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SMNTY Fiction: Terminus (Chapter 9) · Stuff Mom Never Told You

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and welcome to Stuff
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: I've Never told you Production by Heart Radio, and welcome
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: to another edition of Spinty Fiction. It is once a
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: month a thing that we do. It is an ongoing
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: story called Terminus the Depopulation Event that I wrote for
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: Nano Ramo and twenty ten and Christina makes amazing. However,
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: if it's not your thing, that's cool. It's only once
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: a month. We are halfway there. We are halfway through. Yeah, yeah,
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: and we are getting to the part where I can tell,
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: because again I wrote this for National Novel Writing Month.
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: I can tell I was tired.
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: Trying to get through. It is the last part that's
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: what happened to water for Elephants. It was a Nano
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: Ramo book.
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: Oh really.
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: The beginning is amazing, and then the ending You're like,
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: what happened?
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: I feel better?
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: I was like, oh, okay, yeah, I get it.
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: Yes, yes, I could tell. I had to, so I didn't.
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: I didn't really edit this too much before doing it
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: because I thought it'd be more interesting to sort of
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: see what I was going what was going on in
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: my head in twenty ten, But this one I had
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: to edit some just because of the mostly just I
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: could tell I was tired and just like typing words
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: like no, no, no, that doesn't make sense. Also, as
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: I said in the last one, I did spend an
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: embarrassing amount of time trying to make the roads, trying
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: to get the roads correct in this because they're kind
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: of traveling across the US, and I think that comes
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: through and here as well, because I'm talking about like
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: which side they enter the road from.
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: Oh yeah, the research alone is hard. I had a
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: hard time it was writing finding names, so I would
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: go through years of the most popular names and pick
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: it out.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: Oh wow, yes, yeah, that's good. That's a good way
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: to do it. That's a good way to do it.
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: We are getting to a part I'm very very excited about,
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: just because now that i'm more I know more about
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: my sexuality. I struggled with this part so hard, and
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: I can't wait to talk about it. I think it's
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: gonna be interesting anyway. That's like in the next coming chapters.
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: In this one content warning, there's threat of violence, there's
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: feelings of inadequacy, especially around motherhood, very brief mention of
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: loss of childs. The recap is a sex based a
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: sex based disease has killed off most of the population
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: and the state that formed after that, and they're enforcers,
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: alongside a religious group named a arm. Arm now control
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: reproduction and children. Main character Tilda broke the law by
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: stealing her baby, Madison. They've been on the run for
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: seven years. They are what is called a priority number
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: one case for recapture. The winter is coming. They are hungry,
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: they are cold. They just were almost captured by enforcers.
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: Tilda was shot by one. They managed to escape and
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: they met this kind young woman named Lynn. Lynn helped
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: Tilda recover. But with enforcers closing in and rumors of
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: a resistance that might shield them and may even have
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: a cure, Tilda has decided that her and Madison need
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: to venture out into the cold, dangerous night. All too soon,
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: the sounds of Lynn preparing food emanated from the kitchen,
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: signaling dinner and their last meal. Here, Lynn popped her
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: head into the entryway to the sitting room. Peanut butter
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: and jelly are lettuce, tomato and cheese sandwich. Madison opted
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: for the peanut butter and jelly, while Tilda chose the
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: lettuce and tomato and made of soup is okay with everyone.
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: They both nodded, and she disappeared again. Tilda could tell
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: she enjoyed caring for people, and was struck again by
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: the thought of how good a mother she would have made.
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: Ten minutes later, they once again sat around the table,
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: eating slowly to prolonged the time before they would have
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: to start getting ready to leave. Lynn, sensing their hesitation,
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: instructed them to eat as much as they could. Though
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: the food was delicious that Tilda found she couldn't enjoy it.
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: She kept glancing out the window, nervously imagining in foresters
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: slowly encircling the house, creeping ever closer. Madison managed all
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: but the bottom crest of a sandwich and half of
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: his soup. Tilda forced down all of hers, despite the
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: nerves turning her stomach to stone. After the plates were cleared,
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: Alyn led them back to her bedroom, a wide space
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: with a king sized bed, a cushioned bench, a dresser,
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: a wardrobe, a closet, and a bathroom. A picture of
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: Lynn with a wiry man with wavy brown hair streaked
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: with gray, his smile full of light, Lynn's husband. They
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: had looked so happy together. Tilda looked away inside, swirming,
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: there were some clothes laid out of the flowery sheets.
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: These are yours, Tilda. You start getting dressed and I'll
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: help Madison with his. As one being led to his execution,
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: Madison complied. Tilda pulled on a pair of black exercise
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: leggings and some baggy green pants over them. She tugged
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: off her baggy t shirt and replaced it with a
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: long sleeve black shirt and a black jacket. A pair
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: of dark gloves and a gray scarf followed, and lastly
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: a pair of black lace snow boots. At the corner
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: of her eye, she saw the darkness ascending, and with
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: it the cold. She turned to Madison, now outfitted in
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: with Lynde's help, a pair of dark jeans, in a
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: navy hoodie, a black hat, gloves of a scarf, and
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: a similar pair of boots. His pale face peered out
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: of his layers. Solemnly. Lyne smoothed the fabric over his
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: shoulders with restless energy. An uneasy silence fell, all of them,
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: too scared to break it. When she couldn't bear it
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: any longer, Tilda stepped forward and slung the pack over
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: her shoulders, stealing herself. She turned to Lynn. Thank you,
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: we talked about this. Your gratitude is unnecessary. It was
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: lovely to have has guest again. Tears shone behind the glasses,
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: but Lynn's voice was strong. Madison turned to her, tears
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: running down his cheeks silently. I'll I'll miss you. Lynn
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: bent down, pulling him into a tight embrace. I'll miss
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: you too, baby, so much. I'm so happy to have
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: met you. Now. Her voice shook. She kissed Madison's temple
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: and released him. You do as your mother says now,
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: and stay safe. I will, Madison said, bravely, fighting for composure.
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: I'm glad to have met you too. Lynn shared an
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: intense look with Tilda, a command to protect Madison at
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: all cost. Tilda almost flinched at her ineptitude, her unworthiness,
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: but instead she took Madison's hand and led him down
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: the hall. Take the back door, Lynn directed, less chance
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: being seen. Where is sixth Tilda asked. She thought she knew,
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: but figured she should double check. When you go out
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: the back, take a right, stick to the line of
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: houses until you get to Monroe. Take her right there
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: and I'll write again when you get to sixth. They
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: reached the door, and they all stopped, staring at the
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: pain of voids separating them from the cold and dark.
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: Tilda groped around for something to say, but came up
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: with nothing. She reached for the knob and Madison took
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: hold of her arm. Goodbye, Tilda said, and Lynn responded
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: and kind with a note of finality. The door swung open,
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: letting in a draft of cold air, cool enough to
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: turn each breath to fog. The rain had tapered off
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: to a drizzle. Tilda perked her ears, blinking to a
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: to the darkness, looking for any sign of the enforcers.
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: Grasping each other's hands, Tilda and Madison stepped outside. Behind
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: them the door closed. Keeping it open too long would
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: draw unwanted attention. Shivering, Tilda led them to the right,
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: her muscles cramping a bit at the sudden change in temperature.
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: She heaped at the bag further up her back, adjusting
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: the straps. Already, their stay at Lands felt like a dream,
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: fading away with waking. Tilda quickened her pace, looking from
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: left to right, the sensation of eyes tracking their every
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: movement pressing down on her. They slunk from house to house,
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: the sound of rain masking their footfalls. They came to
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: a house with a fenced in backyard, and they had
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: to leap around the puddles splashing around their boots. The
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: sight of so many empty houses unnerved her. Tilda stopped
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: at the house right before the intersection so she could
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: examine the sign, the flaking white letters Monroe. Tilda glanced around,
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: looking for an alternate route to cross. She didn't see
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: one that looked any more secluded. We're going to run across, okay,
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: she whispered to Madison. They jogged along the crosswalk and
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: didn't stop until they reached the first house on the
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: other side. For a moment, they stayed completely still, listening,
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: but the only thing they could hear was the rain.
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: Come on, she whispered, pulling Madison along, trying to visualize
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: the map folded neatly in her back. She'd feel so
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: much better. When they reached the highway, a light drew
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: them up short so abruptly it was as if they
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: slammed into an invisible wall. Quickly they hid alongside the
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: closest house. Tilda scammed the darkness, mind racing. The light
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: was in the distance, still a straight away, but moving
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: toward them at a relatively fast pace. Tilda started in
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: a crouching run down the rows of houses, towing Madison
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: along behind her. She was grateful to Lend for picking
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: up dark clothes for them so that they blended into
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: the night. Her senses were hyper alert as they ran.
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: A set of headlights swerved a few intersections down, turning
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: on the row and heading towards them. Tilda and Madison
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: dove to the side, flattening themselves behind the house nearest
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: to them. The soft rumble of an engine could be
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: heard over the rain, growing closer and closer, the light
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: brighter and brighter as the car approached. Tilda held her
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: breath as the vehicle lumbered by sleek black coat, making
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: it somehow monstrous a predator in the darkness. It was
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: a safe bet that it was enforcers. The only working
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: cars Tilda had seen this far, outside of a handful
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: of cities with our nearby conception centers, were driven by
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: enforcers or state affiliated. The sooner they got off the street,
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: the better. Once the car had disappeared, Tilda peeked her
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: head around the corner of the house to make sure
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: no one else was coming before striking out again at
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: every intersection. Her nervousness spiked, heart rate increasing until they
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: were safely to the other side, where it died down again,
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: only to peek up at the next crossing, a vicious
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: cycle of crested falls and fear. She had taken to
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: counting the streets that they passed, willing the next one
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: to be I seventy, the next one, the next one.
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: The temperature dropped steadily, Tilda's lungs burning in her chest
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: as she breathed in the cold air. Her neck hurt
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: from twisting it around to look behind them and to
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: either side, so frequently beside her, Madison was flagging. The
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: sight of a sign in the shape of a shield
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: gave her a surge of strength. From what little light reflected,
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: she could make out a white seventy. So caught up
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: in relief at finding the highway, Tilda almost didn't notice
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: the black vehicle parked at the entrance of the exit.
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: She sucked in such a deep breath that lights popped
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: before her eyes. She yanked Madison to the right so
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: hard that he whimpered, the weight of her pack, almost
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: knocking her from her feet. At the sudden change in direction,
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: ran taking shelter under a covered gas station, decking through
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: the pumps, shaking, tiled a crouch down, faced a void
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: of all color, waiting for a light to shine on them,
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: for the car to red and chase them down. She
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: tightened her grip on Madison's hand as the seconds passed,
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: fearful anticipation mounting. Once she'd gotten her fear under control,
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: she stood slowly, her muscles tight. Rain collected on the
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: roof and poured off in sheets, making it difficult to hear.
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: She crept to the opposite side of the station, trying
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: to locate another route onto the highway. There was no
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: indcline or decline. Like most everything else in this region
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: of what used to be the United States, the roads
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: were flat. The highway itself curved away from them, making
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: following alongside it on smaller streets difficult. They needed to
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: get to it now. She pulled her hood up and
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: then did the same for Madison, bending down. We're going
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: to cross. The wind whined around them. They are enforcers
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: at the entrance, so we'll have to cut through some grass.
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: We're going to move very fast, but they'll see us.
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: Madison despaired. It's really dark right now, and we're wearing
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: dark colors, Tilda pointed out. And maybe they're bored and
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: not paying attention, she thought to herself. Or maybe it's
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: just an abandoned car that happened to have died right
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: at the entry ramp. We need to get on. We
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: just need to be quick, that's what she said aloud.
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: Madison nodded, looking sick. We'll be fine, Tilda assured him.
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: Nauseated herself, she led him by the hand to the
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: edge of the building, closest to the highway but farthest
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: from the entrance to it and farthest from the enforcers.
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: She could hardly make out the black car from here,
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: but she knew it was there, ready to pounce on
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: its prey. Maneuvering around a thick sheet of frame, they
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: stepped out from under the cover of the station, Tilda
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: plodding their path, anticipation building in her stomach, her heart
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: thudding painfully. She glanced down at Madison to check that
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: he was ready, and together they tore off for the highway.
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: Tilda didn't stop, didn't turn her head, laser focused on
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: reaching I seventy east and nothing else to her. Their
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: coughing steps sounded incredibly loud, and she felt horribly exposed.
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: Time seemed to slow, the trip, taking longer than she
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: would have guessed or hoped. They both nearly crashed face
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: first when the ground beneath their feet changed from slick
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: asphalt to treacherous grass and underbrush, but they kept running,
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: their pace hindered by tangled vines gripping at their boots.
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: Madison did slip thin, taking Tilda down with him, but
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: she surged back to her feet and pulled him up,
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: half glancing over his shoulder for the first time. The
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: car hadn't changed positions, but it could flare to life
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: at any second. Their feet slapped back up to the
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: concrete of the entry ramp, and they turned to follow
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: it onto the highway, the rain picking up, suddenly dousing
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: them in cold water, and then receding just as quickly.
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: The road curved, and they curved with it, jogging as
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: they merged onto I seventy East. Tilda beat back her hope,
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: afraid that by allowing herself to feel it, she'd be
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: in biting bad luck. Allowing herself to relax too soon,
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: they slowed Tilda's back, aching from where the packets smacked
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: against it while they ran, making sure to stick to
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: the white line at the edge of the road. Tilda
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: turned her head to look behind her once more and
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: saw nothing. No headlights bearing down on them, not even
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: the moon or stars. All around them was treacherous darkness.
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: As one, they stopped to catch their breath, cold fire
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: burning in their windpipes and lungs, rain collecting like crystal
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: beads on their faces. Okay, Tilda gasped out, watching his
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: Madison's thin chest heaved up and down rapidly. He gave
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: her a quick nod, half bent over and clutching at
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: her hand almost painfully. Let's go, she panted. We can
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: walk from here, but keep your eyes peeled right. Tell
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: me if you see anything. He murmured his ascent, and
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: they stepped forward, both their legs shaking and watery. The
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: dark around them gave them the impression that they weren't
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: moving at all. When she wasn't looking around foreign forcers,
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: she kept her gaze pinned to the white line. She
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: could barely see her compass in the heavy night. It
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: was strange to have a destination. It gave her an
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: added layer of purpose, a renewed sense of time, she
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: walked faster, ignoring the throbbing in her calf. The rain
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: tapered away, a few of the clouds parted, revealing a
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: handful of stars in the black velvet night. Madison's feet dragged,
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: scuffing the pavement, but there was nowhere for them to stop.
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: He declined her offer for food, but did accept some water,
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: taking three big gulps. She took a few swallows from
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: her own bottle throat. Parched from their sprint to the highway,
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: he perked up a little, but not enough to alleviate
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: Tilda's concerns. The pack on her shoulders made curing him problematic,
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: her lower back already sore from the weight, she settled for,
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: letting him lean into her and swearing to herself to
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: stop what she found somewhere safe for them to stay. Gradually,
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: the black around them lightened to an indigo blue. Tilda
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: was growing desperate, her own legs on the verge of
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: betraying her, Madison hanging on to Tilda's arms to keep
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: himself upright. The last sign they'd passed read Kansas City,
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: thirty nine miles. Given that nothing went wrong, that amounted
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: to about thirteen hours of walking. Squinting, she could make
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: out the next sign, Lawrence, next to the exits. Too
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: tired to feel much relief, she assured Madison that they
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: would stop soon. He didn't respond, his steps scuffing the asphalt,
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: eyelids drooping. No cars blocked the exit, and abandoned tolbooth
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: stood at the entrance. They passed under it, the bars
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: preventing entry until the toll had been paid. Long since destroyed.
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: Signs posted on the side of the road gave directions
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: and distances to restaurants, hotels, and gas stations. Moldy, orange
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: and white striped construction barrels were strewn across the road,
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: Tilda and Masson weaving through them and other debris. Sagging
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: gastations and decrepit hotels could be seen on either side
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: of the exit. Broken windows and swinging signs, doors of
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: motel rooms ripped off their hinges. Tilda supposed this area
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: had been hit by at least one tornado, and no
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: one nor reason remained to fix it. Trying to gauge
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: their best option in close proximity to the highway, Tilda
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: landed on the motel with the least amount of outward damage.
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: The blue and red sign now hung completely upside down,
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: paint stripped off the walls, but it otherwise looked mostly intact.
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: They crossed the street and into the parking lot. The
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: exit ramped to the highway on their left, Her skin
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: numbing in the chilly air, Tilda located the main office
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: on their left. The glass door was busted, the bar
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: handle lying uselessly on the blue and gray patterned carpet,
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: so they stepped through it careful to shards and dust,
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: ignoring the peeling wallpaper and stains on the overturned or
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: slumping furniture. Tilda pulled a now dragging Madison down the hall,
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: taking the last door on the left, which experience had
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: taught her would be the largest bedroom. The door no
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: longer fit in its frame, but it opened easily after
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: the initial push on the rusted hinges. Inside, a large
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: bed took up most of the room, shoved up against
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: the far wall. There was a small bathroom across from
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: it in a broken desk and tilted wardrobe on the
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: opposite wall, but those didn't concern her. The window was
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: thankfully still whole, other than a large crack down the center.
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: She closed the door behind them as well as she
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: could anyway, and extracted her hand from Madison's fingers, crossing
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: over to the window and closing the navy curtains. Then
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: she turned to the bed that Madison stared at longingly,
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: grimacing at the browning sheets. Taking off her gloves clumsily,
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: she pressed down on the brown spot, finding it dry.
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: At her nod, Madison stumbled forward and climbed onto the bed,
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: immediately curling up into the fetal position and shivering on
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: a whim Tilda tride. Turning on the heat. It came
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: to no surprises her when nothing happened. Sighing, she returned
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: to Madison as she started to strip him up his
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: damp clothes. His limbs limp as she maneuvered them, He
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: protested quietly as she tugged off his jeans and boots.
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: She hung the clothes over the radiator and disappeared into
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: the bathroom for a moment, rifling through the towels until
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: she found the cleanest one. Sitting on the edge of
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: the bed, she toweled off Madison's hair and skin, slipping
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: the bag from her shoulders with a sigh of relief,
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: she pulled out the extra set of clothes Line had
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: packed for Madison. Thankful that the fabric of the pack
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: was waterproof and the clothes blessedly dry, she eased them
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: onto the already sleeping child, including the jacket and the socks.
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: Then she reached deeper into the bag, pulling out the
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: fluffy blanket rolled up at the bottom. She shook it
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: out and wrapped it around Madison, rearranging him so his
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: head was nested on the pillow. Onceing as she stretched
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: sore muscles, Tilda pulled off her own clothes, the damp
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: fabric clinging to her skin. She laid them next to Madison's,
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: picking up the towel and drying herself off, and reaching
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: in for her own clothes and sloppily pulling them on.
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: She wiggled, wrinkled toes in dry socks. Already a little
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: bit warmer, she collapsed on the bedneck to Madison, snuggling
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: under the blanket, sleep overtaking her as soon as her
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: eyes closed. And that brings us to the end of
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: this month's edition of Fiction Spinty Fiction. I hope that
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: you enjoyed it. I will point out that this ends
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: up taking place in Lawrence, Kansas, of supernatural fame. But
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: also that happens because I went on a road trip
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: and I had to take shelter from a tornado in Lawrence, Kansas. Okay,
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: So a lot of this is drawn from my experience
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: road tripping across the US and what I encountered in
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: all of that. I'm sure it's not very accurate in
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: terms of what would still be around, but hey, we're
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: going to go with it. But yeah, we're getting to
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: some action and some pluck that I'm very, very excited about.
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: So I hope that you tune in for the next installment.
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: In the meantime, special thanks is always to Christina who
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: makes these happen. He's amazing. If you would like to
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: contact us, you can our emails Stephanie Momsteph at iHeartMedia
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: dot com. You can find us on Twitter at mom
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: Stuff podcast, or on Instagram and TikTok at stuff One
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: Never told You. You also find us on YouTube. We
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: have a book coming out which we did not write
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: during an arrival. Nope. You can pre order it at
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: stuff You should read books dot com and yes, thanks
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: as I always too, our super producer Christina, our executive
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: producer Maya, and our contributor Joey. Thank you all, and
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: thanks to you for listening. Stefan never told your protection
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio more podcasts in My Heart Radio. You can
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: check out the Ieart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, Regulus and
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.