Windkill

“Where did that come from?” Melissa’s voice rising. Mark swiveled his chair and looked at the screen Melissa was using to guide Bob.

As her team hurried to keep track of all the contestants, Mark stared at the screen in amazement. Mark could not set his stunned incredulity aside; he was a few steps ahead of the technicians.

A few years ago, when they were plotting the creation of the show, Mark had used a simple idea to entice the network people, yet in the intervening years the idea had never borne fruit.

“We have to tell him to get off that train,” one technician said to Melissa with a shaking voice and wide eyes as he pointed at the screen.

“No,” Mark spoke sharply. This was a gold mine, a vast cathedral of discovery found in a barren valley. It was the idea come to life in splendid glory, just as he had pitched to the networks. Eventually they would come up with proof of the afterlife and on that day they would all be rich. As Mark watched a man walk on a train that was not there, he knew the day had come when the supernatural would step forward to be seen and heard.

“Get Brock in here fast,” he ordered the nearest body. “Melissa, have the techs manage the family for now. We have to rewrite the beginning of the show. None of you tell the family what they see is wrong. If you do, you’re fired.”

Turning back to his console, Mark reached for his cell phone and hit the speed dial. The call was answered immediately by the producer. “We got a hot one. The victims are walking in places that exist no more.”

Melissa watched her boss as he spoke rapidly into his phone, describing what he saw happening on the monitor as he flipped through dozens of camera views. With a brush of her hand, she motioned one of the crew to get Brock, then watched Mark.

“I’m rewriting the intro to set this off right away.” Mark could hardly contain his excitement. “We’ll come in to the show with a split screen and Brock showing the view we recorded today compared to what the victims are seeing right now.”

Looking at the screen, Melissa saw the ruined bridge she had teased Brock about only a few hours ago. The breath caught in her throat, her hand rising to her mouth without volition.

The tech opened the trailer door and looked at Mark with raised eyebrows. “Brocks gone. He went in to the valley.”