1 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:07,639 I've always associated my birthday with that depressing time of year where the cozy autumn 2 00:00:07,679 --> 00:00:13,560 turns into an early winter decay, where colorful leaves die, leaving a withered 3 00:00:13,599 --> 00:00:20,879 brown shell behind. Still, people are expected to celebrate their birthdays. It's 4 00:00:20,879 --> 00:00:30,079 strange if one doesn't. I don't. My fiance recently asked me why I 5 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:36,200 never celebrate my birthday, and it's a hard one to explain. When you've 6 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:41,479 been through something traumatic, everything sort of brings you back to that moment one 7 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:45,280 way or the other. And while I'd love to tell her about it, 8 00:00:46,079 --> 00:00:51,399 I don't think I can without sounding like a maniac. I thought I'd start 9 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:58,039 by just telling my story anonymously and sort of go from there. It was 10 00:00:58,119 --> 00:01:03,079 the year I turned thirteen. Since You've Been Gone was blasting on the radio 11 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:07,079 every hour of the day. My friends and I were quoting How I Met 12 00:01:07,079 --> 00:01:12,040 your Mother religiously. It was a good time to be a kid. Since 13 00:01:12,079 --> 00:01:17,200 my birthday was in the middle of the school week, my big birthday plans 14 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:23,200 were postponed until the upcoming week end. Still, I couldn't complain. Birthday 15 00:01:23,239 --> 00:01:29,040 cake on a Tuesday didn't sound all that bad. I got home, had 16 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:34,120 a small celebration with my parents and opened a few presents, two new games 17 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:38,280 for my PlayStation two. I finished at my home work and browsed the net 18 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:45,000 for a few hours ahead of my scheduled bedtime, when there was a knock 19 00:01:45,239 --> 00:01:51,159 at the door. We rarely had visitors, so to have some one knocking 20 00:01:51,239 --> 00:01:53,480 at our door at ten p m. Was unusual, to say the least. 21 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,560 My parents had already opened the door by the time I was half way 22 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:04,760 down the stae There was a man in a fancy jacket with a clipboard standing 23 00:02:04,799 --> 00:02:09,919 outside, along with two armed guards, and I sort of fell into the 24 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:15,360 middle of the conversation. So we need you to sign the content forms and 25 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:22,960 we'll get started. The clipboard man said, any questions, This can't be 26 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:28,080 legal, my mum said, and what kind of authority are you, ma'am? 27 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,560 This is an emergency. We have been authorized to bring anyone and everyone 28 00:02:31,599 --> 00:02:37,680 if need be, but I promise you it'll be a less pleasant experience than 29 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:43,599 what you could achieve here in the comfort of your own home. As the 30 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:50,000 discussion continued, the armed men pushed into the house. They had a sort 31 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,199 of checklist they were going through, asking questions as they poked and prodded. 32 00:02:55,199 --> 00:03:02,159 Someone mentioned the satellite phone, which we didn't have. I hurried back upstairs. 33 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:07,159 From my window, I could see them putting wheel locks on our car. 34 00:03:07,159 --> 00:03:12,280 They were testing some sort of electrical equipment too, and as they did 35 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,960 I could see the Internet connection of my computer disappear, my cellphone lost door 36 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:23,159 bars, and while I didn't check, I suspected they'd done something to our 37 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:29,439 landline as well. They were isolating us, putting us under some sort of 38 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:35,120 lock down. I still didn't have the slightest idea of who these people were. 39 00:03:36,039 --> 00:03:39,439 There were no patches, badges, ranks, or symbols, just a 40 00:03:39,479 --> 00:03:47,840 bunch of serious looking men in windbreakers with visible gun holsters. After a few 41 00:03:47,879 --> 00:03:53,879 minutes, one of the men entered my room. My parents were worried sick, 42 00:03:53,479 --> 00:04:00,240 but were told to wait outside. The man was about six four and 43 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:02,719 had the look of someone who could kill me with his bare teeth if need 44 00:04:02,759 --> 00:04:09,800 be. Without a word, he started to go through my things. You 45 00:04:09,919 --> 00:04:15,039 got any walkie talkies, he asked, any radio science projects something like that. 46 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:20,879 Nope, I said, shaking my head. I got a PlayStation two 47 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:27,439 that can go on line right. I never got the chance to answer, 48 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:31,000 before my marm added, we don't let him play online games. She said, 49 00:04:31,519 --> 00:04:36,800 it can't do that. As if to make sure, he pulled the 50 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:42,360 power cable and dropped it in a sealed bag, along with various knick knacks 51 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:47,199 and keys they'd collected. They weren't taking any chances, and I wasn't playing 52 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:53,680 my new games any time soon, it seemed. As they finished up their 53 00:04:53,720 --> 00:05:00,160 impromptu house inspection, we were asked to gather downstairs. The fancy man with 54 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:04,959 a clipboard cleared his throat and the room fell deathly silent. Even my dad, 55 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:10,079 who was usually a very assertive man, didn't have much to add to 56 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:16,319 the conversation. That's how you knew it was serious. For seventy two hours, 57 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:23,279 this and the surrounding neighborhoods are under lockdown. The man explained, there 58 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:28,160 is a localized problem related to a recent geological event. We just caused some 59 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:33,199 unexpected issues. I'm sure you've noticed some minorities as of late, like what 60 00:05:33,759 --> 00:05:39,839 my dad added, milk turning sour, house plants getting a strange color tint, 61 00:05:40,399 --> 00:05:46,759 swarms of frogs cluttering the roads. My parents said nothing, but they 62 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:54,000 nodded. Perhaps they'd seen something I hadn't The man put down his clipboard as 63 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:59,639 he explained calmly, you have been exposed as something akin to a chemical. 64 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:04,560 It reacts violently to the release of certain hormones which are associated with deep rim 65 00:06:04,639 --> 00:06:11,079 sleep. To ensure your safety, we are currently enforcing at temporary seventy two 66 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:16,680 hour ban on sleep. Excuse me, my dad took a step forward, 67 00:06:17,199 --> 00:06:23,160 but one of the armed men responded in kind. They both stopped before it 68 00:06:23,199 --> 00:06:29,519 had the chance to escalate. Exposure was approximately nine hours ago, meaning you 69 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:33,439 have about sixty three hours left to go. That'll be approximately one p m. 70 00:06:33,519 --> 00:06:40,279 On Friday. There's no way we can This is non negotiable. This 71 00:06:40,439 --> 00:06:44,240 is a matter of your security, sir. We have an emergency health service 72 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:47,600 sight, but I can promise you that it won't be pleasant. You will 73 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:53,920 be chemically induced into sleeplessness for the full duration of exposure until the event has 74 00:06:53,959 --> 00:07:00,519 passed. It can cause long lasting brain damage. We were handed to reach 75 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:08,800 explaining our responsibilities and rites an unmarked red folder with three papers, one explaining 76 00:07:08,879 --> 00:07:13,839 their right to force this upon us, another explaining that we'd already signed the 77 00:07:13,839 --> 00:07:18,639 consent papers, and a third one was a form explaining exactly when we could 78 00:07:18,639 --> 00:07:25,279 go to sleep. There was also an inventory form explaining the items we were 79 00:07:25,319 --> 00:07:29,959 to have returned. At the end of the containment, they left a box 80 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:35,199 of fifty glass files some kind of four hour booster shots. The man explained 81 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:41,120 how underaged children were not to take more than one every seven hours, and 82 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:46,279 that my mother, if pregnant, shouldn't take any at all. Luckily my 83 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:51,399 mom wasn't pregnant. I'm an only child. We were also given fiber bars 84 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:59,360 with some kind of hormone supplement, unmarked and unbranded, but warm. Maybe 85 00:07:59,399 --> 00:08:05,319 they were made recently. The packaging was sloppy at best. The fancy man 86 00:08:05,519 --> 00:08:09,480 was trying his best to explain, and I could see my parents were eager 87 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:16,720 to listen, but I barely understood half of it. Instead, I looked 88 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:22,639 at the armed guards. They looked exhausted. Maybe they too weren't allowed to 89 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:28,040 sleep. One of them had his mouth open and almost drooled, blinking one 90 00:08:28,079 --> 00:08:33,120 eye at a time I could have sworn he nodded off for a second, 91 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:37,600 which prompted him to take a walk outside. I don't know if we can 92 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:43,799 do this, my mother complained. It's it's a lot to ask. We've 93 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:46,639 only just if at any point. You can't do this. You need to 94 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:52,200 call this number. It's the only number that works, the man said, 95 00:08:52,639 --> 00:08:56,559 pointing to the final line on the final page of the folder. If someone 96 00:08:56,600 --> 00:09:01,559 falls asleep and can't be awakened within a few minutes, they're in terrible danger. 97 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:07,519 If that happens. Try to keep them awake by any means until we 98 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:13,639 can get here to pick them up. And then they'll be and then they'll 99 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:18,759 be taking to our side to Mankato, or they'll be chemically induced to stay 100 00:09:18,799 --> 00:09:26,200 awake. So what exactly happens if if someone doesn't make it? My mom 101 00:09:26,279 --> 00:09:31,960 asked, if we'll just fall asleep. The man shook his head, tapping 102 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:41,279 the clipboard with his pen. They will most probably die. Others might too. 103 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:48,960 While they went into the kitchen to explain the details, the angry looking 104 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:52,840 guard approached me with a sealed bag, handing me back my PlayStation two power 105 00:09:52,919 --> 00:09:58,240 cable. He gave me a pat on the shoulder. I checked with the 106 00:09:58,279 --> 00:10:05,360 tech team. He said, you're good to go, and AH, happy 107 00:10:05,399 --> 00:10:13,240 birthday. I'd almost forgotten that it was my birthday. I appreciated the gesture, 108 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:18,600 but I just couldn't bring myself to smile. I had too many questions 109 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:22,799 bubbling in the back of my head, and I was too afraid to speak. 110 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:28,240 They probably talked for another twenty minutes or so before the men left, 111 00:10:28,919 --> 00:10:33,879 leaving my parents and I alone in the kitchen. My mother was smoking under 112 00:10:33,919 --> 00:10:39,440 the kitchen fan. I'd only ever seen her smoke two times, once when 113 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:43,600 she lost the job and another time when her father got sick. Smoking in 114 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:48,960 the kitchen was a sure fire away to tell something was wrong. Dad was 115 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:54,679 sitting with his arms crossed, looking at the box of booster shots. This 116 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:01,600 is not a joke, my dad finally said. This is very serious. 117 00:11:01,159 --> 00:11:07,399 We're all going to need to help each other to get through this. Mom 118 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:11,480 said nothing, but I could see her hands trembling. She'd been crying. 119 00:11:13,639 --> 00:11:16,879 She was shaking so much that the ash from a cigarette didn't reach the ashtray, 120 00:11:18,759 --> 00:11:22,840 just PLoP down on the stove. You can't be alone, Dad continued. 121 00:11:24,519 --> 00:11:26,960 We're going to do our best to keep busy. You can play as 122 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:33,840 many games as you want, but you can't fall asleep. They gave back 123 00:11:33,879 --> 00:11:37,000 my power cable. I said, does that mean it's okay for me to 124 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:43,080 use the PlayStation? It's okay, Mom, coughed, it's okay, honey, 125 00:11:43,879 --> 00:11:50,559 play your games. For the first few hours, I didn't understand what 126 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:54,240 the big deal was. No more school for the rest of the week, 127 00:11:54,720 --> 00:12:00,559 no bedtime, and unlimited screen time. That didn't sound too bad. I 128 00:12:00,639 --> 00:12:05,000 gained late into the night, Sly Too and Ratchet and Clank were on the 129 00:12:05,039 --> 00:12:09,960 menu, and I had a blast. I got some snacks along with one 130 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:15,039 of those fiber bars. They tasted like twigs and raisins, but it made 131 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:20,279 my brain calm, not tired, but it made it easier to focus. 132 00:12:20,279 --> 00:12:24,480 It also made it harder to shut my eyes, making my eyelids ditch. 133 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:31,600 All lights in the house were kept on all throughout the night. Mom and 134 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:35,440 Dad kept playing music on the downstairs stereo, and they desperately tried to keep 135 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:41,440 me engaged. I was engaged enough just playing games, so I think it 136 00:12:41,519 --> 00:12:48,399 was more for their benefit rather than mine. At five a m. Dad 137 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:52,919 took his first booster shot. I could hear it all the way from upstairs. 138 00:12:52,919 --> 00:12:58,519 He was cussing pretty hard. Apparently those things tasted like a mix of 139 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:05,080 stale and death. Mom took her first booster shot half an hour later, 140 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:13,519 but she mixed up with orange juice. Apparently that helped. By seven am, 141 00:13:13,919 --> 00:13:18,399 even I was feeling it. I'd never been up all night playing games 142 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:22,480 like that on a school day before. Sure, I'd pulled all nighters with 143 00:13:22,519 --> 00:13:28,039 my friends, but it was usually something we prepared for. So by early 144 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:31,960 morning I could feel myself nodding off. My parents were checking in on me 145 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:37,679 every now and then, and decided to act. We were having family breakfast, 146 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:43,360 pretending as if we'd already slept. You're always cranky in the morning, 147 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:52,120 Mom said, Try to imagine this is just that another cranky morning. I 148 00:13:52,159 --> 00:13:56,919 knew for a fact that they'd slipped one of those boosters into my cereal. 149 00:13:56,759 --> 00:14:01,759 I saw three empty vials on the counter, and I knew none of them 150 00:14:01,799 --> 00:14:05,440 had taken a second one. Yet still, I had little choice but to 151 00:14:05,519 --> 00:14:13,519 try. We weren't even half way through the containment yet. As we finished 152 00:14:13,519 --> 00:14:18,240 our breakfast, we could hear commotion outside. I was upstairs brushing my teeth, 153 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:24,600 watching through the hallway window. It was our neighbors. Larry Peterson, 154 00:14:26,279 --> 00:14:30,720 the fifty five year old man who worked the fishing supplies at the local Mini 155 00:14:30,759 --> 00:14:35,360 More, crawled out of his front door. He was throwing up something black 156 00:14:35,399 --> 00:14:41,840 and blue under the pavement. I'd never seen this man do anything more physical 157 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:46,519 straining than trying to start the lawn mower, and now he was crawling on 158 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:50,960 all fours like his life depended on it. I could hear his wife calling 159 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:56,720 out from the inside. She was screaming at him, but I couldn't hear 160 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:01,679 what. Larry got up and almost leaped into the back of his pick up 161 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:07,240 truck in a show of athleticism i'd never seen from him before. It wasn't 162 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:11,840 until his wife got out of the house that I could hear what she was 163 00:15:11,879 --> 00:15:20,759 saying. Larry. She cried, Larry, wake up. I saw Larry 164 00:15:20,759 --> 00:15:24,720 Peterson grab a wrench, get out of the truck and grab his wife by 165 00:15:24,759 --> 00:15:30,080 the hair. Suddenly a hand covered my eyes. As my father dragged me 166 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:33,399 away from the window. I could hear a scream turn into a gargle, 167 00:15:33,879 --> 00:15:39,879 followed by a hearty laugh, one I'd heard a thousand times before, the 168 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:45,639 same kind of laugh Larry Peterson would chuckle up whenever my dad tried to pull 169 00:15:45,679 --> 00:15:50,480 off a bad pun. My mind painted me a picture of what had happened, 170 00:15:50,759 --> 00:15:56,559 and it wasn't pretty. My dad spun me around and stared into my 171 00:15:56,639 --> 00:16:03,080 eyes. I could tell he wasn't himself. There were lines across his face 172 00:16:03,159 --> 00:16:07,120 that I hadn't seen before. Stay with me and Mom, He said, 173 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:14,879 don't look outside. People are getting sick. Are we getting sick? Dad? 174 00:16:15,679 --> 00:16:19,279 I asked, a yawn escaping me. He shook me a little, 175 00:16:19,759 --> 00:16:25,879 as if to make sure I was paying attention. We'll be fine, he 176 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:29,879 said, it's just a matter of time. But I don't want you to 177 00:16:29,919 --> 00:16:37,440 see people getting hurt. Larry isn't feeling well. There was a knock on 178 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:42,399 the front door that took point as Mom hid in the bedroom. I remember 179 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:47,320 standing on the top of the stairs, looking over the railing to the floor 180 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:52,159 below. There was a violent, angry pounding on the door, Larry Peterson's 181 00:16:52,159 --> 00:16:59,320 soft chuckle coming from the other side. He didn't say anything. He just 182 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:03,399 pounded the door with his wrench, laughing as he tried to get in. 183 00:17:03,799 --> 00:17:08,640 He went around the house, rattling our windows. He didn't get far before 184 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:14,119 we could hear a car roll up. There was a popping sound, but 185 00:17:14,279 --> 00:17:18,440 not like a gunshot. I think they tased him. By the time I 186 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:23,039 could hear Larry Peterson get dragged off, my mom had come upstairs with a 187 00:17:23,079 --> 00:17:27,440 smile taped to her face, asking me to show her how far had gone 188 00:17:27,559 --> 00:17:33,799 in my new fancy video games. She was clearly trying to keep me distracted, 189 00:17:33,799 --> 00:17:38,440 but I didn't mind. At that point, I wanted desperately to be 190 00:17:38,519 --> 00:17:44,960 distracted. I could imagine Larry Peterson on the other side of the door, 191 00:17:45,799 --> 00:17:48,960 his white T shirt stained with that strange black and blue goo he'd thrown up, 192 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:55,079 Wielding that wrench with a manic grip. The thing was as large as 193 00:17:55,079 --> 00:18:00,799 my arm and solid metal. I never considered it a weapon, but thinking 194 00:18:00,839 --> 00:18:06,759 about it made my blood run cold. Had he really killed Missus Peterson? 195 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:15,839 Why? Mom and I spent the next few hours playing video games. We 196 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:19,920 also made a plan. We went through our all DVDs and decided on a 197 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:26,519 watching schedule. She'd originally planned a walk, but now we weren't to leave 198 00:18:26,559 --> 00:18:30,920 the house. She didn't want to say why, but I had the feeling 199 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:36,039 that there was something outside the Peterson's house that she didn't want me to see. 200 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:41,920 Bloodstains. Maybe I was too afraid to find out. My parents tried 201 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:45,519 their best to keep the mood up, but I could tell it was getting 202 00:18:45,559 --> 00:18:51,720 to them. My dad was mostly just standing there leaning against the door, 203 00:18:52,319 --> 00:18:56,880 staring straight ahead like in a trance. Mom tried to occupy herself by playing 204 00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:03,160 games and watching DVDs with me, but she was counting the minutes until she 205 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:07,480 could get her next booster shot. I wasn't eager to take one. They 206 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:12,680 made my stomach all queasy. We made it all the way until noon. 207 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:18,079 Dad was having trouble staying up and kept washing his head with cold water. 208 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:23,039 He tried to keep busy doing housework that he kept for a rainy day, 209 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:30,519 but there were constant distractions. We could hear sirens in the distance, and 210 00:19:30,599 --> 00:19:36,079 at one point there was someone spraying off front door and windows with a high 211 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:41,400 pressure water hose, possibly to wash away the last traces of Larry Peterson. 212 00:19:41,759 --> 00:19:45,880 There were dog patrols going up and down the street, along with the occasional 213 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:52,880 phone call. The one number that still worked was someone called to make sure 214 00:19:52,319 --> 00:19:59,400 we were all awake and accounted for. By dinner time, Mom was having 215 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:03,839 stomach troup. Her shaking had gotten worse, and she was having trouble with 216 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:10,160 sudden change of smells. Dad kept rubbing his eyes and checking his watch, 217 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:15,000 getting up every ten minutes or so just to move around. We had decided 218 00:20:15,319 --> 00:20:19,400 that we were going to play board games after dinner, but Mom was having 219 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:25,720 trouble keeping herself from the throwing up. We ended up just reheating a lasagna 220 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:30,720 from a few days back. I didn't mind. Mom made amazing lasagna, 221 00:20:30,519 --> 00:20:36,400 but my appetite was quickly lost when I saw my mother barely keeping it together. 222 00:20:37,799 --> 00:20:42,279 She kept drooling and making this weird chugging sound. She was blinking slower 223 00:20:42,319 --> 00:20:47,960 and slower. Dad tried to get her to eat one of her fiber bars, 224 00:20:48,279 --> 00:20:53,279 but she just ran out of the kitchen, locking herself in the bathroom. 225 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:57,279 It was touching go for a while. I could feel my heart racing 226 00:20:57,599 --> 00:21:02,960 as Dad tried to convince her to unlock the door, but she just couldn't 227 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:10,599 do it. After a while, she stopped responding. Dad had to break 228 00:21:10,599 --> 00:21:17,200 the handle with a hammer, but it was too late. She was already 229 00:21:17,279 --> 00:21:22,599 sleeping. I could hear her through the door as the door burst open. 230 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:27,599 Mom had only been asleep for a couple of seconds, a minute at most, 231 00:21:29,319 --> 00:21:33,759 but she was sitting on the toilet, her head leaning back, and 232 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:41,480 something was coming out of her mouth. Black and blue fingertips poking out over 233 00:21:41,519 --> 00:21:48,279 the edge of her lips, her throat undulated. The moment Dad grabbed her, 234 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:52,799 she tipped her head forward, coughing. Dad washed her face in the 235 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:56,599 sink or yelling at me to wait in the other room for a few minutes. 236 00:21:57,039 --> 00:22:02,640 I was just sitting there, ready to run or hide. It might 237 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:06,920 have been too late. I figured she could have already been affected, like 238 00:22:07,039 --> 00:22:11,400 Larry Peterson. I could hear them arguing in the other room, and as 239 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:17,519 their voices went from angry to desperate to sad, I didn't know what to 240 00:22:17,599 --> 00:22:22,319 do. When they finally returned, they sat me down to explain that we 241 00:22:22,319 --> 00:22:26,599 were going to be fine, that we were almost half way through, and 242 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:32,640 that we were in the home stretch. They were so kind, warm, 243 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:37,359 and careful in the way they explained it, but my mind was a thousand 244 00:22:37,359 --> 00:22:42,839 miles away. I had trouble focusing, and all I could think about was 245 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:52,400 that strange noise I kept hearing in the background something outside. Dad was halfway 246 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:56,599 through explaining how we weren't going to lock our bathroom doors any more when something 247 00:22:56,599 --> 00:23:00,559 in me screamed at me to react. It was just a slight click, 248 00:23:02,359 --> 00:23:07,480 but it was clear as day. Maybe it was the booster shots, but 249 00:23:07,559 --> 00:23:12,079 I kept hyper focusing on little details rather than big picture stuff, like an 250 00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:18,119 actual conversation taking place in front of me. I closed my eyes, and 251 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:26,920 no less than a second later, there was a loud bang. Someone was 252 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:33,000 shooting at us. It was only a couple of shots, but we dropped 253 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:37,079 to the ground. One shot got lodged in the front door, while the 254 00:23:37,079 --> 00:23:42,519 other cracked the kitchen window. There were loud voices outside, laughing hysterically. 255 00:23:44,759 --> 00:23:48,880 They were talking but barely making any sense. One of them sounded like she 256 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:53,359 was trying to talk with food in her mouth, while my dad kept quiet. 257 00:23:53,599 --> 00:23:57,200 As two more shots popped off, One of them hit in the kitchen 258 00:23:57,279 --> 00:24:03,480 light with an an electric spark. It gave out, blacking out most of 259 00:24:03,519 --> 00:24:07,720 the kitchen. I could hear someone running and laughing as they continued down the 260 00:24:07,759 --> 00:24:15,279 street. In the distance, there was more gunfire, maybe someone responding in 261 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:21,960 kind. We can't stay here, Mom whispered, we gotta call them. 262 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:26,599 You want to go where they put Larry. Dad answered to be in a 263 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:30,480 whole hospital full of these people. They're shooting at us. We can't just 264 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:37,039 Mom quieted down and looked at me. She and Dad excused themselves, the 265 00:24:37,079 --> 00:24:42,079 talking private while I was asked to move upstairs. I was to stay away 266 00:24:42,079 --> 00:24:47,759 from windows, and I couldn't sit or lie down. They'd be up to 267 00:24:47,839 --> 00:24:52,799 check on me in a bit, but of course I was too curious. 268 00:24:55,079 --> 00:25:00,160 While still hearing them argue downstairs, I checked an upstairs window. I could 269 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:04,559 see pretty far down the street, and in the distance I could make out 270 00:25:04,599 --> 00:25:10,160 a car stalling on the side of the road. The headlights were still on, 271 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:14,519 but it was surrounded by at least six people. Two of them were 272 00:25:14,599 --> 00:25:18,079 dressed like the armed guards we'd seen earlier. It took me a while to 273 00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:22,880 realize there was an old man sitting in that car. I'd seen him around 274 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:29,240 a couple of times, but I didn't know his name. The surrounding people 275 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:33,359 were trying to crack the car windows with various weapons tire irons, bricks, 276 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:37,240 hammers, lead pipes, but they didn't take them long to break through. 277 00:25:38,319 --> 00:25:42,480 They reached in to pull the man out. It was too far off for 278 00:25:42,519 --> 00:25:47,319 me to hear his screams, but I could vaguely see what they were doing. 279 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:52,480 They held him down and covered his face with their hands, his eyes, 280 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:56,599 his mouth, his ears, leaving only his nose to breathe through, 281 00:25:57,279 --> 00:26:03,640 and then just sat there. It took me a moment to realize what they 282 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:14,200 were doing. They were forcing him to sleep. After a few minutes, 283 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:18,920 they let go of him. The old man slowly stood up, leaned against 284 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:23,160 his car, and started to dry heave. After a while, the same 285 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:27,720 blue and black goo that I'd seen from Larry Peterson started pouring out of his 286 00:26:27,799 --> 00:26:33,400 mouth, stopping only as he coughed up some kind of clot that could barely 287 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:38,559 fit in his mouth, a clot that moved as he straightened his back. 288 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:42,839 He looked at the strange group, and they walked down the street together. 289 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:49,720 Some jogged, some sprinted. One of them crawled, but it looked like 290 00:26:49,799 --> 00:26:56,240 he held onto something with his teeth. Either that or something was coming out 291 00:26:56,279 --> 00:27:03,559 of his mouth. Something long as they hurried down the street, I could 292 00:27:03,599 --> 00:27:08,240 hear more gunfire in the distance, coming from another way. I could see 293 00:27:08,279 --> 00:27:14,400 another group of people, at least a dozen, but heading in another direction, 294 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:19,920 roaming gangs of sleep deprived sick people. God knows how this thing affected 295 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:26,000 them long term. When my parents were done discussing, they sat me down 296 00:27:26,039 --> 00:27:30,400 to explain that we were going to stay indoors and keep away from the windows, 297 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:37,039 just in case. We were locking all doors and windows, closing all 298 00:27:37,079 --> 00:27:41,680 curtains, and not playing anything louder than necessary. We were to draw as 299 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:48,200 little attention as possible. Of course I agreed. What choice did I have. 300 00:27:51,799 --> 00:27:56,640 That night, I could tell things were deteriorating. Dad almost took a 301 00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:00,519 double dose of booster shots, as he forgot he'd taken the phone last one, 302 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:04,440 but Mom stopped him. There were no phone calls coming in. They 303 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:10,240 stopped checking in on us. Mom even tried calling, but the line had 304 00:28:10,279 --> 00:28:15,920 been disconnected. The gunfire outside was further away but more frequent. We could 305 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:22,480 hear cars honking, but no sirens. Then there were the fires, at 306 00:28:22,519 --> 00:28:30,039 least two somewhere downtown. We could see the smokestacks from afar. Mom wasn't 307 00:28:30,079 --> 00:28:36,000 doing well. She couldn't eat, and at times she could barely stay on 308 00:28:36,079 --> 00:28:40,680 her feet. She kept talking out loud, even if no one was in 309 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:44,559 the room with her, and she had to lean against things to stay upright. 310 00:28:45,559 --> 00:28:48,359 She couldn't keep the fiber bars down, and she kept walking around with 311 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:53,119 her head bobbing back and forth. Dad tried his best to keep her active, 312 00:28:53,839 --> 00:28:59,359 but he was having trouble as well. No matter how many cold splashes 313 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:03,880 he took to the face. He just couldn't stay attentive. I wasn't doing 314 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:08,720 well either, but nowhere near as bad. I still had my appetite, 315 00:29:10,279 --> 00:29:14,599 and I took my booster shots, but I could feel the side effects. 316 00:29:15,079 --> 00:29:18,839 My hands kept shaking, and I had a nasty headache. There were these 317 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:22,799 pinches down my neck, like someone was shocking me with a wet battery. 318 00:29:25,119 --> 00:29:30,000 I'd imagine things moving just outside of my vision. I kept turning around to 319 00:29:30,039 --> 00:29:36,119 look at the windows as I started to hallucinate that there were screens. By 320 00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:42,720 morning, there was a new problem. Both the power and the water had 321 00:29:42,759 --> 00:29:49,559 been caught. There was a small lake a short walk from the house, 322 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:53,440 and we had no choice but to try and get some water by hand. 323 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:59,200 We had some drinking water stocked in the kitchen, but we needed some for 324 00:29:59,279 --> 00:30:03,480 the bathroom. Mom volunteered to go, but that was out of the question. 325 00:30:04,759 --> 00:30:10,279 She could barely stand or make a coherent sentence. There was no discussion. 326 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:15,079 Dad had to do it. We watched him from one of the upstairs 327 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:21,440 windows. The sun had just risen, bathing the withering landscape in long, 328 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:26,920 sharp shadows and a sickly bright glow. Mom was just staring blankly ahead, 329 00:30:27,519 --> 00:30:33,640 as if trying to remember what was so important. Isn't it your birthday? 330 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:41,039 Soon? She said out loud, that was Tuesday? I responded, Did 331 00:30:41,119 --> 00:30:47,000 you wish for you to get older? She asked, I wished for that. 332 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:52,799 I want you to be be able to get older. She looked at 333 00:30:52,799 --> 00:30:59,440 me and laughed moniacally. She blinked one eye at a time, and left 334 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:03,400 eye lingered a bit longer than a right. Her eyes were sunken and dark, 335 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:08,960 and she kept going cross eyed. I think she meant well, but 336 00:31:10,079 --> 00:31:15,319 that look she gave me was nothing short of terrifying. It was like she'd 337 00:31:15,359 --> 00:31:19,359 been reduced to her most basic self. My mom was still in there somewhere, 338 00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:27,440 but most of it was just gone. After about an hour, I 339 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:33,440 spotted Dad coming back. Mom and I were both relieved, but it didn't 340 00:31:33,519 --> 00:31:40,640 last long. I noticed he wasn't carrying any water. Moments later I could 341 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:47,240 see he wasn't alone. There were about two dozen more people coming with him. 342 00:31:48,359 --> 00:31:52,000 Mom didn't seem to react. She just looked out the window and nodded 343 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:57,160 to herself. For a moment, she was almost falling asleep, standing up, 344 00:31:57,839 --> 00:32:01,400 her mouth moving up and down on its own like a bass out of 345 00:32:01,519 --> 00:32:07,839 water. I could see something moving in her throat. I shook her, 346 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:14,519 and in a moment of clarity, she looked out the window again. As 347 00:32:14,559 --> 00:32:19,640 I heard something pounding against the door downstairs, Mom pushed me into the closet. 348 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,039 She ran downstairs to get the remaining booster shots and dropped it all on 349 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:29,160 me, along with the wristwatch and a couple of fiber bars. Someone will 350 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:36,640 come get you, she said. Just wait and stay awake. I'll try 351 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:44,039 to think of something. I didn't have time to protest before she slammed the 352 00:32:44,119 --> 00:32:50,640 closet shut. I could hear a key slide into the lockdownstairs. Dad may 353 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:54,680 have forgotten something about who he was, but he hadn't forgotten how to use 354 00:32:54,759 --> 00:33:02,000 the house keys. I just sat there in the dark, listening. I 355 00:33:02,079 --> 00:33:06,759 curled up into a ball, but I didn't want to get too comfortable. 356 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:14,319 I could hear furniture being turned over. Unfamiliar voices yelling obscenities were incoherent nonsense. 357 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:20,240 A fight broke out and I could hear someone throwing something. Another person 358 00:33:20,319 --> 00:33:24,359 ran up the stairs and into the bedroom, repeatedly kicking the bathtub. A 359 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:30,359 woman screamed, then a man. There was a gunshot, followed by windows 360 00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:35,160 being broken. I could hear a muffled scream as someone was held down, 361 00:33:36,039 --> 00:33:43,039 maybe like they did with the old men outside the night before. I must 362 00:33:43,039 --> 00:33:46,359 have sat there for hours in the dark. It was hard to tell if 363 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:51,559 my eyes were open or not. I couldn't tell if I was really hearing 364 00:33:51,599 --> 00:33:57,119 something outside or if I was just imagining it. I could hear voices and 365 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:02,279 whispers, but they didn't seem to make sense. Sometimes I imagine them standing 366 00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:07,480 just outside my door, asking me for the cheat codes for the game I 367 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:13,159 just played. All I had to keep my waning sanity company was my mom's 368 00:34:13,159 --> 00:34:20,079 wristwatch, and I could barely make it out. Time passed so strangely. 369 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:23,400 I could be wrapped in a thought for what fell like hours, but only 370 00:34:23,519 --> 00:34:30,440 minutes passed. Then I catched myself staring straight ahead, and two hours could 371 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:36,039 disappear. I kept repeating the next scheduled hour for the booster shot like a 372 00:34:36,079 --> 00:34:42,519 mantra, but things were getting stranger. The clock would go backwards. I'd 373 00:34:42,519 --> 00:34:46,280 imagine someone sitting across from me, a pair of white eyes staring back at 374 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:51,639 me from the dark. There were little voices telling me to go to sleep, 375 00:34:52,199 --> 00:34:55,800 and I found myself nodding off. I could feel something moving in me, 376 00:34:57,599 --> 00:35:05,400 like a hand trying to fit in to a glove. I finally gave 377 00:35:05,519 --> 00:35:10,719 up and got out of the closet. I could barely stand as I dragged 378 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:15,800 the booster shots and fiber bars along in a plastic bag. I didn't care 379 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:22,599 if there was anyone downstairs. I needed to see something. I needed light 380 00:35:22,039 --> 00:35:29,599 or some kind of stimuli. The whole house was trashed, every piece of 381 00:35:29,639 --> 00:35:35,239 furniture broken, every light smashed. There was blood splatter on the walls, 382 00:35:35,599 --> 00:35:39,320 and the front door was hanging on a single hinge. Every window was smashed, 383 00:35:39,679 --> 00:35:44,119 and our picture frames had been thrown across the room like ninja stars. 384 00:35:45,199 --> 00:35:52,480 But the strangest thing was an acred smell coming from the kitchen. At first 385 00:35:52,199 --> 00:35:58,840 I didn't understand what it was. It looked like a person, but there 386 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:04,760 was the wrong number of limbs. After a few seconds of adjustment and trying 387 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:10,599 to force myself to clarity, I realized there was a dead body, a 388 00:36:10,639 --> 00:36:15,719 young man with a knife sticking out of his chest, splayed out on the 389 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:21,760 kitchen floor. His jaw was extended and broken on one side. There was 390 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:25,719 a black and blue arm reaching out of his throat, reaching upwards to grab 391 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:34,159 his own head. Something in me stirred. Something in me didn't like what 392 00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:37,719 I was looking at, and I wasn't sure if it was me or something 393 00:36:37,719 --> 00:36:44,320 else. I tried to push it down with a fiber bar, which strangely 394 00:36:44,559 --> 00:36:49,840 worked. I made my way outside in a daze. I didn't know what 395 00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:53,559 to do. Part of me wanted to find my parents. Another part of 396 00:36:53,599 --> 00:36:58,519 me wanted to get out of town. I wanted to look for a bike, 397 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:02,199 or just start walking, or catch a boss. Of course, there 398 00:37:02,239 --> 00:37:07,239 were no bosses to catch, but my sleep deprived mind couldn't separate fact from 399 00:37:07,239 --> 00:37:15,840 fiction anymore. That entire night was one long, living nightmare. I kept 400 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:20,400 imagining things coming out of the dark. I could hear voices telling me to 401 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:24,000 turn around, to stop, to run, all at once, and none 402 00:37:24,159 --> 00:37:30,719 at all. I could barely keep my balance, and stopping even for a 403 00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:36,639 moment would send me straight to sleep. I had to keep moving. I 404 00:37:36,679 --> 00:37:39,639 even took an extra booster shot, which just gave me this sharp jolt of 405 00:37:39,679 --> 00:37:46,719 pain and made me sweat. I could tell I'd done something stupid. I 406 00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:52,320 took a shortcut through the park I could see faces coming out of the trees. 407 00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:55,760 I saw a man lying down on the gravel path being pulled forward by 408 00:37:55,800 --> 00:38:00,239 an arm coming out of his mouth. I saw a man out by the 409 00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:05,519 lake, repeatedly slapping his arms against the cold water surface, like a maniac 410 00:38:05,639 --> 00:38:10,000 child, trying to get as high as splash as possible. Some of it 411 00:38:10,079 --> 00:38:15,639 was real, some of it wasn't. I couldn't tell which was which, 412 00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:23,960 not anymore. When I finally reached downtown, I saw at least two dozen 413 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:30,119 people gathered outside a burning building, all of them with black and blue arms 414 00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:35,480 reaching out of their mouths, stretching towards the flame, as if slowly wafting 415 00:38:35,519 --> 00:38:42,239 air towards them, like human help moving against an invisible current. They leaned 416 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:46,280 back and forth in unison, praising whatever chaos they caused, without a word 417 00:38:47,239 --> 00:38:54,840 or sound. And yet I could hear them welcoming me, beckoning me, 418 00:38:55,800 --> 00:39:02,840 all voices unique carried to me by an eye felt wind, Come closer, 419 00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:12,360 It begged, you belong here. I turned away, and the voices grew 420 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:19,360 louder, desperate, screeching, demanding my attention, my devotion, some of 421 00:39:19,400 --> 00:39:22,559 them coming from outside, some of them coming from the rumble of my stomach. 422 00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:29,039 It's already here, it laughed. It'll never go away. Eh, 423 00:39:29,719 --> 00:39:37,199 it'll never sleep, it'll never stop. Hands reached for me, a face 424 00:39:37,239 --> 00:39:43,239 in every window, voices reaching from beneath the concrete, gunfire, broken windows, 425 00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:47,000 glass cracking under my rubber boots. As I shuffled past burnt out cars. 426 00:39:47,719 --> 00:39:52,920 It was dark, then bright, then dark again, and at some 427 00:39:53,039 --> 00:40:00,880 point I succumbed. I felt concrete against my cheek, but I couldn't bring 428 00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:05,840 myself to get up. My legs wouldn't move, my eyes wouldn't open. 429 00:40:07,440 --> 00:40:14,679 Yes, the voices laughed, Come, come to us, Come burn with 430 00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:27,400 us. And then darkness. I don't know how long I was out, 431 00:40:28,480 --> 00:40:32,239 hours, maybe half a day. I woke up to see a man running 432 00:40:32,239 --> 00:40:37,360 towards me, asking me if I was okay. A car had pulled over, 433 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:42,840 bathing me in a warm light. By the side of the road. 434 00:40:43,199 --> 00:40:47,239 A colony of frogs looked at me in the distance. My eyes landed on 435 00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:53,400 a discolored flower. It had turned blue. Strange how you don't notice the 436 00:40:53,400 --> 00:41:00,360 most obvious changes until they stare at you in the face. Turns out exposure 437 00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:05,599 had happened at least six hours earlier than the man with the clipboard had predicted, 438 00:41:06,239 --> 00:41:08,880 and I'd been awake long enough for most of the effect had passed through 439 00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:14,800 my system. I was found unconscious by the side of the highway, about 440 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:20,000 nine miles from my house. While I did have an uncomfortable, dreamless sleep, 441 00:41:20,679 --> 00:41:23,199 the effects it had on me were nowhere near as bad as what had 442 00:41:23,239 --> 00:41:30,239 happened to most of the neighborhood. I'm sure you've all heard of it riots. 443 00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:36,519 They called it just another mess up in a low income area. I 444 00:41:36,559 --> 00:41:40,360 don't even think it reached national news. Some of the people who succumbed to 445 00:41:40,440 --> 00:41:46,559 it early got permanent brain damage. Larry Peterson was never the same, but 446 00:41:46,639 --> 00:41:51,440 it was hard to tell if it was because of the emotional trauma or the 447 00:41:51,519 --> 00:41:55,039 sleep thing. Either way, he had to have a nurse come to look 448 00:41:55,079 --> 00:42:00,079 after him a few times a week for the rest of his life. Mom 449 00:42:00,079 --> 00:42:06,840 and Dad weren't completely unharmed either. Mom developed some kind of narcolepsy after that 450 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:13,440 night, spontaneously nodding off at the most inopportune times. Dad lost this sense 451 00:42:13,480 --> 00:42:17,440 of taste and smell. To this day, they're having a hard time explaining 452 00:42:17,599 --> 00:42:22,920 what exactly they experienced. To them. It was just like going to sleep 453 00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:29,079 and having the most horrible nightmare, only to wake up in a hospital bed. 454 00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:35,719 Sometimes I wonder if I did fall asleep. Some of the things I 455 00:42:35,719 --> 00:42:38,639 saw were so strange that there was no way to tell if they were real 456 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:45,960 or not. I vividly remember that scene of hands waving back and forth outside 457 00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:52,880 that burning building downtown. It had to be real. That building really did 458 00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:59,719 burn, as you might imagine. I have a hard time looking back at 459 00:42:59,719 --> 00:43:05,400 this. Thinking too much about it gives me this icy feeling in the pit 460 00:43:05,480 --> 00:43:08,719 of my stomach, like some part of me believes that this is all just 461 00:43:08,760 --> 00:43:14,920 a big nightmare, that I'm still just a clock stick away from waking up 462 00:43:14,920 --> 00:43:22,719 in that closet with someone standing just outside waiting for me. Or maybe it's 463 00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:31,719 something inside of me still waiting to grab the reins. Maybe it's just a 464 00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:45,480 night away.