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You are entering a realm between

clandestine and forgotten,

a slipstream caught between channels,

the secret museum of mankind,

the private library of shadows...

All taking place on a stage forged from mystery

and found only on a frequency caught between logic and myth.

You are entering Paradox Theater.

Tonight’s episode, "The Vast of Night."

You and the family headed to the game?

No, just me. Patricia’s with the kids over in Hobbs.

Hobbs, huh? Good thing we’re not playing them.

Boy, ain’t that right.

See you at the game.

I don’t want to light my next cigarette, Benny. I got one here that’ll do the trick.

Mrs. McBroom’s looking for you. Why?

I’m not sure why. I was at supper.

Ingrid’s sister was giving you the top to bottom.

No, she wasn’t. Oh, yes, she was. In her car.

With Millie when I was walking up.

Great damn dogs, what was that? That’s why they were calling.

Make me feel better, Benny. Make me feel better. This is not good.

Arlo’s under the stands figuring it out. Last time it happened, it was a squirrel

that had bitten through a wire, but the wire was still in the mouth of the skeleton.

So is this the lights or the electric? We can’t roll if it’s flickering.

I don’t know. I was at supper. How many times you gonna tell me you were at supper?

Now... Sam, what’s barn buzzard’s buzz, man?

I don’t know. It’s just blinking in there. Let’s plug it in.

I haven’t had anything to test it. Let’s figure it out.

Come on, plug it in. Okay.

Be careful. If it electrocutes you,

you’ll stop growing hair and never get a date.

Oh, tune out, man. Go find Mrs. McBroom.

I will, but I don’t like that tone, Sam. If it’s blinking when you start recording,

stop recording, or I’ll have one of them Buell brothers come beat the water out of you.

Everett. Hey. Mrs. McBroom is looking for you.

Renny, up in the stands with his horn. I know. Benny told me.

-So what does she want? -I don’t know. She’s just walking around,

asking everybody, "Where’s Everett? Have you seen Everett?

When’s Everett getting here?" That tells me nothing, Renny.

Go sit down with your horn. Matter of fact, give it to me. There’s something wrong with it.

I used to play trombone. Everett!

Can I bring you my tape recorder so you can show me how it works?

I don’t know what you said, Fay. You sound like a mouse being eaten by a possum.

Renny, give me your horn.

Can I bring you my tape recorder so you can show me how it works?

Yeah, sure, Fay. Renny, now. Great!

Why? Drop it down now, Renny.

You can’t hurt it. What am I gonna do, Renny?

What... Drop it down now. Come on. Come on.

Yeah. There. Good boy. Hey, where are you going?

Everett! Everett! Bye, Renny. Bye, Renny.

Arlo told me to bring you down. Why? Where is he? What for? Down where?

He’s in the locker. I don’t know what he wants. They don’t tell me anything.

They don’t listen to me. He just said, "Go grab Everett."

I don’t know what’s going on. I just got here. I’m not gonna be able to help.

I got H.H. at 7:00, so... I know that.

He just doesn’t listen to me.

Come tell him for yourself.

I told them to turn the power off during the tornado, but they don’t listen to me.

Last time this happened, it was a squirrel that had bitten through the wire.

Squirrel still had the wire in his mouth. Yeah, Benny told me.

And we had a rat gnaw through the scoreboard wire. Did you know that?

No, I did not know that. Uh-huh.

And an owl made his home in the library attic,

so we had all these critter bones laying around the crawl space

where we keep the marching band uniforms. Helen Trank had a bat skull in her pocket.

- Hold it. - Why are you here?

Whoa! No, no, wait. I did that. I did that.

Arlo, get out now! Hold it. Hold it, hold it, hold it.

What’s Everett doing here? You told me to bring him down here.

No, I didn’t. Yes, you did.

I did not. You told me.

I said bring Emmett down here, not Everett.

Emmett. Emmett. I asked you specifically

if you wanted Everett from the radio.

Emmett doesn’t work at the radio? Everett works at the radio.

Arlo, if you don’t need me, I’m gonna get back out.

Did Emmett never work at the radio? No, it’s just me.

Emmett works at Santa Mira Mills. He’s an electrician.

Now, hold on just a minute. Emmett worked at the radio.

Wait, wait, wait. You told me to bring him down here.

Do you want us to record over that last game? And Renny wants his horn back.

I know he does. That’s why I took it. Did you get the reel? Because...

Every game use the same reel. It’s in the back of the recorder. I’ll show you.

Are you gonna give Renny his horn back? If he stops being bad news.

I mean, someone’s got to spank his ass.

Oh, Fay, you meant right now? Is that okay?

Uh, can you walk? Yeah.

Just let me look at this for them.

Found it. So we just use the same reel as last time? Same reel each game.

But that’s gonna cause some cross talk eventually. Right? I mean, won’t it?

Read the Bible, Sam? Yes.

There’s your answer. Answer to what?

Answer to everything. But that doesn’t...

Yeah, eventually. But no one’s gonna buy a tape for every game.

If it’s a problem, I’ll ask Mr. McKean. Maybe he’ll buy you some new ones.

But it’s not gonna make a difference now. If power goes out, you stop recording.

I’m not buying another one of those. You said that.

-What’s the tale, nightingale? -What’s all the fuss? Why you got Renny’s horn?

Whoa, what’s this? I didn’t know you’re in band. Why aren’t you up there playing?

Oh, I can’t do pep band. I work the games

so Ruth can watch them, since Greg made varsity.

Why do you have Renny’s horn? ’Cause he needs to be punished for being Renny.

Wait, you’re working? What about, uh, Rita Cope or Winifred?

Winifred works nights in San Mirial. Rita Cope quit. She works at Zeb’s now.

Okay, so clue me in about this lunch box. This is the Westinghouse?

Yeah, it’s the one you told me to get. Ah, where’d you get it?

Montgomery Ward catalog. Play something. What have you recorded?

Well, nothing yet. I mean, I didn’t wanna mess anything up.

You haven’t recorded anything? No, I didn’t wanna mess something up.

You have a brand-new tape recorder. You haven’t been curious to push a button?

I’ve been so curious. I just didn’t want to... I’m nervous.

Are there batteries in it? Yes.

Then press record. Pull out the mic.

On the side, are the wheels spinning?

Yes. All right, then talk.

What do I say? Try this.

Raise your right hand. Say, "I’m not now,

nor have I ever been, a member of the Communist Party."

I’m not now, nor have I ever been, a member of the Communist Party.

Around Dodge City and in the territory out west...

There’s only one way to handle the spoilers and the killers,

and that’s with a US marshal and the smell of gun smoke.

Brought to you by L&M filters. That was good. You want to hear it?

Yes. All right, okay.

Hey, coyotes!

Yeah.

Those guys know me. I’m Everett. I like those guys.

This is Fay Crocker. It’s not recording nothing.

I know. It’s just, I’ve never held a microphone before. I’m practicing.

I did not tell you to practice. Told you to shut up. I’m not shutting up.

It’s my recorder. That was good. That’s how you got to be when we’re recording.

That was queen of Cayuga. You 500-Watt Fay.

This is Fay Crocker.

This is Fay Crocker. I have never, up until now, held a microphone.

One way to handle the spoilers and the killers, and that’s...

Isn’t that a charge? It’s a large charge.

Press record. Start going again. Is that how I sound?

Yeah, that’s how you sound. That’s 100% Cayuga queen. Press record, roll tape.

What are we gonna record? Cool it, Clyde. There’s plenty to say. Follow me. Let’s go.

I’m here with Fay Crocker, horn player and recording expert at Cayuga High School.

Now, what would you like to tell us about yourself, Fay? Uh...

I don’t know. Come on, it’s spinning, sister. Let’s bake biscuits.

Uh, this is Fay... Wait.

What does that mean? Well, it means to record, make records. You...

You need a cigarette. Everyone smokes with a microphone.

I don’t wanna smoke right now. Don’t cramp the cool. It’s just something to hold.

It’s like a prop. It’ll make you more confident. Now, give me your horn.

I’m not allowed to let anyone carry my horn. Why?

If it gets dropped, I have to pay for it.

School owns it. No sweat. Let’s go.

Uh, bacon, bacon, 940. What is that?

I heard it in a war movie. They don’t say "bacon, bacon, 940" during a war.

Well, maybe we’re thinking about different wars. No, no, this is not war radio.

You gotta say something buzzin’.

All right, hold it. Walk over there to the Olivers. We’ll interview them.

Everett, no! That’s... That’s a terrible idea. That’s not fun at all.

You have to answer questions before we let you into the game.

Well, hello, Everett. Wh... What is this? What’s going on?

We’re recording interviews. I have Cayuga winning by eight.

- What are your thoughts on the game? - Need a light, Fay?

No, I’m just holding it like people do with microphones.

Ask him a question. I can’t. You’re making me nervous.

It’s just a question. Ask anyone about anything, doesn’t matter.

Oh. Did you know that a squirrel bit through the wire in the gym?

- I did not know that. Tonight? - Oh, I knew that.

It wasn’t tonight. It was when Clem was still teaching.

Now ask her to tell you more. Tell me more.

It was actually a chipmunk.

A chipmunk. That was it. Hold the mic out to her.

- Tell me more. - I don’t know any more.

Ask her what her feelings are on chipmunks.

What’s your feelings on chipmunks? Well, they’re cute

so long as they stay out of people’s cars and houses and hair.

- That was good. Ask her if she wants to hear it. - You wanna hear your biscuit?

What? My biscuit? Yeah, we made a biscuit.

No... It’s not called a biscuit. But you said we were baking biscuits.

A recording is not a biscuit. What’s this for? Is this going on the air?

No, you’re not... What kind of question is that? You tune into the radio

to hear a family talking in their car, while they’re eating?

No, I guess not. No, yeah, you don’t. No one does.

There’s your answer, unfiltered, brought to you by me.

Honey, you are too funny. Where’d you get this bit?

It comes with the recorder. You should try it. All you got to do

is hold the microphone up to your mouth. Hey, Daisy.

You old enough to be going to basketball games? Yes.

I don’t know... I think you gotta be at least five years old.

I am five years old. Well, look out now. Good thing for that.

If you weren’t, I’d have to take you home and go to bed early.

Have fun at the game. I like your haircut, fuzzy duck.

Thanks for including us. Have a good night. Bye!

- Press record, start talking about something. - What do I say?

Give me your horn. No.

I’m not gonna drop it.

Take the mic out.

Take it out.

Good. Now, what’s your favorite subject in school?

Aren’t you some big science girl?

Yes. All right. Tell me about science.

Be careful with my horn or else you’ll have to deal with Mr. Pike.

Did you know that Robby Ritter set his horn behind the car and they backed over it?

That’s good.

Did you know that Robby Ritter set his horn

behind their car and they backed over it?

Sorry, what’s that? Hello, Fay. Hi, Mr. Stemmons.

What’s this? Is this a school project?

No, Everett’s just having me ask people questions

and record them on my tape recorder. Well, it’s broken.

What? It’s not turning. It stopped working.

How? It’s brand-new. I don’t know what happened. I’m sorry.

I’m sorry, Mr. Stemmons. We’ll record you another time.

Thanks for stopping. We’ll record you another time.

That’s okay. You guys have a good night.

- Can we fix it? - Shh. It’s not broken.

Mr. Stemmons is a nowhere man. He’s a full-on pale one.

We had to get out of that conversation. So it’s not broken?

No. You can’t waste tape, Fay, not on a tombstone like Mr. Stemmons.

Double-dealing devil-dog. That had me so scared.

You know I paid for that with my own money.

You can always do that if someone’s a wet rag.

Tell them, "It’s broken. We’ll have to reschedule."

Then you just never reschedule. Well, I can’t do that to someone.

Oh, yeah, you can. Why not? ’Cause it’s lying.

It’s not lying. It’s stopping someone from embarrassing themselves.

Not if you don’t make them feel embarrassed. Putting up the numbers means

you got to get what you want out of people, not be afraid to cut them off

or tell them to shut up. I’m not putting up any numbers.

I’m sorry, you two. I’m gonna need to see a license for that.

Oh, this ain’t no shotgun, Pappy Fred. And you’re lucky it ain’t.

’Cause you’d all be dead. Fay’s got a new recorder.

Talk to her. Hey, ask them a question, Fay.

Okay, about what? Uh... Well, now I’m nervous again.

What is this? It’s a tape recorder.

Ask if they ever heard "bacon, bacon, 940" before?

Bacon? What are you... Bacon, what?

I heard it in a war movie. Now, hold the mic to your mouth.

Have you ever heard the phrase "bacon, bacon, 940"

in a war movie? Now to his mouth.

I think you mean "breaker, breaker." That’s what it is.

See, I was close. Whoa, cut the gas, cube.

You were a mile wide. Do you have your own show now, Fay?

Yeah, she does. It’s called Teenage Rendezvous

and her radio name is Cayuga Queen.

She takes requests and tells stories of young love.

That’s a great idea. I should get my own show.

All right, start studying for your license.

And learn how to ask a question.

What license?

A radio license, FCC.

You going to the game? No.

We gotta work. Oh, of course.

You do such a good job, honey.

How’s your mother? Did Fay tell you about the Grimaldis?

- About their dog getting electrocuted? - No. Ask Fay.

You need to stay out of Fay’s business, Marjorie.

It’s not Fay’s business. It’s the Grimaldis’ business.

She knows the whole business. Just make sure you turn off that tape machine.

- Oh, we’ll do exactly that. - She knows the whole business.

- Shut your mouth, Marjie. - Oh, look out now.

I didn’t say anything, Fred.

I could appear in court, put my hand on a Bible...

Start walking. This is marriage problems.

- Come on. - I didn’t say anything.

In front of God and everyone? Yeah, I am.

♪ And you rock Around the world ♪

♪ You rock, rock, rock ♪

Tell me the word on the Grimaldis.

I don’t talk about other people’s business.

Then come up with some other way to fill up this tape recorder.

I can’t. I just get so nervous

and I don’t know what to say. Although, I was enjoying it back there

when we got going, asking them questions. It’s just you and me talking.

Tell me the craziest caller you ever had. Oh, I know what I can tell you.

Not about a caller, but about some science I was reading. Can I tell you about that?

You certainly can, Fay Cordelia Crocker. That’s not my middle name.

I know it isn’t. I don’t care. I mean, I didn’t know, but I definitely don’t care.

What else you got in there? Uh, just my mouthpiece and some hairpins.

Hairpins? Yeah. My mom says you can stash hairpins anywhere,

and one day you’ll be glad you did it. Geez, that’s weird.

I just read about this, and I think it’s boss.

Don’t make me feel like a fool for liking it. I would never.

Come on, let me have it. Razz my berries. All right, did you know

that there was actually an experiment done this year, in Lincoln, Nebraska,

for a radio-controlled car? By RCA. Like a full-sized one.

Whoa, lay dead. Yup. It’s called "electronic highway control."

And this article says that there’s a series of circuits

buried in the pavements with little lights connected to them

so they can communicate to the car through radio control

and take over steering and braking. It’s crazy. Whoa, whoa, wait.

This is an experiment? They already did this? Mm-hmm.

In Lincoln, Nebraska, in April. You press a button on the dash of the car

that says "electronic drive," and the car starts to drive itself.

That’s incredible. Yeah, I know. And get this...

Well, actually, two things. First of all, it can tell

if there’s a car stopped up to a mile ahead, and it’ll slow traffic automatically.

Like all cars at once, like a school of fish.

And two, it doesn’t need eyes to work, so if your vision’s bad

or if it’s raining cats and dogs outside or if your headlamps won’t work too well,

then the car still works. Oh, and a voice will come over the radio

and give you directions. So if you’re on the highway

and your exit’s coming up, or if you need to switch highways,

a voice will literally interrupt your radio and tell you that your exit’s approaching

so you can get back behind the wheel and take control again.

I know that was three things, but when I read this,

I was like, "Wow, really? Can all this really be true?"

And it is. It’s 100% true.

Tested in April this year, Lincoln, Nebraska.

This article’s in this Science Digest, this issue.

A voice comes through the radio, tells you what direction to go?

It’s in this article. Read it. Does it say when this is gonna happen?

1974. And by 1990, all roads will be electronic.

Oh, really? You don’t believe me, do you?

You’re just pulling my leg. No, I’m not pulling your leg.

I love it. I’m interviewing you. I’m playing a part.

I just remembered two more stories. Do we have time to do those two?

Absolutely we do. Let’s fill it up. Well, if you like that,

brace your brain for this. There’s this article about these tubes...

You tell me all about it. All right, hold on,

’cause you got to be able to look past all these ads

and this squirrelly beginner’s stuff.

Hold on, ’cause I wanna read it to you the way it was written,

’cause I want it to have the same effect on you.

All right, here you go. So, "Picture a man

in New York City, in Times Square.

And he walks down a set of stairs into a subway tunnel,

and he boards a train car. And he stows his suitcase

in a rack over his head and sits down. He starts reading a book.

And about an hour later he feels the train coming to a stop.

So he gets up, gathers his things, grabs his suitcase,

puts on his hat, steps out of the train, heads up some stairs

and comes out at the Golden Gate Bridge."

What? Whoa. How is that possible? I know. Isn’t that crazy?

So the train travels between 2,000 and 5,000 miles per hour

in these tubes, all across the country. That’s how it’s all gonna be.

It’s called vacuum tube transportation.

All these tubes crisscross all of the world,

so we’re gonna sit in cars that run through the tubes

like hot dogs through a garden hose. Wait a minute.

It’s gonna be everywhere by the year 2000. Wait a minute...

It’s in this article here. Wait a minute. Hold on.

Does this mean that the whole other thing won’t happen?

The radio cars and the highway?

No.

I think that’ll be for shorter distances.

This will replace things like trains and airplanes.

Oh, is that so? Yeah, I think so.

Like, even over oceans? I think.

Hmm. Actually, I don’t know. It doesn’t say.

All right, looks like we got time for one more.

Are you ready with your third story, Miss Crocker?

Yes. Hold on.

Actually, do I have time for two more or just one?

No, just one, I’m afraid. Come on. All right, well...

I’m gonna end with this one because my mom doesn’t think this is ever gonna happen,

and she said they just say things like this to sell magazines.

What an intriguing setup, Fay. Please, go on.

Okay. Well, in the future,

every baby will be assigned a telephone number at birth and it’ll be his for life.

And we’ll all have palm-sized dials, like a clamshell with no receiver.

Or... well, I guess we’ll have little speakers and microphones instead.

And on one side, you’ll have the dial. And on the back...

The back will be a Lilliput screen, so like a miniature television screen.

And you can keep it in your pocket, so you can call your friend in Rome

or New York or anywhere

and see his face on your dial and have a conversation, in color.

The screens will be in color. Which magazine is that?

Modern Mechanix. This article’s a couple years old.

But, oh, it also said that if you call your friend and he doesn’t answer,

then you know they’re dead. What? Why would you know they’re dead?

They always have it with them so they can always answer. I don’t believe that.

What? Here, you can see a picture of it. That sounds like a space novel.

I know. I think I agree with your mom, you know.

She’s a wise keeper.

I believe the train tubes and the highways,

but the tiny TV telephones, that’s cuckoo.

All right. Hey, it’s been fun.

I gotta run. Tune in. All right? Tune in.

I will. Thank you. Oh, look out now.

I got my tape recorder. What’s that?

I got my tape recorder. That’s right. Is that it?

Yeah, it’s the Westinghouse one. And me and Everett

just recorded ourselves all the way over from the gym.

You got the one he told you about? Yeah, listen.

Rome or New York or anywhere

and see his face and have a conversation with him...

How neat, Fay. He is such a fun boy.

He said when you record, it’s called "baking biscuits."

- "Baking biscuits"? - Yeah.

- Well, I’ll be. - Yeah.

Did you get a look at those Pocasset boys? Just for a sec.

They were getting off the bus. They were tall.

- Oh, no. Really? - Yeah.

They got a bunch of Indian boys on their team, about four or five of them.

I think there’s a couple of families, like four or five brothers or cousins.

Probably means they’re gonna beat us like a drum.

And I don’t mean that because they’re Indians.

When they put on their jerseys, they looked like grown-ups. That means we’re gonna lose.

Hey, were the lights flickering in here at all? No. Why?

Oh, just ’cause they were flickering over at the school. Arlo’s working on it though.

Last time, when I was still teaching, it was a squirrel.

Bit through a wire. All right, I’m off.

Oh, the line to San Mirial has got a permanent signal,

so it’s skunked, so if you wanna plug that out, it would let Fran and Judith know.

Okay, bye.

Number, please?

Number, please?

This is WOTW radio in Cayuga, New Mexico,

and this is the news for the hour. Boeing has introduced

its new line...

- Number, please? - Officer Sherman declared

the incident was caused by, and I quote...

Number, please?

Hello?

Top-secret concept.

Name of city, inward.

Hey, Winnie. It’s me.

Can you tell me if you’ve ever heard this sound before?

- You ever heard that? - No, but put it back on.

Let me let some of the other ladies listen. Okay.

Listen, Winnie, I got another call coming through,

so I’ll call you back a little later.

- Number, please? - Hello?

Hello?

Hello? Listen, ma’am, can... can you disconnect

and then try again? It’s all...

We’re calling... It’s a strange,

large object holding over my land off of a...

like a tornado...

swirling faster. Please, send the police...

Ma’am, is this an emergency?

Because there’s something in the canyon.

Can you tell me where you are? We’re going in the cellar.

Hello?

Hey, Josie, listen. It’s Fay.

Is Officer Pruitt or Boker around?

He’s not here and Mr. Pruitt left with him.

Well, they didn’t answer at the station. No one’s at the station?

They were here, but a trucker just reported something.

What? He didn’t say. It whipped the wind up

and made him spill his truck, so avocados are all over the road.

Is Officer Abbott around? Off duty?

Isn’t Judy cheerleading? Yes, but I haven’t seen him.

Can you try and find him? He probably left with Mr. Boker and Mr. Pruitt.

What’s going on? I don’t know. Probably nothing.

Listen, Josie, I got another call coming in.

Can you let me know if you hear anything? Okay. Bye.

- Name of city, inward. - Fay, where’d you go?

Winnie, we got a call coming through,

and the same sound came from her line,

but I... I couldn’t get her name or anything.

- She didn’t sound hurt. - What should I do?

Winnie?

Winnie?

Winnie?

Hello? Ethel, hi.

Are you listening to the radio right now?

No, I was watching TV.

Can you turn your radio on and tell me if you hear any kind of sound?

Like what? Like...

something that just came in through the board

a couple minutes ago, and I wanted to...

It went away. I just wanted to see if it...

Just call Everett. I don’t wanna disturb him on the air.

Don’t be shy with him. He doesn’t care if you call...

Ethel?

Ethel?

Hello? Grace, hi.

Can you run over and check on Ethel and Maddy?

I tried the Van Ortons, but they’re at the game.

I’m afraid everyone’s at the game right now.

Who is this, now? It’s Fay.

Oh. My lands. When I can’t see a face, my perception gets pickled.

Can you go check on Ethel and Maddy?

I suppose so. Is everything okay?

I’m in the kitchen with my hands in a ball of cookie dough.

I think so. It’s just... I called Ethel and the line got cut.

We’re having a lot of connection issues. Well, let’s see.

Can I get my hands washed off and my cookie sheet in the oven?

Or do you need me to go now? I can go now, but I might dirty up the doorknobs.

You can wash your hands. Whenever you get the chance.

I’m sure it’s fine. Where’s your mother?

She’s working nights. Oh, I remember her telling me that.

Sorry for calling you so late. I tried Gertie Van Orton, but they’re at the game.

Everyone’s at the game right now. It’s not a bother.

Let me get this finished up, and I’ll go check

and I’ll call you back. It’s Ethel babysitting?

Yes. All right. Give me a few minutes.

All right. Thank you. Bye-bye. Mm-hmm. Bye-bye.

Oh, and there it goes. Spinning away.

Jimmy Rain and Crocs with their crankin’ song "Hoppin’ and Cookin’."

You’re listening to Everett "the Maverick" Sloan,

and the show, as you know, is Highway Hits,

brought to you by Santa Mira Mills and Cloverbloom Honey,

with a co-sponsorship from our business of the week, the Udder Stand,

providing the whole valley with the coldest confections and the sweetest slurgs.

We know it’s a busy night out there for everyone

with the first game of the season and a valley rivalry at that.

But just remember, during basketball season,

the Udder Stand closes for the games and reopens after for one hour

for those who need a little late night snack

before you start driving your tanks home

and piling up some Z’s. That’s the word from the bird.

It’s a silent night in here when the Statesmen are playing.

But for the five of you out there listening,

jump on the horn, give us your dedications,

and let everyone know you’re out there.

We hope you stick around and follow us till the sign off.

WOTW time now, 12 minutes past the hour.

Look out now. 62 degrees outside.

Stick with our station and get lost in our sounds,

coming at you now starting with Gabe Gunton

singing "Screamin’ Scooch" here on Highway Hits.

This is WOTW, Everett "The Maverick" Sloan.

Everett, it’s Fay. I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad at me.

I thought you were a caller. I’m sorry. I knew you’d think that.

Please don’t be mad. Is it about the tape recorder?

No, a sound came through the board

and interrupted your radio show.

I don’t know. It’s never come through over here.

Interrupted my show? Yeah, through the radio.

What’d it sound like? I don’t know. I can connect you through.

Did it sound Mexican? No, it didn’t sound Mexican.

We cross signals with this station in Mexico...

It sounded like something that could be unsafe.

We had this lady... Whoa, why? How?

Nothing sounded different here. How long ago was it?

Right at the beginning of the news.

Are you mad at me? No, but I don’t know what you want me to do.

It was probably your radio. Can you listen to the sound?

Is it the same sound you heard interrupt my show? Yeah, mostly.

They came through on top of each other. All right. Connect it.

All right.

I’ve never heard that before.

Yeah, me neither. And then this lady called.

She said there was something going on out of town

and she was going down to her cellar and then that sound came through on her line.

Then I called Ethel ’cause she’s babysitting Maddy, and her line got cut.

And when did you say my show got cut into?

Right at the beginning of the news.

I didn’t hear it, but it’s a closed circuit,

so if it went out from the station, it’ll be recorded on playback.

So you stay on the line while I rewind it and play it back,

and I’ll let you know if I hear anything.

Okay.

This is WOTW radio in Cayuga, New Mexico,

and this is the news for the hour.

Boeing has introduced its new line of...

That was it.

What? That was it.

It came through just like that. I’ll be.

What? Why? Is it bad? That’s a good question.

If it’s foreign or code, the Air Force will be coming to town.

Really? Oh, yeah.

Will we get in trouble? We haven’t done anything.

Yeah, that’s true.

Okay, yeah, yeah, that’s true.

Send me that signal again and I’ll put it on the air.

If anyone’s listening, maybe they’ll know something.

And you sure we won’t get in trouble?

I don’t care. This is good radio.

Okay, I’m doing it. Here, I’m sending the signal.

Don’t call me for ten minutes, unless someone calls in.

I don’t want false alarms. Watch your clock. Ten minutes.

I understand. I’ll wait for the calls. Here you go.

There it was, just like I said it would be.

That was Gabe Gunton, followed by "Crazy Waves" from The Golden Glows.

It’s 7:18 here at WOTW.

Listen up, we got a quick query for anyone that wants to take a crack.

We’ve got a sound that seems to be sort of bouncing around the valley tonight.

And we’d like to know your thoughts. We’re standing by the phones

and we’d love to know if there’s an old expert

or youth ham operator we don’t know about that’s tangling up our antenna.

For the caller who can help us out and tell us

what the sound is, we’ve got a free piece of Elvis’s carpet,

pulled directly from his floor in Memphis.

Lines are open. Please call with any information.

Passing off with a little handoff.

Another little handoff.

And a third one.

And looks like... Oh, there it is.

He’s gonna get the ball and take it down the court.

And he’s gonna go and he’s gonna pass the ball.

Another pass. And looks like he’s gonna go for the shot.

No. He’s gonna hand it off. Okay.

Got to... There’s the shot. And two more points.

I think he can make it from anywhere.

Passing off.

There it is.

- We got a caller. - Put him through.

- He’s from out of town. He might know something. -Then put him through. Please.

Sir, we are connecting you now.

Hello, sir. This is Everett Sloan. Can you hear me?

Hello, yes. How are you?

I’m good. Can I get your name? Yes, my name is Billy.

Billy. Okay. Thank you, Billy.

And I need to tell you first we don’t allow any swear words

or inappropriate stories on the air or I could lose my job.

I don’t have a delay and I wanna put you right onto the air,

but I need you to promise me that we’re safe in doing so.

Of course. I understand.

I don’t swear or talk like that anyway in my life.

Okay, I’m breaking the rules to do this, so please, you know,

be honest and ask if something needs to be discussed off the air

and I’ll go to a break or put on a record, all right?

Okay. I can do that.

We are going on the air here shortly,

in three...

two...

one.

We’re back. Sorry to cut that last song short,

but we do have a caller here who may know something.

Now, Billy, would you mind telling us all what you know?

Yes, I have a story that might be helpful.

I don’t know, it may not be, but I’ll go ahead.

All right, Billy. Well, we’re listening.

Well, so I was, uh, in the military,

and there were always jobs

and work we didn’t know anything about.

- What do you mean? - I mean we would get assigned

to places without knowing where we were,

to do things none of us understood,

which is normal in the military.

And one night, I was woken up by my superior.

He had me get into uniform and report for duty.

Then a carrier plane landed and they loaded me up by myself.

We made, uh, several more stops, picking up other guys.

Then we, uh, flew for at least two hours.

And when we landed, they loaded us up into a bus,

but this one had all of the windows painted black

so there was no telling where we were going.

Then when we arrived, it was, uh, still desert scrubs and flatlands.

But, uh, there were tents and tunnels

and underground labs or test bunkers or something.

And I pretty quickly got briefed

by some officer I’d never seen,

and he told us everything we were seeing was classified

and if we ever spoke about it,

it would endanger America and they would know.

And we were all sent to this rocky, kind of sandy alcove,

and they had us start digging a square hole

with their digging machines and such.

And we built walls out of blocks and a concrete floor and such.

And we built windows that connected

to a viewing room and ventilation.

And they had us sleep in this room filled with cots,

war supplies, all underground.

Then one morning, we woke up and reported to duty,

and there was something enormous in that hole,

covered in a tarp.

Wh... What do you mean?

Uh, it was bigger than an airplane,

but no one was allowed to see it.

And there were guards surrounding it all day.

Well, what’d it look like?

Mostly smooth, but it looked broken or damaged,

’cause there were some rough patches.

You think it was American?

There was no way to know. Uh...

You don’t ask anything like that.

We want to know just like anybody wants to know about somethin’.

But you trust your superiors and you follow orders.

But this one... worried me.

And why is that?

Probably ’cause it was so secretive.

So what happened next?

Well, we built the ceiling over this thing, carefully.

And then when they were done with us,

they got us all boarded on a plane.

And when the propellers had started spinning

and we were about to take off,

and the radio started playing this sound.

What sound?

The same sound you just played tonight.

You sure it was the same?

Oh, I couldn’t forget it.

And when we finally took off and I looked out the window,

you could see guys were starting to cover the airstrip

with dirt, like we never been there.

And then the sound disappeared and we got further away.

And when I got back, then I started getting really sick.

And in the next few weeks, I developed

some kind of lung condition.

So now I didn’t breathe so good.

And I think whatever... That area of the desert

caused it or something.

Maybe radiation.

’Cause I was always healthy.

Then I got time at the military hospital.

And then a couple years later, I saw one of the guys

who had been on that detail with me in the desert.

And I asked him if he’d got sick afterwards,

and he said he had.

And then he told me that that was the second time

he’d been picked up for something up like that.

And he told me about a night

when he’d been commissioned in Nevada

and he was taken to the Colorado River

where there was a river barge

carrying something twice its size down the river.

And when they got several hours down the river,

there was a makeshift station,

and they unloaded the cargo onto two Army trucks.

And when they got done loading it up,

the same sound we heard out in the desert

also went through all of the radios there on the ground and on the barge.

And then he said the two Army trucks drove off into the night

and the sound faded with them.

So did he know what it was?

No.

But since our detail in the desert, he’d asked around

and he’d heard about another guy that knew about the noises.

So we met up with him off-base,

but he only knew pieces.

Everybody only knows pieces in the military.

Nobody knows the whole thing.

And that’s part of the plan.

Which is why they pieced together teams from all over the country

and only brought us in for one task at a time.

So no one would know everything.

Wait, I’m sorry. You’re gonna have to be clearer.

Is this sound a military sound?

That’s what we asked this guy at Walker.

And what did he say?

He said it wasn’t military.

It wasn’t military from any country.

It was coming from thousands of feet higher than anything could fly.

How did he know that?

’Cause he was a radar operator.

- So are these signals frequent? - No.

Can I ask... I’m assuming this was before Sputnik.

This was years before Sputnik.

And signals like yours

have been caught going back and forth.

- What do you mean? - Like communication.

Like one says something here in this part of the sky

and another says something back.

Sometimes they were recorded at Sputnik heights

and sometimes just a few hundred feet off the ground.

Where? Lots of places. All over.

What do you mean all over?

Billy?

Billy, I... Think we lost you. Billy?

Well, for the five of you out there listening, it looks like we lost Billy.

Let me work on getting him back on the air. I’m back in a moment.

Fay, what happened? I don’t know. He got cut. That’s what’s been happening...

- We gotta get him back. - I can’t.

- Why not? - I have no idea where he lives.

Then call the board by Holloman.

We can’t. He probably gave a fake name or...

- You can’t dial back out the line? - It doesn’t work like that.

- Look him up in the phone book. - Under Billy near Holloman?

Uh... I know. I know.

Damn it.

Hold on, we got a call, we got a call!

- Name of city, inward. - Alamogordo operator.

Connecting.

Cayuga, number please. Yes, this is Billy.

I’ll connect you! Here he is, Everett.

Billy. What’s going on? We need your real number.

I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.

Okay, then I can’t put you back on the air.

I would like to, but there’s a breach of ethics here,

’cause I have no way of knowing if what you’re saying is true.

I know. I understand.

I don’t mean to put you in a place

that would get you into problems.

Billy, I have to ask...

Why are you telling us all this?

Is this gonna get us in trouble?

I suppose I’m telling you ’cause I’m sick.

And I’m old.

And no one listens to us.

And I want people to know what we did for them.

Why do you think no one listens to you?

I think part of it’s ’cause I’m black.

I’m sorry if that’s a problem. No, I don’t think it is.

I thought that might be the case.

We’ve just never had a black caller before.

I’m sorry, I should have probably told you that.

But everyone on these details were black.

Or Mexican. All of us doing sweat work.

You think they did that on purpose?

I know they did. Why?

’Cause who’s gonna listen to us?

But there’s a part of all this that you can check into

so that you know I’m not making this up.

Okay, I think we need that, ’cause, you can see why,

at this point, all we have is your word.

There’s one gentleman I’ll tell you about in a minute.

I’m sorry to interrupt, Billy, but I’m still recording this

even though we’re not on the air, all right?

Uh, yes, please do. Okay. Go ahead, Billy.

And so this guy we talked to at Walker Base,

the radar operator who we met off-site,

after he retired, he didn’t stop with the signals.

In fact, he started waiting for them

and was trying to record one of them on his own,

using radio and war surplus equipment he repaired.

And did he ever get anything?

Yeah, he did.

Finally. It took a long time,

but one night he finally got one.

And recorded it.

And then he made copies

and mailed them to a bunch of us...

guys who had been, uh, around some of these hidden details.

What did he think these signals were?

Well, that’s where you have to make the jump.

Because he told us it’s something talking

and then disappearing,

something very high that we can’t see.

And he made copies? Yes.

And he sent them to us.

Different guys on these details here in the area.

And when I finally got my tape and got to a player, and I played it back...

it made my hair stand up on end.

Why?

’Cause they were the same sounds

I’d heard out in the desert.

Do you still have that tape? No.

I didn’t want to be caught with it, so I burned it.

But one of the other guys, another Air Force gentleman

who had been on one of these security details

and heard these noises, too, and he lives in Cayuga,

so he got sent a tape just like mine.

That’s what I thought you were playing. Wait.

There’s one in Cayuga? With who?

Raymond Buck, an ex-Air Force gentleman.

So he was mailed a tape with one of these signals on it?

But Raymond Buck died.

Oh, no. Did you say he passed away?

Yes.

I thought that may have happened.

I’m sorry, Billy.

Well, I didn’t know him well, you know.

Do you know where his tape would be?

No. Maybe if he had kids?

No, Mrs. Buck gave all his tapes to the library.

There’s not a tape recorder in the library, Fay.

There is. It’s in the basement. They haven’t had a chance

to look at all the tapes, so they haven’t put it out.

No, the library’s closed and no one will be at the board.

Everyone’s at the game. No one’s gonna call.

I know how to get into the library.

Billy, what do you think it’ll do if we can find it and play it?

I don’t know.

But if you’re gonna do it, you better do it...

’cause something’s up there now.

And they don’t stay for long.

Okay, Fay, run.

Get in!

- Did you steal a car? - Did you get them? No.

Yes. Come on, get in. Did you get them?

I stole a bicycle! Answer me.

- Uh, yes, I got them. - All right.

Whose car is this? Mr. McKean’s.

Does Mr. McKean know? Of course not.

Are you gonna give Billy a piece of Elvis’s carpet?

What? You said you’d give the caller who helped us

a piece of Elvis’s carpet.

Oh.

Yeah, no, that’s not really Elvis’s carpet.

It was, but we gave it all away a while back.

So now Jack Sage and Red Gant have both scraps,

and we give away carpet from Jess Pervis’s house.

Everett, that’s lying.

People really think that’s Elvis’s carpet.

Shut up, Fay.

Billy? It’s Fay, the Cayuga operator.

We got a lot of tapes here.

Do you remember which one it was?

It’s been a long time,

but I think it was clear.

They’re all clear, Billy.

Billy?

The line cut. What?

Billy?

I can’t reconnect him without going back to the board.

Yeah, don’t go. Just hand me those one at a time.

And get out of my chair.

So you don’t believe Mr. Billy?

I don’t know.

But if there’s something in the sky, I want to know.

Baxter is a four-year...

No.

Next one.

How you know what you’re looking for? I don’t.

Could he have recorded over it? Uh, yeah.

Yeah, absolutely. Unfortunately.

So I did and...

What is that recorder? This is the Maggie PT-6.

Maggie? Yeah, for Magnecord.

It’s like the broadcast brother to your recorder.

It’s how we play the games and ads.

People really listen to the games the next day,

even though they know what happened? Yeah, they do.

They don’t care they know. They just wanna hear their kid’s name on the radio.

♪ Silent night ♪

♪ Holy night... ♪ That’s not it.

Is any of this gonna get you in trouble?

Well, if it does, I don’t care.

This is good radio.

And it’ll get me a better job somewhere else.

Where would you wanna go? I don’t know.

At that point... Probably West Coast.

That’s where everything’s happening in radio.

I wanna get out, too.

Not till Maddy’s older, of course, but sometime.

To where? To do what? Want to go to college?

Eh, probably just to work on a bigger switchboard somewhere.

Right now, I could work in a hospital or a hotel

or a school on their switchboard.

But if I wanna work on a bigger board,

I’d have to transfer to a bigger city

and get hired on by the phone company.

No college? Can’t afford college, Everett.

There’s loans. You could look into that.

I’d love that.

Golly Moses.

Oh, Everett.

That’s it.

And it’s clearer. What are you gonna do?

Folks, we got another sound we do need your help with.

Listen up and let us know.

And, Billy, if this is the sound, give us a call.

All right. Here it is, cats.

- Oh, my gosh. - Everett?

Oh, my gosh.

Are you playing a trick on me?

I’m not.

Hold still. What’s going on?

Calm down. There’s a flashlight somewhere.

What’s going on, Everett? Hey, Fay, calm down!

Silver flashlight.

I knew it was something. I knew it. I knew it.

- Fuck. - What’d you do?

I didn’t do anything! I don’t know!

There’s lights out here.

We... Damn it. We just experienced a blackout after playing that...

- What are you doing? - I’m recording for later in case we got news.

- Why do you change your voice like that? - Like what?

When you’re on the radio, you always change your voice! Why do you do that?

’Cause that’s how radio sounds!

Look, I don’t need your judgment right now.

Oh, no. Ah, what?

- The switchboard! - Fay, wait!

Goddamn, Fay! Get in!

Oh, I shouldn’t have been gone that long.

Why you always running? We drove here.

We don’t have a car. I never ride in cars. I walk everywhere.

All right, no sweat.

So you still don’t think something’s going on?

I think if anything’s happening, it’s that

we’re being spied on or we’re about to be invaded.

By who? Soviets.

You really think so? 100%, absolutely.

And this is exactly where they’d come in, too, southern border.

Number please. Sorry for the wait.

Number please. I’ll connect you.

Uh, I’m not sure.

No, you’re the first one to...

Yes, we’ll let them know. Thank you.

Number please. Yes, we’re notifying highway patrol.

Uh, we’ll relay any news to you.

Thank you. Thank you.

Number please. Sorry for the wait.

All right, thank you. Goodbye.

Thank you. Goodbye.

People are saying there’s something in the sky.

It’s 7:45. Write that down.

Can’t you just record it? Yeah.

Folks, it is 7:45 p.m. and we may have something...

- Did you see it? - Did it cross over? What?

There’s something in the sky. We followed it from Culp Canyon.

I’m Bertsie. This is Gerrie.

I’m going by Gerald now. Please call me Gerald.

I forgot. I’m sorry. I’m Everett. This is Fay.

The power cut off at the radio...

You work at the radio station?

I do Highway Hits.

- Were you listening? - We drove 80 mph.

It was something in the sky. He does the old stuff. I do the hits.

No, we don’t listen to... I don’t like new stuff, but Gerrie does.

Oh.

Number please.

Yes, Everett’s here. Would you like to speak with him here?

Okay, I’ll connect you.

Everett, come to board one! There’s a lady calling in for the station!

Here.

Hello. This is Everett "the Maverick" Sloan, WOTW.

I can tell you what’s going on.

What do you mean? I can tell you more

about what that fellow told you on the radio

and give you more for your radio show.

Okay, go ahead. No.

I would prefer you to come to my house.

I would like to tell you here.

There’s something in the sky, ma’am.

I know.

That’s what I want to talk to you about.

I can tell you a lot more than you know right now

if you come here.

I think what I can tell you would be very important tonight.

All right, what’s your address? 1616 Sycamore.

Sixteen-si... All right. You’ll need to get a key

from the flowerpot on the front porch.

I leave it there for the boy that brings me groceries.

I won’t be able to come the door.

I can’t walk much anymore. But I’ll be here.

All right, I’ll be there in one or two minutes.

Uh, what’s your name? Mabel Blanche.

Okay, Mrs. Blanche, we’ll see you shortly. Bye-bye.

She said she can tell us what’s going on. Come on.

I told her we’d be there in a minute. Who?

This old lady caller said she can tell us what’s going on.

You know her? What’s she gonna tell you? No, I don’t.

She said come immediately. To tell you what?

- How do you know she’s not crazy? - I don’t. She could be.

But she sounded fine. It’s one minute, down Ayers, on Sycamore.

- We’re gonna stay here. - Will you find us if you see anything?

Yes. Will you find us if you learn anything? Yes, I will.

Her line’s there. You can turn the key...

I don’t know a frog’s ribbit about those things.

Okay, never mind.

What in the world, Fay? I don’t know. She never calls in at night.

She’s a shut-in. This could be news.

You really think so? I really do.

Should I have brought my tape recorder? No, this one’s better.

Mine not good enough? It’s...

No, it’s fine, but it’s not broadcast quality.

It’s good, but it’s more like a toy.

I don’t mean that in a way to get your feelings hurt.

You won’t hurt my feelings. Good.

’Cause I hurt girls’ feelings a lot.

Don’t be a jerk all the time, probably won’t hurt...

You are on the stick with me tonight!

Wait up. No, you hurry up.

Okay.

I’m back here.

- Who is she? - Uh, this is Fay.

I’m Everett. She’s the switchboard operator.

She’s my friend. Is that okay?

Yes, that’s fine.

You can sit down.

- You’re the one on the phone? - Yes.

How old are you, sweetie?

- Sixteen. - Who are your parents?

Oh, well, I don’t have a dad, but, uh, my mom is Yodi Crocker.

Can I ask what you were saying while we were walking in?

That was very alarming.

I know it was.

I’m sorry.

I will explain myself.

I’m not some witch, I promise.

Do you mind if we tell people what you tell us on the radio?

That’s why I’m telling you.

And can we record you, in case this is a news story?

Of course.

I hope we will be a news story.

I’ve been waiting my whole life for this.

Okay, thank you.

Uh, also, uh, we wanna hear everything you have to tell us,

but we have a very short amount of time.

- So if we have to... - I understand.

Then let me get right to it.

I listen to your broadcast, every night.

I think you’re very good, and I hope you can get far away from here.

Thank you.

I will tell you what is happening,

but I will have one request for you when I have finished.

Okay. I’ll do whatever I can.

The gentleman that called in...

I believe his stories,

because I have a companion story to his.

It started before his stories.

They’ve come here before.

And now that these things are happening more often,

we have a better idea of what might be out there.

Ever since I was a little girl, they’ve liked this place.

They always have.

Who?

The people in the sky.

So you truly believe that?

I don’t have to truly believe it. It’s just the truth.

- And can you tell me why? - Yes, I can.

Have you ever heard about the Boles Acres Raid?

No.

Well, when I was still little,

they finished the Alamogordo-El Paso rail line.

And one day, a passenger train coasted to a stop outside town.

When the deputies got there, it was completely empty.

Everyone assumed the Apaches took them,

so they called it the Boles Acres Raid.

But a few days later...

a beat-up young lady came into town

who had jumped off that train.

Out in the brush... She’d been hiding out there somewhere.

She was dehydrated and wouldn’t talk.

My friend Charlotte’s family took her in.

They fed her, gave her a bed, Charlotte’s bed actually,

and they telegraphed someone in El Paso to come get her

so they could get some answers.

Charlotte’s dad was the Methodist minister.

Batsell Breff. He started the church here.

My... My parents died when I was little,

so I lived many weeks of the year

with Charlotte’s family.

When my brothers and sisters were working

or had too many mouths to feed.

But that night...

that woman from the train started muttering

something in her sleep, in Charlotte’s room.

It wasn’t English or Spanish or Indian.

So we opened the door a crack to listen.

We’d never heard it before, but I remembered it.

And then, before the next day, she disappeared,

crawled out the window and stole a horse, believe it or not.

So if you ever hear about the old horse witch,

that’s where the story came from.

My older sister raised me.

But mostly I lived alone.

I made dresses and tablecloths and what have you.

I was still young when I met Claude Maynard.

He was part of the crew putting telephone lines in.

We fell in love,

and I conceived my son with him without being married.

I actually didn’t know that was how you made a baby, believe it or not.

He said he’d come back when he finished work in White Sands,

and I believed him,

but he never did.

When my baby was born, I named him Hollis.

A few people were kind to me, but...

mostly I was on my own with him.

This wasn’t a neighborhood or a town like it is today.

It was scattered houses around the buildings on Ayers.

I was a lonely mother, but I did my best.

And later on, I heard Claude had died stringing up lights

in a cave in Texas for a tourist operation.

Of course, that broke my heart.

But to get back to when Hollis was still a baby.

One night, after I’d nursed him, he was asleep in my arms,

and he started making the sounds of an infant.

And then they became clearer.

More vocal.

And then he spoke his first words.

And the same words I heard come from that confused woman at Charlotte’s

started coming from the mouth of my ten-month-old in his sleep.

I tried to tell a few people.

I went to a doctor in another town.

He said it was baby noises and I shouldn’t tell anyone else.

Hollis always behaved differently.

He fixated on objects.

He wouldn’t hear you.

And in his sleep, occasionally I would hear him...

say those words.

So I wrote them down.

Word for word.

I asked him about it, but... he didn’t know.

He didn’t know.

And one night, when he was about four years old...

it got really windy outside.

And there was a sound, like a really large windmill.

And Hollis set his gaze on the window.

And he wouldn’t respond.

So I... read the muttering to him.

And his eyes closed and he looked up at the ceiling

and he didn’t move.

And then his lips moved with mine.

And a few moments after I stopped...

he opened his eyes and went back to playing.

I tried it again a few days later, but nothing.

So I figured

there must be something out there on those nights,

telling him something that no one can hear.

Radio was pretty new, and that’s what I thought it was.

Or something from the occult.

And then when he was nine,

I got the feeling that something was out there again.

And that night, in the middle of the night,

he walked out the front door of this house and vanished.

How?

He was taken up from this Earth.

There were no other houses. It was very dry.

I followed his footprints out the front door...

out to about 150 feet...

and they stopped there in the dirt.

And he wasn’t there.

They took my son...

and no one has ever believed me.

Was there an investigation? Of course.

But the whole thing turned to an investigation of me.

People were convinced that my son had ruined my life...

so I killed him.

So did you recognize the sound we played on the radio tonight?

No.

But I believe I know what is going on.

Can you tell me what that is?

I believe they’re up there tonight.

Right now.

And I think there are some reasons to support that idea.

Like what?

I think they stay away from big cities.

I think they wait for people to get together in one place, like tonight,

and when everyone gets out of that game,

they’re going to be gone.

I think they like people alone.

Mmm. And I think they talk to people

with some kind of advanced radio, in their sleep.

Right, like you think they did with your son?

I didn’t just think this up.

I think, at the lowest level, they send people on errands.

They play with people’s minds.

They sway people to do things

and think certain ways so that we stay in conflict,

focused on ourself.

So that we’re always

cleaning house or losing weight or dressing up for other people.

I think they get inside our heads and make us do destructive things,

like drink and overeat.

I’ve seen good people go bad and smart people go mad.

I think, at the highest level, they do things

that cause nations to go to war.

Things that make no sense.

And I think no one knows they’re being affected.

We all work out other reasons to justify our actions.

But free will isn’t possible with them up there.

I’ve had an entire life to think about this.

Years alone.

And that’s what I think.

Well, I’m sorry about everything that’s happened in your life

to lead you to these ideas.

Thank you.

Like I said in the beginning, we don’t want to offend you,

- but we do have to kind of get going. - I know.

But I did have a request for you.

Of course.

I want you to take me with you.

- Take you with us? - Yes. Right now.

I’m sorry. Uh, where do you want us to take you?

To the ship.

I want to see my son.

I know he’s here tonight.

Up there.

And I want you to take me to the ship.

Fay, let’s go.

- Now. - Wait.

Take this.

Say this when you encounter people tonight.

We’ve got to find a camera or something. My friend Gretchen’s dad has one.

Fay, I don’t think there’s really anything up there, not like she’s talking about.

Everett. What? What?

I forgot about Ethel and Maddy.

Wait. Fay, what?

Ethel? Ethel?

Maddy. Come here, come here.

It’s okay. Sissy’s got you.

Come on, let’s go.

It’s gonna be okay. Come on.

We’re okay. Let’s go.

Gretchen? Gretchen, I’m gonna need your dad’s camera.

What’s going on? Is everything okay? Here, take her. I don’t know.

Were you listening to the radio at all?

- Who’s at the switchboard? - No one. I left.

Why are you out of breath? Something’s going on.

It might be an emergency. I need the camera.

You’re gonna get me in trouble.

Have you heard from Ethel? She’s not home.

She was babysitting Maddy, and I called...

I don’t know. I haven’t seen her.

I called and the line got cut.

Fay! Damn it!

Who’s that? It’s Everett.

Everett, the radio boy? Yes. Stop smiling.

What’s he doing here? He’s helping me.

- Stop smiling. - Goddamn, Fay!

What are you doing inside? I’m in my nightgown.

I’m not looking, Gretchen, and I don’t care

what you look like in your nightgown.

- Okay, let’s go. - You can’t bring her.

You can’t take the camera. Go ask my dad at the game.

There’s no time. This is an emergency.

What is? What’s going on?

There’s something in the sky. Stay in the house.

We don’t know that. You can’t go telling people that.

You’re gonna start a panic. Everybody’s at the game,

and she sure can’t call anybody, so stop telling me what to do

and go find the couple from Culp Canyon. All right. No sweat.

Why do you have your sister? Ethel’s not there. She was supposed to be babysitting.

Well, where is she? I don’t know.

Is that camera gonna work?

Yes, I can make it work. I’ve used it before.

Think the radio’s still down? Oh, there’s no telling.

- Ethel! - Fay, do you have Maddy?

Yes! Where were you? Gabe came by...

God, you’re with Gabe? What were you thinking?

We were on his roof. There’s something in the sky. Have you seen it?

- No. What’d you see? - Get in! It’s outside of town!

- Come on, come on, come on! - Fay, come on!

Come on, come on! Get in!

- Stay inside the house! - Fay, come on!

Ethel said Gabe came over and they got on the roof

and saw something in the sky! Who saw what?

Get in. Did you get the camera?

Who saw what? My cousin Ethel...

She was babysitting, so they got up on the roof.

- They saw something in the sky. - Where? What did it look like?

She said it was round.

Hiding in the clouds.

What did you find out from the old woman?

She said they’re up there.

The people in the sky.

Yeah, they have advanced radio and communication.

And they take people up.

For real? That’s what she said?

Exactly.

Matter of fact, she read us this...

Uh, hold on.

I’d nursed him, he was asleep in my arms...

when I was little,

so I lived...

I’m back here.

Everett, stop the tape. Stop the tape!

Okay, okay. Gerald?

Gerald? Hey.

- Everett, take the wheel! I’ve got Maddy!

Gerald, wake up, man! Gerald!

- Gerald! - Gerald!

Gerald!

I want out! Okay?

- Slow down! - Hold on!

No! Let me out now, please!

I’m so sorry. Let me out of here!

- I want to go home! - Come on. Please go!

- Please leave us be! - I’m so sorry.

Come back here so we can take you home!

- There are rattlesnakes! - Please go! Please!

I’m right here, Fay. I’m right here.

It’s fine.

What is it?

It’s burnt.

Trees are burnt, too.

Oh, my gosh.

Oh, no.

They’re here.

They’re really here.

Do you think they’re in the forest?

I don’t know.

Everett, please don’t.

Everett.

Please. Don’t.

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