The pencil breaks in Glim-Glim's tentacle with a SNAP. As the tentacle coils and uncoils in frustration, the ANGLE WIDENS. Recording cube in tentacle, Glim-Glim moves away from the desk (SHUFFLING sound) toward the library's front window where he stops and looks out. Over his WARBLE we hear:
GLIM-GLIM (v.o. with echo) Personal note: The local moon is rising and snow is falling again. Reminds me of home. Long to be back with my younglings, but fear I shall never see them again. Am trying to learn to duplicate their markings but with little success. Must search for another way – try to find a symbol that will show them I mean them no harm. I must! How will I bear the guilt of causing the death of an entire species? Would have to destroy myself!
DISSOLVE TO:
INT: THE BASEMENT – NIGHT
All is quiet. Amy is asleep in her cot. When we hear a faint WARBLE from upstairs, her eyes snap open. We follow her as she gets up and slips into the duct.
CUT TO:
INT: MAIN FLOOR OF THE LIBRARY – THE GRATE – NIGHT
We see Amy's face appear behind the grate. She looks up.
AMY: Hi!
REVERSE ANGLE – AMY'S P.O.V.
Glim-Glim shuffles forward and holds piece of paper toward the grate with one tentacle, and the penmanship book in another. The paper is full of indecipherable scrawls.
REVERSE ANGLE – GLIM-GLIM'S P.O.V.
Amy looks at the paper, then up at him through the grate.
AMY: You call that writing?
GLIM-GLIM'S TENTACLE unlatches the grate and it swings open on its hinge. She begins to crawl out.
AMY: Here. I'll show you. I always got A's in penmanship.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT: MAIN FLOOR OF THE LIBRARY – FRONT SECTION – NIGHT
Amy and Glim-Glim stand together at the charge desk.
AMY: Hey, this is working great! You keep pointing and I'll keep writing.
C.U .OF AMY
AMY: So far we've got that the you're from somewhere in Orion, the sickness was an accident, and you need our help to make a medicine to save everybody else. Okay. What can we do?
CUT TO:
INT: THE DESKTOP
Glim-Glim's tentacle points to letters in the penmanship book.
AMY: (v.o.) B...L...O...O...
She stops speaking when the tentacle rests on "D".
C.U. OF AMY
AMY: You need blood? How much? (looks down at table) L...I...T...T...L... (looks up again) A little. Okay. I... I guess I could help some, but it'll take an awful lot of convincing to get Carl and my Dad to come around. (looks down at table again) Tell... them... friend. (looks up again) No. They'll never believe. You'll have to show them! But how?
ON GLIM-GLIM
GLIM-GLIM: (warbles)
ON AMY
AMY: (excitedly) Hey! I know! I know! How could I forget! Wait here and I'll get a picture to show you!
As Amy rushes off, the CAMERA LINGERS on the silent Glim-Glim.
FADE OUT
ACT III
FADE IN:
INT: THE BASEMENT – DAY
Carl has been cleaning a pistol and Elliot has been tinkering with a short wave radio. Both look up at the ceiling, listening to Glim-Glim's SHUFFLE.
CARL: What d'you suppose he's been up to all day?
ELLIOT: (shrugging) I don't know, but he's certainly been busy.
CARL: Yeah. Must've gone in and out a dozen times already. Almost sounds like he's building something.
ELLIOT: (shuddering) I'm not going up to look, that's for sure!
Carl laughs.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT: THEBASEMENT – NIGHT
A quick pan of the basement shows Carl and Elliot sleeping, but Amy's cot is empty.
CUT TO:
INT: THE LIBRARY – FRONT SECTION – NIGHT
The camera is in the rear section, looking out through the open doors at the front section. Amy and Glim-Glim are framed in the doorway, looking toward the camera.
AMY: Awesome! They gotta know you're a friend when they see that!
(we don't see what she's looking at)
CUT TO:
ANOTHER ANGLE
As Amy shuts the doors, Glim-Glim proffers a sheet of paper. Amy takes it and looks at it.
AMY: Hey, your writing's getting better but... (her voice trails off)
CUT TO:
INT: ANGLED SHOT OVER AMY'S SHOULDER
We see the note. Large crude letters form the words: "YOU PLEASE GIVE ME BLOOD NOW?"
Amy's smile falters as she looks up at Glim-Glim.
AMY: Yeah, well, I did promise, didn't I?
GLIM-GLIM (warbles)
AMY: And it'll save the whole world, huh?
INT: GLIM-GLIM – AMY'S P.O.V.
GLIM-GLIM (another warble)
AMY: (jittery, with a pained expression) Ooooh...okay. But don't hurt me!
A tentacle gently caresses her cheek.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT: THE BASEMENT – ELLIOT'S COT – NIGHT
As we hear a faint WARBLE from Glim-Glim, Elliot stirs in his sleep.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT: THE LIBRARY – C.U. OF AMY'S ARM – NIGHT
Glim-Glim's tentacle places a clear, hollow 2-inch diameter globe over AMY'S ARM, inside the elbow.
AMY: Ouch!
QUICK CUT TO:
INT: THE BASEMENT – ELLIOT ON HIS COT – NIGHT
AMY: (v.o. – far away) Ouch!
Elliot's eyes snap open. He sits up and looks around in the dark.
ELLIOT: Amy?
He gets up and stumbles to Amy's cot. When he finds it empty, he becomes worried.
ELLIOT: Amy?
Suddenly he faintly hears GLIM-GLIM'S WARBLE and whirls toward the duct.
ELLIOT: (louder now) Oh, God! Amy!
He rips the duct away from the wall and leaps to the exposed grate.
CUT TO:
INT: ELLIOT AT THE GRATE – SIDE VIEW
Elliot stretches his neck to see through the grate. Light from the library shines on his eyes.
CUT TO:
INT: FRONT LIBRARY – THRU THE GRATE – ELLIOT'S P.O.V. – NIGHT
We see Glim-Glim looming over Amy who's back is to us. The globe is attached to her arm. The globe is red now.
CUT TO:
INT: AMY'S ARM – E.C.U.
We see the globe half-filled with blood.
CUT TO:
INT: ELLIOT – THRU THE GRATE – C.U.
Elliot reacts with mute horror.
CUT TO:
INT: GLIM-GLIM'S P.O.V.
Elliot's horrified face is visible through the grate.
CUT TO:
INT: FRONT LIBRARY – TWO-SHOT
WARBLING as he moves, Glim-Glim glides past Amy toward the grate. As he lifts a piece of paper from the charge desk, the blood-filled globe pops off her arm and smashes on the floor.
CUT TO:
INT: FRONT LIBRARY – THRU THE GRATE – ELLIOT'S P.O.V.
Glim-Glim is approaching the grate, WARBLING and waving a piece of paper, filling the frame.
CUT TO:
INT: THE BASEMENT – NIGHT
Panicked now, Elliot turns and races across the basement toward the window.
ELLIOT: (near hysteria) It's got her! Good Lord, it's got her!
Carl awakens and stumbles from his cot.
CARL: Wha? Who's got–?
ELLIOT: (fumbling with the window catch) That Thing! That monster! It's got Amy!
Carl pulls Elliot away from the window and grabs him by the shoulders.
CARL: Only one thing to do! Blow the ugly bastard away! You still think this was all an accident?
ELLIOT: (still frantic) No! Give me a gun! I've got to go after her!
Carl picks up an automatic and gives it to Elliot.
CARL: Here. Now help me move those crates and we'll –
ELLIOT: No! There's no time! It's doing something to her now! Oh, God! (turning) Come on!
He starts to cl
imb through the basement window.
CUT TO:
INT: THE LIBRARY FRONT DOORS – NIGHT
The doors SLAM open as Carl and Elliot rush in. They skid to a halt.
CUT TO:
REVERSE ANGLE – GLIM-GLIM
Glim-Glim stands before the charge desk, WARBLING, his tentacles writhing. A piece of PAPER is clutched in one tentacle. Behind him, the doors to the rear section of the library are closed.
REVERSE ANGLE
Elliot and Carl raise their pistols.
ELLIOT: (teary and raging) Where's Amy? What have you done with her?
REVERSE ANGLE
Glim-Glim's tentacles wave about frantically in a pathetic attempt to invite them toward the rear of the library.
REVERSE ANGLE
In a rage, Elliot points his pistol into the camera.
ELLIOT: Give her back!
He fires once.
REVERSE ANGLE
Glim-Glim's body jolts with the impact of the bullet.
REVERSE ANGLE
Elliot fires twice more.
REVERSE ANGLE
Glim-Glim jolts and totters back against the charge desk. He sags and his tentacles go limp as green fluid spurts from three holes. Finally he collapses.
INT: THE LIBRARY – FRONT SECTION – NIGHT
A WIDE ANGLE. Elliot is horrified. He drops the gun and looks toward the rear of the library.
ELLIOT: Amy!
He runs past the charge desk. With a last look at the dead alien, Carl follows.
CUT TO:
INT: THE LIBRARY MAIN FLOOR – REAR SECTION – NIGHT
The lighting is subdued, with faint reds and greens reflecting off the polished surfaces of the closed doors. Elliot and Carl rush in and stop dead in their tracks as the soft red and green lights flash on their faces. They react with silent, open-mouthed awe.
ELLIOT: (hoarsely) Amy!
ELLIOT'S P.O.V.: A brightly lit Christmas tree, strung with garland and blinking lights, stands between two of the stacks. Amy is before it, her face concerned.
AMY: Daddy, were those shots?
REVERSE ANGLE:
ELLIOT: (shocked, stammering) Amy! You're all right? What–?
REVERSE ANGLE: Amy grins as she stands before the tree.
AMY: I just plugged it in. Glim-Glim made it to show us he's our friend.
REVERSE ANGLE:
Elliot swallows convulsively and looks at his watch, then back at the tree.
ELLIOT: It's the 24th! Christmas Eve! With all that's happened, I...we...forgot!
REVERSE ANGLE
AMY: (craning her neck as if to look around them) Where is he, Daddy? Where's my friend, Glim-Glim?
INT: ELLIOT & CARL – MED. TWO-SHOT – NIGHT
Elliot buries his face in his hands. Carl's mouth works but he is still too stunned to speak.
AMY: (v.o.) Daddy? You didn't hurt him, did you?
SLOW DISSOLVE TO:
INT: THE LIBRARY – FRONT SECTION – NIGHT
The camera MOVES IN slowly on Glim-Glim's still form lying in a pool of dark green liquid at the base of the charge desk. His green has faded. His tentacle has uncurled from the piece of PAPER which now lays open on the ground.
AMY: (v.o. – teary) Please tell me you didn't hurt Glim-Glim!
We linger a moment on the dead alien, then CLOSE IN on the PAPER, a sheet of child's writing tablet, and the crude letters spelling: "MERRY CHRISTMAS"… then we...
FADE OUT.
COPYRIGHTS
"Feelings" © 1988 by F. Paul Wilson. First published in NIGHT VISIONS 6 (Dark Harvest, 1988).
"Tenants" © 1988 by F. Paul Wilson. First published in NIGHT VISIONS 6 (Dark Harvest, 1988).
"Faces" © 1988 by F. Paul Wilson. First published in NIGHT VISIONS 6 (Dark Harvest, 1988).
"A Day in the Life" © 1989 by F. Paul Wilson. First published in STALKERS, edited by Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg (Dark Harvest, 1989).
"The Tenth Toe" © 1989 by F. Paul Wilson. First published in RAZORED SADDLES, edited by Joe R. Lansdale and Pat LoBrutto (Dark Harvest, 1989).
"Slasher" © 1993 by F. Paul Wilson. First published in PREDATORS, edited by Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg (ROC, 1993).
"The Barrens" © 1990 by F. Paul Wilson. First published in LOVECRAFT'S LEGACY edited by Robert Weinberg and Martin H. Greenberg (Tor, 1990).
"Definitive Therapy" © 1990 by D.C Comics. First published in THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE JOKER, edited by Martin H. Greenberg (Bantam, 1990). Reprinted by permission.
"Topsy" © 1991 by F. Paul Wilson. First published in OBSESSIONS, edited by Gary Raisor (Dark Harvest, 1991).
"Rockabilly" © 1990 by Tribune Media Services, Inc. First published in DICK TRACY: THE SECRET FILES, edited by Max Allan Collins and Martin H. Greenberg (Tor, 1990). Reprinted by permission.
"Bob Dylan, Troy Jonson, and the Speed Queen" © 1992 by F. Paul Wilson. First published in SHOCK ROCK, edited by Jeff Gelb (Pocket Books, 1992).
"Pelts" © 1990 by F. Paul Wilson. First published in a Footsteps Press chapbook, 1990.
"Pelts" (stage adaptation) © 1998 by F. Paul Wilson. Published here for the first time.
"Glim Glim" © 1998 by F. Paul Wilson. Published here for the first time.
The Secret History of the World
The preponderance of my work deals with a history of the world that remains undiscovered, unexplored, and unknown to most of humanity. Some of this secret history has been revealed in the Adversary Cycle, some in the Repairman Jack novels, and bits and pieces in other, seemingly unconnected works. Taken together, even these millions of words barely scratch the surface of what has been going on behind the scenes, hidden from the workaday world. I've listed them below in chronological order. (NB: "Year Zero" is the end of civilization as we know it; "Year Zero Minus One" is the year preceding it, etc.)
The Past
"Demonsong" (prehistory)
"Aryans and Absinthe" (1923-1924)**
Black Wind (1926-1945)
The Keep (1941)
Reborn (February-March 1968)
"Dat Tay Vao" (March 1968)***
Jack: Secret Histories (1983)
Jack: Secret Circles (1983)
Jack: Secret Vengeance (1983)
"Faces" (1988)*
Year Zero Minus Three
Sibs (February)
The Tomb (summer)
"The Barrens" (ends in September)*
"A Day in the Life" (October)*
"The Long Way Home"****
Legacies (December)
Year Zero Minus Two
"Interlude at Duane's" (April)**
Conspiracies (April) (includes "Home Repairs")
All the Rage (May) (includes "The Last Rakosh")
Hosts (June)
The Haunted Air (August)
Gateways (September)
Crisscross (November)
Infernal (December)
Year Zero Minus One
Harbingers (January)
Bloodline (April)
By the Sword (May)
Ground Zero (July)
The Touch (ends in August)
The Peabody-Ozymandias Traveling Circus & Oddity Emporium (ends in
September)
"Tenants"*
Year Zero
"Pelts"*
Reprisal (ends in February)
Fatal Error (February) (includes "The Wringer")
The Dark at the End (March)
* available in The Barrens and Others
** available in Aftershock and Others
*** available in the 2009 reissue of The Touch
****available in Quick Fixes – Tales of Repairman Jack
also by F. Paul Wilson
Repairman Jack
The Tomb
Legacies
Conspiracies
All the Rage
Hosts
The Haunted Air
Gateways
Crisscros
s
Infernal
Harbingers
Bloodline
By the Sword
Ground Zero
Fatal Error
The Dark at the End
Teen Jack
Jack: Secret Histories
Jack: Secret Circles
Jack: Secret Vengeance
The Adversary Cycle
The Keep
The Tomb
The Touch
Reborn
Reprisal
Nightworld
The LaNague Federation Series
Healer
Wheels Within Wheels
An Enemy of the State
Dydeetown World
The Tery
Other Novels
Black Wind
Sibs
The Select
Virgin
Implant
Deep As the Marrow
Mirage (with Matthew J. Costello)
Nightkill (with Steven Spruill)
Masque (with Matthew J. Costello)
The Christmas Thingy
Sims
The Fifth Harmonic
Midnight Mass
Short Fiction
Soft & Others
The Barrens & Others
Aftershocks & Others
The Peabody-Ozymandias Traveling Circus & Oddity Emproium
Quick Fixes – Tales of Repairman Jack
Editor
Freak Show
Diagnosis:Terminal
Table of Contents
Title Page
Introduction: The Oldest Profession
1987
Feelings
Tenants
Faces
1988
A Day in the Life
1989
The Tenth Toe