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Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha.

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Speaker 2: I'm welcome to Stefan never told you a production of iHeartRadio,

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Speaker 2: and we're back with it's minty Fiction yay, which it

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Speaker 2: feels like forever even though it's literally only been one month.

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Speaker 2: But the last minty fiction was the finale of our

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Speaker 2: previous ongoing spanty fiction, Terminus. This is the start of

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Speaker 2: the sequel. I was pondering waiting and giving it some

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Speaker 2: more time, but I just was like, you know what,

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Speaker 2: let's keep going, go it all the way in, let's go. So, Yes,

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Speaker 2: this is the sequel to Terminus. We are trying to

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Speaker 2: do a playlist thing so that it makes it easier

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Speaker 2: if you want to go back, I can just listen

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Speaker 2: to all those episodes. We're trying to do it with

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Speaker 2: a couple of installments, including your religion. Yes, so let

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Speaker 2: us know if that's something you're interested in. I don't

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Speaker 2: think it's too hard to search out those things, but

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Speaker 2: if it's something we can make easier, we're happy.

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Speaker 1: To do it.

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Speaker 2: Yes, this is the sequel to Terminus. It will make

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Speaker 2: a lot more sense if you go back and listen

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Speaker 2: to all I think eighteen ish of th those but

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Speaker 2: I can't tell you what to do. Also, congratulations to

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Speaker 2: everyone who did Nano Ramo national novel writing Monks, or

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Speaker 2: didn't or tried.

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Speaker 1: I'm with you, my people who tried, I got it.

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Speaker 2: I got you because the first one was my first

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Speaker 2: attempt at Nana Ramo successful attempt. I'll say this was

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Speaker 2: my second one, and then there is a third. This

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Speaker 2: is a trilogy, but this is once a month thing.

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Speaker 2: If it's not your thing, it is continuing. I did

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Speaker 2: want to ask you this, Samantha. Have you ever had

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Speaker 2: the deeply terrifying moment of losing an entire document on

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Speaker 2: your computer?

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Speaker 1: Oh? Yes, oh terrible. But you know I come from

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Speaker 1: like pre internet, so.

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Speaker 2: Of course, so I've When I was in college, I

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Speaker 2: had my final paper got completely erased. To this day,

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Speaker 2: I still don't know how. It just wasn't there and

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Speaker 2: I had to rewrite it. And I actually think the

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Speaker 2: second one I wrote it was better. It was on

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Speaker 2: a completely different topic. Because I was like, never again,

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Speaker 2: well I talk about that, but this I actually lost

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Speaker 2: this first half of this entire document. Ooh yes, I

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Speaker 2: was able to recreate some of it, but imagine the

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Speaker 2: heartbreak of trying to write something during Nano Ramo and

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Speaker 2: then losing the first half.

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Speaker 1: About midway in. I would throw it.

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Speaker 2: So this one, as always with these, I just I'm look,

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Speaker 2: I'm gonna be real with you. I'm not gonna edit it.

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Speaker 2: I'm not. I might edit some of it. I feel

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Speaker 2: like atroduction, I feel like I'm making it sound like

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Speaker 2: it's terrible. It's not. But I just I don't. I

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Speaker 2: didn't edit the last one either, right, but this one

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Speaker 2: I did. I was reminded of some heartbreak going back

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Speaker 2: up looks like, oh yeah, I totally lost all of that. No,

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Speaker 2: I don't think it's that noticeable. But you're a free

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Speaker 2: to correct me if I'm wrong. Everybody everybody writes it

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Speaker 2: that's okay. I think it's good. I think it's good.

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Speaker 2: I'm sorry I'm building this up point too much. I

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Speaker 2: just I had forgotten that that happened to me, Samantha

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Speaker 2: until I was I'm sure.

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Speaker 1: That was traumatic. Even remembering it as traumatic.

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Speaker 2: It was really traumatic. This one is also called big

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Speaker 2: things to a small because yeah, I'm a nerd for titles.

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Speaker 2: As we've said, yeah, because he's.

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Speaker 1: So little so being literal.

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Speaker 2: It's both. It's both. That's what makes it good, so

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Speaker 2: all right, content warning for discussion of hunger illness disease,

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Speaker 2: being cold and miserable once again. The last of us

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Speaker 2: had not come out at this point. I'm kind of like,

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Speaker 2: I'm amazed at some of.

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Speaker 1: The Yeah you were a for thinker.

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Speaker 2: Well, something was going on. I don't know what it was,

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Speaker 2: So very quick recap again, please, I think it will

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Speaker 2: make more sense if you listen to the first installment.

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Speaker 2: But quick recap. There is an illness called HSV five

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Speaker 2: that has wiped out much of the human population. It

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Speaker 2: makes it so that people who can get pregnant can't

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Speaker 2: after the first time having penis and vagina sex, and

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Speaker 2: so if you don't get pregnant the first time, then

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Speaker 2: that's it, and the population is slowly dwindling. We follow

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Speaker 2: Tilda and her son Madison. Tilda got illegally pregnant outside

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Speaker 2: of conception center because she was supposed to go to

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Speaker 2: a conception center so they can monitor all that stuff.

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Speaker 2: And she's been on the run with her son, Madison

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Speaker 2: for seven years. She was a priority number one case

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Speaker 2: and was never sure why she was trying to escape

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Speaker 2: all these enforcers of the government. She met some allies

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Speaker 2: along the way, she discovered there was a resistance, but

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Speaker 2: they weren't quite what they thought she was. She learned

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Speaker 2: there was not a cure, but there was a vaccine. However,

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Speaker 2: the state, who is also kind of run by this

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Speaker 2: religious organization, had destroyed all but one, so she her

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Speaker 2: risk going into their headquarters to get the vaccine for

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Speaker 2: her son, and it's she realizes that they are the

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Speaker 2: paternal grandparents, and they have been saving the vaccine for

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Speaker 2: him and him alone because they believe the human population

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Speaker 2: is full of sin and should die, but not him.

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Speaker 2: But yes, oh yes, But then it culminates. He does

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Speaker 2: get the vaccine, Darla and the wife and this equation

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Speaker 2: gets shot accidentally and presumably dies till the main character

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Speaker 2: gets to their broadcast system that they used to send

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Speaker 2: out their kind of this is how you should behave

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Speaker 2: messages and tells them that there is a vaccine, tell

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Speaker 2: broadcast that there is a vaccine and that they destroyed it,

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Speaker 2: and then escapes into the night. And that's where the

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Speaker 2: first one ends. So we're picking off kind of right

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Speaker 2: after that, so let's get into it. It was cold.

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Speaker 2: The air was heavy weighted with frostiness, as if tiny

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Speaker 2: crystallized shards were suspended in the thick fog of cold,

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Speaker 2: and every breath scratched and burned down the throat and

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Speaker 2: contracted the muscles a steady refrain of flaring ice headaches.

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Speaker 2: Tilda drew in breast slowly, carefully, fog popping out of

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Speaker 2: her mouth in a slow stream of smoke as though

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Speaker 2: she were smoking a cigarette. Tilda and herson Madison were

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Speaker 2: trudging slowly, clumsily through a forest, Snow crunched beneath their feet,

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Speaker 2: as it had for the last two days. Under the

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Speaker 2: layer of snow was a mushy carpet of dead leaves,

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Speaker 2: so that every step sunk and snow collected around their ankles.

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Speaker 2: Icicles clung resolutely from barren branches in cool green pine needles,

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Speaker 2: tinkling like bells, with sudden, gentle breezes that preceded brutal,

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Speaker 2: swirling gust of wind that pierced the skin and threatened

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Speaker 2: to knock them off their feet. Alongside them was a creek,

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Speaker 2: mostly frozen over. It occasionally gurgled and dripped, but for

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Speaker 2: the most part the woods around them was eerily silent,

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Speaker 2: except for the whailing and whistling of the wind, the

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Speaker 2: bell like icicles, and the snapping of limbs. Overhead, the

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Speaker 2: sky was a blanket of soft gray clouds that foretold

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Speaker 2: of more snow to come. They had yet to see

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Speaker 2: the sun since the snow first spell a few days ago,

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Speaker 2: and the forest was in perpetual twilight. During the day.

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Speaker 2: A desolate loneliness hung over them, so palpable that Tilda

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Speaker 2: felt like a very unwelcome intruder. They were making their

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Speaker 2: way south through a large national wildlife reserve in Virginia.

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Speaker 2: They had strayed from the main roads in the most

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Speaker 2: general sense of the word, in an effort to avoid

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Speaker 2: any possible pursuit of violence in the wake of Tilda's broadcast.

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Speaker 2: As they fled d c perhaps she was being overly cautious,

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Speaker 2: but the sounds of chaos, the sight of tanks thundering

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Speaker 2: toward Washington, rolling past her and Madison as though they

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Speaker 2: were bugs that could be unknowingly smushed, unnerved her. Then

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Speaker 2: came the sudden influx of people on the roads, some

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Speaker 2: in dusty cars, put many on foot. A small army

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Speaker 2: with slack faces, somehow still drawn and determined, suspicious eyes

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Speaker 2: roving to Tilda's face, then to the rare breed of

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Speaker 2: human a child at Tilda's side and snapping up to

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Speaker 2: her again. Calculating wondering at the woman and her son

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Speaker 2: heading in the opposite direction of the influx to d C,

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Speaker 2: where a vaccine and some answers supposedly waited. Lumbering towards

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Speaker 2: hope and revenge, Tilda opted for smaller roads, Overwhelmed and

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Speaker 2: on edge at the sight of so many people, but

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Speaker 2: even they proved to have cars speeding north, slowing down

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Speaker 2: after they passed the pair of mother child. The tension

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Speaker 2: eating at her muscles and churning in her stomach led

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Speaker 2: Tilda to decide to abandon the roads altogether and continue

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Speaker 2: their southward trek through the George Washington, Virginia State Park

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Speaker 2: and Wildlife Refuge. They'd stopped at a few camp stores

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Speaker 2: located near the entrance to restock on what supplies they could.

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Speaker 2: Granola bars later discovered to be hard as rock, packets

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Speaker 2: of nuts, trail mixes, protein bars, and an armful of

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Speaker 2: tiny water bottles, all packed carefully away in a new

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Speaker 2: waterproof camping backpack. She'd also grabbed them compact sleeping bags,

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Speaker 2: a lighter, flashlights, and some batteries, a two man tent,

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Speaker 2: some fleece pullovers, and waterproof parkas, warm camping clothes and shoes,

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Speaker 2: though unfortunately she couldn't find any in Madison's size. Tilda

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Speaker 2: had also picked up a decent sized knife. She told

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Speaker 2: herself it was for hunting. The backpack was hefty, but

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Speaker 2: not overly so. Most of the items she'd picked up

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Speaker 2: were designed for her campers and meant to be light weight.

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Speaker 2: The clothes were effective in keeping them warm and dry.

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Speaker 2: She'd even found gloves and hats for them both, but

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Speaker 2: after two days in the snow, the cold had seeped

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Speaker 2: in and become a part of them. Tilda imagined ice

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Speaker 2: collecting along her muscles, making her stiff, her blood sluggish.

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Speaker 2: The damp chill was bone deep, her lips were numb,

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Speaker 2: her nose and ears tingled, her cheeks burned, and she

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Speaker 2: couldn't feel her toes or fingers no matter how she

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Speaker 2: flexed them. When they first entered the park, they'd followed

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Speaker 2: trails and markers passed for hikers and campers, but years

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Speaker 2: without upkeep made it difficult to stay on track. She

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Speaker 2: hadn't anticipated the snow, glistening white powder and ice obscuring

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Speaker 2: whatever trails had been left. Tilda had taken to following

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Speaker 2: the creek, which she had determined using what little she

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Speaker 2: could glimpse of the sun, was flowing southward. Even with

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Speaker 2: their new supplies, things were looking The cold had frozen

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Speaker 2: most of the thought processes in her brain other than

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Speaker 2: put one foot in front of the other, but she

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Speaker 2: could feel a barely contained terror, like a gray shroud

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Speaker 2: in her mind, in her heart. She was so scared

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Speaker 2: for Madison. He'd been largely silent, huddled against her side

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Speaker 2: and stumbling clumsily against her with his shuffling footsteps. Once

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Speaker 2: the cold had seeped through their coats and their thermals,

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Speaker 2: his body had been racked with shivers, but now only

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Speaker 2: the occasional shudder overtook him. Tilda carried him off and on,

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Speaker 2: but her cold body refused to cooperate. He stumbled against

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Speaker 2: her again, swallowing her throat parched, Tilda rasped all right.

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Speaker 2: Her eyes darted to the dead forest, searching for some

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Speaker 2: kind of an end. Were they making their way out

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Speaker 2: or were they only making their way deeper? In A

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Speaker 2: mumble was Madison's response. She jiggled the tiny hand she

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Speaker 2: held in hers muttered, it's cold, I know, baby. She

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Speaker 2: glanced up at the sky, fretful at its mercy, tell

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Speaker 2: me a story, okay about what He sounded somewhat annoyed

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Speaker 2: at her request, but mostly exhausted. What's the warmest thing

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Speaker 2: you can think of? Her lips chattered suddenly and stopped.

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Speaker 2: A breeze swirled past them, whipping an icy lock of

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Speaker 2: hair in her face. A moment's hesitation, the wind wailing

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Speaker 2: in the distance, Mercury. Tilda gave a hoarse laugh of surprise.

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Speaker 2: Madison did not acknowledge her amusement. Okay, tell me a

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Speaker 2: story about Mercury. The boy sighed a very adult like

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Speaker 2: sound and said, in a very clipped and rehearsed tone,

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Speaker 2: it's the smallest planet, is closest to the sun, it's hot,

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Speaker 2: and no one lives there. His voice sounded very thin

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Speaker 2: and reedy as brittle. The dead tree branches snagging their

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00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:05,920
Speaker 2: coats somehow loud and fragile, and the dead quiet around them.

216
00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:12,839
Speaker 2: That's not a story, Tilda chided him gently, those are facts.

217
00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:18,640
Speaker 2: Heavy sigh. A smile twitched at Tilda's lips. Despite the situation,

218
00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:22,640
Speaker 2: on the one hand, conserving energy was probably very wise,

219
00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:27,040
Speaker 2: but on the other, on the other, taking his mind

220
00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:30,000
Speaker 2: off the cold invading his body, the cold that would

221
00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:33,880
Speaker 2: not relent, not yield, but only worsened as his step slowed,

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00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:37,440
Speaker 2: his resolve weakened, until the sun made its existence snow,

223
00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:43,040
Speaker 2: and once again, that was worth it. She could almost

224
00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:47,240
Speaker 2: feel Madison relent. To hear him thinking, She pictured his face,

225
00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:49,960
Speaker 2: his brows furrowed, biting his lip as he often did

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00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:55,320
Speaker 2: when he was thinking. He started quietly. There was a

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00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:59,640
Speaker 2: boy who had a glass fall. He found it one

228
00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:04,720
Speaker 2: day when he was out exploring, digging the dirt. It

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00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:08,640
Speaker 2: was glass, clear like crystal. But at night he was

230
00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:12,040
Speaker 2: scared the dark. He didn't know what was out there,

231
00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:15,240
Speaker 2: but he could sense it in the dark, something watching

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00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:20,600
Speaker 2: waiting tilt a slow, subconsciously, cold fingers dancing up her spine.

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00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:24,200
Speaker 2: Often these stories were fanciful products of a boy's imagination

234
00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:27,280
Speaker 2: allowed to roam free, but just as often they were

235
00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:31,320
Speaker 2: insights into Madison's state of mind. She was suddenly irrationally

236
00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:36,000
Speaker 2: afraid of what he might say. Madison sniffled and swiped

237
00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,960
Speaker 2: the back of his hand across his nose, continuing, he

238
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:42,400
Speaker 2: was alone and cold, so he got out his glass ball,

239
00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,640
Speaker 2: and he held it in his hands, pretending he could

240
00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:50,200
Speaker 2: see another world there, a warm one, bright and safe.

241
00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:54,440
Speaker 2: At first, all he saw was was glass, not even

242
00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:57,880
Speaker 2: his own reflection. But then a sort of orange and

243
00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,240
Speaker 2: yellow smoke filled the glass ball, and the ball got

244
00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:03,920
Speaker 2: warm in his hands. The light grew and grew and

245
00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:09,480
Speaker 2: made a circle around him. Light and heat like a bubble,

246
00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:14,600
Speaker 2: and it looks like mercury's surface. He trailed off with

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00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:20,800
Speaker 2: a breathy gasp, stumbling to his knees. Madison Gingerly Tilden

248
00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:24,360
Speaker 2: knelt beside him, attempting unsuccessfully to pull him to his feet.

249
00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:28,240
Speaker 2: Her heart was thumping wildly, sudden starts and stops, as

250
00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:30,720
Speaker 2: the blood rushed to her head at the change position,

251
00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:38,080
Speaker 2: pounding in her temple the sound, Madison asked, whispy and frail.

252
00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:41,760
Speaker 2: Tilda's mind sluggishly wondered if he was hearing her heart beat,

253
00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:44,960
Speaker 2: Her ice addled powers of concentration, finally coming to the

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00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:48,640
Speaker 2: conclusion that as ridiculous as impossible as it seemed, the

255
00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:51,680
Speaker 2: sound was not her heart, but that of a horse's

256
00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:58,240
Speaker 2: hoofs distant now but fast approaching. Her stomach plummeted with

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00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:00,360
Speaker 2: a chill that had nothing to do with them. As

258
00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:03,160
Speaker 2: she struggled to her feet, pulling Madison up with her,

259
00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:07,480
Speaker 2: she glanced around wildly as they greened haphazardly forward, knowing

260
00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:09,280
Speaker 2: that the tracks they left in the snow would lead

261
00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:13,200
Speaker 2: the rider straight to them. Desperate, Tilda steered them towards

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00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:16,600
Speaker 2: the creek. Gracing herself, she stepped through the ice, her

263
00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:20,439
Speaker 2: boot sinking angle deep and freezing water. Creaking joints lifted

264
00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:23,600
Speaker 2: Madison into her arms. Whencing and momentarily terrified she'd be

265
00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:26,040
Speaker 2: unable to carry him, that her strength would give out,

266
00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:29,680
Speaker 2: she followed the creek back the way they came, teetering

267
00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:33,520
Speaker 2: with each frantic step. The hoofs grew louder quicker. As

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00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:36,639
Speaker 2: they reached a mossy rock face covered patches of ice,

269
00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:40,520
Speaker 2: water from melted snow streaming in small rivulets down the side.

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Speaker 2: Hang on, Tilda whispered shakily. With a gloved hand, she

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00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,000
Speaker 2: grasped a rock outcropping on the side and pulled herself up,

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00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:51,720
Speaker 2: the momentum from almost falling back, smacking her cheek against

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00:17:51,760 --> 00:17:53,879
Speaker 2: the rock, but helping her hoist her body against the

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00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:57,440
Speaker 2: slippery surface. Her foot big and clumsy with the boot

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00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:00,240
Speaker 2: on needed to be jammed with painful force to a

276
00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:03,960
Speaker 2: small gap between the rocks, jolting her frozen toes. Pushing

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00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,159
Speaker 2: off the ground with her other foot, she reached with

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00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:08,320
Speaker 2: her other hand and gripped the edge of the slab

279
00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:12,080
Speaker 2: of the rock. Her chest seized with effort, her lungs

280
00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:16,480
Speaker 2: unable to draw breath as she heaved herself up. Black

281
00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:19,119
Speaker 2: spots danced in her vision as she pulled herself and

282
00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:22,240
Speaker 2: Madison over the edge, the fabric of their jackets scraping

283
00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:25,480
Speaker 2: against the rock. She scooted backward on her butt, expecting

284
00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:27,720
Speaker 2: to see the horse and its rider appear at any moment.

285
00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,160
Speaker 2: The creek continued in an upward slope, ending in another

286
00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:34,200
Speaker 2: cliff face, where a waterfall only beginning to melt, now

287
00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,480
Speaker 2: covered the entrance to a tiny alcove with a sheet ice.

288
00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:43,320
Speaker 2: Crawl in. Tilda instructed Madison, releasing him with jerky movements.

289
00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,280
Speaker 2: Madison slithered under the sheet of ice where it had

290
00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:49,719
Speaker 2: melted away on the lower left, kicking slippery, squeaking soles

291
00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:54,399
Speaker 2: against the slicker rocks to propel himself underneath. Tilda followed

292
00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:57,000
Speaker 2: his lead. The cold water like a shock against her back.

293
00:18:57,480 --> 00:18:59,879
Speaker 2: They huddled in the dark, with their knees against their chest,

294
00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,399
Speaker 2: their breath fogging with every short pant, loud and harsh.

295
00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:06,640
Speaker 2: In the small cave they'd taken refuge in, their view

296
00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:09,800
Speaker 2: of the outside was distorted through the ice. Sound muffled,

297
00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:15,360
Speaker 2: and far away. A dark object came into view the horse.

298
00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:18,800
Speaker 2: A man in a thick jacket with long, dark hair,

299
00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:21,959
Speaker 2: rode astride it. The horse had slowed to a trot.

300
00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:25,440
Speaker 2: Tilda could only assume the man had seen their tracks.

301
00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:30,280
Speaker 2: Fumbling slow fingers reached for a knife, not believing as

302
00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:32,480
Speaker 2: she reached for it that she could ever use it,

303
00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:36,080
Speaker 2: not believing it would do any good, Madison whimpered, impressed

304
00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:40,080
Speaker 2: himself closer to her. The horse whinnied, shuffling in the snow.

305
00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:43,760
Speaker 2: The man called out, deep and commanding, but Tilda couldn't

306
00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:47,080
Speaker 2: make out the words. A gray fog, much like the

307
00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:49,720
Speaker 2: one that had surrounded them in the journey through these woods,

308
00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:53,240
Speaker 2: was making her thoughts slow and disjointed. The man directed

309
00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:56,800
Speaker 2: his horse forward, following their path out of sight. Had

310
00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:00,919
Speaker 2: he followed them here? Had he been searching for them?

311
00:20:01,359 --> 00:20:04,639
Speaker 2: They waited, watching through the glass, the wet from the

312
00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:08,200
Speaker 2: rock walls and stones underneath them, making their already frigid

313
00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:12,320
Speaker 2: bodies even colder. Tilda could make out the occasional sound

314
00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:14,359
Speaker 2: enough to know that the man and his horse were

315
00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:17,720
Speaker 2: still close by. If out of sight, Tilda could only

316
00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:20,640
Speaker 2: hope he chose to follow the creek's south, the direction

317
00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:23,920
Speaker 2: they'd been traveling all along, guessing that they would stay

318
00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:26,600
Speaker 2: on their current trajectory. That he'd guess the pair of

319
00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:29,159
Speaker 2: them would have been unable to climb up the rock face.

320
00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:34,200
Speaker 2: Silence stretched on as Tilda's tension grew. The man called

321
00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:37,360
Speaker 2: out again, and Madison jumped. Though she couldn't make out

322
00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:39,600
Speaker 2: the words, she could tell by the intonation that it

323
00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:42,760
Speaker 2: was a question what if he was calling for someone else,

324
00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:47,000
Speaker 2: What if there were more of them? Madison had resumed shivering,

325
00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:50,000
Speaker 2: bearing himself against Tilda's side in a desperate search for heat.

326
00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:53,600
Speaker 2: Tilda flexed her fingers, willing some of the blood to

327
00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:56,359
Speaker 2: flow back into them, willing herself to feel them again.

328
00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:59,720
Speaker 2: The man's face came back into sight on the other

329
00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:03,199
Speaker 2: side of the creek. It was disconcerting being able to

330
00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:05,119
Speaker 2: see his face but not make out any of the

331
00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:09,119
Speaker 2: features on it, not knowing where he was looking his

332
00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:14,000
Speaker 2: head moved slowly from side to side, scanning, Tilda assumed

333
00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:16,199
Speaker 2: for any trail to follow, a clue as to what

334
00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:20,560
Speaker 2: direction they had gone. A particularly strong gust of wind

335
00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:23,920
Speaker 2: swirled and kicked up snow and stripped some bark from trees,

336
00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:27,119
Speaker 2: a muted screaming, forcing the man to shield his face

337
00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,920
Speaker 2: with his arm. The horse neighed almost nervously, turning away

338
00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:34,240
Speaker 2: from the blast of air. Tilda suddenly had the fleeting

339
00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:36,960
Speaker 2: idea of attempting a surprise attack to secure the guy's

340
00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:39,960
Speaker 2: horse and ride her and Madison to shelter, but dismissed

341
00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:43,560
Speaker 2: it almost immediately after the wind had died down. The

342
00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:48,200
Speaker 2: man lowered his arm cautiously. He gave another tentative look around,

343
00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:52,359
Speaker 2: then coaxed his horse forward gently back the way they came.

344
00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:55,960
Speaker 2: For what felt like a long time but was probably

345
00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:59,439
Speaker 2: only a few minutes, Tilda stared through the distorted glass

346
00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:03,679
Speaker 2: that was there world, her ears strained, trying to discern

347
00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:06,359
Speaker 2: the sounds of hoofs or feet through the wailing of

348
00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:09,520
Speaker 2: the wind. A sharp but weak intake of air by

349
00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:12,960
Speaker 2: her side drew her attention to Madison. She looked down

350
00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:15,840
Speaker 2: at her son, his mop of mousy brown hair almost

351
00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:21,360
Speaker 2: black with water. His lips were blue. Come on, she murmured.

352
00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,080
Speaker 2: She wriggled out on her back under the break in

353
00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:27,080
Speaker 2: the ice. She held her hand, motioning for him to

354
00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:31,200
Speaker 2: follow her. Til to frowned when he hesitated his movement slow.

355
00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:34,560
Speaker 2: He crawled out on his stomach, his face deathly pale.

356
00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:39,760
Speaker 2: His eyes had a plea in them. Here, darling. She

357
00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:42,680
Speaker 2: grasped his hands, afraid her fingers would snap off as

358
00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:46,760
Speaker 2: she curled them around his fingers, swallowing till to surveyed

359
00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:50,920
Speaker 2: their surroundings, senses heightened with danger, hazel eyes darting from

360
00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:54,280
Speaker 2: tree to tree. For now, they followed the creek's south,

361
00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:58,600
Speaker 2: she decided, eyeing the hoof prints heading east. Warily, but

362
00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:02,760
Speaker 2: they needed to find shelter her It started to flurry,

363
00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:09,560
Speaker 2: so beautiful, fun even, but now so deadly. They climbed

364
00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:12,000
Speaker 2: back down the rock face till to going first and

365
00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:15,040
Speaker 2: then reaching her arms up for Madison. He tried to

366
00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,359
Speaker 2: curl up in her arms, but failed and settled instead

367
00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,880
Speaker 2: for just neztling into her neck till the side, stroking

368
00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:22,879
Speaker 2: the back of his head, and resolved to carry him

369
00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:26,200
Speaker 2: as long as her arms allowed. She rubbed his back,

370
00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:28,800
Speaker 2: hoping to get some flood circulating, and helped him wrap

371
00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:33,400
Speaker 2: his legs around her waist. She began her slow, hopeless journey,

372
00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:37,200
Speaker 2: every step treacherous, the cold winter water threatening to soak

373
00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:40,480
Speaker 2: through her boots. Her mind was too afraid to process

374
00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:43,480
Speaker 2: any clear thoughts other than that they were in serious trouble,

375
00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:46,879
Speaker 2: a burning fear that she was almost distant from because

376
00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:50,600
Speaker 2: she was too cold to register it. As her foot

377
00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:52,879
Speaker 2: punched a hole and the ice still covering most of

378
00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:55,600
Speaker 2: the stream's surface, she tried to remember what it felt

379
00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:58,919
Speaker 2: like to be warm, and couldn't. It felt foreign to

380
00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:03,639
Speaker 2: her that could no longer exist, not for her, not

381
00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:07,639
Speaker 2: for Madison. A branch snapped near them. She would have

382
00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:12,240
Speaker 2: jumped if her muscles had the strength. Dear, Madison murmured

383
00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:16,840
Speaker 2: in her ear, baby, dear, Sure enough to Tilda's left,

384
00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:21,800
Speaker 2: a gangly, white spotted creature bounded off, clumsy and loud fawn.

385
00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:26,719
Speaker 2: Tilda clarified. Madison repeated the word to her, sounding as

386
00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:32,200
Speaker 2: one hypnotized. Tilda's sloughed towards with more determination, blinking snowflakes

387
00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:36,679
Speaker 2: away from her eyelashes. For a long time, she continued

388
00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:39,200
Speaker 2: most of her body shut down to anything else other

389
00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:42,440
Speaker 2: than the next step. The snow continued to fall, a

390
00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:45,880
Speaker 2: pottery frosting to the layer of icy slush, still blinketing

391
00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:49,479
Speaker 2: the carpet of leaves, the wind whistled around them. Her

392
00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:54,440
Speaker 2: eyes felt heavy. Are we going to die? Tilda blinked,

393
00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:59,359
Speaker 2: thinking she'd imagined the whispered question in her ear. Eventually

394
00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:04,359
Speaker 2: they found a cabin, dilapidated and barely standing, but like

395
00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:08,360
Speaker 2: a beacon in the dark night. Tilda stumbled in, Madison

396
00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:12,560
Speaker 2: still in her arms, checking, listening to see if anyone

397
00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:15,800
Speaker 2: else was in there, but it was empty. She shut

398
00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:17,800
Speaker 2: the door of the creek, grateful that all of the

399
00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:21,760
Speaker 2: windows seemed intact, even if everything else seemed transact. And

400
00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:25,600
Speaker 2: barely standing, slowly, she lowered Madison to the ground, the

401
00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:29,560
Speaker 2: wind howling outside of the cabin. Tilda fumbled with the

402
00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:32,359
Speaker 2: zipper of her pack, her hand alien and heavy. The

403
00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:35,400
Speaker 2: water bottles were cold. She gripped two in her fingers,

404
00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:38,280
Speaker 2: almost dropping them. She had to work slightly to twist

405
00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:41,600
Speaker 2: off the cap. Tilda helped Madison into a sitting position

406
00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,399
Speaker 2: and hand him the bottle, not transferring the weight until

407
00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:45,960
Speaker 2: she was sure he had a good grasp on it.

408
00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:49,440
Speaker 2: She watched, worried as he struggled to command his fingers.

409
00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:51,960
Speaker 2: He brought the bottle to his lips slowly and took

410
00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:56,280
Speaker 2: a clumsy sip that drippled down his chin, reflecting moonlight. Slowly,

411
00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,280
Speaker 2: she reminded him when he sputtered, coughing as he tried

412
00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:02,639
Speaker 2: to gulp too quickly. The bottle was already almost empty.

413
00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:05,880
Speaker 2: Twisting off the cap of her own water, Tilda took

414
00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:08,640
Speaker 2: a tentative sip, wincing when the cold water came into

415
00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:12,800
Speaker 2: contact with her parched throat. She swallowed painfully, the liquid

416
00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:16,960
Speaker 2: like a cold stone in her empty stomach. In silence,

417
00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:20,760
Speaker 2: they drank. The thin, jagged shadows of tree branches projected

418
00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:23,800
Speaker 2: on the cabin walls, changing as the clouds moved over

419
00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:29,400
Speaker 2: the moon. Madison stared at his empty bottle. Tilda watched him,

420
00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:34,440
Speaker 2: wondering what he was thinking. Still thirsty, Massen curled into

421
00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:36,639
Speaker 2: the feet of position under the blanket that Tilda had

422
00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:41,000
Speaker 2: pulled out. I'm okay, he murmured, but Tilda knew he

423
00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:46,359
Speaker 2: was not cold. She prodded, grimacing around another mouthful of water.

424
00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:52,359
Speaker 2: He nodded, It's not so bad now, Tilda wished she

425
00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:57,200
Speaker 2: knew more about prolonged exposure to cold. That's good. She

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00:26:57,359 --> 00:26:59,439
Speaker 2: ran her hand through his hair and along his face.

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00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:05,240
Speaker 2: His skin was still quite cold. Any pain A long pause,

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00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:11,479
Speaker 2: Tilda stroked his arm. I think my bones hurt, my throat,

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00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:15,840
Speaker 2: my head, he halted, assessing how much to tell her

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00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:20,560
Speaker 2: fingers and toes. He turned his face up to hers.

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00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:27,560
Speaker 2: I'm okay, though, right, we're both okay, till since an

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00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:32,280
Speaker 2: undercurrent something else he was asking, what are you thinking?

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00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:36,879
Speaker 2: His eyes were searching overly bright in the moonlight. He

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00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:42,000
Speaker 2: shrugged with a quiet sigh. She gave him a tiny smile. Yeah,

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00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:45,919
Speaker 2: we're okay. It's just taking time for our bodies to

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00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:48,879
Speaker 2: warm up. We were so cold we lost some feeling

437
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,840
Speaker 2: in our hands, in our feet. She jiggled his foot,

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00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:55,359
Speaker 2: so now we can feel the pain in them. Another

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00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:59,160
Speaker 2: weighted moment settled over them, till the new Madison was debating,

440
00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:01,840
Speaker 2: trying to find the for what he really wanted to ask,

441
00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:08,159
Speaker 2: but instead he said okay. Tilda nearly sighed again, running

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00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:10,840
Speaker 2: fingers that still felt disconnected from her hand through his hair.

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00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:14,040
Speaker 2: She watched him, trying to discern what thoughts He was

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00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:17,040
Speaker 2: too afraid to voice. She could only guess it adds

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00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:19,119
Speaker 2: something to do with all the revelations of d C,

446
00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:23,719
Speaker 2: why they'd been there and why they'd fled. It chased

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00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:26,480
Speaker 2: after them, A menacing shadow with such a presence, she

448
00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:29,400
Speaker 2: often expected to turn around and see it, a dark

449
00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:32,320
Speaker 2: creature with claws and jagged teeth, ready to devour them.

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00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:35,640
Speaker 2: But as ashamed as she was to admit it even

451
00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:38,920
Speaker 2: to herself, she was too tired to summon the courage

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00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:42,600
Speaker 2: to have the long put off but necessary conversation. She'd

453
00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:45,720
Speaker 2: found reason after reason not to have it. First, she

454
00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:49,160
Speaker 2: needed time to process everything they'd learned and experienced herself.

455
00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:52,520
Speaker 2: Then she needed to put distance between them and DC.

456
00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:57,520
Speaker 2: Her last excuse, and most cowardly, was Madison hadn't asked.

457
00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:02,240
Speaker 2: Madison turned away from her, Tilda remained sitting up, staring

458
00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:04,880
Speaker 2: at his back, thinking about all that was left unsaid.

459
00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:08,160
Speaker 2: She'd eased herself down and pulled the blanket around them,

460
00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:11,880
Speaker 2: once more, promising herself they'd talk that they were fine,

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00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:17,600
Speaker 2: really and truly, But she honestly didn't know. That thought

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00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:43,160
Speaker 2: kept her awake for a long time, and that brings

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00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:48,000
Speaker 2: us to the end of this first installment. Of big

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00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:50,120
Speaker 2: things start small. I'll probably just call it terminus too

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00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:52,480
Speaker 2: to make it clear, but that's what it's really called.

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00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:52,800
Speaker 1: In my head.

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00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:56,200
Speaker 2: It is shorter than the first one, and the third

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00:29:56,240 --> 00:30:01,080
Speaker 2: one's even shorter than this one. But but I'm excited

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00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:05,440
Speaker 2: to share it with all of you, and I hope

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00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:07,360
Speaker 2: that you enjoy it. And I really do appreciate it

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00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:10,400
Speaker 2: when people write in whatever your thoughts are, our theories are,

472
00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:13,360
Speaker 2: and if you have any if you have any stories,

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00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:16,760
Speaker 2: you want to share any Nanarima thoughts or anything we

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00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:19,400
Speaker 2: can read in the public domain that we could have

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00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,120
Speaker 2: sound effects and do something like this. We love doing

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00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:24,160
Speaker 2: this kind of stuff. We can't do it too often

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00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:26,880
Speaker 2: because it is a bigger thing for Christina, who is

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00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:28,240
Speaker 2: amazing and makes these happen.

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00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:30,800
Speaker 1: Yes, a lot of things on her plate.

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00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:34,280
Speaker 2: There are a lot of things on Christina's plate, but

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00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:35,880
Speaker 2: we do like to do them. So if you have

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00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:39,880
Speaker 2: any suggestions or something like that, please let us know.

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00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:43,240
Speaker 2: You can email us at stephaniea moms Stuff at iHeartMedia

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00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:45,000
Speaker 2: dot com. You can find us on Twitter at mom

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00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:47,560
Speaker 2: Stuff podcast, or on Instagram and TikTok at stuff. I

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00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:49,840
Speaker 2: never told you. We have a tea public store, and

487
00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:52,160
Speaker 2: we have a book and an audiobook where you can

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00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:54,720
Speaker 2: get wherever you get those things. Thanks as always to

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00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:57,400
Speaker 2: our super producer Christina, our executive producer Maya, and our

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00:30:57,440 --> 00:31:00,360
Speaker 2: contributor Joey. Thank you and thanks to you feel listening.

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00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:02,280
Speaker 2: Step On Never Told Me is production by Heart Radio.

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00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:03,880
Speaker 2: For more podcasts on my heart Radio, you can check

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00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:05,920
Speaker 2: out the heart Radio app Apple Podcasts, or if you

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00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:07,080
Speaker 2: listen to your favorite shows,