1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:07,360 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Anny and Samantha and welcome to stuff 2 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:19,440 Speaker 1: Will Never Told You prediction of iHeartRadio. And we are 3 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 1: back with our first edition of Sminty Fiction of twenty 4 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: twenty five. That's exciting. We are in the third part 5 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: of the Terminus trilogy, so you can start here if 6 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:34,599 Speaker 1: you want. I'm not going to tell you what to do, 7 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: but you'll probably be very confused. So I also really 8 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 1: appreciate the people who've been writing in about it. Who 9 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: some of you are doing kind of like the listening 10 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: once per month. Some of you are binging like per 11 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: like per book. I love that. I think that's great. 12 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: But yes, this is something we do generally once a 13 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: month that it has more soundscape. Being Christina makes them amazing, 14 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: So thank you always to Christina. And they are really 15 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 1: fun to do. That being said, they're kind of dark, 16 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 1: and I get it if it's not your thing. I'm 17 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 1: somebody for some reason seems to like apocalyptic things when 18 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:21,040 Speaker 1: everything feels terrible. 19 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 2: But I think this is going to be a psychological 20 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 2: study on you soon. 21 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, Why does she keep playing the Last 22 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: of Us too? Even though she cries miserably every time? 23 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 3: Why she thinks about it for days on end and 24 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 3: still cries about it. 25 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: And then she's sometimes here's some kind of guitar note 26 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: and just starts crying because it reminds her of the 27 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: last of Us. 28 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 2: And then our friend says that going, she's fine. She 29 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 2: really loves she loves a song I do. 30 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 4: Oh my gosh. 31 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: Anyway, I'm very excited about that. I'm sure that's no 32 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: surprise to anyone. But yeah, they're kind of dark. So 33 00:01:55,080 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: content warning for disease. Uh, it's pretty apocalyptic scenario, kidnapping, injury, 34 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: and painkillers. There's nothing too graphic in this chapter, but 35 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: just to put it out there that is present. And 36 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: the way that we do these, because I kind of 37 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: had to remind myself of the format, is we give 38 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: the quick recap, go into the fiction. At the end, 39 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 1: we have a very brief discussion. This is something I 40 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: wrote for National Novel Writing Month, so I like revisiting 41 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: them because it tells me where my head was at 42 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:37,639 Speaker 1: the time, especially as not a mother. I'm very fascinated 43 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: that I wrote this trilogy, but I remember where I 44 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: was when I wrote this one in term I wrote 45 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: this in a car. This is like the shortest one 46 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 1: of the three, but I do like where it goes, 47 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: so hopefully you all will too if you need a recap, 48 00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: which I totally understand. This story takes place in a 49 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: world where there is a virus that has pretty much 50 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: estimated the human population. It is basically, once you have sex, 51 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: if you didn't, if the person question didn't get pregnant, 52 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: you're not gonna get pregnant. And so government institutions and 53 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 1: this religious organization called arm ARM has taken over the 54 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:27,639 Speaker 1: United States pretty much, and they control when you can 55 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 1: have tried to have kids, They control who you're partnered with, 56 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: They control if a kid is born, where they go. 57 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: Our main character, Tilda, had a baby illegally named Madison, 58 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 1: and escaped with him because she didn't want to be 59 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: parted from him, and then they were on the run 60 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: from the government for many years before they ran into 61 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 1: resistance and learned that there was a vaccine, but arm 62 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: ARM had basically created the virus and then destroyed the 63 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: vaccine because they wanted to have power and believed people 64 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: were guilty. So Tilda ventures into Washington, d C. Where 65 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: there is one vaccine remaining, and learns that the leaders 66 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 1: of arm are the grandparents of person Madison. She then 67 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:24,600 Speaker 1: broadcasts all of these truths through their state broadcast system 68 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 1: and runs and they've been on the run for a 69 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: long time. 70 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 2: And then. 71 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 1: Some group in a tank came and kidnapped Madison and 72 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:43,040 Speaker 1: Tilda was grievously, grievously injured in it. And she has 73 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 1: lost Madison. She doesn't know what to do now. She 74 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 1: doesn't know where he is. She doesn't know who she 75 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 1: is without him, because her whole life has been defined 76 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: by him. So that's where we are. She's in a 77 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,040 Speaker 1: dark place, she's really injured. She doesn't know what to do. 78 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 2: This does sound familiar? 79 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 1: It does? I swear I wrote this footboo. Anyway, let 80 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: us get into the fiction. When Tilda woke, the room 81 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 1: was light, much lighter than she was used to upon waking. 82 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: For a long time, she didn't move, swathed in a 83 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: cocoon of warmth and temporary reprieve from pain, Lurking at 84 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:41,839 Speaker 1: the edges of her consciousness waiting to pounce. Birds chirped loudly, 85 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: dragging her back from sleep. Every time she almost drifted 86 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: back into it again. Eventually, she blinked awake, laying there 87 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 1: for another stretch of time, gathering the strength to face 88 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:58,040 Speaker 1: leaving her blanket, getting up standing, facing another day without Madison, 89 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: she sat up the comforter, sliding from her top half 90 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 1: and exposing her to the frisk, stinging of cool air. 91 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 1: Her muscles pulled practically every part of her sore. Tilda 92 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: started cataloging her body's aches and demands. Her lips were chapped, 93 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: her face pulsing, her throat dry, Her wrist, knee, and 94 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: ankle felt like they were on fire, but all of 95 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:27,040 Speaker 1: that was diminished by the sharp throb of her ribs, 96 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:32,839 Speaker 1: not to mention the stiffness plaguing her entire body. She 97 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: reached for her bag and once again pulled out her 98 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 1: water and a granola bar, though the thought of eating 99 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 1: did not appeal to her, and the bottle of painkillers, 100 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 1: taking out three and putting the bottle back, swishing them 101 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: down with some water. Judging by the light it was 102 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: almost noon. She'd slept quite a long time. She needed 103 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: to get going, but still eating too quickly would be 104 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: a mistake, so she munched on her granola, taking a 105 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:04,279 Speaker 1: sip of water in between each bite. The food tasted 106 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: bland in her mouth. For a moment, she studied her foot. 107 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 1: The swelling had gone down, but it was still noticeably 108 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: larger than its twin, but there was no way around it. 109 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 1: Tilda pulled out her right shoe, sighing heavily when saying, 110 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: she wiggled and wedged her two large foot into the shoe, 111 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: tying the laces as tight as her ankle would allow. 112 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: Once finished, she removed the blanket, not allowing herself to linger. 113 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 1: Now that she'd wasted half the light of the day 114 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: and stood like a toddler still getting used to being 115 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: upright on their own. Her legs were numb, waking them 116 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: up problematic with the sprained ankle, so she just careened 117 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 1: to the door, the flow of blood waking up her legs. 118 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: Tilda stepped out into the light, squinting at the brightness, 119 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,560 Speaker 1: wishing she had time to search these houses for supplies, 120 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: even be a working car, But experience had taught her 121 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 1: not to count on such a stroke of luck, and 122 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: if the house she'd crashed in last night was any 123 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 1: indication the residents of this town had taken all of 124 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 1: their useful belongings when they had left their homes, she 125 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: retraced her steps back onto the highway. The pain more 126 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 1: bearable than the day before, and reflecting in her marshly 127 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:26,119 Speaker 1: increased pace. The downside of this was that it freed 128 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 1: up space in her brain to concoct horrible scenarios of 129 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: Madison's fate, to worry about her lack of plans or resources, 130 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 1: the possibility that she'd never find him. How long, she wondered, 131 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 1: would it take for her to give up finding him? 132 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 1: Could she? Ever? In contrast to her thoughts, the day 133 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:50,199 Speaker 1: was a bright one. It took a surprisingly long time 134 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 1: for her to reach the outskirts of Shawsville, as indicated 135 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 1: by the sign thanks for visiting. The town center itself 136 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:00,160 Speaker 1: was tiny, but the boundary of the town extended far 137 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,439 Speaker 1: after any signs that living did. All against the backdrop 138 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: of mountains in the distance, The road unrolled before her, 139 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 1: following the trend of flight of a straightaway, only serving 140 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:14,080 Speaker 1: to up the feeling of exposure. At this point, With 141 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 1: her son snatched from her arms, her fear felt largely diminished. 142 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:22,680 Speaker 1: What else could they take? They'd taken the only thing 143 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:28,679 Speaker 1: that truly mattered her life was of little consequence without him. No, 144 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 1: the fear she felt now was for Madison of what 145 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 1: was happening to him and the wife that awaited him 146 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: is she never found him. It amazed her how much 147 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 1: less afraid she felt without him by her side, indicating 148 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 1: to her that most of the fear she felt stemmed 149 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:49,840 Speaker 1: from her fear of not being able to keep him safe. 150 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: Tilda hoped he knew she was looking for him, that 151 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:59,679 Speaker 1: she would never give up finding him. There was no 152 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: sovization as far as she could see, which made her 153 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:04,839 Speaker 1: prospects of finding a place to shelter tonight much less 154 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:08,480 Speaker 1: any sign of the people who took Madison. The benefit 155 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 1: of this was that she had to assume, given that 156 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: no roads branched off the main highway, that this was 157 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 1: the only path her child's captors could have taken. She 158 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:21,199 Speaker 1: kept an eye on the side of the road, looking 159 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 1: for any signs of the tank, but finding none. Belatedly, 160 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: she remembered her handgun. They must have taken it. Tilda 161 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:33,160 Speaker 1: had hazy memories of firing a bullet and a man falling, 162 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 1: and wondered if she could add another casualty to her 163 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:41,719 Speaker 1: growing list. To distract herself from the dark thoughts and 164 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:44,600 Speaker 1: confounding pain at Tilda attempted to come up with some 165 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 1: type of plan of what she would do given that 166 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 1: she found what she imagined to be a stronghold. Option one, 167 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 1: she figured was to sneak into this group, find her son, 168 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:00,400 Speaker 1: and sneak out. This was the best one she could 169 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: think of in her current situation, but it depended on 170 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:07,839 Speaker 1: a lot of luck. Tilda knew to not exist. She'd 171 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 1: have to observe her targets for several days at least 172 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 1: to get an idea of their schedule, their layout, the 173 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:16,839 Speaker 1: location of Madisone, and how many people between him and her, 174 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:20,960 Speaker 1: And that was just getting in. She imagined that they'd 175 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 1: realize fairly quickly he was missing, and they'd be easily trackable. 176 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: She'd have to have an escape plan in place. Option two, 177 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 1: even less palatable, was that she found some way to 178 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:36,760 Speaker 1: stage an attack and over distraction. The only way this 179 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:40,079 Speaker 1: could work was if she happened to find some weapons 180 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 1: and whatever she'd need for this distraction. The men and 181 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:46,960 Speaker 1: women that had assaulted her left the little room for 182 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:50,959 Speaker 1: her to entertain this as a possible reality. They'd been 183 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 1: heavily armed and much stronger than her, not to mention 184 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: the simple fact that they outnumbered her. Option three, and 185 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:02,800 Speaker 1: in her mind, the best option, was a combination of 186 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:06,840 Speaker 1: these two a distraction plus hopefully a weapon and stealth. 187 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:11,200 Speaker 1: All of this was underscored by the belief that she had, 188 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 1: in actuality no chance of success. But those types of 189 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 1: thoughts were not conducive to her general health, and carrying 190 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 1: on it was unthinkable, so instead she kept going making 191 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:29,360 Speaker 1: plans she knew would never come to fruition. She'd use 192 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 1: phrases like these to try and jumpstart in an intelligent 193 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:35,960 Speaker 1: string of thoughts if I were smart eyed, if I 194 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: were a resourceful eyed, but nothing would come to fill 195 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:44,560 Speaker 1: in the blanks, so she was left feeling unintelligent and 196 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:49,240 Speaker 1: not so resourceful. As the sun lowered in the sky, 197 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 1: her environment remained so unchanged. Tilda glance behind her to 198 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 1: make sure that she had in fact put some distance 199 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 1: between her and Shawsville, that she wasn't stuck in some 200 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:02,000 Speaker 1: sort of time loop, or that maybe she'd actually collapsed 201 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 1: miles back and she was hallucinating this right now. But no, 202 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 1: despite appearances, she had put a significant distance between her 203 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 1: and Shawsville, the road was just so flats and her 204 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: surroundings so similar it looked as if she'd gotten nowhere. Still, 205 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:22,840 Speaker 1: she could see nothing in front of her as far 206 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 1: as she could make out. It had been a long time, 207 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 1: years since she'd been alone with herself, for so long 208 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 1: since her thoughts had been untethered from the little person 209 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:39,280 Speaker 1: next to her, and his knees, his questions, his barry. 210 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 1: Being there, it made her realize how much her skin 211 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: crawled at the thought of herself without him, of having 212 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:50,520 Speaker 1: to justify her existence without him, to whom she didn't know. 213 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 1: It made her realize how little she knew about herself, 214 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 1: about who and what she was, not that she hadn't 215 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 1: had plenty tea of chances for introspection these seven years 216 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:06,560 Speaker 1: traveling on a near silent road with Madison, because she 217 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:10,959 Speaker 1: certainly had, but it had always been linked to Madison. 218 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: He'd always been there as a safety net when her 219 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 1: thoughts started to turn darker even difficult. Now she had 220 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 1: no distraction. It was only her and her thoughts and 221 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 1: the way that they itched under her skin. Old memories 222 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 1: of her parents dredged themselves up, even of friends she 223 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 1: had had that she hadn't given a second thought to 224 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:41,920 Speaker 1: once she'd given birth to Madison. Tilda wondered if her 225 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 1: life had been different if she'd never had Madison. Where 226 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: she'd be now. Would she be safe with her family? 227 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 1: Would she have had a kid and through the proper channels, 228 00:14:55,160 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 1: gotten custody of him or her? The sensation of being 229 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 1: incomplete hung over her like an apparition. What kind of 230 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 1: person was she? She'd never had a chance to really 231 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:13,800 Speaker 1: grow into a whole human being, and Madison had usurped 232 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,520 Speaker 1: that space before she had the opportunity to build it 233 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: out herself, and now it was empty, a gaping hole. 234 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 1: She was a mindless robot. She was nothing but what 235 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:31,360 Speaker 1: this world had molded her into, an empty shell given 236 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: purpose by the child. She'd been without reason and against 237 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:39,920 Speaker 1: all odds, granted. Tears were streaming down her face long 238 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 1: before she realized it. She didn't bother to wipe them away. 239 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 1: The hawk flew overhead, and she watched it glide smoothly 240 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 1: into the blue sky ahead of her. Madison was immune, 241 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:59,800 Speaker 1: she thought, suddenly, Madison was immune to HSB five, and 242 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 1: that meant he had a chance at a family. Tilda's 243 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: steps quickened even as the road was bleakly unchanging around her, 244 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 1: and as far as her eyes could make out, as 245 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: the sun was setting, Tilda was looking alongside the road 246 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: for a place to camp for the night. She could 247 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 1: just barely make out the skyline of a small city 248 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 1: still several miles off in the distance, but she had 249 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:28,800 Speaker 1: zero chance of making it there before nightfall. It had 250 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 1: been a while since she'd been forced to sleep outdoors, 251 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 1: and doing so while recovering from injuries in the winter 252 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:38,960 Speaker 1: caused dread to infurl in her stomach. She knew with 253 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: bitter familiarity how low the temperatures dropped at night. Nothing 254 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 1: for it, she thought, grimly, searching at the very least 255 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 1: for cps of trees or bushes that could provide her 256 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 1: some cover. Strokes of vivid pinks and oranges painted the sky, 257 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 1: the light of soft and dewy gold, the clouds tufts 258 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:04,399 Speaker 1: of purple. Annoyed at herself for wasting so much to 259 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 1: light by sleeping in, Tilda hobbled off to the left 260 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:10,439 Speaker 1: side of the road, past some stripped cars and towards 261 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:14,119 Speaker 1: a small gripping of trees near a slowly spinning air turbine, 262 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:18,960 Speaker 1: which now looked ghostly shadowed by the setting sun. The 263 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:22,600 Speaker 1: ground crunched beneath her shoes, the browning grass crisped with 264 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:27,920 Speaker 1: frosts and frozen underneath already cold fingers curled around her 265 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 1: feet with every step, crawling further and further up her 266 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:34,400 Speaker 1: calf as Tilda encroached on the patch of ground she'd 267 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:40,879 Speaker 1: be sleeping on this chilly night. She missed music, she thought, 268 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:45,080 Speaker 1: in that odd stream of consciousness way. Music made situations 269 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:48,360 Speaker 1: like this more bearable. A good song could even turn 270 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 1: this around into something, if not positive, not entirely negative either. 271 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:58,320 Speaker 1: Tilda glanced up at the wind turbine. It creaked as 272 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 1: the blades rotated slowly. Sometimes when she saw things like this, 273 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:07,440 Speaker 1: even though she'd never known this planet before HSB five, 274 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 1: she'd never known anything else or what things used to 275 00:18:11,359 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 1: be like, til it got the strangest sense she was 276 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:19,720 Speaker 1: on another planet, that Earth was spinning along somewhere, obliviously 277 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:24,719 Speaker 1: fine and unaware that there was this entire planet somewhere 278 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: masquerading as Earth, while the dying population of this imposter 279 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:32,960 Speaker 1: planet were none the wiser. How would they ever know? 280 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:37,400 Speaker 1: It was one of the odder things she called herself 281 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 1: thinking from time to time. She supposed it was comforting 282 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:45,920 Speaker 1: in the sense that somewhere humanity was still taking living 283 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 1: lives that were more comfortable and safe, but for this theory. 284 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 1: If it could be called that to be true, it 285 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:56,959 Speaker 1: would involve space travel, an even bigger cover up than 286 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 1: the one she's already uncovered, and the existence of two 287 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 1: habitable earth like planets. No, it didn't hold up to scrutiny. 288 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:11,200 Speaker 1: Tilda set her pack down at the gray, twisted trunk 289 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:14,359 Speaker 1: of the tree, farthest from the road she traveled a 290 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 1: good distance from the highway. The sun had set. Her 291 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:20,800 Speaker 1: breath flogged the air in front of her, and she 292 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:23,680 Speaker 1: knelt on. Clipping her sleeping bag and rolling it out, 293 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 1: she climbed in, propping herself up against the tree. She 294 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: pulled out her flashlight and switched it on, casting its 295 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:35,639 Speaker 1: light on her vicinity, the spotlight roving slowly over dying 296 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:39,000 Speaker 1: grass and reddish dirt, the sound of her breathing loud 297 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 1: in the night. With fumbling fingers, she located her nearly 298 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:47,320 Speaker 1: empty water bottle, the pink killers and muscle relaxans, and 299 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: some beef jerkey. After she downed the pills and opened 300 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:55,920 Speaker 1: the loudly crinkling plastic wrap of her dinner, she switched 301 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 1: off the light, wary of drawing unwanted attention to herself, 302 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 1: not only from any humans passing, but coyotes or wolves. 303 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:07,920 Speaker 1: She took her time chewing, putting off the moment when 304 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: she'd have to lay down because she knew she'd lie 305 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 1: awake for hours, listening and fear. The silence around her 306 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 1: felt heavy, like it wanted to swallow her whole. Biting 307 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:23,919 Speaker 1: off another piece of jerky, she looked up at the 308 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:28,840 Speaker 1: sky tonight, in inky blue, clear and dotted with bright stars. 309 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 1: She took them in as she ate, tracing any constellation 310 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: still faintly contained in her memory and creating new ones. Inevitably, 311 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:43,920 Speaker 1: her thoughts returned to Madison. He would have story after 312 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 1: story for her, detailing the conquests and journeys of the 313 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:51,159 Speaker 1: shapes he saw. He'd ask her what she saw and 314 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: listen attentively as she came up with the tale far 315 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 1: less imaginative than his. Tilda recalled the men, saying we 316 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 1: found them, which most likely meant that they did recognize 317 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 1: her in Madison as the pair the Resistance was looking for, unless, 318 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:10,920 Speaker 1: of course, she allowed with a shudder, it was the 319 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:14,360 Speaker 1: same group Jake and Ellis had hailed from looking for revenge. 320 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:17,439 Speaker 1: She found it hard to believe they would have owned 321 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:22,560 Speaker 1: a tank, and she consoled herself with that, but that 322 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:26,880 Speaker 1: meant they knew what Madison was worth, so they'd kidnapped 323 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:31,120 Speaker 1: him for the reward or for ransom, or did they 324 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:33,920 Speaker 1: know somehow that he had been vaccinated and planned to 325 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:36,680 Speaker 1: use his blood to try and mass produce the vaccine 326 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:40,359 Speaker 1: and effectively robbed the resistance of its newly won power. 327 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:44,760 Speaker 1: Tilda didn't know, and the not knowing was a breeding 328 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:48,440 Speaker 1: ground for the infectious fear rooted to her very existence. 329 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:51,439 Speaker 1: It was a different shade of fear than she was 330 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:55,479 Speaker 1: used to, the dull but constant roar that underpinned every 331 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 1: day with Madison by her side. This fear had cress 332 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: and troughs, sharp and unpredictable, enjoining her to curl in 333 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:08,399 Speaker 1: a ball and sob give up, fade away from this 334 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:11,639 Speaker 1: life into what one could only hope would be a 335 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:17,480 Speaker 1: better one. This fear was cruel. It reduced her to 336 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:23,600 Speaker 1: a creature relying on survival instincts, desperate for something to 337 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:29,040 Speaker 1: hold at bay the terror screaming for her annihilation, threatening 338 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:34,159 Speaker 1: to consume her soul. Tilda started to sing softly, warbly 339 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 1: in the night, a song she remembered her parents playing 340 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 1: in the living room when they would slow dance together, 341 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 1: her father dipping his wife, her mother's eyes closed in 342 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 1: the intimacy of the moment, twirling and crashing clumsily into 343 00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:52,919 Speaker 1: each other with much laughter. Their eyes lit up with it. 344 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:58,720 Speaker 1: At first, her voice was tentative and afraid, dropping out 345 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:01,879 Speaker 1: on every other note lost in the night, but as 346 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 1: she continued, it grew more sure, more confident. She imagined 347 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:08,880 Speaker 1: her parents spinning around each other in the living room, 348 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 1: and her watching, and Madison sitting next to her, a 349 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:16,240 Speaker 1: warm body in this cold night, and she gathered strength 350 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:22,680 Speaker 1: to stave off the hungry, hungry fear. The song ended, 351 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 1: but the spell it cast did not. The air around 352 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 1: her lighter and fortified. Somehow, all of her problems still 353 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:35,120 Speaker 1: waited stalking in the dark, but for now she was untouchable. 354 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: Tilda slid down into her sleeping bag, taking care of 355 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:44,199 Speaker 1: her tender side, knee, and ankle until she was completely ensconced, 356 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:47,120 Speaker 1: bringing her pack in with her and sipping the closure 357 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:49,679 Speaker 1: up over her head and leaving only a small opening 358 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:53,440 Speaker 1: for air. She settled the lumpy pack under her head 359 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:57,120 Speaker 1: as a makeshift pillow, The ground unforgiving and uneven under 360 00:23:57,119 --> 00:23:59,679 Speaker 1: her body, but soon enough she was something close to 361 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:03,680 Speaker 1: a warm. The sleeping bag was rated for subsure temperatures, 362 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:08,919 Speaker 1: she recalled. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Every so 363 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:11,640 Speaker 1: often a sound wouldcall some to shoot open and send 364 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:14,240 Speaker 1: a jolt of adrenaline pumping through her, and it would 365 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:16,919 Speaker 1: take her several minutes of focus listening to calm her 366 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 1: racing heart. Soon enough, when the night settled around her, 367 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:27,120 Speaker 1: Tilda fell asleep. A beam of light pulled her from 368 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 1: her slumber after only a few hours. It took her 369 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 1: tired brains several seconds to put together that it was 370 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:36,199 Speaker 1: still pitch black outside and that the light she was 371 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:39,200 Speaker 1: seeing was coming from a slow moving vehicle shining through 372 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:44,159 Speaker 1: her sleeping bag. Not one, but several lights, she realized. 373 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 1: Muffled engine sounds reached her years. Tilda held her breath 374 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:53,840 Speaker 1: and remained still, willing them to pass, to not notice her. 375 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:59,360 Speaker 1: The cavalcades slowed as they passed, and Tilda could make 376 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: out faintful voices. Don't stop, don't stop, she begged her 377 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 1: pleas for once granted, the cars continued past on the highway, 378 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 1: heading in the same direction as she herself. Still not 379 00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:17,359 Speaker 1: daring to move, she wondered if they were part of 380 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:21,040 Speaker 1: the group that had attacked her earlier, and if they 381 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:23,480 Speaker 1: were looking for her, or if they were perhaps a 382 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:27,719 Speaker 1: part of the now defunct arm or the Resistance. Working 383 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:30,200 Speaker 1: cars were hard to come by these days, much less 384 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:34,359 Speaker 1: a handful of them, so whoever was operating them most 385 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:38,400 Speaker 1: likely would have the backing of an organization with access 386 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 1: to resources. Another wave of hopelessness crashed over her. Now 387 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:49,520 Speaker 1: she had potentially another sect of people to avoid. She 388 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 1: lay awake, still un listening for several hours before she 389 00:25:54,119 --> 00:26:22,199 Speaker 1: dozed off into an uneasy sleep. That brings us to 390 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:26,199 Speaker 1: the end of this entry of our fiction. We are 391 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: getting close. We're coming in on the end. I promise 392 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:32,399 Speaker 1: it's not always going to be as a gram as this, 393 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:35,760 Speaker 1: That's all I'll say. It's not always going to be 394 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:38,920 Speaker 1: this bad. It is funny to me, how often when 395 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:43,200 Speaker 1: I'm reading these for Christina, like I am really focused 396 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:46,520 Speaker 1: on the food you could find. It's always a Granola 397 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:48,200 Speaker 1: Bard water bottle. 398 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 3: I mean, with our apocalypse episode, I think about that often, 399 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:55,200 Speaker 3: about where we're going to find food and water. 400 00:26:55,680 --> 00:27:03,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, me too, And we jokingly, semi jokingly at least 401 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:06,880 Speaker 1: when we have snow in Atlanta, it is like that. 402 00:27:07,280 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 1: It's like everybody's clearing everything out. 403 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:13,560 Speaker 3: I called my partner the last time I went to 404 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 3: the grocery store, or not the last time, like right 405 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:18,280 Speaker 3: after the snow a few days like several days later, 406 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:20,439 Speaker 3: like it had been a minute, and I went in 407 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:23,399 Speaker 3: and things were empty, and I was concerned to the 408 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:24,960 Speaker 3: point that I was like, should we be worried? 409 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:28,920 Speaker 2: Is this the moment? Is this happening? Turns out the 410 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:30,120 Speaker 2: truck couldn't get here, but. 411 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:35,199 Speaker 1: Still, well, Also, I know you've had to deal with this. 412 00:27:35,359 --> 00:27:39,000 Speaker 1: Atlanta has had a lot of water main breaks lately. Yeah, 413 00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:41,520 Speaker 1: And one time I just happened to be at the 414 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:45,159 Speaker 1: store when one of them was ongoing. I didn't know 415 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:48,960 Speaker 1: it it happened yet, but I saw everybody like getting water, 416 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:50,879 Speaker 1: and I was just like, I better get some. I 417 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:52,320 Speaker 1: don't know why. 418 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 2: Something they're doing it, so I'm gonna do it. 419 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:00,200 Speaker 3: Hey, that's I'm not gonna lie the eggs when eggs 420 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:01,760 Speaker 3: work inticipated, I'm like, I might need to get into 421 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:03,639 Speaker 3: a large pack because usually I go for the twelve. 422 00:28:04,119 --> 00:28:08,439 Speaker 2: Maybe I need the twenty four. Where's that one? 423 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,919 Speaker 1: I had groceries delivered recently, and I had eggs on 424 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:12,639 Speaker 1: there and he took a picture and he was like, 425 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:18,240 Speaker 1: there are no wings. It made me laugh. I can 426 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:20,399 Speaker 1: definitely tell I wrote this when I broke my ankle, 427 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:25,679 Speaker 1: because there's a lot of descriptions of ankle injury and 428 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 1: pain there, and also my general struggles with sleep or 429 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:35,560 Speaker 1: a pair of Throughout there is a hawk throwback from 430 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:38,520 Speaker 1: the very first chapter, the Seeing of the Hawk, and 431 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:42,000 Speaker 1: it was a good I was reading it. I was like, 432 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: why did I mention this hawk? And I was like, oh, yeah, 433 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,800 Speaker 1: because that's how it started. And then I am very 434 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 1: curious about why I wrote this, what I was thinking 435 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:57,360 Speaker 1: about identity in motherhood. My mom actually read the first 436 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:01,320 Speaker 1: terminus and she brought it up with me and she 437 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 1: was like, I'm kind of it scares me how much 438 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:06,360 Speaker 1: a lot of what you wrote about and that is 439 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: sort of coming true. 440 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 4: And I was like, yeah, yeah, well, but that's what 441 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 4: we all tell ourselves anyway, That's what. 442 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 2: We tell ourselves. That's what we're telling ourselves. 443 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:32,080 Speaker 1: Yeah. Oh well, hopefully in this very unfine world, maybe 444 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:35,280 Speaker 1: this brought some kind of enjoyment or distraction for you 445 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:42,640 Speaker 1: as always, Yes, super producer, Christina, thank you for putting 446 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,160 Speaker 1: the work into the ease and if you have any 447 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:48,880 Speaker 1: suggestions our theories, if you have suggestions for something we 448 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:51,520 Speaker 1: can do in the public domain that would be fun, 449 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:54,960 Speaker 1: that would be that'd be great. We love experimenting. Or 450 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:56,920 Speaker 1: if you have any theories about what's going to happen here, 451 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:00,480 Speaker 1: or I just love hearing from people about it. You 452 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:03,080 Speaker 1: can contact us in many ways. You can email us 453 00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:05,600 Speaker 1: at Hello at stuff Whenever Told You dot com, or 454 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:08,520 Speaker 1: stuff via mom Stuff at iHeartMedia dot com. You can 455 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:11,160 Speaker 1: find us on Blue Sky at mom Stuff podcast, or 456 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:13,600 Speaker 1: on Instagram and TikTok and stuff one Never Told You 457 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 1: for us on YouTube. We have tea public store, and 458 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:18,360 Speaker 1: we have a book get wherever you get your books. 459 00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:21,440 Speaker 1: Thanks as always to our superproducer Christina, executive producer Maya, 460 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:24,280 Speaker 1: and your conturtor Joey. Thank you and thanks to you 461 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:26,880 Speaker 1: for listening Stuff Never Told You this prediction of iHeartRadio. 462 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:28,440 Speaker 1: For more podcast from my Heart Radio, you can check 463 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:30,120 Speaker 1: out the heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or where you 464 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:31,440 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.