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Thursday - September 16

Staring at Claire, Aunt Ruth realizes that the strain of the world's demise and the reunion with her parents is obviously more than she can handle.

"Dear," says Aunt Ruth, as she bends down to take Claire's hand, "you cannot let this upset you. I know this has been a complex upheaval of madness for you, but dear, this has to be. Our world is... our world's literally dying in front of us. It has been for the last fifty years. Raymond's discovery was meant... but instead, was used as...." Aunt Ruth releases Claire's hand, and walks over to the bay window.

Claire sits up, and wipes her sleeve across her eyes to absorb her tears. When she finishes, she looks at Aunt Ruth staring outside, looking at nothing. Claire gets up and stands alongside her. Both women continue to stare into nothingness, when their silence is disrupted by Aunt Ruth's cell ringing. Aunt Ruth lets out a sigh and reaches into her pants pocket. She looks at who the caller is, and then turns to Claire, saying, "I have to take this alone. You understand, don't you?"

Looking at Aunt Ruth in disgust, Claire says, "Whatever," Claire goes to the kitchen to leave Aunt Ruth to her solitude.

Aunt Ruth watches Claire as she exits the living room and heads down the hallway to the kitchen. When the coast is clear, she answers her phone.

"Hello," says Ruth.

There was a moment of silence, then Ruth hears a voice asking, "Is she okay?"

Ruth turns her head around to make sure Claire isn't in hearing distance. She puts her hand over her mouth, replying, "She watched the Morning News and saw the death of Leslie Gatewood. She is... upset."

The caller remains silent, and then says, "Make sure she's at the conference. There can be no mistakes. Is that clear, Ruth?"

Ruth takes a small gulp and complies with a "yes."

"Don't screw up, Ruth. You know the consequences," the caller reminds her.

"I know. She is..." Ruth stops speaking when the caller disconnects.

Aunt Ruth returns her phone to her pocket, and walks back to the window to look at the scenery which consists of no humans. Atlanta's white blanket of snow virtually has no footprints embedded upon it. She takes a deep sigh, turns her head to see if Claire is around, and decides that she must make an important decision. She clears her throat, and then calls Claire.

Claire sits at the kitchen table looking over the brochure of the day's event for the Population Control Administration Conference. As she reads the names of the speakers, she notices the name of a person that she just recently met. Claire gets up from her chair with the brochure, walks down the hallway to the living room as she hears Aunt Ruth call her name once more.

"Yes, Aunt Ruth. You called?" answers Claire, still deeply engrossed in reading the brochure.

Aunt Ruth turns around, and says, "Dear, please, take a seat. I need to tell you about something. Something... please, Claire, sit."

Claire looks at Aunt Ruth and can tell by her tone, along with the bizarre look on her face, that she's going to either be truthful with Claire, or say something that Claire won't understand about the events occurring in her life. Aunt Ruth points to the couch to sit. Claire obediently complies.

Aunt Ruth nervously rubs her hands together, looks out the window, and then looks at Claire displaying a dainty smile. Not exactly sure how she should begin, Aunt Ruth turns to Claire, and while looking directly into her eyes, softly says, "Claire, something important will be happening to you today. But you mustn't worry. No harm will be done to you, or to the baby. But," she pauses, "but Claire, you must trust me. You must! If you do not, then you might die today, and the baby will, too."