Episode 9

full
Published on:

31st Jan 2021

9 - Making Ends Meet

*THE PROLOGUE PORTION OF THIS EPISODE CONTAINS A SCENE OF GUN VIOLENCE WHICH MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME LISTENERS.*

It takes two, but now it's one doing the work of two. Beverly Sanders has taken a second job, on the night shift and her drive in hits a rough spot. 

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Credit and Attribution

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Music from https://filmmusic.io

"Volatile Reaction" by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5014-volatile-reaction

License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Distortion and voiceover applied.

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Transcript

0:01

hi

0:02

philip a mcleyman here

0:03

just wanted to thank you for listening

0:05

to my podcast

0:07

it's a blast making it and an even

0:09

bigger blast knowing you are enjoying it

0:12

if you are enjoying the podcast please

0:14

consider supporting it with a one-time

0:15

donation of three dollars

0:17

which is about the price of a cheap cup

0:19

of coffee

0:20

the link to do that is in the show notes

0:23

right there at the top

0:24

i am usually drinking coffee when i

0:26

record the podcast so it kind of makes

0:28

sense okay thanks again for listening on

0:32

to the next episode and the next cup of

0:35

coffee

0:37

[Music]

0:44

[Music]

0:48

human

0:50

extinction level

0:52

yes

0:59

prologue

1:01

beverly sanders knew he didn't resent

1:03

her

1:04

she knew that the anger that so quickly

1:07

flared to the surface of so many recent

1:10

conversations

1:11

and the meanness that resulted

1:14

lashing out like a tendril and tearing

1:16

into her soul

1:18

was not actually her fault

1:20

she knew that

1:22

mark knew it too

1:24

she was sure of it

1:26

it wasn't even that she took the job

1:28

neither she nor her husband was

1:30

possessed of dated sensibilities that

1:33

said a woman's place was in the home

1:36

they were partners and as such worked

1:38

together to raise a family

1:40

and make their way in the world

1:43

it took two

1:45

but now there was just the one

1:47

doing the work of two

1:49

she knew he didn't resent her

1:51

but her working two jobs and he working

1:54

none aided him like a cancer

1:57

for while their sensibilities were well

1:59

rooted in the 21st century

2:01

he was still a man

2:03

and a man worked to provide for his

2:05

family

2:06

and now he couldn't

2:09

it wasn't a physical injury that

2:10

disabled him

2:12

that could have been viewed as a badge

2:13

of honor a visible sign of his

2:16

indescribable bravery that compelled him

2:18

to step in harm's way and eliminate the

2:21

threat

2:23

though many had died

2:25

many more were alive because of what he

2:27

did

2:29

a desperate individual with planning and

2:31

forethought had laid waste to so many

2:34

but not to all

2:37

sunny island was a state park

2:39

it was an oasis of land in the center of

2:41

lake jeremy

2:43

a favorite gathering spot for campers

2:45

and families looking to create memories

2:49

the island could only be reached by

2:50

ferry

2:52

it was founders day and scott hammond

2:54

had been looking forward to it for weeks

2:57

he boarded the ferry with nothing in his

2:59

possession but the clothes he wore

3:02

he was invisible among the throngs of

3:04

people making their way to the island

3:08

had he survived it would have argued

3:10

against his case that he didn't know

3:12

what he was doing at the time

3:15

the authorities theorized upon seeing

3:18

the huge cachet of weapons and

3:19

ammunition

3:21

that he had stockpiled for a long time

3:24

security footage confirmed that he had

3:26

made several trips to the island in the

3:28

days and weeks leading up to the

3:30

clydesville founders day celebration

3:34

mark sanders was there with beverly and

3:36

their young son tommy

3:39

times being what they were

3:41

mark took the opportunity to work

3:42

security for the event

3:45

they could use the extra money and he

3:47

still got to enjoy the day with his

3:49

family a little

3:51

until the shooting started

3:54

hammond had dug in high on a hill

3:56

overlooking a wide expanse of beach on

3:58

the south side of the island

4:00

the beach was where everybody had

4:02

gathered for good food and good music

4:05

under a clear blue sky

4:07

when he started shooting it looked like

4:10

the beach at normandy

4:12

bodies just blew apart

4:14

people screamed and ran

4:16

fell and died

4:18

he was dug in and had an elevated

4:20

position with a clear line of sight

4:23

it would have been an hour maybe more

4:25

before the authorities could have

4:26

responded with anything that might have

4:28

been able to stop him

4:30

so while the few other cops working the

4:32

event hunkered down

4:34

mark sanders stormed the hill

4:36

in the face of the deadly onslaught

4:39

it took minutes that seemed to stretch

4:41

into hours in his mind

4:43

not being able to simply stroll up the

4:45

hiking trail to the summit

4:47

bobbing and weaving diving and hiding he

4:50

fought for every inch until he got to

4:52

the top

4:53

armed only with his service pistol he

4:55

charged the hill

4:57

and eliminated the threat

4:59

though no bullet had touched him it was

5:01

only later discovered that he was in

5:03

fact deeply wounded

5:05

he could no longer be around crowds

5:08

acute agoraphobia

5:10

resulting from post-traumatic stress

5:13

prevented him from being out in the open

5:15

and around people

5:17

he was getting help

5:19

but the process was slow

5:21

and it prevented him from being able to

5:23

do his job as a clydesville police

5:25

officer

5:26

or do any job at all

5:28

so beverly took a second job

5:31

on the night shift

5:33

just to make ends meet

5:36

chapter one

5:39

i'm sorry too i love you mark

5:42

we're going to get through this

5:44

beverly sanders stared out the

5:46

windshield and drove through the night

5:48

towards the clydesville power station

5:52

they had gotten into a fight

5:54

like they always did just before she had

5:56

to leave for the night shift

5:58

he had called to apologize

6:00

just like he always did

6:02

before she was even halfway there dr

6:06

foster says you're making progress but

6:08

that it's important to focus on

6:10

achievable goals

6:11

and not to get frustrated

6:14

she said

6:15

she could hear him sigh and knew that

6:18

those words wouldn't even make a dent

6:21

she listened as he recounted again how

6:23

sorry he was

6:24

how pissed off he was

6:27

what a failure he was

6:29

no

6:30

i won't accept that you're not a failure

6:32

mark

6:33

people are alive because of you that's

6:36

what you need to focus on

6:37

that and the next goal okay

6:40

she said

6:42

there was silence on the other end and

6:44

she knew he was processing

6:47

we'll get through this

6:49

until then we do what we have to do

6:51

right

6:52

what do you always say when faced with a

6:53

problem

6:54

ain't nothing to it but to do it

6:57

she heard him laugh just a little

7:00

but it was enough

7:01

and she knew they were good for the

7:03

night

7:04

having to work an entire shift without

7:07

having smoothed it all out was a

7:11

we're doing it and we're going to keep

7:12

doing it until it's done

7:14

she said

7:16

he told her he loved her and a tear

7:18

rolled down her cheek

7:20

i love you too

7:21

kiss tommy good night for me okay

7:24

see you in a bit

7:25

she said

7:27

then hung up

7:29

she tossed the phone on the passenger

7:31

seat

7:32

and stared at it for several long

7:34

seconds

7:35

when she looked up

7:37

it was too late

7:39

she screamed and whipped the wheel to

7:40

the left

7:42

but she still hit her there was a

7:44

sickening thump a distant look and a

7:46

blank stare of a wide-eyed female face

7:49

caught in her headlights

7:50

then the face was gone as the woman

7:53

tumbled into a ditch by the side of the

7:55

road

7:56

beverly slammed on the brakes and

7:57

brought the car to a stop across both

7:59

lanes of traffic

8:01

panicked and shaking she fumbled for the

8:03

door handle and got out

8:05

she ran to the ditch to look for the

8:07

woman

8:08

when she got there the woman was

8:10

struggling to her feet her left leg was

8:13

twisted at an unnatural angle but it

8:15

didn't stop her from trying to rise and

8:17

walk

8:18

beverly rushed into the ditch the woman

8:21

didn't turn or cry out or even shout

8:23

obscenities at her

8:25

beverly ran up to the woman and put her

8:27

hand on her shoulder stopping her

8:30

oh my god oh my god are you all right i

8:32

the woman turned and looked at beverly

8:35

and the stare blank and empty brought

8:37

her up short

8:39

beverly's voice caught in her throat as

8:41

she stumbled back her skin crawled and

8:43

her only thought was to get away

8:46

i'm going to call somebody okay stay

8:48

right here and i'll get help

8:50

beverly said

8:52

beverly ran to her car flung open the

8:54

passenger side door and grabbed for her

8:56

phone

8:57

it wasn't on the seat

8:59

beverly's eyes scanned the interior

9:02

finding the phone on the floor

9:04

she grabbed it and held it up in front

9:06

of her face

9:07

with shaking hands she tried to remember

9:09

the number for 9-1-1

9:12

when she finally got it dialed an

9:14

automated voice recording played in her

9:16

ear

9:18

we're sorry all circuits are busy

9:20

please try again later

9:23

beverly pulled the phone away from her

9:25

ear and stared in her at the display

9:28

no

9:29

she screamed

9:30

she hit redial as she ran back over to

9:33

the ditch to check on the woman

9:35

the same automated message played in her

9:37

ear

9:38

as beverly frantically scanned the ditch

9:41

for the woman who wasn't there

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About the Podcast

DEADLAND
A Journey Through The Zombie Apocalypse.

The Human Extinction Level Loss series written and read by Philip A. McClimon.
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Philip McClimon


Philip A. McClimon is an author who likes to write about the end of the world (post apocalyptic / zombie), mostly because he thinks the shopping would be awesome (No crowds, everything free). He likes heroes that are the strong, silent type and not necessarily male. By silent he means up until the time there is something snarky to say, usually before, during, and after doing something cool.

So, that's Phil. He's not strong, rarely silent, and isn't known for doing a lot of cool things.

But his characters are.