This episdoe is written by Elspeth Eric. I'm not typically a fan of Eric's stories, but this one was very different. It takes place in some totalitarian state - past? present? Future? A woman returns to her home after being away for a month to discover that her husband has disapeared and no one seems to know what happened to him, nor are they even willing to talk to her about his disapearance. She soon comes to fear that the "secret police" have spirited him away. But why? No one - not her neighbors, not the others in her village, nor anyone in the government will tell her anything. As I listened to this story unfold, I couldn't help but be drawn into comparisons with the situation in Iraq, both under the tyranny of Hussein, and under the current occupation. It is an intriguing and frightening episode. What would it be like to have the government come in the night and take away your family member, with no formal charges, no explanation, and no way to know if that loved one is dead or alive? Genre: Drama

This is a profound episode about a totalitarian state that becomes all the more chilling today as this is the direction society is moving into. Definitely one of the classics of CBSRMT. A "must hear". One of E.G. Marshall's comments between the acts: "Have you ever thought of what it would be like if the entire world were under totalitarian rule, total control of the total population of the Earth, not one free voice, not one free thought, not one free line of poetry or prose? Well, think about it and then go back and read again our precious Bill of Rights."

This one is a little scary. It reminds me of drones, current news stories, and something you would hear on talk radio TODAY. Carol Teitel is perfect with her cold, unfriendly voice. Keane is awesome with her desperation.

There are a lot o stories i wish they could have done on the show. I love to download them and take them with me on the road. So much fun.

very interesting story line and scary. Reminds me of 2112 by Rush.

This episode was pretty good and pretty scary, until we got to near the end. In typical Elspeth Eric fashion, there were chunks that made no sense, as usual. I was expecting the wife to say she said "Thank God" when she heard he was dead because she was relieved that she wouldn't have to go looking for him anymore. But instead, she says was thinking maybe he didn't really exist because no one admitted he existed. In real life, that would never happen! I could understand it happening if it had been years since he was missing, but it was only a few days, for crying out loud! She would certainly know darn well that her husband existed, no matter what people said, (unless she was nuts). Also, the wife was so selfish to keep on approaching her friend knowing darn well she is putting her in danger. Her friend was right to be angry because her children come first and her "best friend" should know that. The wife didn't listen and all she cared about was herself. I don't blame her for being upset, but she wasn't thinking of other people's safety.

Sadly, I think you missed the entire point of the episode.

Very interesting program. Almost too real in the societies of some countries throughout history. Well worth listening to and learning a lesson.

Crazy, Kinda like Orwell's 1984!

Haha! Crazy, like your comment!

Holy crap, Cash is a full-on idiot!

Cash doesn’t have cents enough to keep his rhetoric off this forum.

This was a pretty good story. Not horror or a mystery, but the story of a woman whose husband has been taken away by the secret police. Despite what Cash said, I doubt anyone in America wants to live under a totalitarian government. We may have different thoughts about how we care for one another, but I think we all want to live in a kind and free society.

I liked this story. Ralph Bell and Terry Keane always do a good job. The story is science fiction, about a government that controls people by fear and its own irrational behavior. Contrary to Cash's comment above, I don't think anyone in America wants to live in a totalitarian society.

What a brilliant episode! Perfect cast. I am beginning to appreciate Elspeth Eric’s writing as an adult in ways I never could as a child. I remember this one as just scary when I heard it as a kid. Now it is profound writing and stellar acting and casting. Bravo Himan Brown for assembling just the right mix of great storytelling through some great writers, actors, and storytellers. Thank you always for your timeless hope to keep us listening. We haven’t stopped yet and always hear something new... almost 40 years later from stories we thought we knew. Thank you to all those who recorded these episodes. They have enriched all our lives. I can’t imagine mine without them every night.

When I was a young journalist I wrote a profile of CBS Radio Mystery Theater, and this is one of two episodes I sat in on that day (November 10, 1980, I believe). It was fascinating to watch the program go from first read-through, to rehearsal, to taping, to editing. Plus the sound effects were real, not taped or from a record. A real door closing, real footfalls in a box of cat litter. Amazing.

Oh wow—that’s so neat. Thank you for sharing this!