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Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha. I'm welcome to Stefan.

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Speaker 1: Never told you, but actually iHeartRadio, and welcome to our

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Speaker 1: once a month edition of Sminty Fiction. This is a

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Speaker 1: very special one. This is the last chapter. Maybe it

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Speaker 1: might be split to two, but it's the last chapter

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Speaker 1: of Terminus. We're finally gonna get some answers around here.

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Speaker 1: Terminus is a continuing story that we've been doing I

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Speaker 1: think for over a year. Is it really wow, I'm

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Speaker 1: not sure we've been doing it for a long time.

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Speaker 1: For a minute, for sure. I mean this is like

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Speaker 1: twelve point two and they were multiple point twos, so yeah,

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Speaker 1: but yeah, I'm excited to share the conclusion with all

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Speaker 1: of you. This is, as I said, this one's continuing.

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Speaker 1: We do have some standalones and some of them were

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Speaker 1: running as classics this month because they hadween kind of based.

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Speaker 1: And then there is a second and third installment. So

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Speaker 1: don't worry, worry. I hope you're enjoying it, because it's

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Speaker 1: gonna keep going. But yes, we are reaching an ending

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Speaker 1: of sort for this first part, and I really love

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Speaker 1: sharing it with all of you. I've loved hearing from

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Speaker 1: all of you, even if it was just like, Hey,

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Speaker 1: I like this because I wrote this in twenty ten

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Speaker 1: as part of Nano Raimo, a national novel writing month,

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Speaker 1: and it's been interesting to reread it now that over

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Speaker 1: a decade has passed and just be like, what was

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Speaker 1: going on here? What was I thinking? That was in

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Speaker 1: my mind that I wrote this. I will say this

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Speaker 1: one continues to highlight my fixation on maps. Wow, did

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Speaker 1: I do a lot of research with that. I think

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Speaker 1: that was when I was playing Fallout, and Fallout we

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Speaker 1: had a very accurate maps r That's what I read

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Speaker 1: somewhere and I think I got my head. I need

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Speaker 1: to have an accurate map where everyone would be like,

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Speaker 1: that's not what Washington, DC looks like. Yeah, and also

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Speaker 1: continues to showcase what I was just really thinking about

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Speaker 1: motherhood at this time and what that looks like and trauma.

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Speaker 1: I would say it continues to feel kind of reminiscent

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Speaker 1: to the Last of Us. But once again, the Last

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Speaker 1: of Us didn't come out until twenty thirteen, so I

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Speaker 1: copied you that's right. They somehow they got a copy

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Speaker 1: of this story. They were like, ah, this is what

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Speaker 1: we'll do. So content warning for this viruses toxic religion,

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Speaker 1: which fits in well with our recent wrapped up mini

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Speaker 1: series on religion. Yeah, yeah, I think probably around the

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Speaker 1: same math probably, Yeah, violence implied sexual salts, ableism, and

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Speaker 1: unhealthy thoughts about illness, trauma around motherhood. Maybe not the

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Speaker 1: best coping mechanisms. Like there's a part of the end,

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Speaker 1: especially where I was like, that's I don't know, you

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Speaker 1: should be thinking like that, and I wrote it. So

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Speaker 1: it's probably something to do with me slutshaming, and I

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Speaker 1: think that's it. I think that's it. But I'll always

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Speaker 1: let me know if I miss something. And here's our

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Speaker 1: recap before we launch into this final chapter. A virus

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Speaker 1: has killed off most of humanity, making it nearly impossible

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Speaker 1: to have children, and because of this, the population has

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Speaker 1: massively decreased in the state and the religious organization arm

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Speaker 1: that is closely affiliated with the state have taken control

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Speaker 1: of all of society and they have made these conception

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Speaker 1: centers and they are in control of children and childhearing.

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Speaker 1: Our main character, Tilda, got pregnant outside of conceptions center

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Speaker 1: illegally is now on the run with her child, Madison.

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Speaker 1: They are hunted as a priority number one case by

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Speaker 1: the enforcers who work for the States. After many close calls,

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Speaker 1: Tilden Madison met up with a resistance where they learned

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Speaker 1: there was a vaccine, but the state had destroyed all

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Speaker 1: but one. After getting the info and killing someone in defense.

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Speaker 1: Tilden and Madison are on their way to DC, the

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Speaker 1: heart of where their enemies are, but also where the

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Speaker 1: vaccine is. And she's very determined to give Madison this vaccine.

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Speaker 1: So that is where we are. Yeah, so please enjoy.

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Speaker 1: Tilda's shrugged off her pack, thankful she picked it up

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Speaker 1: during their rush to lead the Liberty Memorial and fished

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Speaker 1: out some almonds and granola for them to stack on

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Speaker 1: and some stale water to wash it down. The scenery

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Speaker 1: shifted from flat planes to rolling fields of green trees,

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Speaker 1: with only a few browning leaves fluttering on them. The

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Speaker 1: further south they went, the more foliage still clung to

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Speaker 1: the branches, shades of orange, reds, and yellows smudging together

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Speaker 1: as they barreled past. The sky was a pale, crystal

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Speaker 1: blue and almost full moon already visible in the afternoon,

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Speaker 1: a semi transparent in the light. Tilda studied the map

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Speaker 1: the man had given her, folding it and unfolding it

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Speaker 1: and refolding it, and unfolding it again, anxious, doing her

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Speaker 1: best to memorize it. When she replaced it for the

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Speaker 1: third time, her fingers touched the corner of the map

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Speaker 1: lin had parted to her, and something like nostalgia flickered

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Speaker 1: throughout her. It was like remembering another life when she'd

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Speaker 1: been hopeful that she would find a safe haven and

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Speaker 1: a cure with some mystical, all powerful resistance. She and

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Speaker 1: Madison chatted some subdued. Tilda tried to draw him out,

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Speaker 1: get him to laugh, but to no avail. She told

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Speaker 1: him stories once her mother had told to her, recounted

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Speaker 1: to him some of the science as her father had

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Speaker 1: taught her, until her voice went hoarse, and while he listened,

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Speaker 1: she could tell by the worried twisting of his hands

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Speaker 1: that he would not be distracted, couldn't take his mind

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Speaker 1: from the dark and stormy future that awaited them. Tilda

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Speaker 1: reached out and stilled his twisting hands with her own,

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Speaker 1: kissing them gently. Remembering the blanket folded up in her pack,

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Speaker 1: she tugged it free and wrapped it around them, giving

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Speaker 1: up on talking, letting the clack of the wheels on

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Speaker 1: the tracks and hum of the engine fill the vacuum

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Speaker 1: left by their silence. Tilda dreamt a half dream that

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Speaker 1: existed in the space between sleep and wakefulness. She was

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Speaker 1: walking home, scuffing bright red trainers along the concrete, a

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Speaker 1: different route today, a longer one through abandoned parking garages

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Speaker 1: with the shells of cars and overturned shopping carts. Soon

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Speaker 1: she'd be going away to a conception center ten years.

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Speaker 1: She would stay there, not seeing her family, having no

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Speaker 1: choice in a partner, like an animal to be bred.

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Speaker 1: The whole thing made her sick, the rattle of metal,

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Speaker 1: the scraping of rock. Tilda kept glancing behind her, hearing noises,

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Speaker 1: and then convincing herself that she hadn't walking faster, now,

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Speaker 1: wishing she hadn't taken such a secluded route. She thought

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Speaker 1: she saw a man, blonde hair, blue eyed, But she

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Speaker 1: was imagining things until she wasn't warm, breath on her neck,

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Speaker 1: fingernails digging into her arms, her screams echoing unheard and

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Speaker 1: man made caverns of a dying civilization. Was there anyone

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Speaker 1: left to hear? Was she dreaming? She started awake, a

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Speaker 1: scream lodged in her throat, Madison leaned against her, absent

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Speaker 1: mindedly drawing pictures in the dust. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

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Speaker 1: She swiped at them, denying them their existence. When saying

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Speaker 1: at the sickness in her back, She swallowed back her grief. Unnerved,

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Speaker 1: Madison raised his eyes to hers, and she ruffled his

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Speaker 1: mousy hair. He didn't smile, solemn eyes staring up at her.

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Speaker 1: Stretching her back, Tilda craned her neck to glimpse out

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Speaker 1: the open car door. Night was falling, pin pricks of

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Speaker 1: stars twinkling in the sky. She could see a river

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Speaker 1: snaking through the countryside, rolling fields with orchards at the

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Speaker 1: edges of the horizon, giving way to solitary buildings and

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Speaker 1: industrial yards. The train was slowing. Tilda twisted, looking down

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Speaker 1: the line of carriages. A train yard loomed ahead in

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Speaker 1: her space, with gaping tunnels, wide mouths of pitched black

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Speaker 1: swallowing the front cars in the darkness. Recalling the instructions

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Speaker 1: of the man from Chicago, Tilda stood, helping Madison to

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Speaker 1: his feet. They both stretched and walked out the numbness

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Speaker 1: of their legs. Tilda jogged in place to get the

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Speaker 1: blood flowing back into them. Preparing to run. As it

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Speaker 1: entered the graveyard of its brethren, the train slowed even further.

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Speaker 1: Tilda scooped Madison in her arms and jumped down right foot,

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Speaker 1: crossing over her left unused to solid ground. She quickly

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Speaker 1: righted herself during the survey of the train yard, and

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Speaker 1: finding a line of disused trains at the edge of

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Speaker 1: the field to her right. Looking around to make sure

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Speaker 1: no one was watching, Tilda stole Ford to their destination,

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Speaker 1: trying to ignore the voice in her head naming this

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Speaker 1: as suicide. A beating drum growing louder and louder. The

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Speaker 1: air was warmer here, but not by much. In the distance,

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Speaker 1: she could make out a series of oddly shaped buildings,

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Speaker 1: domes and spires and columns and large triangular roofs, and

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Speaker 1: there were lights, more than Tilda had ever seen. This

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Speaker 1: was the last Bastion, the only city left on the

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Speaker 1: continent that still functioned with the semblance of normalcy. She

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Speaker 1: shimmered between trains, stepping over her cables and pipes, dirt

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Speaker 1: crunching beneath her boots. Her pack snagged on a jagged

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Speaker 1: piece of metal ripping through the fabric, but she didn't

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Speaker 1: slow Tilda passed through rows of trains, the train they'd

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Speaker 1: just been on grinding to a whining halt. A shot

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Speaker 1: of adrenaline as Tilda climbed over a connector. The line

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Speaker 1: of abandoned trains led to a tunnel, the same that

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Speaker 1: the man had told her about. A bold flickered, shedding

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Speaker 1: dim light on a pale green door on the tunnel's

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Speaker 1: right side. Tilda jogged for the door, grateful to be

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Speaker 1: obscured from view the wind carrying voices from the emptying train,

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Speaker 1: setting Madison on his feet. She fiddled with the handle,

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Speaker 1: only to find it locked. Glancing around frantically, she found

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Speaker 1: a large sized rock and hefted it into her hands,

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Speaker 1: and bringing it down hard on the handle, she felt

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Speaker 1: it give and toss the rock to the side. This time,

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Speaker 1: when she tested it, the door opened, releasing a puff

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Speaker 1: of dust and stale air. Tilt appeared inside, listening, looking

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Speaker 1: for anything dangerous. Once she deemed it safe as far

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Speaker 1: as she could tell, she guided a frightened Madison inside

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Speaker 1: and followed behind him the thunking of the door as

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Speaker 1: it shut, reverberating in the enclosed space. They found themselves

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Speaker 1: in a large tunnel steel tracks running through the center,

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Speaker 1: dark except for the red and white lanterns casting weak

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Speaker 1: light from where they hung strung along the stone walls

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Speaker 1: on either side. A green tiled plaque with white lettering

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Speaker 1: placed over the door, Red Rockville. The name rung familiar,

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Speaker 1: Tildre called it from the map top left corner. Something

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Speaker 1: on castrophobia quick in Tilden's breath, but she swallowed it down.

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Speaker 1: They had a long way to go in this shadowy tunnel.

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Speaker 1: She hoped that arm taking one vial of the vaccine

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Speaker 1: from themselves meant that they didn't intend to destroy it.

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Speaker 1: Stay behind me, Tilda told Madison in a hush tone,

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Speaker 1: taking his hand. Their footsteps smacked loudly in the silence,

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Speaker 1: echoing in the heavy dark. Somehow, the dank tunnel gave

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Speaker 1: tilt of the same feel of the sanctuary, a place

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Speaker 1: of sacred listening silence, where any sort of noise above

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Speaker 1: a whisper was profane. She attributed to the dark and

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Speaker 1: the quiet the same sensation of judgment, of being watched

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Speaker 1: and wrongdoing. Together, they'd trek through the tunnels, stepping over

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Speaker 1: puddles and bits of rocks and twisted metal, jumping over

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Speaker 1: missing sections of the low ledge freezing so simultaneously that

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Speaker 1: the sound of rats navigating their way through the tracks

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Speaker 1: that might have been comical. Apart from being stale, the

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Speaker 1: air was cold and thick with dust. Doors popped up

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Speaker 1: on either side of the tunnel, always branching off to

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Speaker 1: the equipment rooms or chain linked fences, but Tild ignored them,

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Speaker 1: instead watching for the green plaques twin Brook, White Flints, Strathmore.

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Speaker 1: When they passed these signs, platforms rose above them like

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Speaker 1: cliffs or subterranean cities. Occasionally they'd passed the section of

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Speaker 1: roof gave in and they could see a patch of

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Speaker 1: star speckled sky or another tonel spanning above them. Time stretched,

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Speaker 1: unraveling in the dark and the silent they followed. Their

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Speaker 1: red lines were miles passing Friendship Heights, DuPont Circle and Farragut,

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Speaker 1: where several tunnels snaked off in opposite directions and their

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Speaker 1: pathway fell away. They hopped down to the track, using

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Speaker 1: the rails of the red line for their guide, carefully

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Speaker 1: navigating over the metal cross beams stairs led to a

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Speaker 1: platform over them, until they had the sudden, horrific vision

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00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:32,760
Speaker 1: of the floor above collapsing forever and tombing them. Orange

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00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:36,559
Speaker 1: and blue tracks crossed over the red until To sloathes subconsciously,

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00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:41,000
Speaker 1: something instinctive telling her that they were getting closer. Madison

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00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:44,800
Speaker 1: stared up and around the enormous room, intercut with staircases,

217
00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:50,280
Speaker 1: dissecting staircases towering over them, a chapel with arched ceilings.

218
00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:54,080
Speaker 1: Trying to make as little noise as possible, They gingerly

219
00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:57,679
Speaker 1: placed their feet. The dust muffled the crunching of pebbles

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00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:00,960
Speaker 1: under their shoes. Their rails for their red line veered

221
00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:04,160
Speaker 1: sharply to the left until to followed them passed a

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00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:10,160
Speaker 1: sign for McPherson's square, bathed in red light. Please let's

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00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:13,920
Speaker 1: go back, Madison begged her in a whisper. I don't

224
00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:17,480
Speaker 1: want to do this, Please, please let's go back. Tilda

225
00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,680
Speaker 1: squeezed his hand, wanting to turn around herself. A caustic

226
00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:25,200
Speaker 1: terror eating through her veins, she prayed inwardly, invoking whoever

227
00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:30,280
Speaker 1: would listen in this imitation of a sanctuary. Madison stopped,

228
00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,280
Speaker 1: pulling Tilda up short. She turned to him, and her

229
00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:36,120
Speaker 1: breath caught at the pure grief and terror on his

230
00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:40,520
Speaker 1: small face, one so filled with trust in her his

231
00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:43,760
Speaker 1: bottom lip trembled, tears collecting at the corner of his eyes.

232
00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:48,080
Speaker 1: So round and scared and pleading with her, she knelt

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00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:50,480
Speaker 1: in front of him, cupping either side of his face,

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00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,680
Speaker 1: brushing the fringe from his eyes and using her thumb

235
00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:57,360
Speaker 1: to wipe away a stray tear. She pressed her forehead

236
00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:02,040
Speaker 1: against his I haven't done much right by you, she confessed,

237
00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:06,120
Speaker 1: or whisper loud in the silent tunnel. I need to

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00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:10,960
Speaker 1: do something right. Madison made a sound of distress and confusion.

239
00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:17,040
Speaker 1: Do you know how I got my name? Madison sniffled,

240
00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:22,080
Speaker 1: shaking his head. My mother chose it because it means battle.

241
00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:26,400
Speaker 1: She had to fight to keep me, just like I'm

242
00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:31,600
Speaker 1: going to fight for you. They're going to kill you

243
00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:36,520
Speaker 1: or take me away. I'll never see you again, he whispered, desperately,

244
00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:40,760
Speaker 1: urgently til to purse her lips together. Throat tense and

245
00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:43,880
Speaker 1: eyes stinging, she pushed back so she could look into

246
00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:48,400
Speaker 1: his hazel eyes. Almost drowned, suffocated, strangled by her love

247
00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:54,160
Speaker 1: for him. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. We have to

248
00:15:54,200 --> 00:16:00,640
Speaker 1: do this, but we have to do this, why, Madison

249
00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:05,320
Speaker 1: tangled his fingers in her hair. Because it's a chance

250
00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:08,560
Speaker 1: for you to have a better future, and I'm going

251
00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,800
Speaker 1: to take it. Madison hugged her fiercely then, and she

252
00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:17,280
Speaker 1: returned it, never wanting to let him go, but she

253
00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:23,080
Speaker 1: released him. She stood. He wiped his face. I love

254
00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:30,400
Speaker 1: you no matter what happens, Never forget that. Okay. She

255
00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:32,720
Speaker 1: held his face for a long moment, and he gave

256
00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:39,840
Speaker 1: a slow nod. All right, Tilda rose, let's go. She

257
00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:43,320
Speaker 1: retook his hand and they started again. A plaque along

258
00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:47,160
Speaker 1: the tunnel red Metro Center, Tilda wished the journey had

259
00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:51,440
Speaker 1: taken longer. There were four hallways, two on either side

260
00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:54,200
Speaker 1: of the tunnel. Each had a sign above the door

261
00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:59,000
Speaker 1: indicating street corners, exit ways, platforms. They had to hop

262
00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:00,760
Speaker 1: down and cross the rail for the one the man

263
00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:05,960
Speaker 1: had told her to take Franconia Service exit. Tilda paused

264
00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:08,760
Speaker 1: in front of the door. For some reason. The look

265
00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:11,320
Speaker 1: on her mother's face when she discovered her daughter was

266
00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:15,320
Speaker 1: pregnant surfaced in the chaos of her thoughts. Tilda had

267
00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:19,600
Speaker 1: never found the courage to explain, had never told anyone.

268
00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:22,840
Speaker 1: What did her mother think of her? She wondered, the

269
00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:28,200
Speaker 1: giver of life or the slut? Tilda's shouldered the door.

270
00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:31,760
Speaker 1: It opened to a small room lined with metal pipes

271
00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:35,280
Speaker 1: and bunches of frayed wires of breads yellows, blues greens.

272
00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:38,760
Speaker 1: On the wall. To their right was a basic metal ladder,

273
00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:42,160
Speaker 1: ascending in the darkness to a trapdoor only visible by

274
00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:44,639
Speaker 1: lines of light in the shape of a square leaking

275
00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:47,560
Speaker 1: through the panel. As there was nowhere else to go,

276
00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:50,439
Speaker 1: Tilda assumed that they had to take this ladder up

277
00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:55,159
Speaker 1: to arm headquarters. Can you climb? She asked Madison, and

278
00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:57,320
Speaker 1: he looked at the door they came through. Twisting his

279
00:17:57,359 --> 00:18:01,200
Speaker 1: hands together, he turned back to her shoulders. She stepped

280
00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:05,000
Speaker 1: on the first run, raising her eyebrows at him. Resigned,

281
00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,719
Speaker 1: he hung his head, shuffling over to her. Tilda hoisted

282
00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:11,720
Speaker 1: herself up, boots clanging mildly against the metal. In the

283
00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:15,359
Speaker 1: silence behind her, she could hear her Madison slipping on

284
00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:17,920
Speaker 1: the wrungs, hitting them with the toes of his shoes.

285
00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:22,560
Speaker 1: Tilda couldn't help but grimace at every bang. When she

286
00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:25,040
Speaker 1: reached the top, she wrapped one arm around the metal

287
00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:28,200
Speaker 1: bar to leverage herself. With her other hand, she pushed

288
00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:30,800
Speaker 1: up against the door, finding it heavier than she expected

289
00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:36,600
Speaker 1: or it's locked, she thought grimly. Repositioning her feet this

290
00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:39,040
Speaker 1: time with the aid of her legs, she pushed again

291
00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:42,520
Speaker 1: and the door gave snapping upright. It almost closed on

292
00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:44,560
Speaker 1: them again, and Tilda had to use her hand to

293
00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:48,600
Speaker 1: steady it, almost losing her balance in the process. Panting,

294
00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:51,280
Speaker 1: she heaved herself up and out of the square opening,

295
00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:55,800
Speaker 1: pulling herself into a different world. Metal shelves of tools

296
00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:59,640
Speaker 1: lined the walls. Two big electronic boxes humming and flashing

297
00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:02,960
Speaker 1: to her immediate right, florescent light cast a stark pall

298
00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:06,160
Speaker 1: on the room. She turned and stuck her hand back

299
00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:09,639
Speaker 1: down into the blackness, helping Madison climb out. Berthing him

300
00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:14,920
Speaker 1: from the dark. He fell against her, blinking alishly. Reaching over,

301
00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:17,879
Speaker 1: Tilda pulled Madison's feet free from the door and eased

302
00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:21,480
Speaker 1: it shut. Tilda couldn't hear anything over the hum of

303
00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:26,320
Speaker 1: the machinery when she pictured arm headquarters. This wasn't what

304
00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:30,480
Speaker 1: came to mind. Teo colored walls, black wires sprouting from

305
00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:32,560
Speaker 1: a hole in the floor and running along the edge

306
00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:34,680
Speaker 1: of the wall where it met the floor, A messy

307
00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:38,520
Speaker 1: assortment of tools along the shelves. The harsh light was

308
00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:42,040
Speaker 1: right on, though Tilda held out her hand, and Madison

309
00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:45,800
Speaker 1: took it instinctively, going to her side. Together they crept

310
00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:47,480
Speaker 1: to the door at the back of the long room.

311
00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:50,840
Speaker 1: Tilda pressed her ear against the plain gray door, still

312
00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:55,280
Speaker 1: unable to hear anything. Grasping the handle, she eased it

313
00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:58,399
Speaker 1: down with bated breath. It opened with a click, and

314
00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:02,560
Speaker 1: Tilda cracked it open. Looking through the sliver of space outside,

315
00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:05,560
Speaker 1: she could see a well lit hallway, soft light emanating

316
00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:09,399
Speaker 1: from ornate fixtures on the ceilings. The walls were panes

317
00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:13,159
Speaker 1: of mahogany, the carpets a diamond pattern of burgundy and brown,

318
00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:16,240
Speaker 1: none of it at all matching the room in which

319
00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:20,200
Speaker 1: they had emerged. Did a lot of houses reside above

320
00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:23,879
Speaker 1: the subway tunnels and have entrances into underground worlds in

321
00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:28,040
Speaker 1: their back rooms. The door jerked open, yanking, her hands

322
00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:31,359
Speaker 1: still attached to the handle with it gasping, She released

323
00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,120
Speaker 1: it as it burned, stumbling back and falling hard into

324
00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:38,199
Speaker 1: a metal shelving, rattling the tools. A man strode in

325
00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:41,399
Speaker 1: after her, gun aimed at her chest. He had the

326
00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:44,919
Speaker 1: arm insignia across his bicep, a one winged angel with

327
00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:50,359
Speaker 1: a torch emitting bands of light. His lips quirked until

328
00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:52,840
Speaker 1: it felt a thrill of memory at the blonde, buzz

329
00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:57,000
Speaker 1: cut and steel blue eyes. We've been looking for you

330
00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:01,720
Speaker 1: for a long time, panted, harshly, fighting to get her

331
00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:05,199
Speaker 1: breathing under control. She wished she had at least had

332
00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:10,159
Speaker 1: a chance at finding the vaccine. Let's go, Aaron and

333
00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:13,359
Speaker 1: Darla want to meet you. He gestured with his weapon

334
00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:15,720
Speaker 1: out into the hall. When she made no move to

335
00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:18,320
Speaker 1: a bay, he reached forward and grabbed her arms, shoving

336
00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:21,200
Speaker 1: her out the door. She rammed into the opposite wall.

337
00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,600
Speaker 1: Madison cried out, stumbling after her, clinging to her hand.

338
00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:30,120
Speaker 1: Madison's distress cut through Tilda's nauseating fear, and she straightened

339
00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:33,560
Speaker 1: her back, pulled him closer to her side. The man

340
00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:37,600
Speaker 1: kept his gun trained on her, Hovering behind her move,

341
00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:43,040
Speaker 1: he commanded, taking deep breast with great effort, tilt attentatively

342
00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:46,520
Speaker 1: traversed the hallway. At its end, it opened into an

343
00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:51,359
Speaker 1: enormous room, a wide staircase winding along the wood paned floors.

344
00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:55,480
Speaker 1: The stairs themselves matched shining wood visible on the outsides

345
00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:57,760
Speaker 1: of the red carpeting down the center of the steps.

346
00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:01,480
Speaker 1: The room itself was furnished with antique furniture that matched

347
00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:04,560
Speaker 1: the floor and embellished with lantern light fixtures and paintings.

348
00:22:05,119 --> 00:22:08,399
Speaker 1: A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, glinting with

349
00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,159
Speaker 1: a soft light. It looked more like a mansion than

350
00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:15,560
Speaker 1: any sort of headquarters. Several men and women occupied the

351
00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:19,240
Speaker 1: wide room and the floors above, some cleaning weapons, others

352
00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:23,080
Speaker 1: conversing quietly. The arm insignia around all of their biceps.

353
00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:28,040
Speaker 1: As Tilda and Madison passed, taking tiny steps to delay

354
00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:32,440
Speaker 1: the inevitable as long as possible, movement and conversation halted.

355
00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:36,560
Speaker 1: Eyes fixed on them, heads twisting to watch their progress.

356
00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:41,840
Speaker 1: Tilda felt that they held witnessed her execution. Up the

357
00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:45,280
Speaker 1: man barked behind her masson tripped over the first stair,

358
00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:49,000
Speaker 1: his legs shaking badly. Tilda assisted him to his feet,

359
00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:52,399
Speaker 1: and he took the stairs carefully, pausing after each step.

360
00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:56,400
Speaker 1: Their captures sighed in frustration, but otherwise let Madison set

361
00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:00,280
Speaker 1: the pace for their possession. More heads turned when they

362
00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:05,240
Speaker 1: reached the second landing, one woman actually halting abruptly, goggling

363
00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:07,800
Speaker 1: at Madison, who hid his face and tilt his jacket.

364
00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:10,960
Speaker 1: Tilda did her best to glare at those so openly

365
00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:15,480
Speaker 1: watching them, but her own shaking dampened the effect. The

366
00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,399
Speaker 1: man heard of them around the hallway, passed winddoors with

367
00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:21,960
Speaker 1: old fashioned handles to the next staircase, and they proceeded

368
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,680
Speaker 1: to the top floor, making an already grim situation much

369
00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:29,600
Speaker 1: grimmer until this view. Escaping from the ground floor was

370
00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:33,040
Speaker 1: one thing. From the third floor, with dozens of armed

371
00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:37,879
Speaker 1: opponents between them and the exit nigh impossible. The third

372
00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:41,359
Speaker 1: floor only had three doors, and contrasted the multitude of

373
00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:44,920
Speaker 1: rooms on the first and second two regular sized doors

374
00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:48,960
Speaker 1: and a large double between them. Tilda feartifully glanced over

375
00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:52,160
Speaker 1: the varnished railing to the floors below, confirming to herself

376
00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:55,160
Speaker 1: a jump from here would most likely be fatal. At

377
00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:56,960
Speaker 1: the very least she wouldn't be able to get up

378
00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:01,200
Speaker 1: and walk. The house itself was really quite beautiful, she mused,

379
00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:03,480
Speaker 1: and then had to stop herself from laughing aloud at

380
00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:08,600
Speaker 1: the inane observation. Stay where you are, the man growled.

381
00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:11,520
Speaker 1: Once they were outside the set of double doors. Keeping

382
00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:14,040
Speaker 1: the gun aimed at Tilda's chest, he strode forward and

383
00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:17,399
Speaker 1: wrapped sharply on the wood with his knuckles. A muffled

384
00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:19,920
Speaker 1: response came from inside, and he pushed the door open

385
00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:23,360
Speaker 1: with one hand, eyes darting between Tilda and whoever resided

386
00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:28,760
Speaker 1: behind the door. Tilda glanced around, lips numb, and limbs

387
00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:32,600
Speaker 1: like lifeless wax. Her legs twitched, itching with the urge

388
00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:35,359
Speaker 1: to run and watery with panic. At the same time,

389
00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:39,360
Speaker 1: her body felt like a cage, a prison designed specifically

390
00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:42,560
Speaker 1: for her. Soon she would be gone and her body

391
00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:47,480
Speaker 1: a vacant thing without purpose. After a brief and quiet conversation,

392
00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:50,360
Speaker 1: the contents of which Tilda did not catch, the man

393
00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:53,120
Speaker 1: turned back to Tilda and Madison, jerking with his head

394
00:24:53,119 --> 00:24:57,080
Speaker 1: for them to enter. Madison resisted at first, tears clinging

395
00:24:57,119 --> 00:25:00,960
Speaker 1: to his long eyelashes, but Tilda coaxed him forward, hoping

396
00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:04,320
Speaker 1: against every rational part of her being that there was

397
00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:08,320
Speaker 1: still a chance for them to escape this. The room

398
00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:11,880
Speaker 1: was quite spacious, similarly decorated to the rest of the mansion,

399
00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:14,879
Speaker 1: with the addition of scores of books on wooden shelves,

400
00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:19,359
Speaker 1: a rectangular desk with two monitors and a silver standalone microphone,

401
00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:22,960
Speaker 1: and a pair of beautifully paned windows shrouded by cream

402
00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:26,359
Speaker 1: colored curtains. A bundle of black wires ran from the

403
00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:29,440
Speaker 1: modems under the desk and into the floor, were Tilda assumed.

404
00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:32,120
Speaker 1: They traced along the edges of the wall. A man

405
00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:34,320
Speaker 1: perched on the outer edge of the desk, a gun

406
00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:37,639
Speaker 1: held loosely in his hand, his well lined, angular face

407
00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:40,239
Speaker 1: and graying hair making him look older than he was.

408
00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:43,720
Speaker 1: Next to him stood a woman with platinum hair pulled

409
00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,960
Speaker 1: back in a ponytail, pale blue eyes, and an already

410
00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:51,000
Speaker 1: pale face, making her appear washed out. Both had applied

411
00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:54,080
Speaker 1: powder to their face and an attempt to mask their sores,

412
00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:58,280
Speaker 1: until his opinion, it just gave them a superficiality, like

413
00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:02,280
Speaker 1: they were wind up dolls maskering as humans, and both

414
00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:05,399
Speaker 1: of them couldn't take their eyes from Madison, where he

415
00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:09,159
Speaker 1: sought shelter against her side, and Tilda couldn't keep her

416
00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:13,600
Speaker 1: eyes from straying to the gun. Leave us, Thomas. The

417
00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:16,640
Speaker 1: man instructed a soft quality to his voice, a voice

418
00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:22,920
Speaker 1: Tilda recognized. Still he remained transfixed by Madison. Tilda heard

419
00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:26,600
Speaker 1: the door shut behind them in silence encapsulated them. The

420
00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:30,320
Speaker 1: woman was crying. Tilda realized her hands pressed her mouth

421
00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:33,080
Speaker 1: and tears streaming from the corner of her eyes, taking

422
00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:35,439
Speaker 1: with them some of the skin toned powder caked on

423
00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:39,080
Speaker 1: her face. She appeared to be restraining herself from moving

424
00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:42,840
Speaker 1: a stone in her apparent grief. Do you know who

425
00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:46,479
Speaker 1: I am? The man put forth calmly, and Tilda nodded,

426
00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:51,879
Speaker 1: And my wife, Tilda shook her head again. Aaron and

427
00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:56,760
Speaker 1: Darla de Lane, leaders of arm the voices of the broadcast.

428
00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:00,920
Speaker 1: Tilda eyed the computers and microphones behind them, wondering feverishly

429
00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:03,199
Speaker 1: if her mother had sat in that very chair to

430
00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:07,119
Speaker 1: transmit her plea for Tilda to come home well, for

431
00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:10,680
Speaker 1: the sake of politeness. I am Aaron Delane, and this

432
00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:14,879
Speaker 1: is my wife, Darla. Darla was visibly pulling herself together.

433
00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:20,320
Speaker 1: And we of course know who you are, Tilda and Madison. Noen,

434
00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:25,919
Speaker 1: We've been searching for a long time, waiting for this moment.

435
00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:31,000
Speaker 1: He paused, straightening yet somehow looking more relaxed. It's a

436
00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:35,840
Speaker 1: pleasure to finally meet you both. That last comment was softened,

437
00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:38,520
Speaker 1: directed towards Madison in an effort to draw him from

438
00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:42,360
Speaker 1: his hiding place. Their complete disregard for her, as if

439
00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:45,560
Speaker 1: Madison was the only other person in the room, made

440
00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:52,679
Speaker 1: her uncomfortable. Darla spoke, her voice thick with emotion. You

441
00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:55,879
Speaker 1: can come out, child. No one's going to hurt you,

442
00:27:56,640 --> 00:28:01,359
Speaker 1: if anything. Madison held more tightly to Tilda. I just

443
00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:05,560
Speaker 1: want to see you. Please let me look at you.

444
00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:10,560
Speaker 1: But Madison didn't move, cowering away from the two scrutinizing him.

445
00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:16,760
Speaker 1: You've brainwashed him, the man stated, simply pinning Tilda with cool,

446
00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:23,800
Speaker 1: accusing eyes. Throat dry, Tilda struggled to swallow. Why. She

447
00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:28,399
Speaker 1: forced out, why have you been looking for us? Priority?

448
00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:36,040
Speaker 1: Her voice cracked. Number one. Eron ex held deeply, once again,

449
00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:42,920
Speaker 1: focusing on Madison. Because you kidnapped our grandson. Tilda felt

450
00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:45,280
Speaker 1: like she'd run full force into a brick wall, her

451
00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:49,640
Speaker 1: lung spasming. The words like poison, stripping her of functionality.

452
00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:53,880
Speaker 1: She couldn't accept his word as truth. They didn't make sense.

453
00:28:55,120 --> 00:29:00,000
Speaker 1: Our son, John is this boy's father. Tilda shook her head. Number.

454
00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:04,040
Speaker 1: She tried so hard to forget the day of Madison's conception,

455
00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:08,720
Speaker 1: to pretend there was no father. Reality was falling back

456
00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:12,160
Speaker 1: to her. She did not want to confront this now.

457
00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:19,120
Speaker 1: She didn't have the strength. Sniffling, Darla said, he didn't

458
00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:22,720
Speaker 1: tell us at first, but we saw the sores. We

459
00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:30,000
Speaker 1: pressed him. He confessed. Darla's voice wabbled dangerously over the word,

460
00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:36,000
Speaker 1: drawing a shaking breath and gathering herself, she continued, confessed.

461
00:29:36,840 --> 00:29:41,320
Speaker 1: He confessed what he had done. We disowned him, Aaron

462
00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:44,600
Speaker 1: informed her in a deadened voice. He's under house arrest

463
00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:49,320
Speaker 1: for his sin. He has been punished. Darla adopted a

464
00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:51,880
Speaker 1: stony expression next to him, and Tilda could not help

465
00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:55,320
Speaker 1: but being reminded of what she strove so valiantly to forget.

466
00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:59,400
Speaker 1: A man with Darla's blonde hair and pale eyes, Aaron's

467
00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:05,800
Speaker 1: heavy brow, angular features advancing on her. He told us

468
00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:09,160
Speaker 1: your name. We had the Atlanta enforcers bring you into

469
00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:12,200
Speaker 1: a conception center. We didn't want anyone to know what

470
00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:15,320
Speaker 1: our son had done. We kept his name out of

471
00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:19,479
Speaker 1: the records, and you never offered any information on the

472
00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:23,560
Speaker 1: identity of your attacker. But for obvious reasons, we were

473
00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:28,520
Speaker 1: very interested in your pregnancy. Didn't you ever wonder how

474
00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:32,560
Speaker 1: the state found out you were pregnant? Tilda didn't respond.

475
00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:35,440
Speaker 1: At the time, she'd been so terrified, she just assumed

476
00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:41,760
Speaker 1: they were all knowing Madison was born premature. Darla spoke

477
00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:45,480
Speaker 1: in eclipped manner relating events. Tilda remembered from another lifetime.

478
00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:49,800
Speaker 1: For his health, we kept you around to help nurse him.

479
00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:53,640
Speaker 1: It was one of the biggest mistakes we ever made,

480
00:30:54,400 --> 00:30:58,840
Speaker 1: She spaed acidly. You stole him from us. You had

481
00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:02,800
Speaker 1: no right to him. Aaron stroked his wife's arm, but

482
00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:08,000
Speaker 1: she jerked away, shouting, he's named after my father. Tilda

483
00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:11,240
Speaker 1: had never known where the name came from. They didn't

484
00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:13,840
Speaker 1: let her choose it, just handed them back to her

485
00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:18,040
Speaker 1: with a name. You kept us from our grandson for

486
00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:23,440
Speaker 1: six years. Who knows what damage you've wrought. Aaron curled

487
00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:26,719
Speaker 1: his lip at her in disgusted, grip tightening around his weapon.

488
00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:31,920
Speaker 1: Darla tried again to cajole Madison. You're safe now, baby,

489
00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:35,600
Speaker 1: Please come to me. She held out her arms, pleading

490
00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:38,760
Speaker 1: with the boy who so studiously ignored her. Do you

491
00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:42,560
Speaker 1: have the vaccine? Tilda almost wished they'd say no, to

492
00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:44,640
Speaker 1: spare her from the decision she would have to make

493
00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:49,720
Speaker 1: if they said yes. Yes, we saved one to give

494
00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:54,240
Speaker 1: to Madison, Aaron replied. Tears leaked down Tilda's cheeks, one

495
00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:57,800
Speaker 1: dripping off of her nose. Why did you destroy the

496
00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:03,480
Speaker 1: rest of them, she gasped. Why? Because the disease was

497
00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:12,000
Speaker 1: created to purge the humanity of their filth. Created created.

498
00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:17,640
Speaker 1: Tilda stared at him in growing horror. Yes, the state

499
00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:21,080
Speaker 1: sanctioned the creation of HSV five to help control the

500
00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:27,760
Speaker 1: overpopulation problem, Aaron laughed grimly. It worked after a fashion,

501
00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:32,400
Speaker 1: and God will grant us the cure when we are pure,

502
00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:39,360
Speaker 1: Darla proclaimed. Tilda wanted to scream. She wanted to break things,

503
00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:42,640
Speaker 1: to pound her fist against Polish mahogany until blood staining

504
00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:46,080
Speaker 1: the wood and her fingers broke, scratch off the makeup

505
00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:48,440
Speaker 1: caked on the faces of those who would dare judge

506
00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:53,520
Speaker 1: her after what they had done. But instead she choked out,

507
00:32:55,200 --> 00:33:00,560
Speaker 1: But you saved one, two, Aaron corrected, one for our

508
00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:05,640
Speaker 1: grandson and one to replicate for our future family. He

509
00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:08,360
Speaker 1: stood abruptly, bending over and opening a safe in the

510
00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:12,840
Speaker 1: back corner. Tilda heard him snap open two locks. Abeit.

511
00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:16,000
Speaker 1: Later they clicked back into place, and we shut the safe.

512
00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:18,880
Speaker 1: A syringe of clear liquid in one hand, the gun

513
00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:23,000
Speaker 1: in the other. Tilda's breath caught staring at the needle.

514
00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:28,440
Speaker 1: She always knew this was a possibility, losing Madison to

515
00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:34,160
Speaker 1: get him the vaccine. Licking her lip, she asked how

516
00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:38,800
Speaker 1: do I know it works. You may be a sorry

517
00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:42,440
Speaker 1: excuse for a mother, but I am not. Darla hissed.

518
00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:47,000
Speaker 1: We would never inject our grandson with something dangerous. This

519
00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:51,120
Speaker 1: is the vaccine for the virus. Even you can't be

520
00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:55,680
Speaker 1: so selfish as to deny him that. Tilda set her

521
00:33:55,760 --> 00:34:00,400
Speaker 1: jaw slowly, eyes never straying from the leaders of arm,

522
00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:04,720
Speaker 1: she knelt down in front of Madison. Hey, she whispered.

523
00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:07,320
Speaker 1: He tried to bury his head into her neck, but

524
00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:11,280
Speaker 1: she kept his cheek. She could hear Darla gasp sharply

525
00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:17,400
Speaker 1: at her first glimpse of Madison's face. He's beautiful, she breathed, Aaron,

526
00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:20,440
Speaker 1: look at him. You need to let them give you

527
00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:24,640
Speaker 1: the vaccine. Okay, she whispered, the weight of her words

528
00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:28,160
Speaker 1: heavy in the stillness, knowing this was the last conversation

529
00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:31,000
Speaker 1: she'd have with Madison and trying not to know it.

530
00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:37,440
Speaker 1: Madison shook his head vehemently. No, listen, it's going to

531
00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:42,000
Speaker 1: be okay. But you have to do this. You have

532
00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:46,840
Speaker 1: to be brave. They'll never let me see you again.

533
00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:52,200
Speaker 1: Madison wept. Tilda took a setting breath, hot tears inching

534
00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:56,440
Speaker 1: down her face. She pressed her forehead against his. Darla

535
00:34:56,480 --> 00:35:00,919
Speaker 1: sucked in a harsh breath. I'll always be your mother,

536
00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:09,920
Speaker 1: and i will always love you. You have to do this, Madison.

537
00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:12,200
Speaker 1: If you come here and let me give you the vaccine,

538
00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:16,360
Speaker 1: I'll let you visit your mother, Aaron bargained. Madison stared

539
00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:21,480
Speaker 1: at him, searching. Aaron nodded coaxingly. It will only hurt

540
00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:26,759
Speaker 1: a bit, Darla promised, biting back sobs. Tilda turned him

541
00:35:26,800 --> 00:35:28,880
Speaker 1: from her and gave him a gentle push for it.

542
00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:32,200
Speaker 1: Madison made an instant move to retreat back to her,

543
00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:35,960
Speaker 1: but she shook her head, the small movement monumental, costing

544
00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:40,400
Speaker 1: her everything she had left. Hazel eyes radiated hurt and fear,

545
00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:44,919
Speaker 1: his waiflike body trembling badly. Darla cooed at him, her

546
00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:49,120
Speaker 1: face glowing with awe and happiness. Tilda felt as though

547
00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:51,799
Speaker 1: she was fading away, her essence floating out of her

548
00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:56,120
Speaker 1: skin and dissipating particles of dust to be scattered and forgotten.

549
00:35:57,160 --> 00:35:59,680
Speaker 1: Aaron held his hand out for Madison's arm, which he

550
00:35:59,719 --> 00:36:03,920
Speaker 1: really offered carefully. Aaron took the stick thin arm in

551
00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:06,800
Speaker 1: his pushing up the sleeve of his jacket and flipping

552
00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:08,680
Speaker 1: it over his arms. With the pale skin of his

553
00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:13,520
Speaker 1: underarm faced up. He smiled wildly at the child, attempting

554
00:36:13,560 --> 00:36:17,080
Speaker 1: to comfort, but badly out of practice. Darla petted his

555
00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:21,040
Speaker 1: hair skittishly, almost fearful of her ability to handle her grandchild.

556
00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:25,600
Speaker 1: Now that he was finally before her, Madison whimpered and

557
00:36:25,640 --> 00:36:30,439
Speaker 1: tiled his hands twitched convulsively. It's okay, Erin assured him,

558
00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:33,360
Speaker 1: flicking the syringe to rid it of any air bubbles

559
00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:36,520
Speaker 1: and removing the cap from the needle. Just hold still,

560
00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:39,520
Speaker 1: think of happy things. That's what my parents used to

561
00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:42,320
Speaker 1: tell me when I was sick. Gripping the tiny wrist,

562
00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:44,920
Speaker 1: Aaron pierced a vane near the underside of his elbow.

563
00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:47,879
Speaker 1: The child tensed as Aaron pushed the plunger of face,

564
00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:50,960
Speaker 1: screwing up. Soon enough, Aaron pulled the needle free, and

565
00:36:51,040 --> 00:36:54,799
Speaker 1: Darla stepped forward, Covering the puncher with a bandage. She

566
00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:59,600
Speaker 1: pecked his cheek. All done, sweet aart. Madison jerked away,

567
00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:02,640
Speaker 1: running back to Tilda. Darla stretched her arm out to

568
00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:04,560
Speaker 1: catch him with a cry of dismay, but he darted

569
00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:10,520
Speaker 1: out of her reach. Madison, honey, you belong with us,

570
00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:16,520
Speaker 1: with your grandparents. No Madison shrieked. I want to stay

571
00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:20,799
Speaker 1: with Tilda. She's my mother and I love her. You

572
00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:24,200
Speaker 1: don't belong with that woman, Madison. You belong in a safe,

573
00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:27,400
Speaker 1: loving environment with adults who can care for you. Aaron

574
00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:32,120
Speaker 1: could not completely mask his frustration. I'll tell I'll tell

575
00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:39,080
Speaker 1: everyone what you did, Madison threatened. Aaron's face twitched angrily.

576
00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:44,160
Speaker 1: Come here and we'll talk about it. I promise she'll

577
00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:49,719
Speaker 1: be happier with us. I won't ask again. Madison didn't move.

578
00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:56,000
Speaker 1: Bring him to me, Aaron commanded. Tilda was paralyzed. Something

579
00:37:56,040 --> 00:38:02,440
Speaker 1: momentous in the air, immovable objects and stoppable forces. We

580
00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:06,399
Speaker 1: love you more than anything. Darla held out her arms

581
00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:11,440
Speaker 1: for him. You're bad people, and I'll never love you,

582
00:38:12,120 --> 00:38:17,040
Speaker 1: Madison screamed, and Tilda's mouth fell open in shock. You brainwashing,

583
00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:22,400
Speaker 1: Aaron shouted, advancing and raising his gun level with her. Noe.

584
00:38:22,600 --> 00:38:27,000
Speaker 1: Darla shouted, darting forward. The gun fired tilt, a jerked

585
00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:30,839
Speaker 1: eyes slimy shut an animal cry shredded through the air,

586
00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:34,920
Speaker 1: opening her eyes til to blink. Aaron fell to his knees,

587
00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:38,600
Speaker 1: pressing his hands over his wife's chest, bloodstained, her silk

588
00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:43,280
Speaker 1: shirt red blossoming on white, her eyes glazed and arms twitching.

589
00:38:44,680 --> 00:38:48,240
Speaker 1: Aaron sobbed her name brokenly, tears snaking around the bumps

590
00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:52,600
Speaker 1: caused by his sores. Unthinking, Tilda took Madison's hand and

591
00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:57,000
Speaker 1: sprinted behind a desk. She studied the equipment, searching, searching,

592
00:38:57,200 --> 00:39:00,560
Speaker 1: overloaded by all the wires and buttons. A red button

593
00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:03,360
Speaker 1: on the screen caught her attention like a beacon. Hands

594
00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:06,480
Speaker 1: shaking in clumsy she fumbled on the microphone and armed

595
00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:10,279
Speaker 1: the monitors with an air of recklessness. She bent down

596
00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:13,600
Speaker 1: so her mouth hovered of the microphone, moused the cursor

597
00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:17,279
Speaker 1: over the red button, labeled broadcast to all receivers, and

598
00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:23,240
Speaker 1: clicked something home to life. Tilda didn't know if it worked,

599
00:39:23,280 --> 00:39:26,680
Speaker 1: if anyone could hear her, but she spoke words somembling

600
00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:28,719
Speaker 1: from her lips before she knew what they would be.

601
00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:34,120
Speaker 1: There is a vaccine for HSV five at ARM headquarters,

602
00:39:34,160 --> 00:39:36,799
Speaker 1: in a vault on the third floor. ARM destroyed the

603
00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:40,920
Speaker 1: rest of the vaccines the state created HSV five, but

604
00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:44,440
Speaker 1: there is one vaccine left. She broke off as the

605
00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:47,600
Speaker 1: door slammed open. Thomas taking in the scene with wild eyes.

606
00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:50,600
Speaker 1: When his gaze landed on Tilda. He let out a

607
00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:54,400
Speaker 1: primal scream and shot at her. She ducked, shielding Madison

608
00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:57,800
Speaker 1: as glass from the window exploded out, one piece slicing

609
00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:01,719
Speaker 1: into Tilda's shoulder. Screaming, she crawled to the window, looking

610
00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:05,760
Speaker 1: out either side. Spotting a trellis, she gestured for Madison

611
00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:09,319
Speaker 1: to climb on her back. He complied, wrapping his legs

612
00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:11,640
Speaker 1: around her waist and winding his arms around her back.

613
00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:15,240
Speaker 1: There was more shouting. Holding onto the wall, Tilda eased

614
00:40:15,239 --> 00:40:17,799
Speaker 1: out the window, placing her feet in the wooden footholds.

615
00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:21,000
Speaker 1: The treillets creaked, the nails straining away from the wall,

616
00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:24,880
Speaker 1: but held her weight. Tilda climbed down, her feet, fumbling

617
00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:28,239
Speaker 1: with the diamond patterned woodwork. Madison's grip so tight around

618
00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:30,880
Speaker 1: her neck she had difficulty drawing breath. The sound of

619
00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:33,720
Speaker 1: errands broken sobbing from above them made her skin crawl.

620
00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:38,360
Speaker 1: She felt as though she was entering a different world,

621
00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:42,200
Speaker 1: one of darkness and wilderness and quiet, instead of the loud,

622
00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:46,000
Speaker 1: bright chaos they'd just left the windows. She passed as

623
00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:48,919
Speaker 1: she climbed down like pooroles into a world hurtling away

624
00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:51,960
Speaker 1: from her, a world starving to swallow them up and

625
00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:56,040
Speaker 1: take them with it. Soon after they passed the second

626
00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:58,840
Speaker 1: floor windows, a piece of wood under Tilda's foot snapped

627
00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:01,919
Speaker 1: and they plummeted to the ground. Tilda managed to turn

628
00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:04,200
Speaker 1: mid fall, so they landed on their sides in the

629
00:41:04,239 --> 00:41:09,440
Speaker 1: grass and thankfully soft dirt winded. Tilda rolled onto her knees,

630
00:41:09,640 --> 00:41:16,120
Speaker 1: Madison sliding off her back. Okay, she gasped. He nodded,

631
00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:19,160
Speaker 1: cradling his arm to his chest. A shadow cast by

632
00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:21,399
Speaker 1: the light coming from the window they'd just climbed from

633
00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:24,920
Speaker 1: stirred Tilda to action. Coughing, she shoved herself to her

634
00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:28,720
Speaker 1: feet and grabbed Madison's hand, jogging stiltedly through the grass

635
00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:32,439
Speaker 1: away from the house. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw

636
00:41:32,480 --> 00:41:35,320
Speaker 1: the dark silhouette of Thomas leaning out the window, watching

637
00:41:35,320 --> 00:41:39,640
Speaker 1: her flight, his gun half raised an uncertainty, but Tilda

638
00:41:39,680 --> 00:41:44,520
Speaker 1: didn't stop, didn't flinch. She ran, unable to process all

639
00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:47,759
Speaker 1: that she had learned, everything that had happened, a live

640
00:41:47,840 --> 00:41:52,600
Speaker 1: omission she'd fabricated all these years. Unraveling all of this

641
00:41:52,760 --> 00:41:56,880
Speaker 1: was happening on the surface of her mind. Passed crumbling monuments, statues,

642
00:41:56,960 --> 00:42:02,719
Speaker 1: missing limbs, fallen columns, caved in dome. They ran ornate buildings,

643
00:42:02,760 --> 00:42:07,040
Speaker 1: cracked faded. What was beautiful now ominous and sad, chunks

644
00:42:07,080 --> 00:42:11,040
Speaker 1: of stone scattered across the street. They were almost free

645
00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:13,120
Speaker 1: of the grids like layout of the streets when a

646
00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:16,640
Speaker 1: rover barreled towards them. Tilda slipped on the pavement, her

647
00:42:16,680 --> 00:42:19,400
Speaker 1: breath hitching. She made to turn down a side street,

648
00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:22,160
Speaker 1: but the vehicle didn't even slow as it passed them.

649
00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:27,839
Speaker 1: DC came alive, lights, blazing cars, speeding pass voices and electricity,

650
00:42:28,160 --> 00:42:32,080
Speaker 1: a still functioning heart in a dying body. Tilda didn't

651
00:42:32,160 --> 00:42:34,440
Speaker 1: stop to fathom on what she had put in motion,

652
00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:38,160
Speaker 1: on what it would mean for the future. Nothing mattered

653
00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:43,000
Speaker 1: that getting Madison free of this The city fell away

654
00:42:43,680 --> 00:42:46,279
Speaker 1: through design, Tilda had led them away from the main

655
00:42:46,360 --> 00:42:49,839
Speaker 1: highways to a battered road snaking alongside a river, an

656
00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:53,720
Speaker 1: orb of silver shimmering on the water's surface. In the quiet,

657
00:42:53,840 --> 00:42:56,920
Speaker 1: Tilda could hear Madison's gasping breath over the frogs and

658
00:42:57,000 --> 00:43:01,399
Speaker 1: owls and cicadas, reeds rustling in the soft wind. Though

659
00:43:01,440 --> 00:43:04,439
Speaker 1: no words passed between them. Tilda and Madison both getted

660
00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:08,240
Speaker 1: to a step, simultaneously, bent over at the waste panting.

661
00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:12,600
Speaker 1: An indeterminate amount of time passed, the river murmuring as

662
00:43:12,680 --> 00:43:15,839
Speaker 1: they caught their breath. Mother and son mirrored each other,

663
00:43:16,040 --> 00:43:21,520
Speaker 1: hunched over, heaving cicadas hummed all around them, water murmured,

664
00:43:22,120 --> 00:43:25,640
Speaker 1: the burn faded, and her breath returned. She straightened, taking

665
00:43:25,719 --> 00:43:28,839
Speaker 1: Madison's hand, and they walked along the river. The see

666
00:43:28,880 --> 00:43:32,400
Speaker 1: a backdrop behind them, a grim amusement park against the inky,

667
00:43:32,480 --> 00:43:36,480
Speaker 1: black sky enveloping them. They walked away from the shattered

668
00:43:36,520 --> 00:43:39,520
Speaker 1: pieces of society, all that remained of what they were,

669
00:43:40,040 --> 00:43:44,720
Speaker 1: and into the wilderness. Thoughts, fuzzy and unformed. Vague notions

670
00:43:44,719 --> 00:43:47,640
Speaker 1: of taking Madison to meet her parents gave way to

671
00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:50,040
Speaker 1: her grasping something that had been niggling at the back

672
00:43:50,080 --> 00:43:53,640
Speaker 1: of her brain without her even realizing it. Madison had

673
00:43:53,680 --> 00:43:55,719
Speaker 1: yet to point out any of the wildlife around them.

674
00:43:56,120 --> 00:43:58,920
Speaker 1: It was so unkeeping with him that she faltered her step.

675
00:44:00,400 --> 00:44:03,480
Speaker 1: Tilda squeezed his hand inquisitively, and his face turned up

676
00:44:03,480 --> 00:44:06,800
Speaker 1: to her as deep in thought. Half afraid to ask,

677
00:44:07,040 --> 00:44:12,000
Speaker 1: she prompted, what are you thinking about? She expected questions

678
00:44:12,040 --> 00:44:16,000
Speaker 1: about his father, his grandparents, the future, but she didn't

679
00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:20,120
Speaker 1: get any of that. Where did my name come? From

680
00:44:20,640 --> 00:44:23,799
Speaker 1: Tilda stared into his hazel eyes, moonlight dancing off of them,

681
00:44:24,080 --> 00:44:28,840
Speaker 1: and fell down a rabbit hole memories. She remembered the isolation,

682
00:44:29,200 --> 00:44:34,320
Speaker 1: the nurses, cold, taking vitals, making sure she ate correctly,

683
00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:37,759
Speaker 1: the constant coros with fear, as her stomach expanded and

684
00:44:37,800 --> 00:44:42,280
Speaker 1: she felt tiny feet kicking inside her. Her door was locked.

685
00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:47,720
Speaker 1: She tried it. Two enforcers stood guard outside. She twisted

686
00:44:47,719 --> 00:44:53,279
Speaker 1: her hands, screaming and pain. No one comforted her. The

687
00:44:53,320 --> 00:44:55,520
Speaker 1: baby was out of her and gone before she could

688
00:44:55,520 --> 00:44:58,200
Speaker 1: see clearly, before she was entirely sure she was alive.

689
00:44:59,480 --> 00:45:04,600
Speaker 1: But they brought him back. He was tiny. Tilda was scared,

690
00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:09,359
Speaker 1: terrified to hold him, but she did, arms shaking as

691
00:45:09,400 --> 00:45:13,160
Speaker 1: the nurses taught her clinical how to feed him. They

692
00:45:13,160 --> 00:45:16,680
Speaker 1: took him away and brought him back, no words, no explanation.

693
00:45:17,360 --> 00:45:20,319
Speaker 1: Her fear left her. She craved the feel of him

694
00:45:20,360 --> 00:45:23,200
Speaker 1: in her arms, his wide, round eyes blinking around the

695
00:45:23,239 --> 00:45:26,880
Speaker 1: room and settling on her face, hazel orbs, absent of

696
00:45:26,920 --> 00:45:31,239
Speaker 1: the judgment she got from everyone else, just curious, trusting.

697
00:45:32,840 --> 00:45:38,160
Speaker 1: She loved him, loved him so powerfully, so strongly, that

698
00:45:38,360 --> 00:45:43,560
Speaker 1: everything else felt dim, far away. She hated when they

699
00:45:43,600 --> 00:45:47,279
Speaker 1: took him away. He was hers, and when he was gone,

700
00:45:47,360 --> 00:45:51,680
Speaker 1: it left a gaping chasm in her side. What's his name,

701
00:45:52,320 --> 00:45:55,719
Speaker 1: she finally asked, rocking him in her arms, taking in

702
00:45:55,760 --> 00:45:58,680
Speaker 1: the tuft of brown hair and tiny fingers wrapping around

703
00:45:58,719 --> 00:46:04,799
Speaker 1: her thumb. Madison no reason why they had given him

704
00:46:04,800 --> 00:46:07,799
Speaker 1: a name, didn't even consult her, didn't even tell her,

705
00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:11,320
Speaker 1: just took away her baby and named him, waiting until

706
00:46:11,320 --> 00:46:13,960
Speaker 1: he was healthy enough to be given to someone else.

707
00:46:14,920 --> 00:46:18,080
Speaker 1: The nurses wanted him healthy. They were afraid of separating

708
00:46:18,120 --> 00:46:22,320
Speaker 1: him from his mother until his lungs matured. A year passed.

709
00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:26,080
Speaker 1: Every day her love flourishing, exponential growth, coupled with the

710
00:46:26,120 --> 00:46:28,319
Speaker 1: desperate horror of the day when the nurses would not

711
00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:32,600
Speaker 1: bring him back. He had trouble sleeping, waking every couple

712
00:46:32,640 --> 00:46:35,520
Speaker 1: of hours, shrieking, so they brought him to Tilda, who

713
00:46:35,520 --> 00:46:37,279
Speaker 1: would walk him to sleep and stay with him as

714
00:46:37,280 --> 00:46:42,640
Speaker 1: he slumbered. He slept better with Tilda, so they let him.

715
00:46:43,600 --> 00:46:46,600
Speaker 1: One night, Tilda waited until the guard only one at night,

716
00:46:46,880 --> 00:46:49,080
Speaker 1: had wandered off in search of snacks, or to stave

717
00:46:49,160 --> 00:46:52,120
Speaker 1: off boredom, or something else so small and unimportant and

718
00:46:52,200 --> 00:46:56,160
Speaker 1: significant and crucial. But Tilda had been testing the door.

719
00:46:56,840 --> 00:47:01,839
Speaker 1: It wasn't locked anymore. Laziness or forgetfulness, such a tiny thing.

720
00:47:03,200 --> 00:47:05,960
Speaker 1: She crept into the hall, holding Madison to her, awaiting

721
00:47:06,080 --> 00:47:08,560
Speaker 1: her arms as well as on our shoulders. Just the

722
00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:11,480
Speaker 1: right amount to tipper over the edge, the courage or

723
00:47:11,520 --> 00:47:14,080
Speaker 1: the audacity or whatever that made people tick to do

724
00:47:14,160 --> 00:47:17,000
Speaker 1: things that they do, to start a journey of hunger

725
00:47:17,040 --> 00:47:23,040
Speaker 1: and cold and dark, insecurity and uncertainty her birthright. She

726
00:47:23,080 --> 00:47:25,879
Speaker 1: smashed the glass over the emergency switch and yanked it down.

727
00:47:26,520 --> 00:47:30,400
Speaker 1: An ibnoxious siren and flashing light flared to life. In

728
00:47:30,520 --> 00:47:33,640
Speaker 1: all the confusion, she took the emergency staircase, surrounded by

729
00:47:33,680 --> 00:47:36,880
Speaker 1: mothers and nurses and doctors, keeping herself at the fringe

730
00:47:36,920 --> 00:47:41,480
Speaker 1: and slipping away once they were outside, and spouting theories, speculating, speculating,

731
00:47:41,520 --> 00:47:44,160
Speaker 1: as Tilda summon the fortitude to turn her back on

732
00:47:44,239 --> 00:47:46,800
Speaker 1: them and walk into the unknown with a baby, a

733
00:47:46,880 --> 00:47:49,480
Speaker 1: baby she didn't know, didn't believe she could care for,

734
00:47:50,080 --> 00:47:53,600
Speaker 1: but could not separate from her very being. The shades

735
00:47:53,640 --> 00:47:57,080
Speaker 1: of feelings, doubt, self hatred, and adequacies threatened to flood

736
00:47:57,080 --> 00:48:02,040
Speaker 1: her senses, but Madison's hand anchored her for the first

737
00:48:02,080 --> 00:48:05,399
Speaker 1: time in her life, Tilda truly felt like a mother.

738
00:48:06,680 --> 00:48:10,040
Speaker 1: A sense of serendity pervaded her senses. She smiled as

739
00:48:10,080 --> 00:48:12,760
Speaker 1: the knot in her stomach she'd grown accustomed to loosened,

740
00:48:12,880 --> 00:48:16,759
Speaker 1: and she sighed in rapturous relief. Madison watched her with

741
00:48:16,840 --> 00:48:22,359
Speaker 1: expectant eyes. The nurses told me your name. I guess

742
00:48:22,480 --> 00:48:26,480
Speaker 1: Darla gave it to you. Nibbling his lip, Madison pressed,

743
00:48:27,320 --> 00:48:32,120
Speaker 1: what would you have named me? Tilda stopped slowly kneeling

744
00:48:32,160 --> 00:48:37,200
Speaker 1: before him. Her eyes drank him in, studying, scrutinizing, memorizing.

745
00:48:37,840 --> 00:48:41,480
Speaker 1: With her fingers, she traced his eyebrows, his nose, his jawline,

746
00:48:41,760 --> 00:48:44,480
Speaker 1: his ear. She tipped up his chin, and tugged a

747
00:48:44,480 --> 00:48:47,880
Speaker 1: strand of his hair, all while Madison watched her anxiously,

748
00:48:47,880 --> 00:48:50,200
Speaker 1: awaiting the verdict, as though this was a test that

749
00:48:50,280 --> 00:48:54,080
Speaker 1: he needed to pass, that something so horrendous could lead

750
00:48:54,080 --> 00:48:59,120
Speaker 1: to the creation of something so beautiful, so perfect. Tentatively,

751
00:48:59,239 --> 00:49:01,680
Speaker 1: he reached out with his own fingers, trailing them over

752
00:49:01,719 --> 00:49:04,800
Speaker 1: the sowreds on her cheeks. Tears strewed from her eyes,

753
00:49:04,880 --> 00:49:08,799
Speaker 1: the moonlight making them tiny crystals. Tilda brought her other

754
00:49:08,880 --> 00:49:11,799
Speaker 1: hand up and cut his face. I can't think of

755
00:49:11,840 --> 00:49:15,080
Speaker 1: a name good enough, she admitted with a breathy laugh.

756
00:49:16,239 --> 00:49:20,319
Speaker 1: Madison sobbed, and she hugged him tightly to her. After

757
00:49:20,360 --> 00:49:23,400
Speaker 1: a long moment, they stood, A bird glided past the

758
00:49:23,400 --> 00:49:27,520
Speaker 1: noon and over the river, racing its reflection. Tilda didn't

759
00:49:27,560 --> 00:49:30,080
Speaker 1: know the consequences of her actions, didn't know what the

760
00:49:30,080 --> 00:49:32,520
Speaker 1: future held for the human race and how she had

761
00:49:32,560 --> 00:49:35,760
Speaker 1: shaped it. She couldn't know that at that very moment

762
00:49:35,840 --> 00:49:40,560
Speaker 1: the tide was shifting, people were mobilizing. Violence would come first,

763
00:49:41,400 --> 00:49:45,279
Speaker 1: then hope. Her shoulder ached from where the glass had

764
00:49:45,280 --> 00:49:50,759
Speaker 1: sliced it, but it would heal. Tilda took Madison's hand.

765
00:49:51,120 --> 00:50:19,200
Speaker 1: They walked, following the road into the night. And that

766
00:50:19,239 --> 00:50:23,000
Speaker 1: brings us to the end of part one. As I said,

767
00:50:23,080 --> 00:50:27,000
Speaker 1: I did end up writing two more books in this series,

768
00:50:27,360 --> 00:50:29,439
Speaker 1: which we will share. Both of them are shorter, though

769
00:50:29,800 --> 00:50:31,600
Speaker 1: they still were nano rhimo books, so they must have

770
00:50:31,640 --> 00:50:35,080
Speaker 1: fit that criteria, but they're shorter than this one. I

771
00:50:35,160 --> 00:50:37,600
Speaker 1: had a lot of steam on this one. The next

772
00:50:37,600 --> 00:50:43,160
Speaker 1: two I was like, oh, I a trilogy here. Yeah,

773
00:50:43,200 --> 00:50:47,279
Speaker 1: I did a trilogy, which sometimes when you learn there's

774
00:50:47,280 --> 00:50:48,759
Speaker 1: like a second one, you're like, oh no, wait, I

775
00:50:48,760 --> 00:50:52,560
Speaker 1: thought it wrapped up kind of nicely, what like, yes,

776
00:50:53,160 --> 00:50:57,120
Speaker 1: there are two more? Wow, Yeah, but I can definitely

777
00:50:57,200 --> 00:50:59,520
Speaker 1: see it was something. When I was reading this, I

778
00:50:59,560 --> 00:51:02,560
Speaker 1: was like, Okay, as I was going over this chapter

779
00:51:02,600 --> 00:51:04,359
Speaker 1: and a lot of times Christina gets like my live

780
00:51:04,440 --> 00:51:09,120
Speaker 1: reaction when I'm reading it, like oh no, forgot about

781
00:51:09,120 --> 00:51:12,200
Speaker 1: that that I was trying to deal with my own

782
00:51:12,600 --> 00:51:15,800
Speaker 1: my own traumas and insecurities, and I was really projecting

783
00:51:16,480 --> 00:51:19,719
Speaker 1: onto this main character and this idea that we've talked

784
00:51:19,719 --> 00:51:22,680
Speaker 1: about a lot about motherhood and being the perfect mother

785
00:51:22,840 --> 00:51:25,880
Speaker 1: and feeling like a mother or not, because that's what

786
00:51:25,920 --> 00:51:27,640
Speaker 1: the character was going through this whole time, is feeling

787
00:51:27,640 --> 00:51:32,320
Speaker 1: like she's not mother, which I have not had kids,

788
00:51:32,440 --> 00:51:34,600
Speaker 1: So it's fascinating to me that that's what I wrote.

789
00:51:34,640 --> 00:51:37,680
Speaker 1: But we do see that everywhere, and John was like this,

790
00:51:37,880 --> 00:51:40,759
Speaker 1: like horror, this is more of a thriller, but you

791
00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:44,680
Speaker 1: do see it all over the place. But I just

792
00:51:44,760 --> 00:51:46,400
Speaker 1: it made it gave me pause where I was like,

793
00:51:46,440 --> 00:51:49,399
Speaker 1: oh so I thought like that's that would be how

794
00:51:49,400 --> 00:51:51,400
Speaker 1: you be the perfect mother or like, I don't know,

795
00:51:51,440 --> 00:51:56,200
Speaker 1: it was interesting. It was interesting. So just to keith

796
00:51:56,239 --> 00:51:58,400
Speaker 1: that in mind, I did write it right, out of

797
00:51:58,440 --> 00:52:01,319
Speaker 1: college and I didn't know it. I'm not saying it's

798
00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:03,239
Speaker 1: like horrible, but there were just some lines in there.

799
00:52:03,280 --> 00:52:05,799
Speaker 1: I was like, oh, I feel like this is kind

800
00:52:05,800 --> 00:52:08,920
Speaker 1: of like toxic thinking that I was framing as like

801
00:52:08,960 --> 00:52:12,920
Speaker 1: a positive type of thinking. But we all learn and

802
00:52:12,920 --> 00:52:17,759
Speaker 1: we grow, right, that's long ways change. This is right

803
00:52:17,800 --> 00:52:21,279
Speaker 1: when I started the show that same year I wrote this,

804
00:52:21,760 --> 00:52:24,840
Speaker 1: so I was I was in the process of great change.

805
00:52:25,160 --> 00:52:26,759
Speaker 1: But yeah, I don't know if we're going to take

806
00:52:26,760 --> 00:52:28,480
Speaker 1: a break or a lung stright into the next one.

807
00:52:28,840 --> 00:52:32,040
Speaker 1: But as always, if we if you have any suggestions

808
00:52:32,080 --> 00:52:33,440
Speaker 1: for things we can do that are in the public

809
00:52:33,440 --> 00:52:36,520
Speaker 1: domain that might be fun, because we do like doing these.

810
00:52:36,560 --> 00:52:39,359
Speaker 1: They are more work. Christina is a wizard and has

811
00:52:39,360 --> 00:52:41,800
Speaker 1: made this possible. So thank you, thank you, thank you, Christina.

812
00:52:42,640 --> 00:52:45,359
Speaker 1: But if you have any we do like doing them.

813
00:52:45,360 --> 00:52:47,600
Speaker 1: They are fun, They're way we could mix some things up,

814
00:52:48,200 --> 00:52:50,839
Speaker 1: so let us know. You can email us at stuff Medium, moom,

815
00:52:50,880 --> 00:52:53,439
Speaker 1: stuff at iHeartMedia dot com. You find us on Twitter

816
00:52:53,480 --> 00:52:56,000
Speaker 1: at mom Stuff podcast, or on Instagram and TikTok at stuff.

817
00:52:56,000 --> 00:52:58,360
Speaker 1: One never told you. We have a tea public store

818
00:52:58,440 --> 00:53:01,640
Speaker 1: and we have a book that got published that you

819
00:53:01,800 --> 00:53:04,200
Speaker 1: can't read, you can find it stuff you should read

820
00:53:04,200 --> 00:53:07,520
Speaker 1: books dot com. Thanks as always, Yes you are super

821
00:53:07,520 --> 00:53:11,200
Speaker 1: producer Christina, our executive producer Maya, and your contributor Joey.

822
00:53:11,560 --> 00:53:13,680
Speaker 1: Thank you and thanks to you for listening and for

823
00:53:13,719 --> 00:53:17,560
Speaker 1: coming along this ride. Yeah, Stepmom Never told his production

824
00:53:17,600 --> 00:53:19,399
Speaker 1: of My Heart Radio. For more podcast from My Heart Radio,

825
00:53:19,400 --> 00:53:21,080
Speaker 1: you can check out the Heart Radio ap Apple podcast,

826
00:53:21,160 --> 00:53:22,840
Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,