"If the Nameless Salesman Comes to Your Door, Don't Answer It" by Eddie Serene | CLANCYPASTA

[00:00:04] [SPEAKER_01]: It's okay to leave the door unanswered. Really, it is. In fact, unless your visitor has a good reason to be there and you have a good reason to talk to them, please don't open that door. I don't care if they know you're home. I don't care if they think you're a jerk. Do not open that door without first knowing the exact outcome.

[00:00:29] [SPEAKER_01]: The salesman drove that lesson into me a few days ago.

[00:00:35] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm sorry, I said, as I flipped through the pages of our half-full photo album in the living room. The album was my husband's idea. You should have seen how excited he was about it. And he insisted on us finishing it before this day, our first anniversary, though I saw it as the anniversary of his death. A death that I had caused.

[00:01:01] [SPEAKER_01]: I miss you, I whispered while fiddling with my ring and starting to cry again for the fifth time since I woke up. I know you'd want me to move on and stop blaming myself. I've tried, really, I have, but I can't do it. I can't. I just wish I could see you one more time.

[00:01:26] [SPEAKER_01]: My wallowing was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Seriously, I thought to myself. A few seconds passed and then it rang again. I was tempted to ignore it, but my unwanted guest would have seen me already. Why did I leave the stupid blinds open?

[00:01:47] [SPEAKER_01]: The doorbell rang for a third time. Yeah, yeah, I'm coming, I grumbled. Let's get this over with already.

[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_01]: I wiped the tears from my eyes and took a few deep breaths while I shuffled over to the door. Probably a neighbor, one of the more annoying ones, apparently. I cursed under my breath. It's Sarah again, isn't it? Why won't she leave me alone? I thought as I peered through the peephole.

[00:02:20] [SPEAKER_01]: It wasn't Sarah. It wasn't one of the neighbors at all, actually. That should have been my cue to leave the door closed and walk away. If I didn't even know the person, what was the benefit of talking to them here?

[00:02:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Still, something in me wanted to open the door. Maybe it was the feeling that my visitor wasn't the type to give up. Maybe it was plain curiosity. Maybe it was something else. Whatever it was, it coaxed me into opening the door and taking in the figure in front of me.

[00:02:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Now, I don't know Jack about modern fashion. My husband and I have that in common. But I doubt that the man I saw would have fit in. He would have been perfect as a film noir detective, though.

[00:03:09] [SPEAKER_01]: He wore a black leather fedora and brown trench coat, a grey double-breasted jacket with a red tie and white dress shirt underneath, and a pair of black slacks. He was also wearing leather gloves. And to top it all off, he was smoking a cigarette.

[00:03:26] [SPEAKER_01]: It was a cohesive look, except for one thing. The aviator sunglasses. Again, I'm no fashion expert, but one of those things was not like the others. He cleared his throat, snapping me out of my stupor.

[00:03:46] [SPEAKER_01]: Miss Dawson, yes? He said in a gravelly, formal-sounding voice. I nodded as he stuck his right hand out. Should I have lied? Oh well, too late now.

[00:04:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Pleasure to meet you.

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Likewise, I said and shook his hand. He held my hand for several seconds too long before letting it go. He didn't offer his name. After standing in silence for what felt like an eternity, I decided to be the one who would clear my throat this time.

[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_01]: And, uh, what's your name? Oh, right, of course. How rude of me. You see, the problem is that… well, I don't quite have one. Huh? What's with this guy? Everyone simply calls me the Salesman.

[00:04:44] [SPEAKER_01]: I let a groan slip out. The novelty of seeing a man a few decades out of place had worn off quicker than I expected. Of course, today of all days, I get stuck with a solicitor and an extra quirky one at that. Hooray for me! How fun.

[00:05:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, well, I'm not interested in buying anything and I've got some important stuff to take care of. Have a nice day, I said, still partially trying to mask my frustration as I began pushing the door closed.

[00:05:22] [SPEAKER_01]: He laughed, scoffed even, and jammed his foot in front of the door. You're really pushing it, buddy.

[00:05:32] [SPEAKER_01]: Please don't lie to me. My eyes narrowed. Excuse me? I said, please don't lie to me. My pool of patience, which was minuscule enough to begin with, was starting to run dry. And what exactly am I lying about?

[00:05:54] [SPEAKER_01]: He removed his foot from the door. You claimed you have important things to do, but that's a lie, isn't it? All you've been doing is looking through an incomplete photo album. You've been doing that almost all day, as a matter of fact.

[00:06:11] [SPEAKER_01]: You were spying on me? That should have been my cue to cut the interaction off, but I didn't. Something that I can't explain compelled me to keep talking to him. In a way, yes. However, I prefer to think of it as waiting for the right moment.

[00:06:35] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, this'll be good. I should have just closed the door, but being pissed off felt more comfortable than being sad.

[00:06:44] [SPEAKER_01]: All right, fine. The right moment for what?

[00:06:49] [SPEAKER_01]: The salesman appeared taken aback. To make you an offer, of course. I'd like to make your wish come true.

[00:06:57] [SPEAKER_01]: I laughed at him. Seriously? Do you realize how corny that sounds?

[00:07:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Trust me, I'm very serious.

[00:07:08] [SPEAKER_01]: All right, whatever. I'll take the bait.

[00:07:13] [SPEAKER_01]: And what wish is that?

[00:07:16] [SPEAKER_01]: A smile that was both malevolent and caring crossed his face.

[00:07:24] [SPEAKER_01]: I just... I just wish I could see you one more.

[00:07:31] [SPEAKER_01]: The casual yet mildly perturbed demeanor I had been trying to uphold slipped.

[00:07:38] [SPEAKER_01]: What did you say? I asked in a more desperate tone than I would have liked.

[00:07:44] [SPEAKER_01]: I just wish I could see you one more time. That's it, isn't it? Your wish?

[00:07:51] [SPEAKER_01]: How did he hear me? Did he read my lips from outside? Was it just a lucky guess?

[00:07:59] [SPEAKER_01]: Anyone who knows me could guess my wish. But he repeated my exact wording, didn't he?

[00:08:05] [SPEAKER_01]: All right, forget appearances.

[00:08:10] [SPEAKER_01]: What's your problem? Why are you screwing with me?

[00:08:14] [SPEAKER_01]: I can assure you I'm not, as you say, screwing with you.

[00:08:19] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm here because I have a specific solution to your specific problem.

[00:08:25] [SPEAKER_01]: And what problem is that, exactly? I yelled.

[00:08:30] [SPEAKER_01]: His gaze fixed on my ring.

[00:08:33] [SPEAKER_01]: Well, the problem of your late husband.

[00:08:36] [SPEAKER_01]: I believe we're both aware that you won't be moving on from that hit-and-run for quite some time.

[00:08:43] [SPEAKER_01]: My blood went from hot to boiling.

[00:08:48] [SPEAKER_01]: He nodded towards my left hand.

[00:08:51] [SPEAKER_01]: When's the last time you took that band off?

[00:08:54] [SPEAKER_01]: Still beating yourself up over him having to push you out of the way?

[00:08:57] [SPEAKER_01]: Now, if you'd just be willing to.

[00:09:02] [SPEAKER_01]: I slammed the door in his face.

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_01]: I slammed it so hard I thought I might launch it through the frame.

[00:09:08] [SPEAKER_01]: I muttered something about the man that would horrify my parents.

[00:09:13] [SPEAKER_01]: There was something wrong with the salesman. Really wrong.

[00:09:16] [SPEAKER_01]: Even ignoring the fact that he knew my wish plus the exact wording I used,

[00:09:22] [SPEAKER_01]: it felt like he truly knew me.

[00:09:25] [SPEAKER_01]: I locked the door and looked out the window, praying he'd be gone.

[00:09:31] [SPEAKER_01]: He was.

[00:09:33] [SPEAKER_01]: That's the last of that, then.

[00:09:37] [SPEAKER_01]: I knew it wouldn't be dark for another two or three hours, but

[00:09:41] [SPEAKER_01]: thanks to the combination of my earlier tear-driven bout plus the whole salesman interaction,

[00:09:48] [SPEAKER_01]: I decided to call it a night.

[00:09:50] [SPEAKER_01]: After brushing my teeth, I headed to my room and closed the door.

[00:09:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Jeez, what a day, I said, heading over to my dresser to set out my clothes for tomorrow.

[00:10:04] [SPEAKER_01]: What a day indeed, a familiar voice echoed.

[00:10:10] [SPEAKER_01]: I spun around to face the intruder, the salesman.

[00:10:14] [SPEAKER_01]: How did he get in here? And why didn't I hear anything?

[00:10:19] [SPEAKER_01]: Sorry, miss, I took the liberty of letting myself in.

[00:10:24] [SPEAKER_01]: I glanced towards the bedroom door, still closed.

[00:10:29] [SPEAKER_01]: You could hear that creaky thing if it opened so much as an inch, so how?

[00:10:34] [SPEAKER_01]: It was like he spawned directly into my room.

[00:10:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Following my gaze, he said,

[00:10:41] [SPEAKER_01]: Please, don't waste your time trying to figure it out. It's not worth explaining.

[00:10:49] [SPEAKER_01]: He was right. This wasn't the time to worry about it.

[00:10:53] [SPEAKER_01]: Besides, I could give it some more thought after chasing him out of the house with a few broken ribs and a cracked skull.

[00:11:02] [SPEAKER_01]: He appeared unarmed, but I wouldn't let that hold me back from taking a good swing or two with the bat waiting at the foot of my bed.

[00:11:11] [SPEAKER_01]: It was standing against the leg on my side, so he couldn't see it from his position.

[00:11:17] [SPEAKER_01]: I had another one beside the front door. Not that it would do me much good here.

[00:11:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Plus, dual-wielding bats seemed scarily inefficient.

[00:11:27] [SPEAKER_01]: I would have preferred to call the police, but I didn't know if he had a gun or knife on him.

[00:11:34] [SPEAKER_01]: Charging him and landing a swing or two seemed like a safer option than reaching for my cell phone.

[00:11:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Plus, he was blocking the only exit, so there wasn't anywhere to run while I waited for the cops to show up.

[00:11:48] [SPEAKER_01]: Keep him talking and inch towards the bed. Act like I'm just sitting down. Then rush him.

[00:11:57] [SPEAKER_01]: Again, apologies for the intrusion.

[00:12:00] [SPEAKER_01]: I couldn't help but feel like our earlier conversation was cut short. You never did give me an answer on my offer.

[00:12:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, I'll humor him. Anything to keep him distracted.

[00:12:14] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah? Sorry about that. You kind of pissed me off, is all.

[00:12:20] [SPEAKER_01]: He shrugged.

[00:12:21] [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, I know your offer. So what do you want in return? My soul or something?

[00:12:27] [SPEAKER_01]: I said as I rolled my eyes and added a chuckle for effect.

[00:12:33] [SPEAKER_01]: He laughed.

[00:12:34] [SPEAKER_01]: Of course not. Don't be ridiculous. All I want is a keepsake.

[00:12:41] [SPEAKER_01]: Fair enough, I guess. What kind of keepsake? I asked while I meandered toward my bed.

[00:12:50] [SPEAKER_01]: It's nothing to worry about. I'm sure you won't protest.

[00:12:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Uh, that depends on the item, doesn't it? I might have a bit of a problem with your choice.

[00:13:02] [SPEAKER_01]: He nodded in agreement. I suppose so, though that's not what I meant.

[00:13:08] [SPEAKER_01]: What did you mean, then?

[00:13:11] [SPEAKER_01]: I closed my hand around the bat. I was sure the metal would feel great against his skull.

[00:13:19] [SPEAKER_01]: He sighed. He sounded disappointed, like a teacher finding out her favorite student plagiarized the final essay of the class.

[00:13:29] [SPEAKER_01]: Please don't.

[00:13:31] [SPEAKER_01]: Don't what?

[00:13:33] [SPEAKER_01]: I needed a moment or two of distraction. A weapon could still be lurking under his coat.

[00:13:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Granted, he probably would have pulled it out by now, but you never know.

[00:13:44] [SPEAKER_01]: The bat. The hand-me-down Easton one you used in Little League. That is what you're holding, isn't it?

[00:13:52] [SPEAKER_01]: My eyes widened.

[00:13:54] [SPEAKER_01]: How'd you know?

[00:13:56] [SPEAKER_01]: I could have feigned ignorance, but something told me it was more than a lucky guess.

[00:14:03] [SPEAKER_01]: That's irrelevant. All you need to know is that it's a waste of time. You won't attack me.

[00:14:12] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, sure thing, buddy.

[00:14:14] [SPEAKER_01]: My grip tightened around the bat, and I charged around the bedpost.

[00:14:19] [SPEAKER_01]: I aimed a swing at his side with as much force as I could muster.

[00:14:24] [SPEAKER_01]: There! A hit! The blow to his head came next.

[00:14:29] [SPEAKER_01]: At least, it should have. But it didn't.

[00:14:33] [SPEAKER_01]: I didn't take the first swing, and I didn't make it around the bedpost.

[00:14:39] [SPEAKER_01]: I didn't make it a single step.

[00:14:41] [SPEAKER_01]: He hadn't shot me. He hadn't done anything to me.

[00:14:48] [SPEAKER_01]: I just couldn't bring myself to attack.

[00:14:51] [SPEAKER_01]: I stared at my legs.

[00:14:53] [SPEAKER_01]: What's happening?

[00:14:54] [SPEAKER_01]: Move, I told. No, screamed at myself.

[00:14:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Nothing happened. Not so much as a twitch in the right direction.

[00:15:05] [SPEAKER_01]: Confused?

[00:15:06] [SPEAKER_01]: I locked eyes with him again. His glasses were gone.

[00:15:11] [SPEAKER_01]: His eyes. Something was wrong with them.

[00:15:15] [SPEAKER_01]: It took a bit to pinpoint, but I eventually realized they looked animalistic.

[00:15:22] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that was it. In the slots where his human eyes should be,

[00:15:28] [SPEAKER_01]: I gazed into the flame-orange eyes of an animal.

[00:15:32] [SPEAKER_01]: That was the best description I could come up with.

[00:15:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Wondering what the deal is?

[00:15:38] [SPEAKER_01]: I nodded.

[00:15:41] [SPEAKER_01]: Here's the deal, Helen.

[00:15:44] [SPEAKER_01]: What happened to that formality he seemed so intent on preserving?

[00:15:50] [SPEAKER_01]: I won't waste your time explaining the mechanics of the whole

[00:15:54] [SPEAKER_01]: being unable to move thing. Heck, I don't understand it myself yet.

[00:16:00] [SPEAKER_01]: All I know is that you can't attack me.

[00:16:03] [SPEAKER_01]: He was... right.

[00:16:06] [SPEAKER_01]: No matter how hard I tried, I physically could not make a move towards him.

[00:16:12] [SPEAKER_01]: Alright then, let's get on with it.

[00:16:15] [SPEAKER_01]: He began removing his glove, the one on his left hand this time.

[00:16:20] [SPEAKER_01]: There's someone else I'm hoping to meet tonight, so I need to get moving.

[00:16:24] [SPEAKER_01]: I doubt he'll be interested in opening his door after dark.

[00:16:29] [SPEAKER_01]: His glove was fully off now, so he reached his hand in my direction.

[00:16:35] [SPEAKER_01]: There was something off about it, though.

[00:16:37] [SPEAKER_01]: It was much more egregious than the problem with the eyes.

[00:16:42] [SPEAKER_01]: The hand looked like he had put it in a furnace, counted to thirty,

[00:16:47] [SPEAKER_01]: then put it back in and counted to fifty.

[00:16:50] [SPEAKER_01]: Patches of black hair were growing over it haphazardly,

[00:16:53] [SPEAKER_01]: almost like he had started surgically attaching it,

[00:16:57] [SPEAKER_01]: only to stop halfway through the process.

[00:17:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Despite the burns, the skin was not only present, but thick and paw-like.

[00:17:08] [SPEAKER_01]: So, your wish. You wanted to see your husband again, didn't you?

[00:17:14] [SPEAKER_01]: Have a chance to apologize? Make things right?

[00:17:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Personally, I think it's a pretty laughable thing to blame yourself for, but whatever.

[00:17:22] [SPEAKER_01]: Let's get on with it.

[00:17:25] [SPEAKER_01]: I shuffled towards him with a will that wasn't my own,

[00:17:28] [SPEAKER_01]: leaving the bat behind.

[00:17:31] [SPEAKER_01]: The hand was all my body seemed to care about.

[00:17:35] [SPEAKER_01]: Shake his hand.

[00:17:37] [SPEAKER_01]: The single command is what my body followed.

[00:17:41] [SPEAKER_01]: My mind was free to run wild, though.

[00:17:44] [SPEAKER_01]: What are you doing? Stop! Get a grip, will you?!

[00:17:47] [SPEAKER_01]: It was pointless.

[00:17:49] [SPEAKER_01]: No matter what I shouted, I could not prevent myself from advancing.

[00:17:55] [SPEAKER_01]: After what felt like more than an eternity, but less than a nanosecond,

[00:18:01] [SPEAKER_01]: I reached handshaking distance.

[00:18:03] [SPEAKER_01]: I looked, or rather my body forced me to look up at him.

[00:18:08] [SPEAKER_01]: That sinister smile from earlier is back,

[00:18:11] [SPEAKER_01]: but there wasn't even a semblance of kindness in it this time.

[00:18:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Your wish in exchange for a keepsake. Consider it a deal.

[00:18:23] [SPEAKER_01]: He grabbed my hand and gave it a firm shake.

[00:18:27] [SPEAKER_01]: I started to lose consciousness.

[00:18:29] [SPEAKER_01]: The last thing I thought before I blacked out was that I never should have opened that door.

[00:18:39] [SPEAKER_01]: My eyes shot open and my body rocketed into a sitting position,

[00:18:43] [SPEAKER_01]: sweat pouring down my head and falling onto my bed.

[00:18:48] [SPEAKER_01]: What I thought of last night, I thought of the salesman.

[00:18:51] [SPEAKER_01]: A dream? I considered it.

[00:18:55] [SPEAKER_01]: No, there's no way. That was way too real.

[00:19:00] [SPEAKER_01]: I've had chronic nightmares for years,

[00:19:03] [SPEAKER_01]: and they are always wild and scary adventures with little to no basis in reality.

[00:19:10] [SPEAKER_01]: This was different, not a dream.

[00:19:14] [SPEAKER_01]: Still, a flicker of doubt remained.

[00:19:18] [SPEAKER_01]: A doubt that was eradicated a moment later.

[00:19:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Something feels wrong, I realized.

[00:19:28] [SPEAKER_01]: I looked down at the source of my confusion.

[00:19:32] [SPEAKER_01]: My left hand, my ring was gone.

[00:19:36] [SPEAKER_01]: But before I could reflect on that, someone rang the doorbell.

[00:19:41] [SPEAKER_01]: Your wish in exchange for a keepsake.

[00:19:45] [SPEAKER_01]: Wasn't that what the salesman had said?

[00:19:49] [SPEAKER_01]: Despite my internal protests,

[00:19:52] [SPEAKER_01]: my mind and body filled with hope,

[00:19:55] [SPEAKER_01]: hope that sidestepped the walking red flag known as the salesman.

[00:20:01] [SPEAKER_01]: I sprang from my bed and rushed to the door.

[00:20:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Let it be him, please, let it be him, I pleaded.

[00:20:08] [SPEAKER_01]: I bolted down the hallway and reached the door quicker than any Olympic runner ever could.

[00:20:13] [SPEAKER_01]: I opened it, I threw it open.

[00:20:15] [SPEAKER_01]: I was standing face to face with my husband.

[00:20:21] [SPEAKER_01]: Hi, Ellen.

[00:20:23] [SPEAKER_01]: The previous day's crying bouts couldn't even compare to this one.

[00:20:29] [SPEAKER_01]: He tried to say something else, but I threw my arms around him before the words could leave his mouth.

[00:20:36] [SPEAKER_01]: It's you, it's really you, Andy!

[00:20:38] [SPEAKER_01]: I bawled. I hugged him tighter and said the words I needed him to hear.

[00:20:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you, thank you for saving me.

[00:20:48] [SPEAKER_01]: Um, okay?

[00:20:50] [SPEAKER_01]: He laughed while returning the embrace.

[00:20:54] [SPEAKER_01]: It wasn't a big deal, don't worry about it.

[00:20:57] [SPEAKER_01]: But if I'd just been paying more attention...

[00:21:01] [SPEAKER_01]: Hey, it's fine, I mean it.

[00:21:04] [SPEAKER_01]: No, if I'd just...

[00:21:08] [SPEAKER_01]: He shut me up with a kiss.

[00:21:10] [SPEAKER_01]: I didn't truly realize how much I missed moments like that until now.

[00:21:17] [SPEAKER_01]: It felt natural, it felt wonderful, it felt...

[00:21:22] [SPEAKER_01]: Wrong.

[00:21:24] [SPEAKER_01]: Something was wrong.

[00:21:27] [SPEAKER_01]: His lips, they tasted like... death.

[00:21:31] [SPEAKER_01]: I pulled back from him, breaking his hold around me.

[00:21:35] [SPEAKER_01]: I say, wait.

[00:21:38] [SPEAKER_01]: Helen, what's wrong?

[00:21:42] [SPEAKER_01]: Considered brushing the whole thing off and making up an excuse for it.

[00:21:47] [SPEAKER_01]: That was when I noticed his face.

[00:21:51] [SPEAKER_01]: It was different from when I opened the door.

[00:21:55] [SPEAKER_01]: His right eye had clouded over, and a dark mark of decay had taken over his left cheek.

[00:22:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Andy? I say, my voice beginning to tremble.

[00:22:10] [SPEAKER_01]: It's my breath, isn't it? I knew I should have checked it before knocking.

[00:22:16] [SPEAKER_01]: I barely registered his comment.

[00:22:20] [SPEAKER_01]: Andy, what's happening? What's happening?

[00:22:24] [SPEAKER_01]: The mark on his cheek was spreading.

[00:22:27] [SPEAKER_01]: It had taken over the left side of his face and was encroaching on the right.

[00:22:33] [SPEAKER_01]: And his hair, it had gone from dark brown to light gray.

[00:22:38] [SPEAKER_01]: What do you mean?

[00:22:40] [SPEAKER_01]: Helen, are you feeling okay?

[00:22:45] [SPEAKER_01]: This can't be happening.

[00:22:48] [SPEAKER_01]: Stop. Stop it. Stop it!

[00:22:51] [SPEAKER_01]: I screamed as I pulled him back into me.

[00:22:54] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know who I was begging.

[00:22:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe it was God. Maybe it was the salesman.

[00:23:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe it was no one.

[00:23:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Honey, you're scaring me.

[00:23:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Now his voice had started decaying too.

[00:23:11] [SPEAKER_01]: It was getting more hoarse by the second.

[00:23:15] [SPEAKER_01]: What's wrong?

[00:23:17] [SPEAKER_01]: I felt the cold touch of his bony fingers on my cheek.

[00:23:23] [SPEAKER_01]: You can tell me.

[00:23:25] [SPEAKER_01]: You know I'm always here for you.

[00:23:28] [SPEAKER_01]: We promised to do that for each other, right?

[00:23:34] [SPEAKER_01]: He pushed me away from him with enough force to send me stumbling backward.

[00:23:41] [SPEAKER_00]: You do remember that promise, don't you, Helen?

[00:23:47] [SPEAKER_01]: His voice was a forceful whisper at best.

[00:23:52] [SPEAKER_01]: His hair had mostly fallen out, and his clothes were sagging,

[00:23:56] [SPEAKER_01]: the body beneath them withering away faster and faster.

[00:24:02] [SPEAKER_01]: He took a step backward, then another, and then another.

[00:24:08] [SPEAKER_01]: Why did he push me away?

[00:24:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Why wouldn't he hold on to me?

[00:24:15] [SPEAKER_01]: I rushed to him and held him in my arms, ignoring his appearance and his attempts to pull away from me.

[00:24:24] [SPEAKER_01]: This was still my husband, after all, wasn't it?

[00:24:30] [SPEAKER_01]: Please don't go.

[00:24:33] [SPEAKER_01]: This time I was begging Andy himself.

[00:24:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, as if this man who is nothing but decaying skin and bones had any more control over the situation than I did.

[00:24:47] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm here, Andy. It's okay. I'm here.

[00:24:53] [SPEAKER_01]: My tears soaked the back of his shirt.

[00:24:57] [SPEAKER_01]: Helen, he croaked.

[00:24:59] [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, I questioned while doing my best to avoid a complete breakdown for his sake.

[00:25:08] [SPEAKER_01]: This.

[00:25:09] [SPEAKER_01]: I had to bring my ear to his mouth to hear him at all.

[00:25:14] [SPEAKER_01]: This is all your fault.

[00:25:19] [SPEAKER_00]: What?

[00:25:21] [SPEAKER_00]: I said it's your fault.

[00:25:24] [SPEAKER_00]: What?

[00:25:27] [SPEAKER_01]: I pulled my head away and locked eyes with him.

[00:25:31] [SPEAKER_01]: No, don't say that. Please, please, don't say that.

[00:25:38] [SPEAKER_01]: It's true.

[00:25:40] [SPEAKER_01]: He puts more effort into his failing vocal cords to ensure I can still hear him.

[00:25:47] [SPEAKER_00]: I didn't freeze up. You did.

[00:25:52] [SPEAKER_00]: You're the reason I'm dead.

[00:25:57] [SPEAKER_00]: I didn't know what to say. What could I say?

[00:26:03] [SPEAKER_01]: His breath whistled out of his shrinking lungs. He was struggling to breathe.

[00:26:11] [SPEAKER_01]: No, that wasn't it.

[00:26:15] [SPEAKER_00]: You never should have opened that door.

[00:26:20] [SPEAKER_01]: He laughed. His laugh got louder and louder, even after his body shouldn't have been able to produce any noise at all.

[00:26:33] [SPEAKER_01]: And maybe I was hearing things.

[00:26:37] [SPEAKER_01]: But at that moment, his laugh sounded just like the salesman's.