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a mean and despicable creature at heart,

1:00

you know. You

1:06

may wish to adjust the dial you're

1:09

currently tuned into. The

1:12

Wrong Station This

1:58

is one my grandmother told me. She

2:01

went to live in England for a time when she was young. I

2:04

don't think she liked it very much. A

2:06

lot of Anglo-Canadians, especially in her generation,

2:08

have this idea of England in their

2:11

heads as this wellspring of culture and

2:13

sophistication, this lost

2:15

home. And then

2:17

you get there and find a pinched,

2:20

mean-spirited, bigoted country, rotten

2:23

to the roots, everything you

2:25

hate about life in Canada, none of

2:27

the parts you really like. She

2:29

never said this to me, of course. She's still

2:32

a royalist at heart, even after

2:34

everything, still loyal to the idea of England

2:36

she got from Shakespeare and a selective reading

2:38

of Dickens. Listening

2:41

to her talk about those years she lived

2:43

there, you get little glimpses of how unwelcome

2:46

she must have felt, a

2:48

colonial girl, and with an ethnic

2:50

name, no less. I

2:52

think the people there, even other children,

2:54

barely spoke to her. I

2:57

think the only friend she had in that big old house was

2:59

the dog. I

3:01

don't have a good description of the house for you. I

3:03

filled it in from my own imagination,

3:06

with bits of old Toronto houses, Hill

3:08

House Gothic mansions, and Doctor

3:10

Who Christmas Special Victoriana. I'm

3:12

sure the image in my head looks nothing like the reality.

3:16

But there was a dining room, with old wooden

3:18

chairs, where they ate breakfast every morning. And

3:21

whenever it was just the kids, something

3:23

curious would happen. From

3:25

time to time the oldest boy in the house would get

3:27

up from the table and walk around to the door which

3:29

led to the hallway. He'd

3:32

open it, hold it open for a second,

3:35

and then let it shut. After

3:37

that he quietly returned to his chair and

3:40

continued eating breakfast. I

3:42

think it speaks to the kind of place she had in

3:44

that house that my grandmother never asked

3:46

about this little ritual, or

3:49

why the room would feel cold each time the

3:51

boy sat back down again. The

3:53

house was the kind of big country man's where they

3:56

held parties several times a year, parties

3:58

where the women would be wearing silk gowns. and

4:00

elbow-length gloves, and the men black tailcoats

4:02

and court shoes. Children,

4:05

of course, were not permitted, but

4:07

there was a gallery overlooking the entrance hall, and

4:10

the children would sit with their legs dangling down to

4:12

the railing. As long as they

4:14

didn't make any noise, they were allowed to watch the

4:16

guests come in, allowed to marvel

4:18

at the extravagant dresses, the

4:21

elegant dancing. The

4:23

gallery was short, so my grandmother, of

4:25

course, was relegated to the top of

4:27

the stairs instead. The

4:29

dog would sit beside her. He,

4:32

at least, was a large, comfortable country

4:34

animal with a strong smell. Something

4:38

she noticed every time she

4:40

sat there watching guests arrive for a ball

4:43

was that from time to time the dog would

4:45

lean into her and

4:47

shiver. Christmas,

4:49

the last Christmas she was in the house

4:51

before she returned home in January, was

4:54

an especially grand affair. There

4:56

were important people in attendance, lesser

4:58

royals or cabinet ministers or something

5:01

— bastards, probably — but the

5:04

house was full, and the men's boutonnieres

5:06

all bloomed and light blazed from the

5:08

women's diamond tiaras, and that entire evening,

5:10

as my grandmother sat on the stairwell,

5:13

the dog was pressed into her, trembling

5:16

the whole night, and its eyes

5:18

wide and its tongue panting as if the poor creature

5:20

had been running a race instead of

5:22

sitting quietly at the topmost stair. It

5:26

was only after that night, and probably

5:28

only because she was leaving, that my

5:31

grandmother dared to finally ask the question one

5:33

morning at breakfast. Why

5:35

is it that when we're sitting on the gallery at a party, the

5:38

dog does that thing where he leans into you and

5:40

trembles? The

5:44

silence fell. The other

5:46

children all put down their spoons and looked

5:48

at her like she was stupid. And

5:51

after a moment the oldest boy said, Well,

5:54

when that happens, that's just

5:56

the old people heading down to the party.

6:01

And as she was digesting that, he

6:03

stood, walked around to the other

6:06

side of the room, and opened the hallway door. He

6:09

waited for a moment, and then

6:11

the room grew cold. Then

6:13

he let the door fall shut and returned

6:16

to his breakfast, while

6:18

whatever he had allowed into the room just

6:21

sat there with them. And

6:26

when you opened the door like that, my

6:28

grandmother managed to ask at last. Is

6:32

that the old people, too? A

6:36

little scoff, of

6:38

course. The

6:41

rest of the meal they ate in silence, like

6:44

good children do. They were,

6:46

after all, observed. My

6:50

grandmother nowadays is a very grand

6:52

old lady, more British than the

6:54

British, as they say. But

6:57

I know that's all really just a facade. Who

6:59

she actually is, is the

7:02

person who cackles with her feeder friends about old

7:04

gossip, who taught me all my

7:06

first swear words, who always made

7:08

me a soft-boiled egg with toast soldiers for

7:10

breakfast as a kid, and

7:12

the yolk always perfectly runny. I

7:16

still think of her sometimes in that old house in the

7:18

old country, sitting on the stair

7:20

and not seeing what those

7:22

other children saw. They

7:25

were all watching the old people dance and

7:28

whirl among the pale shadows of the living.

7:32

She was only paying attention to the frightened animal

7:34

beside her. I

7:38

love her very much for that. Holly,

7:46

you're familiar with it? I trust, I hope.

7:49

You'll know, then, the one thing

7:51

everybody knows about Holly is that

7:53

it's got spiky leaves. And

7:55

this one thing that everybody knows is, of course.

8:00

lie. If you ever collect

8:02

a spring of holly from the topmost boughs of

8:04

the tree, you'll find that the leaves are… oval.

8:07

Perfectly smooth, in fact. It's

8:10

only when the plant is threatened, say,

8:12

by a ruminant animal, that it turns

8:14

on the gene for spiky leaves. Suddenly

8:17

those smooth edges deform into bitter

8:20

points. Dr.

8:22

Rudolph Carson was disturbed by

8:24

this phenomenon. It's not

8:26

right that the plant should be able to learn, he

8:28

would tell his colleagues. In fact,

8:30

as he aged and grew more alienated

8:32

from his family, Dr. Carson would become

8:35

increasingly obsessed with this idea. You

8:37

don't understand, it tell his

8:39

colleagues. If the plant can learn, that means

8:41

it can learn how to deal with us.

8:44

That means it's a threat. But

8:47

his colleagues would just laugh him off in

8:49

increasingly uncomfortable tones of voice. Soon

8:52

Dr. Carson's reputation suffered, and

8:54

the university quietly encouraged him

8:56

to retire. That's

8:59

when he decided to take matters into his own

9:01

hands. A series of hollybushes

9:03

in the area began to mysteriously catch fire.

9:05

A cause was obviously arson,

9:08

but nobody could think of a motive

9:10

for the crime. Dr.

9:12

Carson became quietly smug with his

9:14

house plants. He had committed

9:16

a string of, he was convinced, perfect

9:18

vigilante crimes. Around

9:22

1 a.m. on Christmas morning, well

9:24

after the last dragglers had left midnight

9:26

mass, Dr. Carson found himself

9:29

standing before the huge old holly tree

9:31

out front of the church. He

9:33

was wearing a battered old Mackinac jacket and

9:36

carrying a sloshing jerrycan of

9:39

gasoline. As he

9:41

approached, the tree began to shimmer. Feeling

9:45

scared, he asked. But

9:48

the tree did not answer.

9:52

In words, you

9:54

see, there was more than just one

9:56

gene the holly tree had hidden in its back

9:58

pocket. And as Dr.

10:01

Carson approached, he realized

10:03

the error of his ways. For

10:06

this tree, the big one out front of the

10:08

church, had done more

10:10

than turn its leaves spiky. It

10:13

had turned them into

10:16

a gun. One

10:18

shot rang out into the perfect

10:20

silence of Christmas morning. At

10:23

sunrise the townspeople found Dr. Carson lying

10:26

dead in the snow. His

10:28

blood, the perfect, simply

10:32

perfect red of

10:35

holly berries. Thank

10:42

God for the GO train. Thank

10:44

God for a reasonably affordable public transit. Without

10:47

it, it would have been a panicky four-hour drive. Instead,

10:50

it was two hours, two hours

10:52

they could spend hashing out the secrets in

10:54

Michelle's family. Paul

10:56

eagerly listened to all the ancient

10:58

grudges and cruelties, wounds

11:00

given, healed, and then reopened.

11:04

He'd resisted it at first, but now,

11:06

more than a year into their relationship,

11:09

he could admit that Michelle brought out the

11:11

gossipy bitch in him, and

11:13

he loved her for it. They

11:15

slept the last forty minutes. Michelle's

11:18

dad Robert picked him up from the GO station. He

11:21

had a surprise for them. Hi,

11:23

sweetheart, he said, giving Michelle a firm hug.

11:26

Is the trip all right? Totally, much

11:28

better than driving. Good, good. Paul,

11:30

great to see you again. Robert

11:33

reached out to shake Paul's hand, but

11:35

as he did so, there was a brown blur of

11:37

movement as something leapt down from the back seat. Paul

11:40

blinked, bringing his hands up like a boxer ready

11:42

to strike, then looked

11:45

down to where two paws rested just

11:47

above his navel. Oh,

11:49

sorry, he scared you, said Robert, reaching for

11:51

the collar. Still a pup. He's

11:54

so cute, said Michelle. So

11:56

this adorable fluffball is the surprise? Yep.

12:00

Robert, your man, I finally pulled the

12:02

trigger. Your salary been empty nesters long

12:04

enough. Is named junior. the

12:07

guy gotta from said is a set of mix. Oh.

12:12

Didn't. Say anything. He.

12:14

Knew what he wanted to say. He.

12:16

Knew that if he said it, Michelle and Robert

12:19

would. Just. Laugh. He.

12:21

Knew it was ridiculous thing to say anyway.

12:23

so. But. Will be the point in saying

12:26

it. But all

12:28

the same. He. Thought it. And.

12:31

Once he thought it. He. Couldn't stop

12:33

thinking it. And what

12:35

he thought was. That

12:38

isn't a dog. It.

12:41

Wasn't anything specific about the way

12:43

junior look door acted. He couldn't

12:45

point anything like two heads are

12:47

a fifth leg. Oh,

12:50

simply. New. Must

12:52

say my animals know not to eat

12:54

certain poisonous berries. In

12:57

the front seat Robert I'm Michelle were chatting

12:59

about plans for Christmas dinner. Jr was

13:01

laying on an Old Town next to him. The.

13:04

Ball. Kept his eyes out the past your window.

13:07

Was. Junior Coyote. A.

13:09

Fox. Know. Nothing

13:11

so simple. It

13:13

was exotic. And. Based

13:15

on the prickly on the back of polls neck. It.

13:18

By very well be dangerous. The

13:21

party was in full swing when they

13:23

arrived. Junior slacked off between the legs

13:25

of Michelle's family members and was last

13:27

from St. Paul. Let out

13:29

a long exhale. Robert.

13:32

Took both code as Michelle was immediately mobbed

13:34

by a pack of cousins from out of

13:36

town. Ball. Wingtip Michelle to

13:38

give him an almost imperceptible i roll of

13:40

them know who would be at least fifteen

13:43

minutes before Michelle could escape. All

13:45

grinned he looked how fluid their

13:48

nonverbal communication to become. He

13:50

urged his way around the cousins hoping

13:52

they wouldn't notice. All didn't have

13:54

anything against them. He. Just wasn't in

13:56

the mood or stand quietly while thirty

13:59

years of inside jokes and memory flew

14:01

over his head. Michelle family was welcoming.

14:04

But. In the and they were her family. He

14:07

made his way to the dining room table which

14:09

was serving bar for now. He. Bought himself

14:11

a little gin and tonic with a lot

14:13

of lemon juice. When he turned back to

14:15

the party, He met

14:17

juniors heavy stare across the room. Paul.

14:20

Nearly dropped the drink, managing only spill

14:23

a bit on his pants ever The

14:25

bag already a poll said a large

14:27

floored man paul identified as Uncle Bill.

14:30

Balls. Smiled sheepishly, hiding the rising

14:32

tide of fear in his gut.

14:35

For wish I had as his bill he

14:37

replied. To. Look back up. But

14:40

Junior had slipped off to some other

14:42

part the house. Polls.

14:44

Homeless preferred having and close by. And

14:46

is eyeliner. Say.

14:49

Bills. Would. You

14:51

think a junior. Junior. Always

14:53

find animal fine animal said Bill

14:56

a setter mix Robert tells me.

14:59

Ah, That's. Interesting.

15:02

Said. Ball. Because. I

15:04

actually grew up around Setters and. It doesn't

15:06

look like much of a center to me. Is.

15:09

A good if. Maybe rubber got

15:11

scammed or maybe was just an

15:13

honest mistake. Bills.

15:16

Blink slowly. When. Eyelid coming

15:18

down faster than the other. And

15:20

Paul suddenly realize that he was

15:22

very drunk. I suppose

15:25

said bill. Not,

15:27

I'm looking closer. Doesn't seem quite

15:30

like a setter. Ah

15:32

Carol if the like the girl what it is. Poll.

15:35

Pause to his drink. Halfway to his mouth is

15:37

he felt the hot weight of eyes on the

15:39

back of his head. He

15:41

have turned and car junior staring and from the

15:43

corner of his i. There.

15:45

Was intelligence behind those eyes?

15:48

Whatever. Jr was. It.

15:51

Knew that Paul New. And

15:54

it wasn't happy to be found out. Maybe.

15:59

Not even done it all. Said.

16:01

Poll. You're. Off. Sybil.

16:04

Drive you. Are quite

16:07

fine, Oh, didn't

16:09

reply. Just. Gulp down the

16:11

last of his drink in. Port.

16:13

Another. A

16:16

Can I talk to you. Said

16:18

Michelle. It. Was hours later. Dinner

16:20

still hadn't been sir. Paul.

16:22

Wasn't. Hammered, But he wasn't

16:25

too far off from Uncle Bill either. Junior

16:27

lay sleep. Do the Christmas tree is

16:29

like sprawled in a way that suggested

16:32

too many joints. Or. Perhaps too

16:34

few. There was a

16:36

paper. Paul. Folded is

16:38

slurring tongue around the words, what's

16:40

the deal? You been

16:42

acting strange since we got here. She said.

16:45

I know my family can be. A

16:48

lot. And will tell you what's up.

16:51

Ah, E o

16:54

last. Said Paul. You'll

16:56

think it's crazy. yoyo. Think I'm looking for things

16:58

to upset myself. Michelle.

17:00

Sat and waited. Paul.

17:03

Leaned in, A

17:06

it's the dogs he said. His.

17:08

Junior. They both

17:10

looked over. Under the Christmas

17:13

tree. Juniors eyes were wide

17:15

open, staring right at them.

17:18

He's. Not Doc. The

17:21

two of them watched. His junior stood and

17:23

found it over. Paul. Thought Is

17:26

Gate was a perfect mimicry. Have

17:28

a happy little pooch but a

17:30

mimicry nonetheless. Michelle. Leaned over

17:32

and scratched under juniors chin. It.

17:34

May Pole vaguely queasy to watch.

17:38

Yeah. I heard you're asking a

17:40

lot of people about that said michelle.

17:44

I'm not trying to make you do anything one way

17:46

or the other, but. You

17:48

know, maybe stop for now. Paul

17:50

took another long sip of his drink. I

17:54

guess this guy silly isn't it said

17:56

Paul. He. Didn't look down.

17:59

He. Didn't have to. You know the Jr was staring

18:01

at I'm. Michelle. Continued

18:03

of a before I forget I grab

18:05

my aunts or number. He. Said you

18:07

were looking for more marketing work, right? said Michelle.

18:10

Maybe talk to her about that. She

18:13

had it in the phone number on a slip of paper.

18:15

Poll. Nodded ethically. Feeling.

18:18

For the first time since they met her,

18:20

vast distance between the two of them, as

18:22

if the note was being handed to him

18:24

from another dimension. Chore.

18:30

Sorry. He I'll straighten up. Just

18:32

nervous, You know? Be. Crushed the

18:34

phone number in his fists, in crowded into

18:36

his pocket, Michelle. Not it.

18:39

She. Ruffled his hair awkwardly and rejoined

18:41

the party. Junior. Stayed.

18:45

Staring at Paul, who refused to

18:47

meet his gaze. Nectar.

18:49

Few minutes Junior left to.

18:53

And then Paul was. All

18:55

alone. Dinner

18:58

was finally served. We.

19:00

Have a holiday fair only serve to

19:02

deepen his isolation. Cheery. Banter

19:04

have been impossible because of junior. Now.

19:07

Was impossible because the rush of calories.

19:09

A second his tongue and clouded his

19:11

mind. He. Could see Michelle

19:13

sitting near Roberts Jr. was at

19:16

Roberts feet. Not begging for

19:18

scraps, Not barking. Not.

19:20

Being a dog. At least

19:22

it wasn't staring at all anymore. It

19:26

was staring at the shell. Ball

19:28

clenched his fist under the table. Think

19:31

about Michelle just chatting and laughing

19:33

as if nothing was desperately obviously

19:35

wrong. He glanced at her hand,

19:37

to where she held a crystal

19:39

glass of port. Au

19:41

what does he told her that all the crystal

19:44

was let it at my drinking from that she

19:46

was leech and the life I'm a very bones

19:48

which is spit out a drink for would you

19:50

just act as if nothing was wrong? Totally unconcerned

19:53

but the intimate danger she was inviting into her

19:55

life into or family. He

19:57

couldn't take it any longer so. Really

20:00

what breed is your dog? Paul finally

20:02

blurted in the direction of Roberts. Conversation.

20:06

Died down for a moment is a

20:08

few had turned off the can. Paul

20:10

was talking to them. Michelle's.

20:12

Had whipped around her eyes

20:15

wide. Paul avoided

20:17

her gaze. It's just

20:19

like you said, was a setter mix or

20:21

something. But. I've been around a lot

20:23

of setters. From. The corner of as I

20:25

could tell Michelle was staring at him. He.

20:28

Didn't care, He kept going to need to know,

20:30

needed to get to the bottom of this, needed

20:32

to. He couldn't

20:34

help but his eyes flicked over to her. She

20:38

wasn't angry. He wasn't giving

20:40

him a warning glance. Know

20:43

or pupils were huge. Her jaw

20:45

was pence. There was a sickly

20:48

shine on her forehead. She.

20:50

Looked. Worried.

20:54

Poll. Faltered. Robert.

20:57

In the Dog. We're both looking at him pleasantly from

20:59

the head of the table. Junior

21:01

a little too interested. A

21:04

little too aware. He

21:07

up. The. Setter mix beautiful

21:09

right. Poll.

21:12

Nodded. He looked

21:14

at Michelle, but she was already chatting

21:16

animatedly with her aunt, who's head was

21:19

thrown back and gasping laughter. Nobody

21:22

was looking at him. Nobody

21:24

noticed as he excused himself. Nobody

21:26

noticed as he stepped outside. The cold

21:29

night. He pulled

21:31

his vapor from his pocket. A

21:33

slip of paper came up with it

21:35

fluttering to the snow. The

21:38

telephone number Michelle got for him. He.

21:40

Picked it up. Opened

21:43

it, Only.

21:47

There. Was no telephone number on it. Just.

21:50

For words written in her

21:52

hand, writing. I

21:56

see to. he

21:58

looks back to the house Saw Michelle was

22:00

now in the corner with her cousin. Junior

22:03

lounged in the opposite corner, sitting

22:05

on its haunches in a way that made

22:08

no sense. Paul

22:10

breathed out for what felt like the first time

22:13

that night. At

22:16

least they had something to talk about on the trip back. Wake

22:23

up, asswipe! He's mashing

22:25

his hand against my face, pulling on my

22:27

ears, sticking his fingers in my eyes and

22:29

nose. I was having

22:31

a horrible dream, so I don't mind, but how is I going to

22:33

tell him that? Fuck you! I

22:36

say through a mouthful of knuckles. Eh,

22:38

fuck yourself. I gotta take a leak. I

22:41

open the eyes, not currently jabbing. Mark's

22:44

other hand is tight on the steering wheel. He's

22:47

not looking at me. His eyes are on the

22:49

road, dodging debris and the tattered

22:51

clothes blowing on the wind. Fine,

22:53

I say, but make it fast. Suspension

22:56

creaks like an old rock in chairs you pull

22:58

off. It's late, but the scrubland

23:01

of Ontario is pale in the double moonlight.

23:04

There were five moons yesterday. Who

23:07

knew how many there'd be tomorrow? Hurry

23:09

up, idiot. Yeah, yeah, talk to my

23:11

dick. Mark finds a desiccated

23:14

bush and gets to work. Cracked

23:16

ground soaks up his piss, probably happy for

23:18

the nitrogen. A light, brighter

23:21

than any dawn, crests the ridge way over

23:23

to the north. I gesture

23:25

silently to my brother. His

23:27

face turns grim. A trickling

23:29

sound stops and stays stopped until

23:31

that light dies down and fades

23:33

away, traveling into the west. Eh,

23:38

maybe next time. Maybe

23:40

next time. Back in

23:42

the car, it's my turn to drive. Final

23:45

leg. Big brother time. A

23:48

road I'd driven a million times in my mind since

23:50

the world ended. I

23:52

put it out of my head. Mark reclines

23:54

in his seat. He's asleep instantly.

23:57

I don't jab him in the eyes as much as I want to.

24:00

Instead, I flick on the radio and let the

24:02

static wash over me. Mom.

24:05

And Dad. Mom and

24:07

Dad are a times of mark me.

24:10

Skip all these. Shifts.

24:12

Probable to show up one of those terms

24:15

of have known this was around the corner,

24:17

put up with the sniping drinking, the fist

24:19

fights, the big speeches, bad how and never

24:21

amounted to nothing. Nothing good anyway. Then

24:24

again what would be in around their gotten me. Of

24:27

best a black guy. Even odds

24:29

with it was from mom or dad. Ben.

24:33

Angels and shit started Sin from the vault of

24:35

heaven. End search to give you. An

24:38

I know. Specter. Of. Mark.

24:41

Talk me into it. Was. Last in jail

24:43

he was a shrink. talk a lot about

24:45

prospective. Got. Mark reading

24:47

books, Or articles anyway.

24:50

I stayed at a jail. Just. Barely. That's

24:53

the way was in our neighborhood. The older

24:55

brothers are under a microscope for the moment.

24:57

The dark pools amount. They learn

24:59

to sneak out. They learn to bend the

25:01

rules the can be bent. They learn to

25:04

use leverage to keep certain things off the

25:06

official record. That's why

25:08

my credit score wasn't completely in

25:10

the shudder at the Baby Brothers

25:13

golden children. Spoil. Rotten,

25:15

spoiled so bad. I think they can sell Foley

25:17

Louis the time next with a high school not

25:19

get but. And is Mark learn.

25:21

Fuck No. That's why

25:24

serving three years. By

25:26

soon the sentence is still on. Valley

25:28

the cops lot of per block off discuss

25:30

the apocalypse. Something. As

25:33

the happened. And. Make the guards got.

25:36

Raptures, Either way, Mark

25:38

shows up my apartment for am yesterday, yammering

25:40

about seeing mom and Dad for the holidays.

25:42

how it might be the last chance we

25:44

get. His. First time I'd

25:47

seen him in eighteen months. First

25:49

time we talked in two years and.

25:52

Yeah, I don't know. The

25:54

guy was saying before angels and shit. Gives.

25:57

You perspective. Where.

25:59

Did the see? prop. Now and have never

26:01

seen the place. oh deserted. nobody on

26:03

the sidewalk, all the stores closed. only

26:05

places he people's what. We pass a

26:07

church on Walnut Avenue, packed to the

26:09

gills with repentance, sinners singing hymns. As

26:11

we pass I see something high in

26:14

the sky and pull onto the sidewalk.

26:16

Do my best impression of an abandoned

26:18

car. Minute later Osiris hoops

26:20

dancing and holy holy holy loud enough

26:22

to not the rear bumper clean off.

26:25

I notice air because all those fuckers of

26:27

six wings to in the back like normal

26:30

and to in place of arms and to

26:32

place legs. They fly in our

26:34

like a kind of corkscrew rotating as

26:36

the when catch see to their wings

26:38

at a different angle, a tornado of

26:40

feathers and god brilliance. Personally,

26:43

I think they look fucking stupid. The

26:45

Sheriff joins the hims going from the

26:47

church and slowly as see everyone inside

26:49

begin to ascend on beams of light

26:51

that seem to come from everywhere and

26:54

nowhere. Once. It only takes

26:56

a few seconds and the sheriff moves

26:58

on. That. Your to simulate

27:00

now. Or wait a few seconds

27:02

to make sure that flying fuckers and come back.

27:05

Then I jam on the gas. And.

27:07

Can't believe that Mark didn't even wake up!

27:10

The left and right. and suddenly. Bam!

27:13

As the old city neighborhood in the old

27:15

city memories streets of just like when we

27:17

left them with a bit more were in

27:19

pair from all the panic. Plus.

27:21

Piles a close in the gutters from all the

27:23

people get zapped right out of I'm. A

27:26

realize I'm counting down the street

27:28

numbers. A smack mark. Fuck.

27:31

Fuck I do this alone. Comes

27:33

to with a start grabbing for chevy doesn't

27:35

have. A wave in his face. Almost

27:38

there I say. I

27:40

get a Middle East not myself. I'm grinding my teeth.

27:43

The curry's is up against the curve in front of

27:45

the bungalow. I took the parking

27:48

brake. Mark. Is wide awake

27:50

now. Neither of us

27:52

a sane anything. I

27:54

know this feeling. Which.

27:57

pretending like we are here both of

27:59

us know The

30:01

Wrong Station is made possible with

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the generous support of our listeners

30:05

on Patreon. Visit today at patreon.com/thewrongstation.

30:09

This holiday episode was written by Jacob

30:11

Duarte Spiel and Alexander Saxton and performed

30:13

by Anthony Botello. Thank

30:17

you to Skylar Thomas-Cohen,

30:19

Theodora the Explorer, Ursula

30:21

Fatsi, Michael Wisman, Lisa

30:23

Taylor, Bojimbo, Laura Elliott,

30:25

Heather, Haley, Eflatun Solmaz,

30:27

Outlast Chance, Andre Duquette,

30:29

Astrid, Triced Munch, Alan Chalfant,

30:31

and Beanplanter for helping us keep

30:34

the lights... well...

30:37

off. The

30:39

Wrong Station is co-produced by Alexander Saxton,

30:41

Anthony Botello, and Jacob Duarte Spiel, with

30:43

music composed and performed by Alon Citrin,

30:45

and arranged for the viola and performed

30:47

by Viola Schmidt. You can

30:50

also support us by leaving a rating and

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review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever it is

30:54

you tune into the show. Happy

30:56

Holidays, a Happy New Year, and

30:58

until next time, thank

31:01

you for listening.