Episode 16 The Strangers

Transcript

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This is Ed Falco on the air, reading The Strangers. A novel in 19 episodes. In episode 15, Severn attempted to return Red to her family in Millersville, only to find that her family wouldn't take her back. On the ride back to the farm, Severn learns more about Red and her people, as she communicates with him via an iPhone text to speech feature. As episode 16 begins, Severn and the others have just returned to the farm. Vi was the first one out of the jeep and at Severn's side plying him with questions. What happened in the stranger's houses? Why wouldn't they take her back? What were they going to do with her now? Had he managed to communicate with her at all on the drive? What did he think she was like? Did she understand what was going on? Severn held off the questions with an arm around Vi's shoulder and a disavowal of much knowledge about anything. The inside of the house was luxurious, he told her. And no, he still didn't know much about her. He sensed that she was frightened and could use their help. Really? Vi said, as Severn opened the door for Red and helped her out. She needs our help. A'isha and Tommy gathered round so that a huddle formed in the garage. Only Matthew kept his distance. Beyond the open garage door, the wind had picked up and was blowing a scattering of leaves along the blacktop drive. Let's go inside, Severn said. I'm hungry. I'm starving, Tommy said, and turned to A'isha, who laughed in a way that said she was at least slightly dismayed that the task of feeding everyone had fallen to her. I'll help, Vi said, and she took A'isha's hand. Red can help too, Severn said. He put a hand on her back, nudging her toward A'isha and Vi. Can she? Vi asked Severn. She understands us, Severn answered. Ask her. Reluctantly, Vi turned to Red. Can you help us? Do you know how to cook and all that? Red nodded shyly. She glanced back to the Ferrari and the iPhone, but made no move to retrieve it. You don't eat meat, A'isha said to Red, right? No, you don't eat meat? A'isha asked again. When Red nodded, she said to Severn, I'm sure we can whip up something. I'll help, Tommy said. I don't mind. Vi moved toward Tommy and collapsed against his shoulder. I'm tired, she said. You're hungry, Severn said to Vi. He looked over her to Matthew, who was leaning against the jeep. You said we'd talk. Matthew pushed off from the jeep and straightened out the rifle strapped across his chest. Now's a good time. Come on. A'isha extended her hand to Red. Red hesitated, looked first to Severn and then back to A'isha. I don't bite, A'isha said. Red took A'isha's hand. With Vi on one side of her, A'isha on the other, and Tommy following, she walked off, out of the garage, into the porch, and into the house. When the door to the house snapped closed, Matthew said, What the hell are you doing, Severn? What is she doing here with us? What are you thinking? Let's walk. Severn took off his weapons and laid them gently on top of the Ferrari. Are you crazy? Matthew pointed to the discarded weapons. I don't think so, Severn said. Our weapons are next to useless. They're not entirely useless. So we've both managed to kill one of them, Severn said. In both cases, they could have killed us anyway if they wanted. Severn looked at the weapons and then looked away, as if he couldn't be bothered with them. I want to take a walk without feeling like I'm a damned arsenal. Fine, Matthew said. And then he shrugged and added, Hell, I know what you mean. He took off one of the assault rifles and unstrapped the holster at his side. He laid the two weapons on the hood of the jeep. I'll keep this one for a security blanket. He patted the assault rifle, still strapped to his chest. Once out of the garage, they started up the treeline drive toward the road. Severn thrust his hands into his pants pocket and leaned into the breeze, enjoying the sensation of wind in his hair and on his face. Beside him, Matthew seemed to relax a little more with each step. He was watching the wind blowing through the treetops, his eyes darting now and then to follow the movement of a bird or a squirrel. It was as if the two of them had simply willed themselves the right to a peaceful moment, the right to take a walk without being terrified of every shadow and sound. Back at the stranger's house, Matthew asked. When you said we'd talk, what was that about? She's communicating with me, Severn said. We're talking. They don't talk, Matthew said. As if Severn had to be mistaken. This one does. Really? Matthew still looked skeptical. She can speak? Not speak, Severn said. She found one of your iPhones in the spider. She types words and the iPhone speaks in a GPS like voice. Text to voice, Matthew said. He straightened his glasses and sounded suddenly apologetic. I should have figured that. It makes sense. A pair of yellow finches swooped across the drive and landed on a nearby tree branch. Severn and Matthew both watched them until they darted away. So, Matthew asked. What has she told you? Not a whole lot that makes sense. They appear to believe that they've saved us. They what? Saved us. Matthew looked like he had missed part of what Severn had said and was waiting for a clarification. Apparently, Severn said. We reached some kind of tipping point with the environment. Hell, we've been saying as much ourselves about increasing temperatures. So what, Matthew interrupted. A tipping point? Red believes we were on our way to extinction and there was no going back. Matthew was quiet a while, as if he needed a moment to absorb what Severn was telling him. So, he said finally, they killed us to save the Earth? Severn shook his head. They believe they've become us. They've saved us. And the Earth. Matthew's incredulity took the form of a loud laugh. You want to say that again, please? I know. Severn touched his temples as if he too couldn't contain his disbelief. Best I can figure is that they truly believe they've morphed themselves into human beings. They've learned everything about us, which is how they've slipped so comfortably into our lives. They look exactly like us. They live like us. They believe they've become us. Matthew said, as if summing up Severn's explanation. They believe that they've saved us by becoming us before we kill ourselves off. Severn nodded. Did you tell her that was insane? Tried to. I think I might have made some progress. Matthew walked along in silence, his face screwed up in a mask of concentrated attention. Do you think it's possible, he said finally, that one species can become another species? No, Severn said. Then, after thinking about it, added, I mean, I don't know. Maybe it's possible to exactly replicate a species. It's creepy to think about. With you there, Matthew said. But they haven't done it, Severn said. They're us, if somehow we lived in a world with no disease, no poverty, no war, and no enemies. There doesn't appear to be any dissension or conflict anywhere in their world. So they're not us, Matthew said. Exactly. Whatever they are, they're not us. Ahead of them on the long driveway, a doe stuck her nose out of the woods, saw them, and then crossed the black top with a pair of fawns following her. The doe's coat was bright with yellow undertones and looked so sleek it might have been brushed and groomed. The fawns coats were still fluffy. Severn and Matthew stopped at the sight of them and waited until they were out of sight. A breeze swept the driveway and rustled through the trees and brush, and then it was just the men again, walking side by side. Matthew said, They're not afraid of us anymore, meaning the deer were not hunting them, Severn said. What were they before they turned themselves into us, Matthew asked, back to the strangers. Where did they come from? Great questions, Severn said. She doesn't know. How can she not know? They had to be something. They had to come from someplace. Severn watched a patch of sunlight spilling through a break in the clouds. He tried to pull his thoughts together. I'm guessing your theory about them being a race of mimics is basically right, he said. Except it's more than mimicry. They actually, somehow, become, take on, our human form. With some serious differences, Matthew said, like they sing like birds and walk funny. Granted, Severn said. But other than that, still, Matthew said, again, they had to be something before they were us. What if after they change into us, Severn said, they study us for a long time, hundreds of years, maybe longer, living in a prototype of Earth's environment for many generations until, by the time they actually take over the planet, they don't remember what they were before us? That's what you think? I'm theorizing, Severn said. I don't know what I think. There would have to be at least an institutional memory. Someone, some hierarchy, would have to know their history, who they were before they changed. When I ask red, Severn said, she says they were always human. When I press harder, she says they were many before they became one. Did you ask her what the hell that means? Seems to be the best she can do, Severn said. They were almost to the road. Near the end of the driveway, Severn stopped and put his hands on his hips. He looked at Matthew in a way that said he was baffled. Can I talk to her, Matthew asked. We should wait, Severn said. Give her at least a little time to adjust before she has to field questions from everyone. Matthew considered that and then said, Okay, we'll give her a few days. Good. Maybe she'll see that we're all not monsters. Let's head back, Matthew touched Severn's arm as if to show that he agreed and then was quiet and they started back for the farmhouse. What if, he said after walking a while, as a species they keep mutating or mimicking or whatever it is they do. They start out as one thing, right? Then they evolve through eons until they were space travelers. They find a planet that they think needs taking over, and then they do what you said, they mutate into them, they study them, and then eventually a portion of these space travelers, some number appropriate to the planet, becomes those people, that species. And they keep doing that over eons, until there are many different forms, different species. They are many. And when some portion of them mutates into the species they've eliminated, then that portion is one. The one they've become. So all red noses are human form, because they've been in that form for generations. And of her history, she knows, they are many, because at this point in their evolution, they are, in fact, many different forms, or species. Severn said appreciatively, That sounds, incredible. Well, it's another theory, Matthew said. Still, Severn asked, they had to be something originally. They had to start somewhere. That could be forgotten over the millennia, Matthew said, and over all their travels. So where do the packs fit into all of this, Severn asked. Did you ask her? Yes. She says, They are always with us. Really? Matthew said. That's all she could give you? There are very few of them, Severn said. The dogs. She says there are never very many of them around. Their numbers can't be that small, Matthew said. They managed to find us pretty quickly. They found you. Maybe the strangers led them to us, Severn said. Maybe they worked together. Matthew pointed ahead of them to where the farmhouse was coming into view and lights were visible through the windows. They've got the generator rolling. Severn said, Or what if the packs can pick up smells over hundreds of miles or more? Could be the reason we went all winter without being bothered by the pack is that they were on the other side of the country, hunting you. When they chased you east, that's when they found us. If that's true, Matthew said, it would mean there's at least some limit to how far they can pick up smells, which is good to know, if you say so. I'm reaching, Matthew said. Then he was quiet, and his expression changed, and he added, They're going to kill us, aren't they? Maybe. Maybe. They're just playing now, toying with us, Severn said. That would be my guess. Do you see us having any chance against them? No, Severn said. Not really. I don't see it. Me neither, Matthew said. And then the two of them walked alongside each other in silence. Severn and Matthew entered the farmhouse to find A'isha and Red side by side at the stove, with Tommy and Vi behind them at the kitchen table playing chess on a red and black fold up board with cheap plastic pieces. A'isha had just poured a box of spaghetti into boiling water. Beside her, Severn, Red stirred a pot of marinara sauce with a wooden spoon. Vi had been staring at the chessboard before Matthew pushed through the door, breaking her concentration. When she looked up, her eyes went first to Severn's chest and then to his side, where the holster and pistol should have been. What's up, she said. Where are your weapons? Severn ignored her question and joined Red and A'isha at the stove where he peered into the marinara sauce and checked out the spaghetti as A'isha stirred the pot. This looks delicious, he said to Red, who had glanced at him quickly before returning her gaze to the bubbling sauce. How's it going, he asked A'isha. Good, A'isha said. To Severn's surprise, she reached around Red, touched his shoulder, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Red chopped up a couple of onions and added some oregano to the sauce, she said. I'm looking forward to tasting it. Matthew had stopped at the door to put away his rifle. She can cook, he said. His voice was flat and affectless. He leaned against the counter next to A'isha, who moved back from the boiling pot of water and kissed him on the lips, a loud, smacking kiss, part affection and part comedy. You're in a good mood, he said. Carpe diem, A'isha said, right? She leaned back against Matthew and gestured toward the kids at the table and read in Severn at the stove. This is nice, she added. She peeked over her shoulder to Matthew. Weren't you getting bored, just the two of us? This Before Matthew could answer, Tommy said to Severn, Red knows how to play chess. We had the board the wrong way and she showed us. You play chess? Severn asked Red. Red nodded, her eyes on the saucepan. Red, A'isha said, would you get the colander please, it's under the sink. I'll get it, Matthew said. He found the colander and put it in the sink after clearing away a few dishes. We're ready. A'isha found two bright yellow potholders in a kitchen drawer, lifted the pot from the stove, and poured spaghetti into the colander as she backed away from the cloud of steam rushing toward the ceiling. Red pushed the pan of sauce off the burner and, without being asked, brought a white serving bowl from the kitchen table to the counter. She held it while A'isha poured in the spaghetti. When A'isha was done, Red carried the bowl to the stove, poured on the marinara sauce, and then mixed it using a wooden fork and spoon. When she saw that everyone was watching her, she slowed down and turned to Severn. Severn motioned to Tommy and Vi and said, Let's eat. He led the way to the dining room table, which was already set with plates, napkins, and utensils. Red carried the pasta bowl to the table and took a seat next to Severn, across from Tommy and Vi. This is cozy, Matthew said. In that same effectless voice that came across, this time, as at least a little insincere. He carried three beers to the table, slid one to Tommy and one to Severn, and sat across from Red. A'isha held a can of beer in one hand and a can of Pepsi in the other. Which, she asked Red. When Red pointed to the Pepsi, she handed it to her. I'll have a Pepsi too, Vi said. I think I'll have a beer with the boys tonight. A'isha put the beer in front of her plate, next to Red, and went back to the fridge for a Pepsi for Vi. When she finally took her seat, she folded her hands in front of her and sighed. You're not all waiting for me to serve you, are you? Red jumped up at that, but Severn put his hand on her shoulder and pulled the serving bowl close to him. Hand me your plates, he said, and went about heaping the steaming spaghetti and sauce onto everyone's dishes. After he had filled the last plate, he said, this smells delicious. When everyone seemed to be waiting for someone else to start, he added, shall we eat? Red reached up to take Severn's hand on one side of her and A'isha's on the other. She seemed confused when no one else clasped hands. Do you say grace before meals? Matthew asked Red. He leaned toward her, his elbows on the table. Red let go of Severn and A'isha and folded her hands in her lap. Like a blessing, Tommy said, as if to clarify Matthew's question. Do you say a blessing before you eat a meal? Red nodded and then looked from Tommy to Severn. Who do you pray to? Matthew asked. What god do you pray to? Matthew, Severn said. Are you? Matthew paused as if momentarily too flustered to speak. I mean, are you Catholics, Protestants, Muslims? When Red didn't respond, he said, Please answer me. She can't speak, A'isha said. She can nod, Matthew said, raising his voice. Do you have Jews, Buddhists, Mormons? When Red nodded, Matthew turned to Severn. They adopted our religions, he said. They pray to our gods. They give thanks, he added. They exterminated us, and then they give thanks to our gods. A'isha said, She's one person, Matthew. She's not responsible for everything her people did. She's not, Matthew said. I don't hear her expressing regret. Tommy said, She's afraid of you, dude. Matthew glared at Tommy and looked like he might lash out at him. Instead, he finished his beer and went to the fridge for another. On the way, he said, Maybe she senses I harbor ill will toward her people. Red's arms started to quiver and shake in little spasms. She folded them under her breasts to hold herself still. Vi tossed her fork down on the table and the sound of it clattering made Red flinch. Vi didn't notice. She had already spun around to face Matthew in the kitchen. I agree with A'isha, she said. Red's just one person, she's not one of their leaders or something like that. Matthew downed the second beer in a few gulps, took a third from the fridge, put a fourth in his pocket, and walked out of the house, grabbing his rifle along the way. Once he was gone, the Down the front porch steps and off toward the pond. A'isha said, Let's just eat, okay? She offered Red a forced smile, and then picked up her fork and twirled spaghetti around the tines. Fi swallowed a mouthful of pasta and said, The onions were a great idea, Red. She took a sip of Pepsi and then watched Red waiting for her to eat. Red picked up her fork and touched the spaghetti. She appeared to be forcing herself to move. She lifted a few noodles to her mouth and then returned them to the bowl. She put the fork down, folded her arms under her breasts again and looked to Severn. She was shaking noticeably. You know what I think, Severn said to the table. I'm going to take Red back to the cave early. He spun around and looked out the living room windows. The day was continuing with the same intermittent sunshine and cloudiness. At the moment, the sun was shining, lighting up the porch in its white railing. I'll get her set up and comfortable there, he added, turning to face A'isha, and then you can meet up with us later. She needs to eat something, Vi said. So do you. I'll make them sandwiches, A'isha said. To Severn, she said, I think that's probably a good idea. It'll give me time to talk to Matthew. She got up and pushed her chair back under the table. Matthew's a good guy, she said, gesturing toward Red. You'll see. Severn followed A'isha into the kitchen, leaving Red with Tommy and Vi, both of whom tried to talk to her at the same time. Tommy said, Hell, Red, if I had to be responsible for everything my people ever did, I'd have no choice but to hang myself. Vi said to Tommy, Let's get off that subject altogether, okay? She took a bite of salad, swallowed quickly, and told Red she reminded her of one of her older sisters, Rose, who was the shy one in the family. She wasn't as pretty as you, she said, but she was still pretty pretty. She and Tommy both laughed at the repetition of pretty. As Red listened, her shaking slowed down and then stopped. Tommy and Vi, seeing the effect they were having on her, went on chattering, which was something they were good at. In the kitchen, Severn and A'isha went about making sandwiches. They worked in silence as they listened to Tommy and Vi go on about their families, where they had both lived, how they had first gotten to know each other, things that had happened to them. All their stories predated the lurchings. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, and Red was listening attentively. When they were done making sandwiches, A'isha found a brown paper bag in a kitchen drawer. She motioned for Severn to join her in a far corner of the kitchen out of sight of Red and the kids. I'm sorry, she whispered, but Matthew has serious problems with Red. I know, Severn said. He's making that pretty clear. I don't think it'll work for her to stay with us. A'isha pushed a loose strand of hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear. You seem to be getting attached to her. Severn gave himself a second to think about that. The plan is the same, he said. We'll try to find strangers who will take her in. Why do you think they put her out in the first place? This is the only behavior we've seen from them that's not A'isha touched her lips as if she might make them speak the word she was searching for. Ideal, she said finally. Harmonious. I don't know, Severn said. And she doesn't seem to know either. Vi called from the living room. What are you guys whispering about? If we wanted you to know, Severn said, we wouldn't be whispering. Oh great, Vi said. Now we have secrets. Severn touched A'isha's arm, meaning to reassure her. We'll figure it out, he said. He picked up the bag with the sandwiches and joined the kids in the living room. He motioned to Red. Are you ready to go? Red got up from her seat, and A'isha joined Severn. She said, We'll be there later. Vi was wearing a yellow top and a pair of jade teardrop earrings. You have pierced ears, she said, first pointing to Red, and then going about taking off her earrings. Red nodded and leaned forward slightly when Vi approached her, seeing that Vi intended to put the earrings on her. They match your eyes, Vi said. Whoa, Tommy said. They look great on her. Red seemed unsure of what to do at first, and then she bent to Vi and kissed her on the cheek. Vi grinned in response to the kiss. You can keep them, she said. Red nodded again, a thank you in the gesture. Time to go, Severn said. And he took Red by the arm and led her to the door. That was episode 16 of The Strangers. New episodes will be available twice a week on Mondays and Fridays until the novel is completed. If you want to read ahead, an inexpensive digital edition of The Strangers is available from Amazon, Barnes Noble, and other online bookstores. This podcast is an experiment in alternatives to traditional publishing. If you'd like to support it and more like it in the future, visit Please consider becoming a subscriber or supporter. If enough listeners choose to do so, that will go a long way to help ensuring the podcast's success and continuation. In any event, I'm Ed Falco, I wrote The Strangers, and I hope you'll come back for the next episode.