The Midnight Sun (s03e10)

written-by: @rod-serling
directed-by: @anton-leader
tropes: #isolation #water #heat
broadcast: 1961-11-17

Stills

Quotes

Norma: We could live in that waterfall.

Transcript

You're traveling through another dimension.

A dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind, a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination.

Your next stop, the twilight zone.

Suzy!

Don't take the lady's water.

It's all right, mr. Schuster.

I've got plenty.

Nobody's got plenty.

Oh, Mr. Schuster, I thought I heard your voice.

For the last time, mrs. Bronson, we're leaving.

Did you, uh, did you get gas?

I got 12 gallons. I figure that ought to get us at least to Syracuse.

Where are you going?

We're trying to get to Toronto.

Mr. Schuster has a cousin there.

I'm not sure it's wise you're doing this.

The highways are packed bumper to bumper, the radio says.

And what with the gas shortage and everything...

I know that, but we've got to try anyway.

It's been nice living here.

You're good neighbors.

Let's go, honey.

Bye.

Good luck.

Safe trip.

And now we are two.

They were the last?

Building's empty now.

Except for you and me.

What happens now?

I don't know.

I heard on the radio that they're only going to turn the water on an hour a day from now on.

They said they'd announce what time.

Aren't you going to leave?

No.

No, I'm not going to leave.

You know, Mrs. Bronson, I keep getting this crazy thought.

This crazy thought that I'm going to wake up and none of this will have happened.

I'll wake up in a cool bed, it'll be night outside and there'll be a wind, branches rustling, shadows on the sidewalk, a moon.

Traffic noises.

Automobiles.

Garbage cans.

Milk bottles.

And voices.

There was a scientist on the radio this morning.

He said that it'll get a lot hotter, more each day, now that we're moving so close to the sun.

And that's why we're... that's why we're...

The word that Mrs. Bronson is unable to put into the hot, still, sodden air is "doomed" because the people you've just seen have been handed a death sentence.

One month ago, the earth suddenly changed its elliptical orbit, and began to follow a path which gradually, moment by moment, day by day, took it closer to the sun.

And all of man's little devices to stir up the air are now no longer luxuries.

They happen to be pitiful and panicky keys to survival.

The time is five minutes to 12, midnight.

There is no more darkness.

The place is new york city, and this is the eve of the end because even at midnight, it's high noon, the hottest day in history, and you're about to spend it in the twilight zone.

Norma, is that you, honey?

Yes, Mrs. Bronson.

The store was open.

Wide open.

Oh, I think that's the first time in my life I was ever sorry I was born a woman.

This is all I was strong enough to carry.

There weren't any clerks around.

Thank you.

Just a handful of people taking what they could grab.

Well, at least we won't starve anyway.

And there are three cans of fruit juice in there.

Fruit juice?

Oh, Norma, could we open a can now?

Oh, of course we can open a can now.

Oh, where's the can opener?

Oh, in the other drawer.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm acting just like an animal, aren't I?

No.

No, no, just...

Just like a frightened woman, that's all.

You should have seen me in the store running up and down the aisles, and I mean running.

Knocking things over and grabbing things and throwing them away and grabbing again.

And at that, I think I was the calmest person in the store.

One woman just stood in the middle of the room and cried.

She cried like a baby, pleading for someone to help her.

Ladies and gentlemen.

This is station wnyg coming on the air to bring you essential news.

First, a bulletin from the police department.

Keep your doors locked.

And prepare to protect yourselves, if necessary, with any weapons you may have.

The majority of the police force has been assigned to the crowded highways.

Outside this deserted city.

And citizens remaining in new york may have to protect themselves from the cranks and looters known to be roaming the streets.

From the weather bureau.

The temperature stood at 110 degrees.

At 11:00 this morning.

Humidity, 91%.

Forecast for tomorrow.

Forecast for tomorrow...

Hot. More of the same, only hotter.

Stop it.

Who are they kidding with this weather report?

Tomorrow you can fry eggs on sidewalks, heat up soup in the ocean, and get help from wandering maniacs if you choose.

What do you mean "panic"?

Who's left to panic?

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm told that my departing from the script might panic you and...

Let me alone. Do you hear me?

Let me alone. Let go of me.

There, you... you see, Mrs. Bronson?

You're not the only one who's frightened.

There we are.

Go ahead, drink it.

It's grapefruit juice.

No, I can't. I can't live off you like this.

You need it for yourself.

Mrs. Bronson, we'll have to start living off each other from now on.

Here's looking at you.

Current's off again.

It stays on a shorter time each day.

Norma, what if it shuts off and, doesn't come back on again?

This place would be like an oven.

As hot as it is, it could be so much worse.

Oh, Norma, it could be so much worse.

Norma.

Please paint something cool today.

Paint something...

Pastoral.

With a waterfall and, trees bending in the wind.

Please paint something cool.

Don't paint the sun anymore!

Mrs. Bronson?

You all right?

Yes, I'm all right.

It's so quiet.

I haven't heard a sound.

What time is it?

3:00 in the afternoon.

Did you get any sleep?

I laid down awhile.

What was that?

Sounds like something fell.

No...

It was someone.

Didn't you lock the roof door?

Yes.

No, I...

I don't know, I...

I don't remember.

I thought I did.

Hey, somebody in there? Come on out.

Come on out, baby.

Come on out and be friendly.

I ain't got all day.

If you don't come out, I'm going to come in.

Did you hear that?

That was a g*n.

Get out of here.

Down the stairs and out the front door.

Leave us alone.

Okay, baby.

I never argue with a lady with a g*n.

Oh, I'm so glad he's gone.

He hasn't come out the front door yet.

No! No!

Crazy dames!

It's too hot to play games.

Much too hot.

You do this?

You're good.

You paint real good.

My wife used to paint.

Please leave us alone.

We didn't do you any harm.

Please!

She was so fragile, just... just a little thing.

She couldn't take this heat.

I tried to keep her cool.

But she couldn't take the heat!

Baby didn't live more than an hour.

Then she followed him.

I'm not a housebreaker.

I'm a decent man.

I swear to you, I'm a decent man.

I've been walking around all, all day trying to find some water.

I wouldn't hurt you.

I wouldn't do you any harm.

Honest.

Please believe me.

Please.

Please forgive me, would you?

I'm just off my rocker.

Please forgive me.

Why doesn't it end?

Why don't we just...

Just burn up?

I painted it for you last night.

It's for you.

Oh, it's beautiful, Norma.

I've seen waterfalls just like that before.

There's, there's one near Ithaca, new york.

Yes, it's the highest waterfall, the highest waterfall in this part of the country.

And I love the sound of it.

That wonderful blue water tumbling over the rocks.

That wonderful, cool, clear water.

You hear it, Norma? Hear it?

You do hear it, Norma, don't you?

That wonderful sound?

You know, we could...

We could swim in that waterfall.

Let's do that.

Let's swim in it, shall we?

I used to do that when I was a little girl.

Just, just sit there and, and let the water come down over me.

Mrs. Bronson?

She's coming out of it now.

Norma?

Yes?

You were running a high fever, but it's broken now.

Fever?

You gave us a start, child.

You were so ill, but you're going to be all right now.

Isn't she, doctor?

Isn't she going to be all right?

Of course.

I wish I had something left to give her but the medicine's pretty much all gone now.

I'm afraid I won't be able to come back.

I'm going to try to move my family south tomorrow.

A friend of mine has a private plane.

Well, they say on the radio, Miami is warmer.

So they say.

But we're only prolonging it.

There was a scientist on the radio this morning.

Trying to explain what happened.

How the earth had changed its orbit and was starting to move away from the sun, and that within one, two, or maybe three weeks at the most, there wouldn't be any more sun...

We'd all freeze.

Oh, Mrs. Bronson.

I had such a terrible dream.

It was so hot.

It was daylight all the time.

There was, a midnight sun.

There wasn't any night at all.

No night at all.

Isn't it wonderful to have darkness and coolness?

Yes, my dear.

It's wonderful.

The poles of fear, the extremes of how the earth might conceivably be doomed.

Minor exercise in the care and feeding of a nightmare, respectfully submitted by all the thermometer-watchers in the twilight zone.

Rod serling, creator of the twilight zone, will tell you about next week's story after this word from our alternate sponsor.

And now, Mr. Serling.

Next week we move back into time, back to 1863.

A distinguished actor, mr. Gary Merrill, plays the role of a confederate scout who goes off on a patrol and winds up smack-dab in the center of the twilight zone.

Our story is an adaptation of a strange tale by manly wade wellman called "the still valley."

This one is for civil war buffs and the students of the occult.

References