The Passage

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by Nancy Lieder


  folders here and there. This is a work room, a war room, and it is filled with

  men and women in business attire, ties pulled open, shirt collars unbuttoned,

  some hair frazzled as hands have gone to heads now and then, the situation,

  not appearance, the only concern.

  A NASA employee, his hair up in the air on one side, his hair grease holding

  it there, stands numbly staring at the screen, saying not a word to anyone as

  though frozen in stance and speech. A second employee walks through the room

  hurriedly, brushing past others as he passes, intent on talking to another

  whom he stops to engage in animated conversation. Others in the room are on

  the phone, shuffling papers, talking with each other, or sitting with their

  heads in their hands. Yet a third employee has a mobile cell phone in his ear,

  is gesturing with strong forward thrusts of his hand, an angry look on his

  face. He says,

  .. time to go to the bunker!

  Leaning over a table and bringing his fist down now on the table, in anger,

  easing himself into his chair as he is trembling with rage.

  You told me when this started to happen we’d leave.

  Now I want to know where the God damn bunker is! Now!

  25

  _______________________________

  At the McGregor ranch Martha is normally up before dawn preparing breakfast for her hard working husband. Big Tom wolfs down his breakfast, slurping

  coffee and shoveling in eggs and fried potatoes like there is no tomorrow,

  talking between swallows about the chores he has lined up for the day.

  . . found a broken fence yesterday, better get that

  fixed before the cattle discover the break.

  Big Tom glances up to gesture in the direction of the broken fence, and stops

  mid-sentence as it is stone dark out and the dawn should have painted the

  horizon with orange streaks by now. He is silent for a moment, his arm out-

  stretched in mid-gesture. Then he falls back to eating, but keeps glancing

  out the window, nervously, a puzzled look on his face. He checks his watch,

  glances to the clock on the wall, and asks his wife what her stove clock says.

  . . Martha, what time do you have?

  He holds up his watch and she stares at her clock and then they both stare at

  each other. When he discovers they are all in sync, he shakes his head and

  goes back to wolfing his breakfast down.

  Martha has gone into her garden behind the house, but is too upset to be

  tending to the garden. She has her basket with her, to collect the produce,

  her hair tied back with a bandana to keep it out of the way as she would

  normally be bending over a lot, but is just standing there between the lettuce

  and onions and tomato plants, a worried look on her face. Suddenly she jerks

  her face up, though not a sound has been made to alert her to the presence of

  a Zeta beside her. She comes close to tears seeing a friend, her face showing

  relief at being able to seek counsel.

  My God, what’s happening!

  A tall Zeta comes up to her and puts his right hand on her left shoulder,

  lowering his head to touch his forehead to hers. Martha rises her right hand

  and puts it on the Zeta’s left shoulder at this, and they stand there briefly

  for a moment.

  They pull back from each other, now gazing into each other’s faces. Martha’s

  face now reflects calm. She is no longer frantic and afraid.

  _______________________________

  26

  Danny's eyes pop open in the darkened tent, though no sound or motion has

  awakened him. He shines a flashlight on his watch and a puzzled look comes

  over his face, as it shows 10:12 in the morning. Yet it is still dark.

  Feeling him stirring, Daisy wakens. She says,

  Can't you sleep either?

  Danny says,

  Normally I sleep like a log on camping trips. Odd that

  we’re both having trouble sleeping. I know what’ll fix

  that.

  Danny reaches for Daisy, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close,

  nuzzling her neck. The couple assumes they are having insomnia, the watch

  broken, and Danny is just settling into snuggling with Daisy when they hear

  voices from the New Age couple next door. Danny says,

  They’re awake too? Something’s not right here.

  Danny pulls on his pants and goes out to investigate.

  _______________________________

  The campers all meet by the smoldering camp fire, now out, and look around and

  at their watches. Daisy says,

  Our watches seem to be fast.

  A bit stunned and confused, the campers stand around the remnants of their

  campfire, looking first at their watches and then at each other. Frank and

  Danny compare times, then stare at each other. Danny says,

  10:16

  And Frank’s concurs.

  10:14

  Danny goes to check the clock in his car, which also reads 10:16. He says,

  Whatever it is, it’s made all the clocks fast. We’ll

  probably hear about it later on the news. Weird!

  Jane is stirring last night's campfire, adding kindling, and puts some water

  on for coffee. Having no explanation for why their clocks are wrong, and not

  wanting to admit to themselves how frightened they are, the campers joke

  around. Jane says,

  Everything looks better after a cup of coffee.

  Frank smirks and says,

  Yeah, we’re all still just dreaming.

  Daisy is sitting on a rock, a slight frown on her face, blinking and saying

  nothing, not willing to let go of her anxiety. Gradually the dawn rises, and

  the group shows their obvious relief. Daisy brightens like the rising Sun when

  the light of dawn shows, her face almost estatic.

  Oh, there’s the Sun!

  27

  _______________________________

  Back at the Daily News in Newark, New Jersey, Zack Maya, the newspaper editor,

  is frantic, red in the face with anger, and standing as he phones a friend

  from his office as he is too agitated to sit. He is looking at his watch and

  where it appears to be dawn outside, his watch and the clock on the wall say

  1:07 pm. He shouts into the phone.

  What the hell's going on! You told me there wasn't any

  danger, you asshole. I did what you asked me to do,

  now what are you going to do about this!

  It becomes apparent that the other party hung up on him. The editor is holding

  the phone away from his ear, staring at it, then muttering under his breath

  and hanging it up, looking decidedly despondent. The sound of beeping traffic

  and hysterical shouting can be heard out the window.

  _______________________________

  The clock at the New York Stock Exchange reads 1:11 pm. Life goes on, even in

  the face of the inexplicable. On the trading floor of the Stock Exchange,

  there are shouts and traders running to and fro with mobile cell phones to

  their ears, but the floor is uncharacteristically empty and quiet. Traders

  and dealers are standing around, staring at the big clock which now reads

  1:11.

  There is some trading going on. Some shouts and people running around with

  mobile cell phones, but a lot of traders and dealers are just standing and

  staring at the big clock reading 1:11. People talk wi
th each other, gesturing

  and pointing excitedly. Small groups watch TV monitors hanging from wires on

  the floor. CNN team talks about the daybreak being hours late.

  .. scientists have yet to come up with an explanation

  for why this day is getting a late start. Most

  businesses and schools are operating at their normal

  schedule, but the confusion has ..

  Out on the busy street outside, in Times Square, a drug dealer who would

  normally move through the crowd rapidly, making his contacts and moving to

  safer streets, stands with his back against a brick wall, eyes scanning the

  sky, cigarette in hand. A bum comes up to bum a smoke.

  Got some smokes, man?

  He is absentmindedly handed the entire pack by the dealer, complete with

  lighter. The dealer pulls out a joint and turns to the bum, asking for a

  light, apparently forgetting that he just handed the bum the pack and lighter,

  distracted.

  28

  Hey! Gimme a light, would ya?

  Cars are stalled and people are looking out their windows at the sky. A group

  of farm kids get off a bus and look around in a big huddle.

  So this is New York? Boy, they sure do have traffic

  jams! Mom was right!

  An executive in a dark gray suit steps out of a cab, smooth black briefcase in

  hand. He notices a fine red dust powdering the sidewalk, and squats to pick

  up a pinch between his fingers, rubbing his fingers together. The fine dust

  is everywhere now - blowing off the tops of moving cars, settling into cracks

  in the sidewalks, and coming down onto the anxious up-turned faces like a fine

  mist.

  _______________________________

  It’s now 11:30 am in the Rockies. At the campground, the fine red dust is

  powdering everything, but this passes notice due to being scattered by the

  branches overhead. Danny has come back from picking up groceries at the local

  Stop-n-Shop, and goes to open the trunk, finding that his finger leaves a mark

  on the trunk lid. He runs a finger through the dust, staring at the tip,

  puzzled.

  Frank is returning from the stream, fishing pole in hand but otherwise empty

  handed.

  The stream is turning red, like blood, and the fish

  are bobbing up one after another, belly up, dying from

  whatever it is.

  Daisy puts her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide open, an anxious look in her

  eyes. Jane says,

  My God, the prophecies are coming true.

  Danny is punching the buttons on his mobile cell phone now, listening, then

  punching another set and listening again. He's getting static, no ringing.

  I'm not getting through, nothing's working.

  Danny glances up into the sky.

  These things work off the satellites . .

  Frank is already bringing their camping supplies to their car, breaking camp.

  Jane is taking down their tent, throwing the poles in a pile as though she

  were racing against time. Danny is rubbing his forehead, trying to

  understand.

  The campground store didn't have any news either.

  Their newspapers haven't been delivered, nor any of

  the regular delivery runs.

  29

  Seeing everyone in the campground starting to break camp, as though what

  others are doing is an imperative, Danny also starts to break camp. He walks

  to the campfire and starts stacking supplies in a box, silently. Daisy pulls

  her makeup case close to her as she sits on a log and begins to do her nails

  with great concentration. She begins a monologue about polish types and

  broken nails that she or her friends have experienced, though no one is

  listening.

  I just can't get my nails to grow! . .

  30

  -The Horror-

  Big Tom has his tool box open along the fence he is repairing. His jeep

  stands several feet away on solid ground, as cattle tend to walk along fences,

  creating deep ruts well hidden by the tall grass. Like many ranchers, Big Tom

  tended to take better care of his equipment than himself.

  The cattle begin milling about and mooing, groups starting to bolt in this

  direction or that, then changing their minds and bolting in the other

  direction. Some groups are even running into each other, like a misdirected

  stampeded. They are alarmed yet confused, getting some signal that Big Tom

  can't sense. The earth emits a low moan, barely perceptible at first. However,

  this low moan keeps up, rising and falling, as though the earth were in agony.

  Big Tom has turned pale, drops his tools, leaving them where they lay on the

  ground, stumbles back toward his jeep and drives off crazily, not even

  shutting the door until well on his way up the dirt road. Big Tom careens up

  to the ranch house, screeching his brakes and walking quickly to the house. He

  barges in the kitchen door and heads for the phone. Martha says,

  Won't do no good. I can't get through. Nobody can get

  through.

  Martha is calm, her daughter Tammy leaning into her where she sits in a

  kitchen chair, having a beer. Martha and Big Tom exchange a long look, no

  words spoken. Finally, Big Tom breaks the silence, glancing at the beer.

  That looks good, think I'll have one.

  Red comes into the kitchen and announces he's stocked the storm cellar. He

  has Billy in tow, his helper, who goes to wash his hands as he has been

  brushing his hands together, but glancing at them sees they are dirty. Billy

  casts a glance at his mother Martha and heads toward the sink, not realizing

  that something more serious than getting a reminder is pending.

  A loud knock on the front door stops Big Tom from easing into a relaxed

  posture in the familiar wooden chair he has just dropped into, beer in hand,

  and he recoils to go answer it, his curious Billy at his heels. Danny is at

  the door, dust streaked in the sweat running off his face, the others in the

  foursome (Daisy, Jane, Frank) standing alongside the car in the drive. Danny

  says,

  Do you have any gas to sell, the stations don't seem

  to be open.

  Big Tom, surveying the visitors and sensing they pose no threat, allows

  himself to be relieved to be getting some news.

  31

  Not surprised . . Jed probably took his hounds into

  the hills already, he's been talking about the end of

  the world, and probably figures it's come.

  Danny doesn't answer for a few minutes, the sounds of insects singing in the

  sun loud in the silence between the two men. Then he says,

  Well, has it?

  Big Tom motions to the foursome now all on the porch.

  Might as well come in for a spell, the day's getting

  hot already and it doesn't look like its going to end.

  At the mention of time, Danny glances at his watch and gasps.

  My God, it's almost midnight!

  _______________________________

  What seems like days have passed, and the long dawn that doesn't end and the

  accumulating heat are wearing at the group. Grim and focused on the drama

  being played out on the world's stage, which they all sense will end at some

  point soon, the adults are being civil, not wanting to add to their problems.

  The men are simply quiet, looking out t
he window as though expecting something

  to happen.

  The women peel potatoes and help Martha with her mending, making small talk to

  keep the youngsters from realizing the seriousness of the situation. Jane

  says,

  Let me see if I can find a matching button. Want to

  help me, Tammy? I’m looking for a small brown one like

  this.

  Everyone is in shorts, a film of sweat evident, but no one complains about the

  heat or worry except Daisy who is almost whining, a continuous expression of

  exasperation on her face. Daisy is going through the motions of being an

  adult, but makes little noises of frustration when drawers don't open smoothly

  or something isn't where she expects to find it in the cabinets. Finally she

  looks pointedly at Danny but he just looks grim and shakes his head. Danny

  says,

  Don’t start again! We’re not going to drive off and

  escape this. This is everywhere, Daisy, everywhere,

  and we’ve just got to wait until this breaks or we get

  news. Not going to be better anyplace else.

  This has been a long running argument between them, one discussed whenever

  they retired to one of the bedrooms for a nap together. Daisy is trying to

  initiate the discussion again, publicly, hoping to win support, and Danny has

  about had it with her. One of the children in the group is likewise having

  32

  problems understanding the situation. Tammy leans against her mother, Martha,

  who is sitting in her place at the kitchen table.

  When can my dolls go to the swimming hole for a

  picnic?

  Tammy is obviously asking when she can go again. Martha wraps her free arm

  around her and gives her a little hug, understanding that the child wants to

 

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