Hello?
Mom.
You got a stomach for breakfast today?
Mom.
Oh, hi, sugar.
Oh.
And that one, too.
This one is zero refills.
- Thursday. - All day.
You're having breakfast.
Beth, come by three today.
- Hello? - Yeah, heard you.
I need you home with grandma tonight.
I got offered overtime at the store.
Hire a babysitter.
Hey!
Beth!
Oh, look what you got here.
There you go, sir.
Sir, you don't want to start a tab?
Can I help you?
I need a room, please.
How many nights?
I'll just pay as I go.
I'll need to see an ID.
You're the Yurley boy.
- Andy. - Andrew.
Right, Andrew.
How much is it?
It's uh... 40 dollars.
Just heard about your brother.
What's happening?
You're here about the trial, I guess.
No, that's not true.
Well, Edgar said they might let him go.
Can I get my key, please?
Room 157.
Laura?
Are you okay?
I'm... I'm sorry, I...
Sorry about that.
Ms. Yurley. How're you today?
Where the fuck were you?
I'm well, thank you.
Was it you?
You wanna have a seat? Can I get you a coffee or what?
I don't want coffee. What is he doing here?
- Who? - Andrew.
I saw him, okay? I saw him.
He was at the supermarket buying a six pack and fucking grape...
He's in the diner? You sure?
Marci, can you hold my calls for now?
Hey, you can't smoke in here.
Don't tell me. I pay your salary.
I'm a public defender. You don't pay me at all.
He's here for the da.
Found the mail in the car.
You know where he's staying?
I came straight from the store.
All right. I want you to...
Write down
anything you remember.
Write anything at all.
What're you gonna do?
I'll bring him in to talk.
Why in hell would we do that?
Because I need him.
And whatever little quarrel the two of you still have,
you're gonna put aside for...
I have told you...
- Time and again... - Enough. All right?
I'm bored to death of this.
- He did this, he did that. - So, he's here and then what?
Huh? Then what?
Well, I'd like for you to see him and try to talk some sense into him.
You have no right.
Since I've got a good shot at shaking hands
with Louie Gohmert, I guess I'll do it myself.
Michael's been doing good.
He's been doing real good all by himself.
- He has? - Getting his degree.
Helping out at the hospital.
- All good things. - So, we don't need Andrew.
It's called character, Ms. Yurley.
Michael is serving life for murdering a young boy.
If there's any chance of getting him out,
we need to show he's changed.
I can speak to his character.
Me. I'm the one going out there every week,
taking him news, talking to him,
watching him wasting away in there. Me!
- I do that. - It's not enough.
Andrew's testimony put his brother away.
Having him up there now,
saying how Michael is rehabilitated,
that's big points for us.
As their sister, you have to understand how important that is.
I don't want him involved.
Well, Laura, you're not my client.
Michael's my client and it's my job to see him out.
Mm.
Mmm.
Oh, they don't make it like they used to.
Mm, they certainly don't.
Different be on what you can imagine.
Do you know what I mean?
- Hi!
You know what I mean?
Maybe you ain't old enough to remember how it was.
I'm old enough.
There's a lot of darkness coming out from you.
A lot of dark energy.
Let me see your hand, baby.
Let the boy be. Do not bother him.
I'm doing nothing.
People do not like it.
Am I bothering you, young man?
You ain't bother me none.
See? He likes it.
And put off that cigarette if you ain't no smoking.
You know I'm trying to quit.
Do not start with me, girl.
Oh, you wish I would start.
Hey, it's... it's on me.
You know, make it two and a beer.
What's the occasion?
Something lost...
Is found.
Thank you.
To the... prodigal son.
I'll... I'll assume my letters...
Got lost in the mail.
Never got my messages?
No?
Yes?
Andrew, my name is Richard Gonzalez.
Yeah, I know who you are.
Good. Then I'll skip the pleasantries.
What do you want?
I should be asking you that, don't you think?
You don't.
Did the da call you?
Did you talk to him?
I didn't talk to nobody.
Hey, I'm not messing around. Did you talk to him?
Mm-mmm.
Okay.
How's Laura?
She's, uh...
She's great.
Great.
Laura's great.
Andrew, we gotta talk about...
Listen, dick. Can I call you dick?
- No. - Listen, dick.
I used to work on this dairy farm.
Shoveling shit out of cattle pens.
Just, mounds and mounds of shit and piss, man.
Sometimes up to your knees.
Horrible, dirty, nasty.
Awful job.
And...
All that shit...
Is nothing
compared to the amount of shit
that you just waded into.
- Look. I didn't come here... - Thank you, man.
- Look, Andrew, wait. - Don't forget to pay the man, dick.
No.
How much for it?
People are gonna think we're together.
Stop, god damn!
Not really in the little dark dudes.
Look, we only got one shot at this.
Then you're out of ammo.
Then why are you here?
They got the best jukeboxes this side of Mississippi.
You're acting like a child!
Am I?
- Am I acting like a child? - Yes.
You're gonna tell me what's what?
Wow. You're the one they're all afraid of.
Oh, yeah. You're a tough guy, man.
Coming in here in your church pants and your golf shirt,
looking all spic and span.
Sipping all that whiskey
'cause you think it's gonna impress me and make us friends.
Man, we ain't going to be friends.
Definitely not.
Don't smoke up my ass with this...
- Think about... - Laura is great shit.
Laura is great, dude. Come on.
At least made me believe you're either
lying or you are as delusional as they are.
I know exactly what you're doing.
Telling me what you think I want to hear,
so I'll do whatever it is you want me to do.
Man, you think I'm stupid?
You think I'm stupid, don't you?
I've been here before, man.
Stood in this exact same spot,
and let men with more years than you walk all over me now,
but god damn if I fucking do it again.
Fine. I ain't doing it.
Oh, you done?
'Cause if you're done, I'm gonna talk now and you can listen.
Okay, all right.
This isn't about you. Okay?
Or Laura, or your mother, or any of that other shit.
Who cares?
You should care.
He did this to himself.
Just would you go see him?
Why would I do that?
People change.
- You think so? - No, look.
In case you change your mind.
Let's just get this over with.
Hey.
Got a light?
Any luck?
What?
Clearly, you want something.
Yeah, I do.
What do you want? Beer, liquor or what?
Root beer.
Well, all right.
Whatever.
I need two.
Anything else?
Want a double chambered Slurpee? They got them here.
Pretty rare.
Sure?
You're missing out.
Packet of Marlboro and lights too, please.
- Thanks. - You got it.
Now, I can't leave you here like that.
I'm fine, thanks.
No,
this isn't a safe place for a girl to be alone.
With beer...
In a mini skirt.
It's just past Sharon Copley road.
You know the hatchery?
You know where you're going?
- Yup. - Okay.
It's just... you're not from here.
Really?
I'd have seen you around.
I guess you're right.
Okay.
You're definitely not the city boy.
I can figure that much.
I usually drive a lot faster than this.
In case you're wondering.
Nice try.
- What? - Changing the subject.
You're talking to a pro.
I do it with my mum all the time.
Where does mommy think you are tonight?
She doesn't think anything.
Uh... if she saw you walk out of the house dressed like that
you can be sure as shit she's thinking something.
Hmm, like what?
Like, where's the rest of her skirt?
It's not that short.
"Growing out of her clothes so quickly.
I don't know what's going on?"
"Buy some one day, next day she can't fit in it."
Hey!
You not walking home tonight, are you?
Hmm, that's sweet.
Come on.
I'll be fine, thank you.
I wasn't offering to give you a ride.
Oh, good.
Thank you then.
Get the beer from here.
Let me pull up a little bit.
I got it. I'm fine.
Thanks for the ride.
No problem.
Did you wanna come?
That's sweet.
Right.
Listen, um...
- Uh... b-b-Beth... - Beth.
Beth...
I'm staying at the town motel.
And I'm not saying you can't take care of yourself or anything but...
If you need a ride home tonight or...
I don't know.
You know...
Thanks, uh...
Andrew.
And I know you don't mean, you know...
Bye.
Stop...
No, I can't...
Jesus, fuck! Oh, wait...
Move up, up. Up!
Fucking tease cunt!
That fucking hurt.
Just chill, will you?
You're leaving?
What the fuck did you expect?
Damn.
I thought I would have won.
What do you mean?
Don't act like you don't know.
We had a pool going.
Whoever gets there first.
Everyone wants to know what you're like.
You're crazy, right?
White and scrunchy...
- Golden hair... - I can't be...
Runs in the family, huh?
Get the fuck off me!
Why you got to be such a bitch!
You asshole.
Come on, Beth, I'm just fucking with you.
Jesus!
Beth, what's up? Beth!
Fucking crazy bitch!
You're fucking fucked up!
Fuck you!
What a surprise!
Can you open the door?
What happened?
Which one's Corey?
Who's Corey? Are you cor?
You fucking Corey?
Who the fuck are you?
You fucking touch her again, I'll fucking kill you, you understand me?
Fuck...
What happened?
What did you do?
Where do you live?
I can't go home.
My mom thinks I'm at Jodie's.
Well, what then?
Here.
You hungry?
I'm okay.
Hmm. Vending machine works.
Not much in there but...
If you change your mind, or whatever...
Something.
Your hand's still bleeding.
Just a little bit.
This is the warmest jacket I've ever worn.
Feel like a duck.
And it smells nice.
Like salt and Clay.
Like you went somewhere in the ocean.
I work on boats.
Really?
Tell me.
On the south in the pacific.
When you're out that far,
the ocean kinda makes its own weather.
Sometimes even
its washovers
raining down,
water on all sides.
Sounds beautiful.
It's scary.
That could be beautiful.
When did you leave home?
Long time now. It's been a while.
So it's nice.
No.
Besides, you'd be missed.
I bet not.
Don't say that.
You don't know.
I know enough.
You're not even there.
I'm about as important as that couch.
Couches are very important.
Everybody needs a couch.
What about you?
What?
Do you think you're missed?
I grew up right around barbel street.
Little house.
Normal family.
I had a brother.
Have.
I have a brother.
And he did this thing...
Do you remember that little boy who got murdered years back?
I testified about what my brother did.
And they put him away for a real long time.
Life.
And my family,
my sister,
she didn't take it real well.
She didn't take it real well.
She had a lot to say about that.
So I left.
And I haven't been back since.
So you tell me,
am I missed?
Guess he's got a chance to get out early.
He needs my help.
Or his lawyer does.
So...
All I got to do is put my hand on a Bible and say, "yes, sir." Or "no, sir."
And it'll be good, right?
I'm sorry.
Mom.
Hi, there, sugar.
Hi.
Time for bed.
Come on, mom.
Just getting to closing my eyes for a second,
- and I'm out. - Mm-hmm.
I'm all right.
- Oh, no... - All right.
Oh.
Ah.
All right?
- Yeah. - Mm-hmm.
God.
Okay.
Want me to help you get
under the covers?
No, I'm fine.
You want to change into bed clothes or anything?
No...
Huh?
- Hey! - Sorry.
Oh.
- Good night. - Good night.
What's wrong?
Nothing.
I'm just tired, mom.
All right, good night, sugar.
Excuse me.
Uh...
Hey!
Where the hell have you been?
You stop right now, young lady, I'm talking to you.
I want to know where you were.
You tell me right now!
I'm not telling you shit!
- Shit! - Fuck off!
You put that cigarette out, you are fifteen years old.
You want to know where I've been.
Can you get me some water?
I was with a man.
All night.
In his motel room.
- That's not funny. - It's true.
Laura, water!
He's older, and he buys me cigarettes and beer.
Mom!
We have lots and lots of sex.
You're disgusting.
Me? I'm disgusting? Look at you.
You're fucking pathetic.
Don't you talk to me that way!
All alone, and a liar...
You're grounded, you are going nowhere for a month!
- No, I'm not. - Yes, you are!
Or what?
You're gonna kick me out?
Disown me, pretend I don't exist?
It's easy, right?
I know you've done it before.
All right, do whatever the fuck you want.
I give up!
- Good. - Good!
Yeah?
I will see you at nine.
Yes, Sherri, I will wear something sexy.
Okay!
Bye.
Hello.
Who is this?
Andrew?
Mornin'.
You slept on the sofa.
Long night.
You shouldn't get out of bed by yourself.
You're gonna fall.
I should just lay in there all day?
Why, you free to help me?
Didn't know if you were home.
I'll get your water.
You started with the drinking again.
I hear them jangling in your purse.
You're one to talk.
Hi, miss Yurley.
Is this a bad time?
Yeah.
- I mean... - -Who is it?
It's the lawyer.
I'm sorry, I should have called.
Mom, you remember Mr. Gonzalez.
Meet you out back.
You sure we shouldn't include your mother in this?
I don't want to upset her.
What's this?
I filed for another continuance.
I wanted to buy some time with Andrew but...
It's a no.
And the hearing's is day after tomorrow, as scheduled.
This is the plan from the beginning, so what is the matter?
You know for sure that having him there would give us what we want.
I know. For sure.
We would be presenting the best case possible with him involved.
Then fix it already.
Do your job.
It is your job.
Right? Not mine.
That's exactly what I've been trying to do,
but you are not cooperating one bit...
Yeah, cooperating! Cooperating?
Tell me how can I cooperate with you?
You want me to go and beg? Hands and knees?
- I didn't say that. - Sounds like it.
Well...
So what if I'm saying that? So what?
No, no, I'm curious here.
You certainly have limits to what you would do.
I...
Have you ever had something in your life
that you knew just to be absolutely true,
as a person on this earth,
and then it's just...
Not?
I mean, like being told the color you've known as blue your whole life
is actually orange.
I'm talking like that.
Well...
Well, I can tell you, the world sometimes makes zero sense.
It's not like we had anybody trying to help us figure it out...
It was up to me.
I drew up the map,
said this way is north, this way is south.
Here's a mountain and a river,
that's a tree...
Made sense out of mush.
A mountain's a mountain.
Even if you call it as a tree.
Jesus.
Oh...
Oh, my god...
Yeah, yeah...
Here you go.
I grabbed two.
Oh, I just got dizzy, honey.
And I reached out, and there was nothing there.
I know.
Here.
You're gonna be sweet, ain't you?
Wish I'd done better.
Are you okay, grandma?
You okay?
The symptoms...
Of Alzheimer?
Do you need your pills?
No.
It's all so much.
I should call mom.
No, honey, stay, please!
Okay.
It is just so easy to let
things slip away, you know, rather sad.
Like there were nothing there.
What do you mean?
I've been seeing Andrew.
I've been seeing him all around.
And I close my eyes,
and he won't let me be.
He's just calling out my name,
like a ghost out by there.
A ghost...
That's coming out everywhere...
Every part of me.
It's like...
Did I say it?
Did I dream it?
He's been calling.
Calling out for me.
Just something awful, baby.
Just pulling at my heart.
Just turn left.
Where are we going?
Beth, what's happened? You got to tell me, all right?
Whatever it is.
I just wanted to help.
She misses you.
Who? What are you talking about?
Grandma.
She misses you.
Is this a fucking joke?
You think this is fucking funny?
You don't understand, my mom...
Beth!
My mom, Laura...
Get out of the car.
- Just... - Get out.
- No. - Get the fuck out.
So you can run away again?
Fuck! This is...
This is fucking fucked up.
You can't leave again.
This is...
You can't leave again.
I don't want you to.
You're missed, Andrew.
I know, I saw. She said so.
You came!
You wanted to see me.
Yes!
Beth said you ain't been well.
Oh...
I just I get headaches sometimes.
The doctor has me on pills.
Where have you been?
Lot of places.
Where?
Boats, fishing...
Crabs and lobsters.
You'd like it.
It's nice.
I don't know.
It's nice. It's like when we used to visit uncle Sal at the lake.
Mm-hmm.
Well, won't you sit down?
Well, are you going up to see your brother?
I don't know.
Maybe.
Ain't nothing to be afraid of.
How is he doing?
- Same, the way he's always been. - Yeah
I bet.
Do you remember when you were young, and we had that...
That rabbit Coop out back?
Yeah, I remember.
And he had that book.
A giant thing...
And he got in with the female,
and put her in a family way.
And you were...
So excited when the bunnies was born.
And then,
you came out one morning,
and they was all dead.
That bugger got in there in the night and killed them.
He hated all of them.
That's right.
And you were so sad.
You just cried and cried and...
You were so scared of it.
"Mama, how could it?"
"How could it do that?"
And the next day,
it was like it had never happened.
You all playing in the grass, it was like...
It had never done that thing.
Thought about that the other day.
Want some coffee?
I'm okay.
Good.
Hey, sweetie.
Hey.
Here.
My son.
What's this?
- Wait. - -Move.
- Get out of my way. - -Just wait.
Get out of my way!
- Laura. - Mother, quiet!
Beth, move! Now!
- Did you do this? - Mom.
- Please just listen to me. - You have no idea.
- Nothing's changed I see. - You shut up!
Beth, get out.
No, no, she should be here for this.
Oh, no, god damn. You don't get to do this.
- You don't get to decide. - What are you afraid?
She's gonna hear a little truth?
Oh, god!
You've been here a week, and you know so much, huh?
Two days, and I know more than you.
You know shit!
I know your daughter needs a mother and needs a friend.
Shut up.
I know her mother is a fucking mess, look at her.
- She's sick. - Look at your daughter.
Look at Beth.
- No, no... - You have any idea
how I met your little girl.
Who she goes around with...
Hey, I am a good mother.
Coming to my fucking hotel room...
You don't get to come in to my fucking house,
- and tell me... - Oh!
- Your house! - Yeah! God damn right it is.
Only reason you have anything to come back to is because of me.
Oh, I love what you've done with the place.
You want some truth?
Huh? Is that what you want?
- You want some truth? - Please.
You're a liar.
You're fucking insane.
You couldn't handle what happened.
You created some twisted story
but where were you, Andrew?
Shut up.
- Where were you? - You're out of your mind.
He took it too!
He took it all for you. He was just a boy.
You weren't there, you didn't see what he did!
You didn't smell what he did out there!
- It was a game. - Was not a fucking game!
- And you put it on him! - It wasn't a game.
- Don't touch me! - Don't touch you?
- Don't fucking touch me. - He was just a boy!
I was a fucking boy!
He took it because he was your brother!
- Laura. Andrew! - Stop touching me!
And you just tucked your tail between your scrawny little legs and ran
leaving him alone to rot. So fuck you...
- You shut up! - You're such a coward!
- Ah... - Shut the fuck up!
Can you shut the fuck up, all right?
Listen, Laura.
We're sorry, Andrew.
We're sorry.
We...
Made a huge mistake.
We were wrong.
I miss you.
We miss you so much.
I love you.
I loved you, Andrew.
Stop!
Wait!
Andrew!
- Wait!
Andrew!
Hey!
Hi.
- Hi. - Hi, darling.
What do you see?
Honey, I don't know what you're talking about.
You were into me? You said darkness.
- You all right? - He's all right. It's okay.
What are you talking about, baby?
Whoa...
It's okay.
Just calm down. It's okay. Hey, hey, hey...
- I got him. - Tell me!
- No! Hey! - Guys, we don't need to all that.
Tell me!
You see darkness?
Well, fuck you too, then.
Yeah.
Need a light?
- Be good. - I ain't gonna bite you.
Thank you.
You want a cigarette?
You got one?
Thank you.
What was all that?
You said you saw darkness in me.
I said that?
A lot to drink.
But do you believe in it?
What do you mean, like evil?
That devil shit?
Let me see your hand.
That one.
Wait a second.
Shoot, it's faint.
You got a strong will, though.
You got an island, a big one.
What does that mean?
This one line splits up, and makes a big space.
Like an island.
What, like I'm split in two?
Or something.
But that ain't my fault.
It never is, baby.
What, you don't like it?
It's just folds on the skin.
You like what you got, you keep them.
You don't, don't.
Work and tide changes lines.
That's what my mom always said.
I don't know...
I don't know what I'm supposed to do with that.
Well, sure you do.
There's no such thing as evil, son.
You trust me.
There's just people doing good and bad to each other.
You can find a way to do more good than bad.
Well...
Huh?
All right.
You're going to be okay?
I think, yeah.
All right.
I'll see you.
You need a ride or something?
It's all good, darling.
Take a seat, please.
Looks like it's going to rain.
You think?
Nah, it's going to pass.
I like going out in the yard after it rains.
Take my shoes off,
put my toes in the mud.
I don't know, it might.
You got tall.
Beard too.
You've been by home?
Yeah.
Nothing much has changed.
What was that?
I said nothing much has changed.
Hmm.
I wasn't sure if you would come.
Me neither.
Glad you did.
It's all right.
Just go ahead and...
Go ahead and take your time.
I'll get going.
The sun ain't the same, it's brighter.
Doc says I'm sick or something.
You ain't feel sorry for you?
Is that what I said?
Did I say that?
I think about you a lot.
Wonder where you are, what you are doing.
You think about me any?
Mom?
What do you want me to say?
You know exactly what I want you to say.
Fuck you, man.
Then what?
What is this?
I haven't seen you in 20 fucking years now.
I've got 30 minutes,
to try and prove that I'm...
Worth a damn?
Are you worth a damn?
Fuck you.
This is bullshit.
Is that it?
I'm not gonna sit here and try and...
I'm not gonna sit here and try and convince you...
That I'm a good man.
But I ain't a bad one.
And I'm done with paying for the crimes of a child.
That's your doing, man.
A boy. A boy did that.
You are that boy.
I ain't him no more.
If that's not the point of this, then what is?
Should I rot in here?
Hmm?
Why?
What's that gonna do?
There's nothing that can bring him back.
And I'm sorry about that, all right?
I'm sorry.
Not that I see anything is gonna happen to make sense of things.
There are all these pieces in my mind.
Been running around this way and that,
and over and over again.
Thinking that it's gonna be different.
It doesn't change, it's always the same.
So...
I ask myself,
how far back did my sense go?
At what point does the bad come in?
At what point in the story could I have done something different
to make it go good?
I would have done it anyway.
If not that night...
Some other one,
some other way.
Remember that summer we took that trip to lake Michigan?
Laura warned us to stay close to the shore
but me and you wanted to see how far we could swim out.
We were way out.
Out passed the buoys,
waves and waves up over our heads.
It felt like we swam for miles.
You finally got scared, and said, "that's it, enough."
How do you know that's your limit?
How do you know?
I don't know.
But I do.
Trust me, Andy, I know.
And I know I never want to go back there again.