Episode 19 The Strangers

Transcript

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This is Ed Falco on the air, reading The Strangers, a novel in 19 episodes. At the conclusion of episode 18, Severn and the others, having determined that they are no longer in any immediate danger from the pack, are returning to the farm to finally bury Sage. That's where we pick up with the final episode of The Strangers. For most of the walk back to the farmhouse, Tommy and Vi were uncharacteristically quiet. No chatting, no joking, only the silence of the surrounding night interrupted by wind gusting and kicking up leaves and dirt. Severn and Vi both had flashlights and they led the way through the pine woods. Vi occasionally turning her flashlight beam up into the trees when she heard the rustling of wings or the sound of a squirrel skempering over branches. No one spoke until they were out in the open fields, where the moon was so bright the flashlights were unnecessary. They stopped a minute as Tommy handed off Sage. When Severn got a good grip on the big dog, heaving her up close to his chest before they started again, Vi moved up alongside Red. You know what it is, Vi said, as if she and Red had been chatting with each other all along. They're still kind of freaked out by you. Freaked out? Red spoke so softly that everyone leaned a little closer to her so they could make out her words. Like it's hard to really comprehend, Vi explained, so they don't know how to handle it. What is hard to comprehend? Vi was stuck for words briefly before she blurted out, her voice rising a bit, how you could turn into one of them of the pack, she said. It's, like, really crazy, like, Vi went on, Matthew and A'isha, they're probably wondering, could you do it anytime you wanted to, change like that? Red put her hands to her face, as if she was trying to hide. Severn said, it's not easy for Red to talk about this, Vi. She's already explained to me that she doesn't understand what happened to her. Vi said, I don't mean to upset you, Red. I'm just trying to explain. Matthew and A'isha, she said, they're good. They're just freaked out by you, by what happened. That's why they're not coming back to the farmhouse with us. Red took her hands away from her face. Me too, she said to Vi. I'm freaked out. Vi smiled at Red's response. She touched Red's arm. We can change the subject. Severn said we should bury Sage as soon as we get to the house. He looked up at the moon, bright enough out for it. Tommy said, I miss Sage. Vi said, she was the last good dog. Red touched Vi's hand as if to comfort her. Always, she said, there are some creatures who were bonded to the originals, bonded to the firsts, and they never warmed to us. Severn asked gently, how do you know that, Red? Always? It happened before, elsewhere, that some creatures remain loyal to the indigenous species, to the firsts, the originals? Yes, Red answered. Always. Severn asked again. How do you know that? We have our own history, Red answered. She paused as the farmhouse came into sight, the white clapboard exterior shimmering in moonlight. In time it fades away, our history, she added. Over the generations, until we have only your history. In time, we forget who we were, and we become completely you. But for now, I know. It is part of our history. There are always some creatures. They never warm to us until the generations pass and they forget the originals. She looked at Vi. So there are more good dogs, she said. Perhaps we will find one. Tommy moved close to Red so that he was on one side of her and Vi on the other. You walk like us now, he said. And you talk like us. And then eventually you forget you weren't always really us to begin with? That's so creepy, Vi said, before Tommy could come up with the word. It doesn't seem so to us, Red explained. We are always changing and adding. We are always becoming. But it's terrible, Vi said. What your people did to us. You see that, don't you, Red? Severn said to Vi, She does. She sees that. Vi and Tommy were both watching Red. They acted as if they hadn't heard Severn at all. I am with you now, Red answered, and her eyes seemed suddenly to harden. When they'd come out of the fields and were on the blacktop driveway, Severn asked Tommy to get a couple of shovels from the garage. Vi said, I want to help dig the grave. Severn said, How about Tommy and I dig the grave while you and Red get sleeping spaces set up for us in the house. When the grave's ready, we can throw the dirt over her together. Where should we all sleep? Vi glanced quickly toward Tommy and then looked away, back to Severn. Let's all sleep up in the attic for now, Severn said. There's empty bedrooms downstairs, Tommy said. The attic for now, Severn said, and he pointed to the garage, meaning Tommy should go get the shovels. We'll bury her over here, he gestured toward a patch of tall grass just beyond the front porch. Vi took Red by the arm and started for the house and Tommy went off to the garage. Severn, alone for a moment, threw his head back and watched a single dark cloud quickly cross the moon's path, blotting out its light for a few seconds before it slid past. At the sound of the screen door slapping shut, he turned around. He turned back to the house where he followed Vi's flashlight beam as it lit up the living room before disappearing and then reappearing in one of the narrow basement windows. A few minutes later, the roar of the generator rumbled out into the night, followed by the bright flare of lights going on throughout the house. Dude, Tommy said, back from the garage carrying a pair of shovels, is stronger than I thought. He gestured towards Sage, nestled securely in Severn's arms. She's heavy, isn't she? Not so bad, Severn answered. He'd been holding on to Sage as much as carrying her. She was cold and stiff under the blanket, but he nonetheless liked the feel of her bulk against his chest. Over here, he said, and he led Tommy to a patch of soft ground some twenty or so feet out from the front porch. He laid Sage down in the grass and reached for a shovel. Tommy held the shovel back. Let me dig, he said. You did most of the carrying. Severn sat beside Sage and watched Tommy work. The kid was all muscle. He tore up the ground and tossed dirt into a pile. Within a few minutes, the outline of the grave was torn out of the grass, a dark rectangle under the moon. And a little while after that, he was already a foot into the ground. You can slow down some, Tommy. Sage isn't going anywhere. Might as well get it done, Tommy answered. He appeared to be lost in thought while he was working. Severn found the second shovel and joined Tommy. May I ask you something, he said, after throwing a few shovelfuls of dirt out of the grave. When he grunted in the affirmative, he asked, Do you love Vi? Tommy stopped shoveling. What kind of question is that? He looked genuinely surprised. He swiped his hair from his face and left a dirt smudge on his forehead. Of course I love her, he said, and he went back to work. We both love her, he added. Why is that even something you'd ask? Severn kept shoveling. After a while he said, You know what I mean, Tommy, don't you? You know why I'm asking. Dude, Tommy said, and he started digging even faster, as if he were somehow running away from Severn. After they dug down a couple of feet in silence, he stopped, pushed the blade of the shovel into the ground and leaned on the handle. She's kind of like a little sister to me, Severn. That's how I've always thought of her. He pulled the shovel up and went to work again. I mean, he added, it's not that I haven't noticed her. She's kind of beautiful, isn't she? She is, Severn said. When his shovel bounced off a rock, he dug the rock out with his hands and threw it out into the now substantial pile of dirt. Look, he said, wiping his hands on his pants. We have no idea what's going to happen. For all we know, there are more humans that survived. Everything could change. Yeah, Tommy said, that's true. He stopped shoveling. Is this deep enough? He asked. When Severn agreed that it was deep enough, Tommy added, not likely, but possible, meaning he doubted that more humans had survived. We'll have to wait and see what happens, Severn said. He pulled himself out of the grave, lifted Sage, and handed him down to Tommy. But I'm glad you have each other, no matter what. You and Vi. Tommy settled Sage at the bottom of the grave and then looked up to Severn. You sound like you're going somewhere, he said. And then his attention suddenly shifted. Look at this. A broad smile crossed his face. Severn turned to find Matthew and A'isha coming out of the fields by the garage. Just in time, Tommy said. We can all say goodbye to Sage together. A'isha took Matthew's hand as they approached, as if she was leading him along. The moon was over their shoulder and they were largely silhouettes until they were standing close to the grave. Matthew looked past Severn to Tommy and Sage and then back to Severn. Too early to be breaking into tribes, he said, explaining why he had come back to the farmhouse with A'isha. I'm glad you're here, Severn said. Me too. Tommy climbed out of the grave and stood beside Severn. You're burying her tonight? A'isha stepped close to the edge of the grave and looked down at Sage. Now that you're here, Severn said, it's perfect. He touched Tommy's arm. Why didn't you go get Vi and Red? Tommy looked awkwardly at Matthew, as if he wanted to say something more, and then bolted for the porch in the house. A moment later, he returned with Vi. Red still feeling weak, Vi said as she was approaching. She went to A'isha and gave her a hug. She turned to Matthew, hesitated, and then threw herself at him, hugging him around the neck. Matthew was momentarily stiff as if surprised before he leaned over and returned the hug. Tommy went to work filling the grave and Severn joined him. Do we have a plan? Matthew asked. Have you guys talked? Severn said, no, not yet. Now that you're with us though, we can all talk. I was thinking, Matthew said, there's no reason for us to stay here. We only stayed in the first place because of the caves. And now, we don't need them. I agree, Severn said. I think we should bury Sage and leave in the morning. So soon, A'isha said. Matthew said, agreeing with Severn, let's pick a place and go. He looked around at the surrounding mountains. I won't be sad to leave here. What about the ocean, Vi said. We could get away from the pack on the ocean. Maybe even lose them. Severn looked to Matthew and A'isha. A'isha said, we could go to Norfolk. See what we find there. Dude, Tommy said, a battleship. Norfolk's full of battleships. The strangers probably don't know what to do with them. They've most likely destroyed them, Matthew said. Severn laughed and said, I don't think we could figure out a battleship. With enough time, Matthew said, it's not out of the question. It took Severn a moment to realize that Matthew was serious, and then he was impressed. For now, he said, maybe a yacht to start us off. Cool, Tommy said. I could live with that. Vi said, I know I'd feel better with a few hundred miles of ocean between us and the pack. Severn threw the last few shovelfuls of dirt onto the grave. I think the dogs are going to find they underestimated us, he said. He tossed his shovel aside and stood next to Matthew. Matthew said, even if we could eliminate the dogs somehow, there'd still be the strangers to deal with. Severn looked back to the house, searching the windows. There's nothing to do about the strangers, he said. They replaced us. That's just the way it is. We have no choice but to deal with it. For now, anyway, Matthew said. He gestured toward the front of the house, where Red had appeared in a window. She stood with her hands folded in front of her, looking out at them. I still don't know what we're going to do about her, he said to Severn. If you say we can trust her, okay. I'll go along. But she's one of them. She's one of the pack. Severn was quiet, watching Red in the window. For a while, the five of them waited in the moonlight with a breeze whistling through the grass and trees. When he turned away from the window, he said, I don't know either. To Matthew he said, I'm not arguing with you. She's one of the pack. He paused as if momentarily reconsidering. We're part of her at least, I agree. Her change, the things that happened to her in the cave. He looked at Vi and Tommy as if he needed them to understand him. It was terrible, he said, what she went through. He was quiet a second, unable to put into words how horrible the metamorphosis had been to witness and how much more horrible it must have been to experience. He had already described it to them as best he could, but he knew his words had been inadequate. He pictured her flesh melting away, and the sheath tearing her in half. She went through that twice, for me. He took a step back. I understand if you can't feel safe with her. He let his gaze settle on Matthew. Or if you believe it's wrong for me to be with her, I understand that. He paused again and added, I won't leave her, but perhaps you four should talk it over and decide whether or not you want us, me and Red, with you, for the long run, into the future. There's nothing to talk over, Vi said, before the last word was out of Severn's mouth. I'm going wherever you're going. Tommy said, I trust you, Severn. He shrugged and added, I mean, I don't know what's going to happen, but He was stuck for words and so repeated himself, I trust you. A'isha looked to Matthew, waiting for what he'd say. Matthew turned first to Severn and then back to the house, where Red was still watching from the window. If you're all willing, he said, A'isha and I, we agreed, we shouldn't split up. I mean the five of us, we should stay together. He paused and then added, I'm willing to wait and see what comes of it with Red. He started to offer Severn his hand, as if for a handshake, and then awkwardly let his arm drop to his side. We'll see what comes of it, Severn repeated. He added, without thinking and without knowing entirely what he meant, maybe we can do better. A'isha went behind Matthew and wrapped her arms around him. She looked over his shoulder toward the house. Let's get Red and say our goodbyes to Sage, she said, sounding tired. I'm looking forward to sleeping under a roof. Tommy called for Red to join them. Red, at the window, took a step back. Not until Vi also called out to her did she step out of the frame of the window and then leave the house. She went to Severn and stood by his side. Severn took her by the hand and moved to the far side of the grave. When he reached out to Vi, the others made a circle around the grave, holding hands. I guess, Severn said, maybe we should all just say what we want to say, unless someone wants to recite a prayer first. The response from the circle was a long silence that only broke when Vi looked up from her feet and made a face that said she had given up on finding the right words. Why don't you just say something for all of us, she asked Severn. Tommy said, I can't think of anything that doesn't sound dumb. And he looked to Severn, seconding Vi's request. Some pets, Severn said. They take up a place in our hearts like family. In his head, words buzzed as he struggled to find something appropriate to say and write, but they wouldn't come together into sentences that made sense. The words, family, echoed. And sage. And everyone. Vyse said, Are you alright, Severn? Let's just have a moment of silence, Severn answered. To Tommy, he said, I can't think of anything to say that doesn't sound dumb either. He closed his eyes and held tight to red and vie. In the darkness, behind his eyelids, an image of Sarah loomed into sight and quickly disappeared, followed by a line of people sailing through his field of view, some of them he knew and loved, some of them unknown. He watched them file past his eyes and disappear into the darkness with Sarah, and he was left, again, with the sense of being surrounded by the dead. He felt them in the wind and heard them in the rustling of the trees. They were everywhere, moving around him and through him. He nodded to them, acknowledging them, and when he opened his eyes, he found that everyone's head was bowed in the circle as if in prayer. Okay, he said softly. Okay, he repeated. Let's call it a night. In the morning, they packed the jeep and the spider. They were up at first light, emptying the guns and weapons from the attic, packing what they wanted to take with them into the back of the Jeep, loading up the roof rack. By the time the sun was over the surrounding hills, they were ready to go. The Spider was poised at the foot of the driveway with its engine humming, the Jeep parked behind it with the Winslow Homer watercolor propped up in the cargo area. Red, Tommy, and Vi waited outside the jeep with Severn. In the house, A'isha and Matthew could be seen through the windows, scurrying from room to room. Vi came up alongside Severn. What are they doing? she asked. I thought we were ready to go. Tommy opened the back door of the jeep and leaned against the frame. He shielded his eyes from the sun with an open hand and squinted toward the farmhouse windows. Why are they running around in there like that? Red came around from the passenger side of the jeep to stand beside Severn. I smell gasoline, she said. Matthew and A'isha exited the house. A'isha started for the jeep while Matthew hung back in the farmhouse doorway. Severn put his arm around Vi's shoulder. We didn't tell you because we knew it would bother you, Vi. Tell her what? Tommy asked. The couple that own the house, Severn said to both Tommy and Vi. They're still in there. They're under the cover, side by side, in the master bedroom. I wondered why that room was locked, Tommy said. Vi stepped away from Severn. And you didn't tell me? Severn said, They looked like they belonged there, Vi, together, in their own bedroom. I didn't want to disturb them. We didn't either, A'isha said, joining them. Mr. and Mrs. It's their house. We were guests. She turned back to the farmhouse as Matthew lit up a rag wrapped around a stick and tossed the burning stick through the front door. Before he could reach the jeep, the downstairs of the farmhouse was burning, flames eating up the curtains and shooting out the open windows. We're cremating them, A'isha said. Tommy reached over the jeep door and touched Vi's shoulder as if to comfort her. Okay, Vi said to Severn. She moved closer to him again. I guess it's the right thing to do. Matthew joined them and stood behind A'isha. He put his arm around her and she leaned back into him. The six of them were quiet then in the morning sunlight, gathered around the jeep, watching the farmhouse burn. Red turned to Severn after a minute, as if to ask why they weren't leaving. He saw that flames didn't hold the same fascination for Red that they did for him and the others, and And he guessed that this was likely yet another thing that separated humans from strangers. He tried to think of how to explain it to Red, the human fascination with fire. Flames entrance us, he thought to say. And then he thought that even more than that, watching the farmhouse burn was like watching the last of everything they knew turn to smoke and ashes before they ventured off into an altered world. One that was a mystery, full of things they didn't know, and maybe couldn't even dream. He didn't know how to explain any of this to Red, so he took her hand in his and held it tight, and in that moment he felt gratitude bubbling up in him, and he was amazed by it. He felt the six of them standing in a little knot watching the flames, and he felt the others, the surrounding spirits of all who had gone before them. He didn't know what to say, and he gave up trying. He held on to Red and Vi, and watched flames devour the house, growling and roaring, as if they themselves were a living thing. In a moment, they were gone. They would leave and move on, but for now, Severn watched the farmhouse burn in silence as if awestruck in the heat of the fire under the warmth of the morning sun. That was the nineteenth and final episode of The Strangers. This podcast is an experiment in alternatives to traditional publishing. In forthcoming episodes, before I begin the next novel in the series. I'll be reading a few short stories and talking about the craft of writing. I hope you enjoyed The Strangers, and I hope you'll join me for future episodes.