pockets. She sighed at a loss out there was

267
00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:19,720
Speaker 1: nothing to do but wait. She wrung her hands together,

268
00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:23,800
Speaker 1: staring out the window. Tilda gave lynne shoulder a short squeeze.

269
00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,640
Speaker 1: Going to check on Madison, she found him curled up

270
00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:30,640
Speaker 1: on the floor, staring ahead despondently. She knelt down beside him,

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00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:34,040
Speaker 1: stroking his hair. He didn't acknowledge her presence, but at

272
00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,320
Speaker 1: the very least it made her feel better. There was

273
00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:40,640
Speaker 1: nothing to say. Tilda deigned not to tell Madison about

274
00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:43,640
Speaker 1: the possibility of a cure. Somehow explaining it to him

275
00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:46,080
Speaker 1: would make it seem more like a pipe dream, and

276
00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:47,760
Speaker 1: if it turned out not to be true, at least

277
00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:50,880
Speaker 1: he wouldn't have had his hopes crushed. And maybe a

278
00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:53,080
Speaker 1: small part of her still wanted Madison to think she

279
00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:56,680
Speaker 1: knew what she was doing. As her thoughts meandered, she

280
00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:59,600
Speaker 1: pondered the possibility that this was an elaborate trap, a

281
00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,440
Speaker 1: were set up by the enforcers to lure stragglers with

282
00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:05,359
Speaker 1: the hope of a haven and ensnare them. They would

283
00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:08,119
Speaker 1: have to exercise the level of caution beyond their norm

284
00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:11,840
Speaker 1: and hope that this resistance existed. They'd also have to

285
00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:15,119
Speaker 1: be careful not to need the enforcers to this resistance,

286
00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:18,159
Speaker 1: given that she and Madison could find it. A soft

287
00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:23,120
Speaker 1: pattern gradually caught her attention. It was raining Tilda side

288
00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:26,640
Speaker 1: to herself. Lynne entered the room, her face grim, let

289
00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:29,679
Speaker 1: me check your brandages one last time. Grateful for the

290
00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:33,440
Speaker 1: distraction from increasingly dark thoughts, Tilda stretch true leg out

291
00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:35,560
Speaker 1: on the carpet, turning her knee in to give Lynne

292
00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,679
Speaker 1: better access to the wound. The woman knelt next to her,

293
00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:43,040
Speaker 1: casting a word glance to Madison, who had yet to move. Gently,

294
00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:46,040
Speaker 1: she pulled back the bandages on Tilda's calf, revealing a jagged,

295
00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:48,800
Speaker 1: pale pink cut about the sides of her index finger,

296
00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:52,560
Speaker 1: the ends of black stitches evenly spaced across it. Lynne

297
00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:56,040
Speaker 1: examined it, cutting in approval. It's on the end. I

298
00:17:56,080 --> 00:18:00,240
Speaker 1: would recommend that you stay off it, but under the circumstances, well,

299
00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:03,640
Speaker 1: just do the best you can the stitches should dissolve

300
00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:06,879
Speaker 1: by themselves in a few more days. Masson turned slowly

301
00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:08,560
Speaker 1: and propped himself up then to get a look at

302
00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:12,400
Speaker 1: the injury. Does it hurt at all? Lyne's professional voice

303
00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,560
Speaker 1: conveyed her pass as a doctor. Masson leaned in closer,

304
00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:20,320
Speaker 1: his face pale. No at the skeptical look on Lynde's face,

305
00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:23,720
Speaker 1: she rushed to assert, it doesn't just runches a bit

306
00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:25,320
Speaker 1: if I move it too fast or put too much

307
00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,600
Speaker 1: weight on it. Lynde reminded her of her mother, just then,

308
00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:30,960
Speaker 1: able to make her see the flaws in her own argument.

309
00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:34,879
Speaker 1: Without a word, the woman sighed, rewrapping her leg, telling

310
00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:37,399
Speaker 1: Tilda that keeping it covered was more of a precaution now,

311
00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:39,439
Speaker 1: but to do her best to keep it clean and

312
00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:43,399
Speaker 1: not do any acrobatics. To Madison, she said, in a

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00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:46,119
Speaker 1: mock stern voice, you watch her and make sure she

314
00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:50,280
Speaker 1: doesn't do anything silly, right Madison, Instead of the smile

315
00:18:50,359 --> 00:18:53,119
Speaker 1: and had hoped to coax from him, Madison nodded seriously,

316
00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:57,200
Speaker 1: his gaze still transfixed on the now covered wound. Lynde

317
00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:00,199
Speaker 1: continued valiantly, the faulter, in her tone, hardly knows bow

318
00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:03,240
Speaker 1: I packed a first aid kit and some basic medicines

319
00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:06,880
Speaker 1: in your bag, just in case anything comes up. How

320
00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:08,879
Speaker 1: do you fit everything in there? Am I going to

321
00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:11,720
Speaker 1: be able to lift it? Tilda teased, grinning when Lynde

322
00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:15,400
Speaker 1: swatted at her. Madison, however, would not be dissuaded from

323
00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:19,120
Speaker 1: his dark mood. What will I do if you get

324
00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:22,160
Speaker 1: hurt again? He roughened his voice to hide his fear,

325
00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:25,639
Speaker 1: but both the women could easily detect it. His voice

326
00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:28,360
Speaker 1: tightened and he continued, what if you die? What will

327
00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,480
Speaker 1: I do? Then? He was blinking far too much, the

328
00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:35,600
Speaker 1: anxiety and plaintive note making him sound younger. He had

329
00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:39,159
Speaker 1: never asked this question before. On their long journey, they

330
00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:41,600
Speaker 1: had both sustained their fair share of injuries and illness,

331
00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:45,200
Speaker 1: but nothing serious enough for Madison to believe that Tilda's

332
00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,440
Speaker 1: life might be in danger. Many times Tilda had feared

333
00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:50,880
Speaker 1: for Madison's, which most likely was a combination of knowing

334
00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,520
Speaker 1: the risk and understanding the concept of death, and mixed

335
00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:56,080
Speaker 1: with the fact that Tilda didn't know what illnesses looked

336
00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:59,200
Speaker 1: like in children and had no one to ask about it.

337
00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:01,280
Speaker 1: It had probably ever occurred to him, or at least

338
00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:03,159
Speaker 1: not in a manner that caused him to entertain it

339
00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:07,160
Speaker 1: as a serious possibility. The possibility of Tilda's death had

340
00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:13,680
Speaker 1: probably never really occurred to Madison, but now well, she imagined.

341
00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,240
Speaker 1: She had looked pretty horrific, stumbling down the road outside

342
00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:19,680
Speaker 1: Lynde's house, blood running down her leg, not talking or

343
00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:22,720
Speaker 1: even listening to the child, reduced to crawling until she

344
00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:28,080
Speaker 1: finally collapsed. Clearing her throat, she said, I won't How

345
00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:32,280
Speaker 1: do you know, Madison demanded angrily. She could have lied,

346
00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:36,359
Speaker 1: but she didn't. I promise, I will do everything I

347
00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:40,439
Speaker 1: can to never leave you. That appused him somewhat, but

348
00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:44,399
Speaker 1: he pushed, but what if you do? Trying and failing

349
00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:48,119
Speaker 1: to keep her answer even Tilda responded, you go with

350
00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:52,480
Speaker 1: the enforcers. Madison's mouth fell open, his face one of

351
00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:57,879
Speaker 1: utter betrayal. Lynne looked shocked. Listen to me, Tilda instructed,

352
00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:00,760
Speaker 1: taking hold of his upper arms. Is not safe for

353
00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:03,480
Speaker 1: you to be out in the wilderness alone. She almost

354
00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:06,400
Speaker 1: fumbled at the word wilderness. But wasn't that what it was? Now?

355
00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:09,600
Speaker 1: Buildings are not. It was a dangerous, an abandoned world

356
00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:13,240
Speaker 1: in which they roamed. The enforcers. Won't hurt you? I'd

357
00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:16,399
Speaker 1: rather you be alive with them than alone and dead.

358
00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:21,400
Speaker 1: Madison stared at her, unmoving. But they want to take

359
00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:25,480
Speaker 1: me away from you. Gaining momentum, he expanded, they shot you.

360
00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:29,919
Speaker 1: I won't be there, She reminded him quietly. It's me

361
00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:34,840
Speaker 1: they want to hurt, not you. Why because you are

362
00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:37,240
Speaker 1: a child. I am the one that broke the law.

363
00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:42,760
Speaker 1: You have done nothing wrong. Petulantly, he argued, I've helped you.

364
00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:47,920
Speaker 1: It doesn't matter. You're a child. You didn't know any better,

365
00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:52,720
Speaker 1: she added mentally, But he struggled for words, his young

366
00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,240
Speaker 1: mind grappling with concepts that most adults couldn't come to

367
00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:59,639
Speaker 1: terms with. You were a child once. That brought a

368
00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:04,680
Speaker 1: tiny smile to tell his lips. I'm not anymore. I

369
00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:10,159
Speaker 1: can't go with them, he insisted, Yes you can, Tilda

370
00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:13,000
Speaker 1: told him firmly. All of this is to stay away

371
00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:18,040
Speaker 1: from them, He cried, Confused, everything I know, he crossed

372
00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:20,639
Speaker 1: his arms. Then why don't we just stay here or

373
00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:22,399
Speaker 1: let them catch us? If I'm supposed to go with

374
00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:26,320
Speaker 1: them anyway, if you're not around, because I am around,

375
00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:29,560
Speaker 1: Tilda said, patiently, And I don't plan on going anywhere.

376
00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:34,440
Speaker 1: I don't understand he admitted, with a shadow of shame.

377
00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:37,920
Speaker 1: They'll hurt me. They didn't care that I was sick.

378
00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:42,240
Speaker 1: They were stopping to get you medicine, Tilda said, in

379
00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:46,000
Speaker 1: a rough whisper. But they didn't care, he lowered his voice.

380
00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:50,800
Speaker 1: They didn't care that I need you. Tilda had no

381
00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:54,240
Speaker 1: comeback for that. She couldn't find words to make him understand,

382
00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:57,359
Speaker 1: and worse, she wasn't sure she wanted to. Was life

383
00:22:57,359 --> 00:23:01,000
Speaker 1: more important than happiness? Than mere question had her stomach churning.

384
00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:05,240
Speaker 1: It was, of course, there could be no happiness without life.

385
00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:09,080
Speaker 1: Madison's inability to grasp this was her own fault. She

386
00:23:09,119 --> 00:23:12,119
Speaker 1: had spent their entire lives keeping him from the enforcers

387
00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:14,480
Speaker 1: in a rejective way. It was one of the main

388
00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,280
Speaker 1: tenants of his life, a truth he'd learned and lived by,

389
00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:20,680
Speaker 1: a constant and one of the few. Hazel eyes stared

390
00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:24,399
Speaker 1: at her searchingly, as if right through her. I'll die,

391
00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:28,080
Speaker 1: he said, simply, factually, and his words cut right through her.

392
00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:32,720
Speaker 1: I'll die without you. The fight to maintain composure was

393
00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:36,240
Speaker 1: one Tilda was losing behind Madison. Lynne covered her mouth

394
00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:40,680
Speaker 1: with her hands, swallowing thickly and taking several studying breaths,

395
00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:45,480
Speaker 1: Tilda said, you can't think like that, but it's true.

396
00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:50,600
Speaker 1: Tilda side rallying, It's not you think like that now,

397
00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:55,119
Speaker 1: but you're stronger than you know. Madison looked away, tired

398
00:23:55,160 --> 00:24:00,439
Speaker 1: of the emotional conversation. Just don't die, okay. With a

399
00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:04,720
Speaker 1: shaky laugh, Tilda promised, I'll do my best. She reached out,

400
00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:06,960
Speaker 1: cupping his cheek, bending forward to place a kiss on

401
00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:10,400
Speaker 1: his forehead. The rain continued to fall, rivulet streaming down

402
00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:14,640
Speaker 1: the glass pane window, and darkness encroached, arriving quicker due

403
00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:18,520
Speaker 1: to the clouds of scaring the sky. Lynne spoke up

404
00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:22,040
Speaker 1: from behind them. Madison, you are more important than you

405
00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:24,840
Speaker 1: know to all of us. You need to do as

406
00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:28,920
Speaker 1: your mother says and stay safe above all else. Are

407
00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:33,040
Speaker 1: there more people like you out there? He asked, turning

408
00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:37,480
Speaker 1: to her. Yes, Lynne murmured, But we are spread far

409
00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:42,160
Speaker 1: out these days. Maybe I could find you again, he said,

410
00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:46,439
Speaker 1: hopeful and tearful. Tilda's heart clenched with a sad smile,

411
00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:50,040
Speaker 1: then said, I would like that very much, but don't

412
00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:51,879
Speaker 1: try to find me if it puts you in danger.

413
00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:57,960
Speaker 1: Chin wobbling, Madison nodded good Lynne patted his head. Now

414
00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:00,800
Speaker 1: she stood at knees popping. Would you like to pick

415
00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:05,280
Speaker 1: out a book to take with you? Rubbing his eyes,

416
00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:08,280
Speaker 1: Madison crawled over to the bookshelf, tracing his finger along

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00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:11,480
Speaker 1: the spines. After some deliberation, he pulled out a medium

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Speaker 1: sized book. He held it up to Lynde, who took

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Speaker 1: it from him with a warm grin. I'll just pack

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Speaker 1: this up for you, all right, dear, okay, he said.

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Speaker 1: Lynne left and the waiting recommenced. Madison pulled another book

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Speaker 1: off the shelf and approached Tilda attentively. Will you read

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Speaker 1: to me? Of course? Tilda took the book and Madison

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00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:35,040
Speaker 1: curled up next to her. The book opened with a crack,

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00:25:35,119 --> 00:25:38,080
Speaker 1: pages yellowing, and she started to read, both of them

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00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:41,720
Speaker 1: savoring this moment, the small oasis of normalcy, of safety,

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Speaker 1: before all too soon they were tossed back to his

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Speaker 1: sea of danger and the unknown. And that brings us

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Speaker 1: to the end of this part two of chapter eight

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00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:19,480
Speaker 1: of Terminus. Since it was a longer chapter, I don't

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Speaker 1: really want to go into things too much. I did

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Speaker 1: want to say that, you know, there's kind of the

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Speaker 1: themes throughout of like doing anything for your child. There's

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00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:33,960
Speaker 1: the line I'm nothing without him, which I was just

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00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:37,280
Speaker 1: telling Samantha. It's kind of something in me was like

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00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:39,520
Speaker 1: this this game The Last of Us is going to

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00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:41,160
Speaker 1: come out later and they're gonna have the same lines.

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Speaker 1: It's gonna really change things. Be there for you. And also,

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00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:50,560
Speaker 1: just like a lot of examples of trauma in this chapter,

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00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:56,000
Speaker 1: this was a very kind of reflective chapter on trauma

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00:26:56,119 --> 00:26:59,600
Speaker 1: and Madison being dependent on Tilda, Madison being like, oh

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00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:02,040
Speaker 1: what would I do if I lost you? Until the

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00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:08,840
Speaker 1: already showing that behavior. So we shall see where it

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00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:14,000
Speaker 1: goes in the next chapter. But in the meantime, thanks

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00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,480
Speaker 1: as always for coming along this journey with us. I

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00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:20,240
Speaker 1: thinks as always to our superproducer Christina. If you would

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00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:23,159
Speaker 1: like to find us, you can. You can email us

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00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:26,160
Speaker 1: at Stephanie mom Stuff at iHeartMedia dot com. You can

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00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:29,480
Speaker 1: find us on Twitter at momso podcast, or on Instagram

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00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:33,880
Speaker 1: and TikTok at stuff I Ever Told You, or on YouTube. Yes.

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00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:38,879
Speaker 1: Thanks as always too, superproducer Christina who makes this happen. Yes, amazing, Yes,

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00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:42,280
Speaker 1: and thanks to you for listening stuff Whatever Told Protection?

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00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:44,080
Speaker 1: I Hurt Radio for more podcast in My Heart radio.

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00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,280
Speaker 1: You can check out that Hurt Radio, Apple podcast already

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00:27:46,359 --> 00:27:47,480
Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.