 Tired of the everyday grind? Have a dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all? We offer you escape. Escape, designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure. You are trapped in a snowbound cabin in northern Canada. The temperature is slowly dropping while across the table from you, his eyes staring at you, is your only companion, a madman, waiting for his chance to kill you. Listen now, as escape brings you Anthony Ellis' terrifying story, a study in wax. It was late October when the radio shack burned down. We never did decide whose fault it was. Maybe Cabell with his cigarettes or maybe me. Anyway, I guess the whole thing began when we lost the phone transmitter and receiver. Cabell and I had been sent up to the Northwest Territory by the Canadian Geodetic Survey people. It was a long job and the biggest part of it was the loneliness. I remember what Cabell said as we watched the government supply boat steaming off. It's gonna be a long winter. Yeah, hope they don't run into any trouble on the way back, that ice is closing in fast. Yeah, so long for us. See you next spring. It's getting cold. Yeah, it feels like snow, probably get something. Yeah. Well, we might as well get the rest of the stuff unpacked, huh? All right. It's kind of lonely with them gone, you know? Yeah. You better get used to it. Oh, I will. It's funny that after spending most of your life in cities, I suppose you feel this kind of thing more. There's an awful lot of nothing out there. You need a drink, come on. It wasn't that Cabell was moody or anything like that. I think he wasn't used to being out of touch with people and things he was accustomed to in the cities. I was the opposite. I kind of liked the loneliness. As a matter of fact, now that I think about it, we were a pretty strange couple to hit it off the way we did. And when you got seven months to spend alone with another man, you got to be sure of each other. Now, we thought we were until after the radio was gone. That day it burned, we stood in the snow watching the embers glowing and the wisps of smoke rising into the cold sky. Well, it's gone. We still got the code sender just in case. No, but I'm going to miss the programs and the music. I tell you, we could send a message to the bass if you like, ask him to fly out another receiver. Oh, no, no, no. You know old McLeod. He'd boil. Waste of money, probably take it out of our pay. No, we'll do without it. That's all right with me. You're a hearty soul. I don't think you'd mind if you had to stay here alone for seven months, you know? Be dull. I wouldn't have anybody to beat a chess. Well, I think we'd better use the theodolites tomorrow, get to work on that western section over the range triangulation. Oh, Jack. Yeah, what? If it was my cigarette that burned down the shack, I'm sorry. Forget it. I may have done it myself. Forget it. By the end of November, we'd done pretty well as far as work was concerned, but Cabell was getting jittery. We had a weak stretch where we couldn't move out of the camp. It was around 30 below outside and blowing 60 miles an hour. Cabell had read most of the things we'd brought along and was sitting at the table trying to beat a solitaire game. I was oiling my gun. Odds are against you every time. Oh, I know it. Oh, I wish this weather would ease off. It will. Hey, I got an idea. What? What do you say we open our Christmas presents tonight? Our Christmas? Yeah. It's November. I know. I know, but I'll bet there'll be some books. I told my folks to pack some books. Well, what'll you do when you're finished? I don't know, but I've got to do something. I just wish we had the radio. Look, we can send a message. If McLeod wants to cut our heads off for burning up his property, he'll have to come here to do it. If not, maybe he'll be feeling good and send it to us. It's worth a try. Do you mind? It's not you, Jack. We talk and play chess, and it's swell, but I miss the outside. I feel like... I know. Give me a pencil. Sure, I'll get one. Yeah. Thanks. Now, how does this radio shack burn to ground? Can you send new receiver have only small set on fixed channel? Jack, couldn't you say emergency? No, that'll go over big with McLeod. We miss Canadian and US mystery shows, must continue to hear them in order to keep up our work. Uh-uh. Leave it as it is. Switch on the generator, will you? Sure. It's kind of stuffy in here, isn't it? I was thinking it was cool. Old woman. Well, here we go. McLeod's gonna love this. The reply from McLeod came back the following day. It was long involved and said what could have been said in one word. No. Our chief was a very careful man and believed in others following his example. Therefore, if our radio was gone, it was our fault, and the next time, we should be more careful. And that was that. The weather let up a bit, and we got some work done. It was still terribly cold, but it didn't bother us now that the wind was gone. I noticed that Cabell was much quieter after our request for the radio had been turned on. He began to get a feeling as though he blamed me for it. So, a week before Christmas, we just finished supper, and I said, Larry, about those Christmas presents. What about them? What do you say we open them, huh? Well, I thought you didn't want to until Christmas. Well, I changed my mind. It's a matter. You're trying to be nice to me. I can take this as well as you can. I don't need you feeling sorry for me. Oh, I'm not sorry. I don't give a good stink one way or the other. I'm just saying, if you want to open the packages now, it's all right with me. They're yours. It's not my business. Do what you want. Oh, wait a minute. Will you open yours? Sure. Okay. He got a hammer and started to pry open the case. Our families and friends had done their shopping in August, and we'd put their gifts together in the case. And at the sight of those colorful wrappings, Cabell began to smile. Oh, mother of mine. He was back in touch again. They were little things, but a label, a scratch of handwriting, the feel of something different was blotting out his loneliness. Hey, we did great. The great far coolness outside. Come on over. Come on. See what you got. Okay. It doesn't feel like books. They wouldn't back them like this, would they? They might. This is from my sister. You met a Jack Nancy, the one in Winnipeg. Oh, Nancy. Oh, yeah, sure. Hey, look! What? Look at that. Look what we got. It's a phonograph. A phonograph? Yeah, there must be some records in here. Jack, wind it up, will you? Oh, yeah. This is great. There's a big stack up here. There must be all the lousy, crummy luck. What's the matter? They're broken. Oh, that's a shame. All of them? Well, there's two of them. It's okay. Oh, that's good. Oh, that's great. Listen to this, will you? What? Bugle calls of His Majesty's army. What? I mean it. Look. It belonged to my father. I remember him playing it when I was a kid. Oh, what's the other one? Oh, it's the age ago of Shostakovich. It's one of my favorites. No, Benny Goodman or anything like that. No, that's right. I forgot you. You don't much like this long hair music, do you? Oh, not much. It's okay. Come on, let's take a listen to that bugle call thing. That ought to be something. Here, I think I got a one-lip enough. Well, I tell Nancy about that fancy packing job I heard. The following bugle sounds are the authorized calls to be used in His Majesty's service. The charge. The charge? This brings back memories. The alarm. You know we could have used this one when the shack burned down? The first call. And this one, everybody comes. And it's the next one. We got a lot of laughs out of that old record. Played it a couple of times and had a couple of drinks. And I tell you that phonograph, even with only two records, it made a lot of difference to us. The strain seemed to be gone. And then Cabell put on his Shostakovich and got lost in it. To me, it wasn't much. It was all cluttered up with a lot of noise that hurt your ears. He must have played it a half a dozen times while we unwrapped the rest of the things. There were a lot of books and magazines, and that was real good. I figured we could stretch him out for at least three months, which would take us into March. But by the next day, the weather turned bad. A blizzard came down. We stayed inside until the day after Christmas. And Cabell, he was like a kid. He smoked cigars, drank brandy, listened to his record and read. And in ten days, he'd read every single thing. And then he had nothing to do but listen to his record. Oh, you're not going to play it again. Sure do you mind? Well, I wouldn't mind not listening to it for a while. Why don't you try the bugle calls? They're quieter anyway. You'll learn to appreciate good music, Jack. You're missing something. Well, maybe I will. But not from that. It's beautiful. Well, not to me it isn't. Why don't you let it go for a while, huh? I feel that way about it. How about a game? No, not right now, thanks. I want to finish reading this article. What are you reading? Oh, yeah, I read that. That's not much. You know that guy never could write. Oh, I think it's pretty good. It depends on what you're used to reading, I guess. What kind of a crack is that? A thing. Nothing, it just depends on what you're used to reading, that's all. Does that make me a lowbrow? Oh, you said it, I didn't. You better check the oil outside. I did it yesterday, it's your turn. Uh-uh, I did it this morning and this weather we do it twice a day. You remember? Oh, yes, sir. You trying to be funny? No. No, I just didn't like the way you said it. We're both in charge here, you know, not you or me. Nobody gives orders here, we share the responsibility. Okay, okay, then do your share. All right, all right. I'm going out to check the oil and not because you say to do it, you know, but because I want to. Well, good for you. When I think of it now, we sounded like a couple of kids. And I can't even remember what it was that set us off. But I'll never forget what happened because of that day. You don't easily forget a thing like death. We will return to escape in just a moment, but first... Well, and I didn't talk to each other for the next few days. Not the way we used to, I mean, just conversation that was necessary to do our work. And that was it. He didn't play his record either. New Year's Eve Day, we got a couple of messages through and code from our families. I guess we both felt pretty bad. Cabell was trimming the oil stove when I decided to try and make things up. Uh, say Larry. Yeah? Look about that business the other night. I, uh, I'm sorry. That's my fault. Really, it's just kind of silly, you know? Yeah. You know, it's probably just as well that we had to bust up then. There's still three months to go before that ship comes by. Yeah, I know. And thanks for not playing that record. It's okay. I wish that we didn't stop. It gets on my nerves. You know something? I got something that's good for that. What? What do you got there? Something to toast the New Year. Champagne and two bottles. Oh, what an idea. Oh, Jack, this is wonderful. We'll stick them outside for a couple of minutes and cool them off. Here, let me have them. I'll do it. You want to know something? The best thing for you and me to do tonight is to get roaring, stinking drunk. Champagne with Brandy Chasen. All right. Happy New Year, Larry. Same to you, Jack. And we got drunk. We got red-eyed drunk. And we talked about women and ourselves and our dreams. And it was sloppy and it was great. The kind of a haze you get when it doesn't matter and you're feeling good about everything. And it was fine until Cabell decided it was time to hear some music. I didn't mean to. Jack, I want you to really listen to this now. I mean, really listen. This Shostakovich, he makes them all look sick with this thing. No, I want you to really listen to this. But I don't like it, Larry. Well, now, listen. Don, Jack, I mean... Might never have had a drink, I was so sober. Cabell had reached up for one of the holsters that hung near the door. And he wobbled to his feet. And God held tightly in his hand. And there was blood running out of his mouth and down his chin. And I just stood there. And I put the record down on the turntable. You're gonna break it, won't you? I knew you were. I knew because it gives me pleasure to listen to it and you don't like that. Well, listen to it and you don't, so you get outside. Oh, Larry, you're crazy. It's 40 below out there. I'll freeze it. I don't do your real good. Jack, you get outside. All right, but let me get my things. No! Larry, listen to me. You're drunk. You don't know what you do. Open that door. Caught me open this way and I... It could happen. So I ran and I jumped. Anything to keep moving. And all the time I couldn't believe it was happening. I don't know how much time went by. Maybe it was a minute. Maybe it was ten. Florey's a potted snow blown off her roof. I saw Cabell standing in the doorway. And I saw the gun still in his hand hanging by his side. Come on in, Jack! And I forgot the cold. Jack! I only knew that Cabell had gone mad and he was gonna kill me. Somehow I had to get him away from the cabin, get him outside where I'd have a chance. I might be able to make a wide circle and double back to the cabin before he knew what was happening. But I couldn't see and I... coldness of snow any longer. He was still seeing me. He was close enough. Close enough to shoot. And I tried to run stumbling. Then it was easier when I was going downhill. But he was behind me. It wasn't ground anymore. Not snow. It was ice. I reached the shore and I was going out on the frozen sea. I began to imagine that I could feel the movement of the sea under me. It didn't matter anymore. It didn't care. I just wanted a light dark ribbon to put the ice through. A semi-circle of ice had cracked away. He wasn't worried. He hadn't wanted to kill me. He was in the blackness. I got back to the cabin and I remember getting the transmitter switched on. Sending the message through. Then I got a flashlight in my furs on. I don't know how long I was down there on the ice. Morning. Looking. But I knew he was gone. I never see him again. And in the grey morning the planes came. And for two days they searched until the weather forced him back. And that was all. They flew me back to the hospital. Maybe I'll lose my hands. Maybe not. Not sure yet. Well, it doesn't matter anyway.