Cecil Baldwin

She was merely a physical collection of parts to be examined and repaired.

The MRI voice told her, take a breath in, breathe out.

Take a breath in and hold it.

and then there would be a series of hums and thumps that she somehow could feel in her skeleton.

Her hair moved as though in a breeze, and the air in her lungs curdled, and became instantly difficult to hold, like someone was slowly but insistently sitting down on her chest.

Afterward, her doctor called, told her it was a false alarm, nothing to worry about.

But Ruth could not make the physical parts of herself constitute any kind of whole person from that point on.

She bought a potted plant and put it by the window, blocking the view of the Hollywood sign.

The continuation of the Hanukkah story soon.

The following is a test of our emergency broadcast system.

If this were a real emergency, you would not hear me as I'd be running out the door screaming, save yourselves, followed by a lot of dead air.

Test commencing now.

The town of Night Vale and all surrounding areas are under a Code Indigo level emergency.

This is a life or death situation that requires immediate and decisive action.

Please be aware that local broadcasters might be influenced by the Code Indigo event to say that this broadcast is a test, but it is not a test.

Unless it is.

Because we do have to test the Code Indigo Emergency Broadcast just like any other.

If this is a Code Indigo Emergency and not a test, which it may or may not be, you must start driving out of town.

You must drive out of town and never come back.

If it is a test, don't do that.