Company of Shadows (2026) Movie Script
(phone ringing) (tense music)
[Gene] I will take the rest
of the baseball season off
if that's what it takes.
[Randy] Well, then I won't see
you in those sexy tights anymore.
[Gene] They're called baseball uniforms.
[Randy] Yeah, (laughs)
those tights. It's the best.
Actually, the only thing I like
about you playing the game.
[Gene] As if you don't feast your eyes
on the other men on the team.
[Randy] A team you'd leave
hanging without a pitcher.
[Gene] I'm not the
only pitcher on that team,
and you know it.
- [Randy] Are we still talking baseball?
- [Gene] Yes, yes we are.
[Randy] 'Cause you know
you make a better catcher.
[Gene] At home, which
is where I'd be more often
if I take the rest of
[Randy] That's like you giving
up breathing for the season.
You cannot bribe me with that.
[Gene] It's just an amateur
league for coworkers.
You really need me there tonight?
[Randy] Like a baseball
team needs a rock solid pitcher.
[Gene] But you know with my job.
[Randy] They won't know.
[Gene] They'd know
once they see my attire.
[Randy] You'll have time to
change. You won't be outed.
[Gene] I have one condition.
[Randy] I'm all ears.
[Gene] Next time, for
once, we leave the lights on.
I want to see you.
[Randy] When you come out at work.
[Gene] I can still feel in the dark.
Randy, whatever your
scars or skeletons are,
it won't bother me.
[Randy] It bothers me.
And it bothers me that I'm
halfway back in the closet,
although you're worth it.
[Gene] My workplace is
a macho environment and
[Randy] You need to come out on
your own terms when you're ready.
[Gene] Thank you.
[Randy] The same goes
for me not having the lights on.
[Gene] That is fair-ish.
[Randy] Help me with the investment
meeting tonight and I'll surprise you.
[Gene] I'll be there,
out of support only.
[Randy] You know, you'll
be at the cabin before me.
[Gene] Promise me
this won't get back to work.
I'm really not ready yet.
[Randy] For someone
who admires Donny the Punk
as much as you do, yet still isn't ready
[Gene] We're going in circles.
I need to know, why is it so important
that I'm part of your investment meeting?
[Randy] I need to
know who I'm investing in,
learn exactly who they
are in a very short time.
And I need to be absolutely 100% sure
[Gene] That they're not homophobic?
[Randy] That too, yes.
[Gene] I'll be there.
[Randy] I love you.
[Gene] I love you back.
(crickets chirping)
Gene?
(building rumbling)
(tense music)
Huh.
(intriguing music)
(intriguing music continues)
(intriguing music continues)
(vehicle rumbling)
(car door shuts)
(footsteps tapping)
Excellent.
No, really, Officer, we're very grateful,
but we can manage from here on out.
(gentle music)
Really, Officer?
You can't just barge into
people's homes like that.
- I'm so sorry, he just walked right in.
- [Randy] Why wouldn't he? He lives here.
[James] What?
A Black, gay cop. Now, that is hot.
You are hot, and you are very lucky.
Okay, she can stay.
- I don't understand.
- They are a couple over.
[Randy] Oh, he knows.
He's just not comfortable with it.
No, no, I'm totally fine.
It's just that my car broke down
and I had no idea that
one of our hosts would be
our Good Samaritan,
but you could have told us.
I'm gonna go change.
[Randy] Drinks?
Rum and Coke?
[Randy] Classic, I like it.
Is that sherry?
It's the Amontillado by Montresor.
It's perfect for you.
Thanks.
Our car broke down, middle of nowhere.
Thank goodness the Good
Samaritan came along when he did.
Gene, his name is Gene.
Speaking of whom, are you all okay
on your own for just a minute?
Of course, yeah.
I didn't see that coming.
Right? Randy seems so normal.
I meant your homophobia.
- Homophobia? What are you talking about?
- "Randy seems so normal"?
He's our last hope for funding.
As you said, we have
to do whatever it takes.
It's not how I meant it to come across.
No, if you want to work
with a Hollywood crowd,
there is no place for a homophobia.
(gentle music)
(gentle music continues)
(gentle music continues)
Well, not even Nostradamus
could have predicted that.
It's a pretty lame apology
to blame a dead French astrologer.
I'm sorry.
Whatever.
Even if they hadn't broken down,
they still would have
made it here before me.
Pretty sure you told 'em
what a stickler for time you are.
Yeah. So where'd you find them?
[Gene] Back where you
had a flat a few weeks back.
And the car?
Needs to be towed.
- Fuck.
- Yeah.
We need to take them back.
(chuckles) No, you need to take them back
and you owe me a proper apology.
Gene, what can I do?
I think I know her from somewhere.
I really hope it's not from work.
You know I'm not ready to be out yet.
I know, you're right. I'm sorry.
Let me make it up to you.
Right now.
No, what are you doing?
No, no, not with them here.
[Randy] Well, I thought you
wanted to see me with the lights on.
Go entertain your homophobes.
Hmm.
You know, she seemed
to at least know Dorothy.
[Gene] I doubt she's a friend of hers.
Yeah, but she is friendly.
He on the other hand seemed grossed out.
He probably masturbates to Anita Bryant.
(both laughing)
Stop, I'll pour a gallon of
orange juice all over you.
Oh, and cream pies,
promises, promises. (Chuckles)
[Randy] God, you're right. I should
go back to the Anita Bryant jerk off.
Uh, you should just kick them out.
[Randy] And miss out on a
wonderful night of straight bashing?
[Gene] You're so terrible.
You know, if I'm
right, I'll have a surprise.
(sighs) You know I hate surprises.
[Randy] And yet you want
to see me with the lights on.
[Gene] Randy, what the fuck, dude?
- How are your drinks?
- Great.
Please help yourself to anything.
So, the drive over was hell,
but here you are. (Chuckles)
It, uh, got a lot better when.
Gene showed up to help us out.
My apologies for the
misunderstanding, Randy.
Please, don't mention it.
So, about the investment.
Actually, I'd like to have Gene's
input and impression on this.
Of course.
I love your artwork.
Now I know who you are.
You're Sofia Campos, the famous model.
Famous? Well, maybe for 15 minutes.
What happened?
Well, the lifestyle
was just too fast for
(building rumbling)
Oh my God.
Shouldn't we stand in a doorway?
Or go outside?
- Is everyone okay?
- Everybody is fine.
And no, you don't stand in a doorway
or go outside during earthquakes.
Yeah, no, you duck and cover
or you go under a table if possible.
How long have you been in California?
For about three months.
[Gene] You get used to it. Sometimes
you don't experience them for a year or so.
Other times they're
like this, back to back.
Did you know this is Sofia
Campos, the famous model?
That's why I thought I recognized you.
[Randy] Ha, such a relief.
Que?
[Gene] Don't mind
me, just thinking out loud.
Well, I was just saying how
much I loved your artwork.
[Gene] Really? Well,
actually, Randy did that one.
That one is an impression
of Donny the Punk.
[Sofia] Who?
[Gene] Also known as Stephen Donaldson.
I don't know that name.
Isn't he a writer?
Different guy, but don't feel bad.
This genius here only
learned about him by mistake.
Okay, so there's the
science fiction author
and then there's the LGBTQIA activist.
Two people, same name.
I actually thought they were
the same, until I looked them up.
Sadly, the activist has since passed away,
but he was responsible for
making the word Pride popular
in regard to Pride festivals.
[Randy] AKA, Donny the Punk.
His real name was Robert Anthony Martin Jr.
But he changed it so he
could be a known homosexual
without blemishing his father's name.
See, his father was a
professor at a different college,
but it seems we're making James here
somewhat uncomfortable
with all this gay history talk.
Oh, no, no, it's quite fascinating.
Well, there's more time
to dive into the annals
of the anally-inclined later tonight.
(chuckles) Stop.
James, the spotlight is on you.
Spotlight?
The rehab clinic you want
to open for one-percenters.
Ah, yeah, well, our idea
is a two-pronged approach.
I have read the Marcel
Proust length charter twice.
And the charter's no good?
[Randy] It's fine. However, you're
looking for an unusually large investment.
(atmospheric music)
I understand that.
And as an angel investor,
I have a lot of liberty on what I can do.
For example, the cut I
take on projects like these
Are much higher than usual.
We understand that and we
don't have a problem with that.
Mm-hmm, it's better than
having no investor at all, right?
Exactly.
It's not for personal gain.
It allows me to invest in LGBTQIA+ youth.
See, my goal is for no queer kid
to ever feel like they're a victim again.
And at the same time, I wanna educate them
on queer history, what queers have endured.
So they understand they
have an easier time being gay
because of the sacrifices others have made.
It's something many take for granted.
That's beautiful. I love it.
Yeah, we're okay
with it. It's good, great.
Good.
Because I need to know
beyond a shadow of a doubt
that you're okay with
this before I'd invest
in your celebrity
rehab. If I were to do so.
[Sofia] He's totally
okay with that, right, hon?
Of course.
[Randy] The truth is I don't give
a damn about your business plan.
What? You told me you liked it.
I do, but I don't care about it because
I don't care about any business plan.
A business plan tells
you exactly the business
[Randy] A business plan
doesn't tell me anything
about what's at the core of that business.
Of course it does, Randy.
[Randy] What's at the core then?
- Healing.
- Wrong.
It's you.
You are at the core of your
business, right? It's people.
A charter plan doesn't tell
me anything about what makes
James Hudson and Sofia Campos tick.
[James] I see.
So the sooner you stop
trying to sell me something
and show me who you really are, the better.
[Sofia] What exactly are you looking for?
(atmospheric music)
Tell me a detail about
an event in your life
that had a significant impact on you.
Something you haven't told many people.
How would you know that
we aren't just making it up
and that everything we're
telling you is just a story?
[Randy] Well, if you do that and
I believe you, then that's on me.
Is this a one-way street or
are you gonna share as well?
[Randy] I will.
(building rumbling)
[Gene] Is everybody okay?
[Sofia] Yeah, I'm fine.
- You all right, babe?
- Peachy.
I'm just a little rattled.
[Gene] I'm gonna go
report that on the radio.
My mobile one's out and I gotta go
put the car in the garage anyway, so.
- [Randy] All right.
- I need another drink. Anyone?
- Yep.
- Please, thank you.
(gentle music)
Officer Kinsella to
dispatch, come in, over.
[Kelly] Dispatch here, go ahead, over.
Kelly, is that you? Over.
[Kelly] Hi, Gene. Over.
Yeah, I'm up at the cabin.
I was just wondering, was
that temblor felt anywhere else?
Over.
[Kelly] Severe quake
here. Bad news for you.
The McKinsey Bridge is out, over.
(tense music)
As in we're stuck here? Over.
[Kelly] Yes, it seems that way.
Is it just you up there?
Do you need a chopper evac? Over.
Negative.
There are four of us and
we're fine. We have supplies.
Just let the captain know I'm stuck here
and I still have the squad car, over.
[Kelly] Will do. Oh, and Gene
What? Dispatch, come in, over.
(static buzzing)
Dispatch, come in, over.
(static buzzing)
(building rumbling)
Goddamn earthquakes.
Jesus.
(objects rattling)
Thanks, dear.
[Randy] Thank you.
Do you always have
these meetings up here?
No, this is the first time.
Why us then?
Well, you don't just
have a Christmas wish list.
You're asking for the whole North Pole.
Well, I can appreciate that.
For that, I need to
be sure of who you are.
I mean, I have got to be positive.
But didn't you say you ran a
credit and a background check?
I did.
So then, you know we are good.
Well, I know your credit's good,
but I need to make sure that I'm right.
Right about what?
Well, if you're uncomfortable with any
of this, you are free to leave at any time.
[Gene] Nobody's going anywhere.
- That's not up to you to decide.
- Well, the bridge is out, so
- What?
- What are you saying?
(tense music)
[Gene] The main bridge is out.
We're stuck here, maybe for days.
- [Randy] The quake wasn't that strong.
- [Gene] Not here it wasn't.
[Randy] Did the bridge collapse?
[Gene] I lost contact
with dispatch, nothing noise.
[Randy] Maybe the relay tower went down.
I mean, I don't know
anything about radio systems.
Nah, nah, that is
possible, that's possible.
What about us?
We are fine.
We have plenty of food and water,
and even if the power
goes down, we have solar.
But it's night.
[Randy] Batteries, and ours can last
48 hours without needing a charge.
Uh, cool.
[Randy] Maybe it's a good
thing this has happened.
Good? How on earth is this good?
Well, stressful situations
show the true nature of people.
I need to, erm, I need to talk
to you for a second, come here.
Excuse me.
- Que pasa, hombre?
- What do you mean?
So, you're acting weird.
They might not see it
What if they can't fix the bridge?
Well, they know that we're here,
and they know that we're good.
They'll send the helicopter if
they can't establish contact, so.
Erm, we're gonna be all right then.
Right, so let's get on with our night.
Erm, what is it you're
looking for, Randy?
What do you want?
[Randy] Take Gene.
- Me?
- Just for example.
[Gene] Yeah, okay, okay.
What made Gene want to become a cop?
Most cops have family members
who are or were cops, but Gene didn't.
Did something happen?
Why did he want to become a cop?
I don't know.
I wanted to become a cop once.
You did?
Mm. I never told anyone this story.
One day I decided to see
if I could do a ride along.
[Randy] Here in California?
Texas. Austin, Travis
County, Sheriff's Department.
They assigned me to deputy Alice.
They put us in a slow and safe
part of the town because of me.
[Gene] Eh, it's not uncommon.
Mm. And slow it was.
It seemed that we waited for
hours for something to happen.
I was starting to think that
they were gonna have me
sit in that car all day long.
But after that, it got really busy.
There was a call for a welfare
check on an elderly lady.
Neighbors hadn't seen her in a while.
So we went in, and first we saw
little bloody paw prints
all over the house.
Her face was horribly disfigured.
Gnawed off.
- Her cats?
- Yeah.
Does that happen a lot?
[Gene] It's not uncommon.
Cats get hungry and they know you're dead,
and they get pretty
darn practical about it, so.
It's actually a beautiful thought.
I wouldn't mind it at all.
[James] Beautiful?
Well, get past the
gross factor for a minute.
I can't speak for the lady,
but if I were in the same situation
and there were a couple
of critters that I cared for
and loved for years, I
wouldn't want them to starve.
That's actually what
one of her neighbors said.
Gruesome as it is, I suppose there's
something romantic about it.
Romantic? Uh, I just don't get it.
[Randy] Well, maybe
you measure the experience
of life with different units altogether.
What does that mean?
[Randy] That what others do to you,
you measure through a different lens
than what you do to others.
Doesn't everyone?
[Randy] (chuckles)
Everyone steals cookies
from the cookie jar, but not everyone
becomes a full fledged armed bank robber
and blames others for their deeds.
I'm here, we're here for an investment,
and that makes me a bank robber?
That was just an example,
but I am anxious to hear about your event.
Well, since Randy brought up the
question, why did you become a cop?
Uh, it was just an example.
Gene is not here for an
investment evaluation.
So what, erm, you know
what? I see what you're doing.
Do you?
- 100%.
[Sofia] Why not let him share?
[James] Yeah, let him talk.
If you want to hear about us, why
should we be at sea about you?
Trust me, you won't be at sea when I do.
You'll be in the middle
of the Sahara Desert.
I said I'll share mine.
Gene's not part of that.
That's not for you to decide.
You asked me to be here.
Where's your little boy's room?
(tense music)
What did you just say? Little boy's room?
[Gene] It's right down the hallway
and immediately to the left.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
Have you ever known another adult to use
that phrase when children aren't present?
[Gene] But you are being childish.
He's the one not willing to talk.
I'll see if he's okay.
(atmospheric music)
So why can't I tell my story?
Listen, Gene, I don't
need them to hear your story.
I didn't even want to hear her
story. I just, I need to hear his.
Right. Is he an old
boyfriend or something?
What? No, I
I think
[Gene] You think what, Randy?
You're right. I should have
clued you in beforehand.
This isn't going the way I'd foreseen.
- What the hell did you foresee?
- That neither would talk.
I thought I'd tell an upsetting
story and I'd gauge their reaction.
Okay, Randy, so first you just said
you needed James to talk,
and now you didn't expect
either of them to talk?
Expectations and needs
are two very different things.
Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, are quite
different, I know, I know, but guess what?
If I tell them my story,
then you'll get to scrutinize their
answers to it better than your own, right?
That's not what I need.
Look, they not gonna be in there forever.
You're right. My apologies.
Gene, please share your
story. It's the right thing to do.
[Gene] Okay.
Hey, thank you.
[Gene] Thanking me for what?
For being you.
For being here, for supporting this night.
I shouldn't knock the
legs out from under you.
Okay, right.
I don't know what you're
doing, but I don't like it.
[Sofia] He really just
needed to use the restroom.
He'll be right out.
Okay, I need a drink.
Hey, Gene, I thought we'd... Don't.
Ah, me too.
So, did everything come
out of the little boy okay?
Randy, what the hell?
[James] Yes, thank you. Just fine.
[Sofia] Where did we leave off?
Gene was actually
about to share his event.
[James] I thought you just said
It's okay. Gene, your turn.
So, I was about 19, and one day,
I'm coming home from work
and I forgot my keys for
some dumb reason, but
So, I knock on the neighbor's door,
and he answers and
says, "Oh, hey, it's you."
Was he stoned or something?
Out of his fucking mind.
You know I hate being around that.
I just wanted to, you know, tell him off.
[Sofia] Why didn't you?
My hyper condition need to be polite.
We do jump through some hoops
just not to offend people, don't we?
Yes, we do.
So anyway, there's someone else there.
This local junkie, totally insane.
And he yells at me, "Oh,
so you're that filthy homo from next door."
(sighs) And he points a gun at me,
tells me to sit with him.
And so for over two hours,
I was held at gunpoint.
Did he shoot you?
Kept yelling the six letter F word.
Everyone was so stoned that
they didn't realize I was
being held at gunpoint.
Maybe they were so stoned,
they didn't even know you were there.
So anyway, after two hours of that,
my neighbor says, "I'm hungry,
let's go get something to eat."
So, I don't know if he meant it
or if he was just trying to get us out.
Did it work?
[Gene] Well, I thought it did.
The junkie put his gun down, got up,
and everybody started to leave.
You didn't make it back
to your own place, did you?
Not right then.
Everyone made it around the corner,
but that junkie was still there.
Why didn't you just
kick the shit out of him?
I mean, you're a martial arts expert.
Nah, not back then.
And when guns are involved,
you don't fuck around, you know?
Nah, I guess you don't, do you?
So this, this creep, take,
takes a piss right on my scooter.
(sighs) And then he
Urine, right? It washes
off, so I don't react.
(sighs) Turns to me and says,
"Bet you like that
circumcised dick, huh, homo?
Bet, you wanna suck it, huh?"
So I tell him, "Just put away or shoot me
because I'm not entertaining that shit."
"Just shoot me." Stupid.
Luckily, he didn't, he zipped up,
said, "Just kidding."
Yeah, right.
And then he left.
[Randy] Gene, are you okay?
Light years away from okay.
[Randy] Hey, I'm sorry.
Why did I just tell him to shoot me
when he could've just done so?
[Sofia] What would you
call that? Helsinki syndrome?
It's Stockholm syndrome, but a few hours
isn't enough for that
level of brainwashing.
I think you were just tired of
playing the obedient victim.
So I get home and I lay on the floor
in a fetal position for, for over an hour.
And I hear footsteps
outside getting closer.
I could feel my heart pounding,
beating like a sledgehammer.
You know, just
Then it just stops.
Somebody hit something metal up against
my window just, tap, tap, tap.
And again, tap, tap, tap.
And 30 seconds of silence.
Bang!
(tense music)
Gunshot and glass shattering.
Was it your window?
No, it wasn't mine. It was
neighbors' a few doors down.
He drew his blinds,
but junkie still shot through the window.
Hit him right in the hand.
He could have shot him
in the head for all he knew.
It shocked adrenaline through my system.
Called 911. The cops came.
They arrested him, and a few weeks later,
a judge lets him go
because he's out on parole
on some other thing.
That's fucking bullshit.
Well, then what'd you do?
What could I do?
(gentle music)
They say the best revenge
is to live a successful life,
but it's hard when you
terrified of footsteps or
the fucking doorbell ringing.
Look, I'm not saying what happened to me
was the worst thing in the world, right?
I know that, but
Back then, it really changed me.
I think most people would.
I agree.
Eh, motivated me to become a cop.
And a damn good one. Hey.
I love you.
- I love you right back.
- Come here.
(gentle music continues)
[Gene] What's that, James?
[Randy] Are you ready
to share your event?
I think it's time to have another drink.
Good call.
May it loosen the lips.
[James] I don't really know
what I have to share like that.
I don't have nearly anything
so dramatic in my past.
I doubt that very much.
But maybe it's time
for me to tell my story.
But first, Gene, why don't you
go check to see if the radio's back on?
Yeah. Good call.
(gentle music continues)
(Gene sighs)
- Hey.
- Hey.
Hey, Gene, are you okay?
Don't you need to
babysit them or something?
Nah, they're adults.
Yeah? What about their host?
Funny.
Look, I know I don't say it enough.
I don't need to be verbally
validated all the time.
You show it always,
and I hope I do the same.
You do. You do.
God, you do.
Mm-mm, we can't, we can't. Not, not here.
I thought you said when you're
off duty, the dash-cam is off?
It's, it's not that. It's, it's them.
I need you.
Right now.
Look, they can come out at
Any time, any time, erm
(gentle music)
[James] I just want to
go outside and tell them to
Don't.
They probably need to
discuss some stuff in private.
How so?
[Sofia] Randy didn't know
that happened to Gene.
Oh, that.
I thought they'd be discussing the funding.
Why the hell aren't you
sharing an event, God damn it?
Please don't use the Lord's name in vain.
What?
What?
I didn't know you were religious.
It's been some time since
Since what? Since
you have been to church?
You should probably share with
us what happened to you then.
Mm, there are things that
Look, everyone has skeletons.
Remember, we just need to get our funding.
I know.
(gentle music)
(Randy sighs)
(sighing) Fuck.
Yeah.
(sighing) Don't stop.
(sighs) Fuck.
No, I'm not there yet. Keep going.
Mm-hm.
(Randy groans)
(chuckles) What about you?
You need to get back inside,
and I need to get on the radio, so
Yeah, you're probably
Dammit, I stained my pants.
How can you tell in all this darkness?
Because it's wet.
Oh my God. They're not gonna notice, so.
They are black pants for crying out loud.
They're fucking gonna notice.
(Gene laughs)
- Fuck.
- It's in the back.
You
(laughs) They're gonna notice for sure.
Definitely need to deal with
Go, go deal with that, babe.
- Oh, God, I love you.
- I love you.
I love you too. Just go,
and take that with you.
(door squeaks)
(rhythmic music)
Excuse me, it will,
uh, be just one minute.
(Randy sighs)
(Randy sighs)
(rhythmic music continues)
(rhythmic music continues)
(rhythmic music continues)
(rhythmic music continues)
(rhythmic music continues)
(rhythmic music continues)
(rhythmic music continues)
(keypad beeping)
(rhythmic music continues)
(rhythmic music continues)
(door squeaks)
The radio?
Zilch.
[James] Darn.
[Randy] When you gotta go.
Okay, okay.
Now, my story.
A side of me, nobody
knows, so you better sit down.
(no audio)
When I was 11, my parents
started to fear I was gay.
They switched to a more orthodox branch
of the Catholic Church,
hoping to pray the gay away.
(chuckles) Surprise. It didn't work.
I didn't even know what being gay was.
It wasn't until years later I discovered
the joy of masturbation and magazines.
Too much for you already, Robert?
Robert? My name is James.
If you're going to
rehabilitate drug addicts,
your skin needs to be a tad
thicker than that of poultry.
[James] I don't know what that means.
My parents walked in on me just as I was
white-coating the center of either.
Blue Boy or Black Inches magazine.
(chuckles) I'm sorry.
It wasn't so funny soon after.
They took me back to
the church to convert me.
You'd think a Catholic priest
would rise to the occasion.
Maybe I was too old for him already.
He told my parents the church
didn't do conversions anymore.
Too much liability and
all that. Yada, yada, yada.
Instead, he offered more prayer.
Shame, because he was hot.
And your parents
didn't go along with that?
- That he was hot?
- No, the prayers.
Oh, no.
No, they wouldn't take no for an answer.
They found this place,
far from any populated
areas where they would do
exactly what my parents were looking for.
[Gene] Another church?
A church and a whole compound to boot.
Many people lived there.
They promised my parents to cure me
if they'd adhere to very
strict rules and conditions.
They were to sell all their
belongings, and they did.
They were to give all the proceeds
and savings to the church, and they did.
And we were to move in.
And we did.
[Sofia] Oh my God.
Would you excuse me?
No, Robert, I won't excuse you.
If you don't want to share
your story, that's fine.
But you're damn well gonna listen to mine.
(tense music)
Why do you keep calling me Robert?
He's-he's drunk, right?
We were separated the moment we arrived.
I never saw my parents again.
Only those who were cured
were allowed to be
reunited with their families.
To cure us, they first paired us with
age-appropriate members
of the opposite sex.
Lesbians. We did everything together.
And just to make sure there
wasn't any premarital sex.
As if.
We were first ordered to get
married right in the church.
Each couple got a tiny bedroom
with a bed barely big enough for two.
To ensure physical contact?
It didn't work.
Charlize, my wife,
(chuckles) we, we liked each other.
We actually liked each other so much
we became really good friends.
Not all couples were that fortunate.
Still, we weren't physically
attracted to each other,
even though we tried.
You did? Why?
You wanted to see your parents.
We did.
Although looking back
now, I don't know why.
They were horrible.
They must have known what
was going on and they did nothing.
They were completely under the spell
of Father Robert O'Farrell.
Why do I know that name?
Look, they're not gonna fund us.
Thank you, you're obviously
not gonna fund us, so
Move even a fraction of an inch
and I'd be more than
happy to do 20 to life, fucker.
Sit the fuck back down.
Randy, what the fuck,
man? Put the gun down.
Gene, I love you to
pieces, but right now,
I need you to sit down
and listen to my story.
Randy, if you do this, you're ending us.
Wrong, babe. This
will just get us started.
All I ask is that you hear me out.
This fuck, Father Robert O'Farrell,
was the main brain behind
the whole compound.
Are you still lost at sea?
Or do you feel the desert heat?
But I'm not who you think.
(gun bangs)
There is not a doubt in my mind.
Children of Heaven's Light.
I saw that in a documentary last week.
Are you talking about the cult,
The Children of Heaven's Light?
I am.
But, okay, Randy, that
can't be Robert O'Farrell.
He's dead.
There's pictures on the
news and TV and everything.
It's not James.
You don't know his voice. I do.
Oh, sure, his accent is fake.
In between the erosion of
time and a marvelous facelift,
you've had everyone fooled for years.
Until
Until I talked to him on the phone.
I knew that voice.
Despite his fake accent.
And then there's the little
boy's room conundrum.
O'Farrell's the only man I have ever known
to use that phrase when
no children are present.
Randy, you're mistaken.
I will prove it beyond
a shadow of a doubt
if you all sit down and
let me finish my story.
Randy, this is nuts.
[Randy] When I'm finished with
my story, if you're not convinced,
I'll hand the gun over to you
and you can arrest me yourself.
All I ask is that you hear me out.
Okay. Go on.
When our marriage wasn't
consummated, I was blamed.
[Gene] Why you and not Charlize?
Stubborn plumbing tools
mixed with the wrong pipe fitting?
[Gene] Of course.
Little blue pills weren't easily
available then without a prescription.
But they did have
their little chemistry set.
Chemistry set?
They'd strip me naked
and tie me to a metal chair with zip ties.
Regular hardware storage zip ties
that cut deep into my skin.
And they'd force feed me this liquid goo
from their little chemistry set.
And they'd make me watch porn,
keeping my eyes open
with a surgical device.
Wait, wait, wait, they
thought that forcing you
to watch straight porn was
gonna turn you straight?
[Randy] Gay porn.
Gay porn?
The good stuff too.
At least it had the same type of men as
the magazines my parents found me with.
[Gene] What the fuck?
It wasn't getting me aroused, of course.
Not with Father O'Farrell
and his anti-merry banshies around.
Then the drugs started to work.
I became violently sick.
I've never been so
nauseated in my whole life.
I started to gag.
And then they put on another porn tape,
on another screen, so
that I couldn't look anywhere
without seeing hard cocks
penetrating willing mouths.
And I was so sick, I vomited.
I vomited all over my
chest. Over my crotch.
You have the wrong man,
I didn't... [Randy] Shut up.
Do you think he's making this up?
No. This is terrible.
It wasn't me. You have the wrong man.
[Randy] I'll prove you wrong about that.
So it's-it's likely that he
has the wrong man, and
Let me finish, babe.
But I also know that he
wouldn't make this up.
So, we're all gonna hear him out.
I appreciate the vote of
confidence, but I need you to stay put.
And let me finish my story.
Babe, I'm just trying to
[Randy] You're trying to help. I know.
And in light of what you shared earlier,
I feel even worse about it,
but we all need to see this through.
Does it have to be at gunpoint?
I'm not pointing the
gun at you, nor will I.
I have no alternative.
This is not your fault.
I don't understand.
You'll be okay. It's okay.
I'm not gonna hurt you.
But I have no alternative.
I promise you'll see if
you just hear me out, okay?
Okay. Okay.
I'm sorry.
You have nothing to be sorry about.
Maybe have some sherry to calm your nerves.
Look, maybe we've just
all had a lot to drink tonight.
No, actually, I need this.
Okay. Okay.
(gentle music)
(gentle music continues)
I didn't do anything to you, Randy.
You're still gonna stay put.
So how long did they keep you strapped
to the chair like that?
(gentle music continues)
(gentle music continues)
Until the chemicals
wore out. Three hours.
Three hours without cleaning me up.
Three hours?
For 21 days straight, Sundays included.
What?
I lost 45 pounds.
I couldn't keep my food down,
and then I discovered it was easier
if I went in on an empty stomach.
You're lucky that your
kidneys didn't collapse.
They stopped that fruitless therapy
to give me enough time to recover.
Charlize, bless her heart,
she nursed me back to proper health.
And I've made sure I've
never been malnourished since.
And while I was recovering,
other boys were being treated.
How many of you were there?
51. Erm, 26 girls and 25 boys.
[Sofia] With so many
of you, couldn't you
Revolt? We tried.
We tried, and they
replied with machine guns.
They killed ten of us that night.
But when I watched the documentary,
they said that there was this
[Randy] We're not there yet.
Okay.
Peter was a kid my age.
He was so young and full of life.
The most femme queen
you can imagine that age.
He was adorable.
One day, when they returned
him from the therapy building,
he was knocked out cold.
And when he woke up,
there wasn't a spark of life left in him.
He barely knew his own name.
They had performed what I now know
is called an ice pick lobotomy.
It's where they grab an ice pick
and they shove it so far up the nose, and
They may not have killed his body,
but they annihilated his soul.
His soul?
Nobody asked you.
Randy, look, I know, okay?
But please, you've got to put the gun down.
Will you behave?
Charlize still didn't
obtain a blessed state,
as they called it, so
they took me back to the
therapy building the moment
I'd recovered my strength.
More gay porn.
Only this time, they replaced
the chemistry set with
electroshock therapy.
Not just on my skull
where you might expect it.
See, they had learned that a big audience
was definitely keeping
me from getting aroused.
So, after they stripped
me down, they all left,
except for the most
handsome boy in the compound.
He would get aroused from the gay porn,
and I would get aroused
from him and the gay porn.
And the sensors on my genitalia
would register my arousal and shock me.
It didn't
It didn't make me chase skirts,
it just made me wet myself.
After two weeks, Charlize still didn't
get pregnant, so they gave up.
And then they started taking her
to the therapy building instead.
And when she came
home at the end of the day,
she wouldn't say anything at all.
She would just roll up into a little ball.
Can you, can you hand
me that bottle, please?
(gentle music)
(gentle music continues)
(gentle music continues)
(gentle music continues)
(gentle music continues)
One day, I decided to
break out of our building
and sneak into the
therapy building to find her.
I didn't have a clue of what I
would do when I did find her.
The therapy building was so empty,
I thought maybe they
had her somewhere else.
And then I started to hear crying, moaning.
So I went toward the sound,
quicker when I recognized
it was undoubtedly hers.
Then I got to the room,
the same room that they
had done my therapy in.
Quietly, I opened the door.
There were two people inside,
but neither of them heard me.
Charlize was strapped to a
gynecological examination chair,
and Father O'Farrell was
standing in front of her,
completely naked, raping her.
That is so
Yeah, it is, isn't it?
So I grabbed the first thing I could find,
erm, a metal food tray,
and I ran toward him,
screaming, to hit him
on the back of the head,
and I shouted.
Why, why do we shout when
we're gonna attack someone.
Giving him a heads up?
In martial arts, it's called a kiai.
It's supposed to focus the
strength into your attacks
and intimidate your
opponent, but the key is to do it
so your opponents don't have a heads up.
I gave him plenty. I was 16.
Prone in his nudity as he might've been,
I was no match for him.
I was still weak, and he was younger
and more muscular back then.
He was more muscular
because he wasn't me, Randy.
He deflected the metal
sheet like it was nothing.
Then he took his fist to my
head and he knocked me out cold.
At some point, I opened my eyes.
I couldn't move.
I found I was in the same
room, laying on the ground.
And he was there, still
having his way with her.
I passed out again, and when I woke up,
I was back in our room.
I remember someone said.
I should feel lucky that they hadn't
machine gunned the hell out of me.
But I didn't know who I
was or if I wanted to be.
They'd been trying for so long
to make me into something I wasn't.
And I tried to fight that.
But when you're convinced
that you can't ever be happy again,
it's nearly impossible to be
who you're supposed to be.
And I'm so glad you found a way.
Charlize wasn't so lucky.
She had one last trick
up her sleeve, however.
See, he had raped her to
breed more of his little scions.
And when he discovered that
she used a metal coat hanger
to stop that, he gave
her the ice pick treatment.
(tense music)
That way, he could turn her into
a mindless breeding machine.
Motherfucker.
He's got the wrong guy. I didn't do that.
She wasn't as far gone as Peter.
Her joy was gone, if joy was
possible in a place like that.
But there was enough of her left
to tell me that she didn't wanna live.
I disagreed.
That night, when I went to bed,
she cut her hair short the
way it was when I first met her.
After
After?
After she cut her hair to
make herself look like a boy,
again, the way she wanted to look.
After she almost escaped the compound.
After she was mistaken for a boy.
After she was shot and
killed by cult members.
After they sent 83 pieces
of lead through her body.
After the machine gun sounds woke me up
and I looked over and saw she wasn't there.
After I never saw her again. (Sobs)
I-I have no words.
I-I don't expect you to.
Babe, can I now?
Not yet.
Okay.
I was enraged.
(tense music)
I then decided I was never
going to be a victim again.
I was going to fight.
So I stormed out of our building,
straight for Father O'Farrell.
Again, he knocked the wind right out of me.
I woke up strapped in the
same chair Charlize had been.
Tied down, stripped
naked, my legs spread apart.
I thought he was gonna
do me like he did Charlize.
Several of the hard to turn
boys had been castrated.
I thought maybe I was next.
But no.
See, eventually all of his property
was to be branded like cattle,
right here on the left ass cheek.
It had started a month
earlier. I had been the first.
He had brainwashed everyone into thinking
it was some sort of initiation.
Something to be proud of.
Now he was going to brand me again.
But on the front.
[Sofia] No.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yes, he took a hot iron out of the oven
and he put it right there.
Then he took the next one out of the oven
and shoved it right on my pubic bone.
And again. And again.
No. No, no, no!
No?
(tense music)
(James groans)
You!
(tense music)
Now you see why I
always wanted the lights off.
If I would have seen
instead of just felt,
I-I would have still
loved you just the same.
You would have asked a million questions
I wasn't ready to answer.
[Gene] Yes, but-but this?
This is to answer those
questions I promised I would.
Once I found this man and confronted him.
That's why I never got plastic surgery.
It feels so good having you here,
begging me for money.
And for me to be in a
position to give you that money
and turn you down, and turn
you down hard, and expose you.
I'm liking that very much,
Father Robert O'Farrell.
But-but babe, nobody
escaped the compound.
How can you be so
sure that it's... It's him!
I'm so sorry this happened to you, Randy.
Can't you see I'm not that guy?
Shut up! You don't get to talk.
When they sent 83 bullets through Charlize,
a stray hitchhiker was
passing through the area.
He made it back to the road unseen,
hitched a ride, and alerted authorities.
They came in hoards.
Of course, The Children of
Heaven's Light were well armed,
so it took the cops a
while to get even close.
But when the church realized
that they were going to lose this battle,
they decided to make
the ultimate sacrifice.
(tense music continues)
The proverbial Kool-Aid.
The literal cyanide.
(rhythmic music)
After they dosed everyone,
they set every building on fire.
They were so busy torching the place,
I was able to sneak out unnoticed.
Not easy since I was
naked and freshly branded.
Eventually, a cop found me,
but I wasn't the only one who escaped.
This here weasel, Judas the Cocksucker,
had killed his flock, yet spared himself.
The cop who found me kept
me out of the system because
with him out there, no survivor
of Children of Heaven's
Light would be safe.
Through the cop, uh, a
couple took me in, the Ebners.
And they nursed me, and they schooled me,
and they loved me.
(chuckles) God, they loved me.
And they kept me safe.
Safe from the media, and
safe from this piece of shit.
And you're absolutely sure?
Not at first.
But now, here, I am dead sure.
How can you be so
sure after all this time?
(tense music)
Let's see. What's his new name?
Hudson, James Hudson.
So?
It's a nickname he had,
one he certainly didn't get
from his big toe being
fused with his second toe.
How did you
One he definitely got
for the giant birthmark
on his left ass cheek, shaped
exactly like Hudson Bay.
Right down to Akimiski Island.
You monster!
- Stop it!
- Hey!
Say my name.
Asshole.
My name! Say it.
(Sofia sobs)
Randy Ebner. Are you happy?
My birth name.
Say my name!
Helmut Eugen Schulz.
(sinister music) (Randy panting)
You remember my middle name.
(tense music)
Robert O'Farrell, I'm
placing you under arrest.
(building rumbling) (objects clattering)
(Randy groans)
(tense music)
Put your shirt on, you filthy
Say it.
You lame ass coward
cocksucker, fucking say it.
It starts with an F.
You think I won't shoot?
(gun bangs)
Hey, you got witnesses.
Sofia, shut up.
Babe, just do what he says, okay?
(tense music continues)
Now move over there.
(gun bangs)
I said move the fuck over there.
All right. All right.
[James] Turn around.
Prostrate, hands out in front of you.
James, you can't... Shut up.
Take those cuffs over to Sofia.
- Okay.
- The other way.
Okay, okay.
(tense music continues)
Stop. Sofia, cuff him.
Put your hands behind your back.
- Now!
- Okay.
(handcuffs click)
(tense music)
No!
Stay put. Stay put.
Stay put.
(heartbeat thudding)
He's alive. For now.
If you fucking touch him, I'll
(gun bangs)
I said, stay put.
(tense music)
Now, this way you can all see,
earthquakes are acts of God.
Yeah, I'll believe that when
one puts you six feet under.
Yeah, right.
You will not get away with this again.
For sure I will.
Sofia, get something to tie him up with.
Now, no funny business,
or I will shoot you stone cold dead.
Move your ass!
(tense music)
(tense music continues)
(tense music continues)
If you're just gonna
kill us all, why tie me up?
I don't like making hasty decisions.
And this takes planning.
[Sofia] I found this.
Good.
Now, slowly get up, Randy.
Sit your fat ass over
there, on the ottoman.
(tense music continues)
And for Christ's sake,
button up your shirt.
Sew my buttons back on and I will.
Enough with the wise cracks.
Sofia, tie his hands behind his back.
Put your arms behind you.
(tense music)
Nice and tight.
It's super tight.
Okay, sit down.
Sit your ass down, back where you were.
(tense music continues)
[Sofia] No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
Stop your whining!
(both groaning)
(gun bangs)
(Randy yells)
Get your fat ass off me,
Helmut, you fucking queer!
Randy, do as he says, he will kill you!
[James] The bitch is not wrong.
Fine.
(tense music continues)
You fucking ruined everything.
Again.
Take a good look.
This is what pride looks like.
Shut up!
Do you have any idea
how much effort it takes
to rebuild a whole life?
I couldn't care less.
(gun bangs)
(yells) Fuck!
[James] Bring back sweet memories?
Fuck you!
Wouldn't you like that?
(tense music continues)
(tense music continues)
I'm gonna enjoy taking my
time finally finishing you off.
[Sofia] Fuck you!
(yells) You bitch!
Good job, Sofia.
- Where are your bandages?
- Up yours!
Sofia, get me some kitchen towels. Now!
(tense music continues)
(groans) Sit down over there.
(tense music continues)
I should be glad you found me, actually.
Yeah, sure you are.
[James] I never got
the chance to tell you
how much Charlize liked it in the end.
Fuck off.
Oh, she would never admit it.
But she loved having me deep inside her,
receiving the blessed
seed of Children's Light.
You can't gaslight me, shitter.
Oh, fuck. (Groans)
Gene.
Oh, look who's with us.
You got something to say?
Come here so I can say it. (Chuckles)
- What?
- Closer, closer.
What?
So there's something
you don't know about cops.
And what's that?
It's the writing on the wall. Look at it.
We always keep the keys to the cuffs,
you dumb-ass closeted cocksucker.
Man, get up. Get up.
(James groans)
Babe, get the cuffs and cuff him.
That's right, good job.
(handcuffs clicking)
I'll read you your rights when you wake up.
You guys okay?
- Yeah.
- I am now.
Are you?
Never better. (Chuckles)
Pardon me.
(James groans)
Hey, Robert.
(James groans)
Hey, guys, stop before I get
accused of police brutality, huh?
I'm having another drink.
I mean, at this point,
knock yourself out.
(gentle music)
Gene, I, I am so deeply sorry...
Babe, stop, 'kay?
You have nothing to
be sorry about, all right?
But this, it doesn't bother you?
No, does it bother you?
Isn't it obvious?
(siren wailing)
Well, then, let's do something about it.
Okay.
They must have fixed the bridge.
Kelly at dispatch must have sent them.
- Good for Kelly.
- Yeah.
Babe, where are you going?
Your fellow cops, they'll see.
I no longer care about them,
because I'm choosing you.
- I love you.
- I love you so much.
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music continues)
(dramatic music continues)
(dramatic music continues)
(dramatic music continues)
(dramatic music continues)
(dramatic music continues)
(dramatic music continues)
(dramatic music continues)
(dramatic music continues)
(dramatic music continues)
(dramatic music continues)
(dramatic music continues)
[Gene] I will take the rest
of the baseball season off
if that's what it takes.
[Randy] Well, then I won't see
you in those sexy tights anymore.
[Gene] They're called baseball uniforms.
[Randy] Yeah, (laughs)
those tights. It's the best.
Actually, the only thing I like
about you playing the game.
[Gene] As if you don't feast your eyes
on the other men on the team.
[Randy] A team you'd leave
hanging without a pitcher.
[Gene] I'm not the
only pitcher on that team,
and you know it.
- [Randy] Are we still talking baseball?
- [Gene] Yes, yes we are.
[Randy] 'Cause you know
you make a better catcher.
[Gene] At home, which
is where I'd be more often
if I take the rest of
[Randy] That's like you giving
up breathing for the season.
You cannot bribe me with that.
[Gene] It's just an amateur
league for coworkers.
You really need me there tonight?
[Randy] Like a baseball
team needs a rock solid pitcher.
[Gene] But you know with my job.
[Randy] They won't know.
[Gene] They'd know
once they see my attire.
[Randy] You'll have time to
change. You won't be outed.
[Gene] I have one condition.
[Randy] I'm all ears.
[Gene] Next time, for
once, we leave the lights on.
I want to see you.
[Randy] When you come out at work.
[Gene] I can still feel in the dark.
Randy, whatever your
scars or skeletons are,
it won't bother me.
[Randy] It bothers me.
And it bothers me that I'm
halfway back in the closet,
although you're worth it.
[Gene] My workplace is
a macho environment and
[Randy] You need to come out on
your own terms when you're ready.
[Gene] Thank you.
[Randy] The same goes
for me not having the lights on.
[Gene] That is fair-ish.
[Randy] Help me with the investment
meeting tonight and I'll surprise you.
[Gene] I'll be there,
out of support only.
[Randy] You know, you'll
be at the cabin before me.
[Gene] Promise me
this won't get back to work.
I'm really not ready yet.
[Randy] For someone
who admires Donny the Punk
as much as you do, yet still isn't ready
[Gene] We're going in circles.
I need to know, why is it so important
that I'm part of your investment meeting?
[Randy] I need to
know who I'm investing in,
learn exactly who they
are in a very short time.
And I need to be absolutely 100% sure
[Gene] That they're not homophobic?
[Randy] That too, yes.
[Gene] I'll be there.
[Randy] I love you.
[Gene] I love you back.
(crickets chirping)
Gene?
(building rumbling)
(tense music)
Huh.
(intriguing music)
(intriguing music continues)
(intriguing music continues)
(vehicle rumbling)
(car door shuts)
(footsteps tapping)
Excellent.
No, really, Officer, we're very grateful,
but we can manage from here on out.
(gentle music)
Really, Officer?
You can't just barge into
people's homes like that.
- I'm so sorry, he just walked right in.
- [Randy] Why wouldn't he? He lives here.
[James] What?
A Black, gay cop. Now, that is hot.
You are hot, and you are very lucky.
Okay, she can stay.
- I don't understand.
- They are a couple over.
[Randy] Oh, he knows.
He's just not comfortable with it.
No, no, I'm totally fine.
It's just that my car broke down
and I had no idea that
one of our hosts would be
our Good Samaritan,
but you could have told us.
I'm gonna go change.
[Randy] Drinks?
Rum and Coke?
[Randy] Classic, I like it.
Is that sherry?
It's the Amontillado by Montresor.
It's perfect for you.
Thanks.
Our car broke down, middle of nowhere.
Thank goodness the Good
Samaritan came along when he did.
Gene, his name is Gene.
Speaking of whom, are you all okay
on your own for just a minute?
Of course, yeah.
I didn't see that coming.
Right? Randy seems so normal.
I meant your homophobia.
- Homophobia? What are you talking about?
- "Randy seems so normal"?
He's our last hope for funding.
As you said, we have
to do whatever it takes.
It's not how I meant it to come across.
No, if you want to work
with a Hollywood crowd,
there is no place for a homophobia.
(gentle music)
(gentle music continues)
(gentle music continues)
Well, not even Nostradamus
could have predicted that.
It's a pretty lame apology
to blame a dead French astrologer.
I'm sorry.
Whatever.
Even if they hadn't broken down,
they still would have
made it here before me.
Pretty sure you told 'em
what a stickler for time you are.
Yeah. So where'd you find them?
[Gene] Back where you
had a flat a few weeks back.
And the car?
Needs to be towed.
- Fuck.
- Yeah.
We need to take them back.
(chuckles) No, you need to take them back
and you owe me a proper apology.
Gene, what can I do?
I think I know her from somewhere.
I really hope it's not from work.
You know I'm not ready to be out yet.
I know, you're right. I'm sorry.
Let me make it up to you.
Right now.
No, what are you doing?
No, no, not with them here.
[Randy] Well, I thought you
wanted to see me with the lights on.
Go entertain your homophobes.
Hmm.
You know, she seemed
to at least know Dorothy.
[Gene] I doubt she's a friend of hers.
Yeah, but she is friendly.
He on the other hand seemed grossed out.
He probably masturbates to Anita Bryant.
(both laughing)
Stop, I'll pour a gallon of
orange juice all over you.
Oh, and cream pies,
promises, promises. (Chuckles)
[Randy] God, you're right. I should
go back to the Anita Bryant jerk off.
Uh, you should just kick them out.
[Randy] And miss out on a
wonderful night of straight bashing?
[Gene] You're so terrible.
You know, if I'm
right, I'll have a surprise.
(sighs) You know I hate surprises.
[Randy] And yet you want
to see me with the lights on.
[Gene] Randy, what the fuck, dude?
- How are your drinks?
- Great.
Please help yourself to anything.
So, the drive over was hell,
but here you are. (Chuckles)
It, uh, got a lot better when.
Gene showed up to help us out.
My apologies for the
misunderstanding, Randy.
Please, don't mention it.
So, about the investment.
Actually, I'd like to have Gene's
input and impression on this.
Of course.
I love your artwork.
Now I know who you are.
You're Sofia Campos, the famous model.
Famous? Well, maybe for 15 minutes.
What happened?
Well, the lifestyle
was just too fast for
(building rumbling)
Oh my God.
Shouldn't we stand in a doorway?
Or go outside?
- Is everyone okay?
- Everybody is fine.
And no, you don't stand in a doorway
or go outside during earthquakes.
Yeah, no, you duck and cover
or you go under a table if possible.
How long have you been in California?
For about three months.
[Gene] You get used to it. Sometimes
you don't experience them for a year or so.
Other times they're
like this, back to back.
Did you know this is Sofia
Campos, the famous model?
That's why I thought I recognized you.
[Randy] Ha, such a relief.
Que?
[Gene] Don't mind
me, just thinking out loud.
Well, I was just saying how
much I loved your artwork.
[Gene] Really? Well,
actually, Randy did that one.
That one is an impression
of Donny the Punk.
[Sofia] Who?
[Gene] Also known as Stephen Donaldson.
I don't know that name.
Isn't he a writer?
Different guy, but don't feel bad.
This genius here only
learned about him by mistake.
Okay, so there's the
science fiction author
and then there's the LGBTQIA activist.
Two people, same name.
I actually thought they were
the same, until I looked them up.
Sadly, the activist has since passed away,
but he was responsible for
making the word Pride popular
in regard to Pride festivals.
[Randy] AKA, Donny the Punk.
His real name was Robert Anthony Martin Jr.
But he changed it so he
could be a known homosexual
without blemishing his father's name.
See, his father was a
professor at a different college,
but it seems we're making James here
somewhat uncomfortable
with all this gay history talk.
Oh, no, no, it's quite fascinating.
Well, there's more time
to dive into the annals
of the anally-inclined later tonight.
(chuckles) Stop.
James, the spotlight is on you.
Spotlight?
The rehab clinic you want
to open for one-percenters.
Ah, yeah, well, our idea
is a two-pronged approach.
I have read the Marcel
Proust length charter twice.
And the charter's no good?
[Randy] It's fine. However, you're
looking for an unusually large investment.
(atmospheric music)
I understand that.
And as an angel investor,
I have a lot of liberty on what I can do.
For example, the cut I
take on projects like these
Are much higher than usual.
We understand that and we
don't have a problem with that.
Mm-hmm, it's better than
having no investor at all, right?
Exactly.
It's not for personal gain.
It allows me to invest in LGBTQIA+ youth.
See, my goal is for no queer kid
to ever feel like they're a victim again.
And at the same time, I wanna educate them
on queer history, what queers have endured.
So they understand they
have an easier time being gay
because of the sacrifices others have made.
It's something many take for granted.
That's beautiful. I love it.
Yeah, we're okay
with it. It's good, great.
Good.
Because I need to know
beyond a shadow of a doubt
that you're okay with
this before I'd invest
in your celebrity
rehab. If I were to do so.
[Sofia] He's totally
okay with that, right, hon?
Of course.
[Randy] The truth is I don't give
a damn about your business plan.
What? You told me you liked it.
I do, but I don't care about it because
I don't care about any business plan.
A business plan tells
you exactly the business
[Randy] A business plan
doesn't tell me anything
about what's at the core of that business.
Of course it does, Randy.
[Randy] What's at the core then?
- Healing.
- Wrong.
It's you.
You are at the core of your
business, right? It's people.
A charter plan doesn't tell
me anything about what makes
James Hudson and Sofia Campos tick.
[James] I see.
So the sooner you stop
trying to sell me something
and show me who you really are, the better.
[Sofia] What exactly are you looking for?
(atmospheric music)
Tell me a detail about
an event in your life
that had a significant impact on you.
Something you haven't told many people.
How would you know that
we aren't just making it up
and that everything we're
telling you is just a story?
[Randy] Well, if you do that and
I believe you, then that's on me.
Is this a one-way street or
are you gonna share as well?
[Randy] I will.
(building rumbling)
[Gene] Is everybody okay?
[Sofia] Yeah, I'm fine.
- You all right, babe?
- Peachy.
I'm just a little rattled.
[Gene] I'm gonna go
report that on the radio.
My mobile one's out and I gotta go
put the car in the garage anyway, so.
- [Randy] All right.
- I need another drink. Anyone?
- Yep.
- Please, thank you.
(gentle music)
Officer Kinsella to
dispatch, come in, over.
[Kelly] Dispatch here, go ahead, over.
Kelly, is that you? Over.
[Kelly] Hi, Gene. Over.
Yeah, I'm up at the cabin.
I was just wondering, was
that temblor felt anywhere else?
Over.
[Kelly] Severe quake
here. Bad news for you.
The McKinsey Bridge is out, over.
(tense music)
As in we're stuck here? Over.
[Kelly] Yes, it seems that way.
Is it just you up there?
Do you need a chopper evac? Over.
Negative.
There are four of us and
we're fine. We have supplies.
Just let the captain know I'm stuck here
and I still have the squad car, over.
[Kelly] Will do. Oh, and Gene
What? Dispatch, come in, over.
(static buzzing)
Dispatch, come in, over.
(static buzzing)
(building rumbling)
Goddamn earthquakes.
Jesus.
(objects rattling)
Thanks, dear.
[Randy] Thank you.
Do you always have
these meetings up here?
No, this is the first time.
Why us then?
Well, you don't just
have a Christmas wish list.
You're asking for the whole North Pole.
Well, I can appreciate that.
For that, I need to
be sure of who you are.
I mean, I have got to be positive.
But didn't you say you ran a
credit and a background check?
I did.
So then, you know we are good.
Well, I know your credit's good,
but I need to make sure that I'm right.
Right about what?
Well, if you're uncomfortable with any
of this, you are free to leave at any time.
[Gene] Nobody's going anywhere.
- That's not up to you to decide.
- Well, the bridge is out, so
- What?
- What are you saying?
(tense music)
[Gene] The main bridge is out.
We're stuck here, maybe for days.
- [Randy] The quake wasn't that strong.
- [Gene] Not here it wasn't.
[Randy] Did the bridge collapse?
[Gene] I lost contact
with dispatch, nothing noise.
[Randy] Maybe the relay tower went down.
I mean, I don't know
anything about radio systems.
Nah, nah, that is
possible, that's possible.
What about us?
We are fine.
We have plenty of food and water,
and even if the power
goes down, we have solar.
But it's night.
[Randy] Batteries, and ours can last
48 hours without needing a charge.
Uh, cool.
[Randy] Maybe it's a good
thing this has happened.
Good? How on earth is this good?
Well, stressful situations
show the true nature of people.
I need to, erm, I need to talk
to you for a second, come here.
Excuse me.
- Que pasa, hombre?
- What do you mean?
So, you're acting weird.
They might not see it
What if they can't fix the bridge?
Well, they know that we're here,
and they know that we're good.
They'll send the helicopter if
they can't establish contact, so.
Erm, we're gonna be all right then.
Right, so let's get on with our night.
Erm, what is it you're
looking for, Randy?
What do you want?
[Randy] Take Gene.
- Me?
- Just for example.
[Gene] Yeah, okay, okay.
What made Gene want to become a cop?
Most cops have family members
who are or were cops, but Gene didn't.
Did something happen?
Why did he want to become a cop?
I don't know.
I wanted to become a cop once.
You did?
Mm. I never told anyone this story.
One day I decided to see
if I could do a ride along.
[Randy] Here in California?
Texas. Austin, Travis
County, Sheriff's Department.
They assigned me to deputy Alice.
They put us in a slow and safe
part of the town because of me.
[Gene] Eh, it's not uncommon.
Mm. And slow it was.
It seemed that we waited for
hours for something to happen.
I was starting to think that
they were gonna have me
sit in that car all day long.
But after that, it got really busy.
There was a call for a welfare
check on an elderly lady.
Neighbors hadn't seen her in a while.
So we went in, and first we saw
little bloody paw prints
all over the house.
Her face was horribly disfigured.
Gnawed off.
- Her cats?
- Yeah.
Does that happen a lot?
[Gene] It's not uncommon.
Cats get hungry and they know you're dead,
and they get pretty
darn practical about it, so.
It's actually a beautiful thought.
I wouldn't mind it at all.
[James] Beautiful?
Well, get past the
gross factor for a minute.
I can't speak for the lady,
but if I were in the same situation
and there were a couple
of critters that I cared for
and loved for years, I
wouldn't want them to starve.
That's actually what
one of her neighbors said.
Gruesome as it is, I suppose there's
something romantic about it.
Romantic? Uh, I just don't get it.
[Randy] Well, maybe
you measure the experience
of life with different units altogether.
What does that mean?
[Randy] That what others do to you,
you measure through a different lens
than what you do to others.
Doesn't everyone?
[Randy] (chuckles)
Everyone steals cookies
from the cookie jar, but not everyone
becomes a full fledged armed bank robber
and blames others for their deeds.
I'm here, we're here for an investment,
and that makes me a bank robber?
That was just an example,
but I am anxious to hear about your event.
Well, since Randy brought up the
question, why did you become a cop?
Uh, it was just an example.
Gene is not here for an
investment evaluation.
So what, erm, you know
what? I see what you're doing.
Do you?
- 100%.
[Sofia] Why not let him share?
[James] Yeah, let him talk.
If you want to hear about us, why
should we be at sea about you?
Trust me, you won't be at sea when I do.
You'll be in the middle
of the Sahara Desert.
I said I'll share mine.
Gene's not part of that.
That's not for you to decide.
You asked me to be here.
Where's your little boy's room?
(tense music)
What did you just say? Little boy's room?
[Gene] It's right down the hallway
and immediately to the left.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
Have you ever known another adult to use
that phrase when children aren't present?
[Gene] But you are being childish.
He's the one not willing to talk.
I'll see if he's okay.
(atmospheric music)
So why can't I tell my story?
Listen, Gene, I don't
need them to hear your story.
I didn't even want to hear her
story. I just, I need to hear his.
Right. Is he an old
boyfriend or something?
What? No, I
I think
[Gene] You think what, Randy?
You're right. I should have
clued you in beforehand.
This isn't going the way I'd foreseen.
- What the hell did you foresee?
- That neither would talk.
I thought I'd tell an upsetting
story and I'd gauge their reaction.
Okay, Randy, so first you just said
you needed James to talk,
and now you didn't expect
either of them to talk?
Expectations and needs
are two very different things.
Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, are quite
different, I know, I know, but guess what?
If I tell them my story,
then you'll get to scrutinize their
answers to it better than your own, right?
That's not what I need.
Look, they not gonna be in there forever.
You're right. My apologies.
Gene, please share your
story. It's the right thing to do.
[Gene] Okay.
Hey, thank you.
[Gene] Thanking me for what?
For being you.
For being here, for supporting this night.
I shouldn't knock the
legs out from under you.
Okay, right.
I don't know what you're
doing, but I don't like it.
[Sofia] He really just
needed to use the restroom.
He'll be right out.
Okay, I need a drink.
Hey, Gene, I thought we'd... Don't.
Ah, me too.
So, did everything come
out of the little boy okay?
Randy, what the hell?
[James] Yes, thank you. Just fine.
[Sofia] Where did we leave off?
Gene was actually
about to share his event.
[James] I thought you just said
It's okay. Gene, your turn.
So, I was about 19, and one day,
I'm coming home from work
and I forgot my keys for
some dumb reason, but
So, I knock on the neighbor's door,
and he answers and
says, "Oh, hey, it's you."
Was he stoned or something?
Out of his fucking mind.
You know I hate being around that.
I just wanted to, you know, tell him off.
[Sofia] Why didn't you?
My hyper condition need to be polite.
We do jump through some hoops
just not to offend people, don't we?
Yes, we do.
So anyway, there's someone else there.
This local junkie, totally insane.
And he yells at me, "Oh,
so you're that filthy homo from next door."
(sighs) And he points a gun at me,
tells me to sit with him.
And so for over two hours,
I was held at gunpoint.
Did he shoot you?
Kept yelling the six letter F word.
Everyone was so stoned that
they didn't realize I was
being held at gunpoint.
Maybe they were so stoned,
they didn't even know you were there.
So anyway, after two hours of that,
my neighbor says, "I'm hungry,
let's go get something to eat."
So, I don't know if he meant it
or if he was just trying to get us out.
Did it work?
[Gene] Well, I thought it did.
The junkie put his gun down, got up,
and everybody started to leave.
You didn't make it back
to your own place, did you?
Not right then.
Everyone made it around the corner,
but that junkie was still there.
Why didn't you just
kick the shit out of him?
I mean, you're a martial arts expert.
Nah, not back then.
And when guns are involved,
you don't fuck around, you know?
Nah, I guess you don't, do you?
So this, this creep, take,
takes a piss right on my scooter.
(sighs) And then he
Urine, right? It washes
off, so I don't react.
(sighs) Turns to me and says,
"Bet you like that
circumcised dick, huh, homo?
Bet, you wanna suck it, huh?"
So I tell him, "Just put away or shoot me
because I'm not entertaining that shit."
"Just shoot me." Stupid.
Luckily, he didn't, he zipped up,
said, "Just kidding."
Yeah, right.
And then he left.
[Randy] Gene, are you okay?
Light years away from okay.
[Randy] Hey, I'm sorry.
Why did I just tell him to shoot me
when he could've just done so?
[Sofia] What would you
call that? Helsinki syndrome?
It's Stockholm syndrome, but a few hours
isn't enough for that
level of brainwashing.
I think you were just tired of
playing the obedient victim.
So I get home and I lay on the floor
in a fetal position for, for over an hour.
And I hear footsteps
outside getting closer.
I could feel my heart pounding,
beating like a sledgehammer.
You know, just
Then it just stops.
Somebody hit something metal up against
my window just, tap, tap, tap.
And again, tap, tap, tap.
And 30 seconds of silence.
Bang!
(tense music)
Gunshot and glass shattering.
Was it your window?
No, it wasn't mine. It was
neighbors' a few doors down.
He drew his blinds,
but junkie still shot through the window.
Hit him right in the hand.
He could have shot him
in the head for all he knew.
It shocked adrenaline through my system.
Called 911. The cops came.
They arrested him, and a few weeks later,
a judge lets him go
because he's out on parole
on some other thing.
That's fucking bullshit.
Well, then what'd you do?
What could I do?
(gentle music)
They say the best revenge
is to live a successful life,
but it's hard when you
terrified of footsteps or
the fucking doorbell ringing.
Look, I'm not saying what happened to me
was the worst thing in the world, right?
I know that, but
Back then, it really changed me.
I think most people would.
I agree.
Eh, motivated me to become a cop.
And a damn good one. Hey.
I love you.
- I love you right back.
- Come here.
(gentle music continues)
[Gene] What's that, James?
[Randy] Are you ready
to share your event?
I think it's time to have another drink.
Good call.
May it loosen the lips.
[James] I don't really know
what I have to share like that.
I don't have nearly anything
so dramatic in my past.
I doubt that very much.
But maybe it's time
for me to tell my story.
But first, Gene, why don't you
go check to see if the radio's back on?
Yeah. Good call.
(gentle music continues)
(Gene sighs)
- Hey.
- Hey.
Hey, Gene, are you okay?
Don't you need to
babysit them or something?
Nah, they're adults.
Yeah? What about their host?
Funny.
Look, I know I don't say it enough.
I don't need to be verbally
validated all the time.
You show it always,
and I hope I do the same.
You do. You do.
God, you do.
Mm-mm, we can't, we can't. Not, not here.
I thought you said when you're
off duty, the dash-cam is off?
It's, it's not that. It's, it's them.
I need you.
Right now.
Look, they can come out at
Any time, any time, erm
(gentle music)
[James] I just want to
go outside and tell them to
Don't.
They probably need to
discuss some stuff in private.
How so?
[Sofia] Randy didn't know
that happened to Gene.
Oh, that.
I thought they'd be discussing the funding.
Why the hell aren't you
sharing an event, God damn it?
Please don't use the Lord's name in vain.
What?
What?
I didn't know you were religious.
It's been some time since
Since what? Since
you have been to church?
You should probably share with
us what happened to you then.
Mm, there are things that
Look, everyone has skeletons.
Remember, we just need to get our funding.
I know.
(gentle music)
(Randy sighs)
(sighing) Fuck.
Yeah.
(sighing) Don't stop.
(sighs) Fuck.
No, I'm not there yet. Keep going.
Mm-hm.
(Randy groans)
(chuckles) What about you?
You need to get back inside,
and I need to get on the radio, so
Yeah, you're probably
Dammit, I stained my pants.
How can you tell in all this darkness?
Because it's wet.
Oh my God. They're not gonna notice, so.
They are black pants for crying out loud.
They're fucking gonna notice.
(Gene laughs)
- Fuck.
- It's in the back.
You
(laughs) They're gonna notice for sure.
Definitely need to deal with
Go, go deal with that, babe.
- Oh, God, I love you.
- I love you.
I love you too. Just go,
and take that with you.
(door squeaks)
(rhythmic music)
Excuse me, it will,
uh, be just one minute.
(Randy sighs)
(Randy sighs)
(rhythmic music continues)
(rhythmic music continues)
(rhythmic music continues)
(rhythmic music continues)
(rhythmic music continues)
(rhythmic music continues)
(rhythmic music continues)
(keypad beeping)
(rhythmic music continues)
(rhythmic music continues)
(door squeaks)
The radio?
Zilch.
[James] Darn.
[Randy] When you gotta go.
Okay, okay.
Now, my story.
A side of me, nobody
knows, so you better sit down.
(no audio)
When I was 11, my parents
started to fear I was gay.
They switched to a more orthodox branch
of the Catholic Church,
hoping to pray the gay away.
(chuckles) Surprise. It didn't work.
I didn't even know what being gay was.
It wasn't until years later I discovered
the joy of masturbation and magazines.
Too much for you already, Robert?
Robert? My name is James.
If you're going to
rehabilitate drug addicts,
your skin needs to be a tad
thicker than that of poultry.
[James] I don't know what that means.
My parents walked in on me just as I was
white-coating the center of either.
Blue Boy or Black Inches magazine.
(chuckles) I'm sorry.
It wasn't so funny soon after.
They took me back to
the church to convert me.
You'd think a Catholic priest
would rise to the occasion.
Maybe I was too old for him already.
He told my parents the church
didn't do conversions anymore.
Too much liability and
all that. Yada, yada, yada.
Instead, he offered more prayer.
Shame, because he was hot.
And your parents
didn't go along with that?
- That he was hot?
- No, the prayers.
Oh, no.
No, they wouldn't take no for an answer.
They found this place,
far from any populated
areas where they would do
exactly what my parents were looking for.
[Gene] Another church?
A church and a whole compound to boot.
Many people lived there.
They promised my parents to cure me
if they'd adhere to very
strict rules and conditions.
They were to sell all their
belongings, and they did.
They were to give all the proceeds
and savings to the church, and they did.
And we were to move in.
And we did.
[Sofia] Oh my God.
Would you excuse me?
No, Robert, I won't excuse you.
If you don't want to share
your story, that's fine.
But you're damn well gonna listen to mine.
(tense music)
Why do you keep calling me Robert?
He's-he's drunk, right?
We were separated the moment we arrived.
I never saw my parents again.
Only those who were cured
were allowed to be
reunited with their families.
To cure us, they first paired us with
age-appropriate members
of the opposite sex.
Lesbians. We did everything together.
And just to make sure there
wasn't any premarital sex.
As if.
We were first ordered to get
married right in the church.
Each couple got a tiny bedroom
with a bed barely big enough for two.
To ensure physical contact?
It didn't work.
Charlize, my wife,
(chuckles) we, we liked each other.
We actually liked each other so much
we became really good friends.
Not all couples were that fortunate.
Still, we weren't physically
attracted to each other,
even though we tried.
You did? Why?
You wanted to see your parents.
We did.
Although looking back
now, I don't know why.
They were horrible.
They must have known what
was going on and they did nothing.
They were completely under the spell
of Father Robert O'Farrell.
Why do I know that name?
Look, they're not gonna fund us.
Thank you, you're obviously
not gonna fund us, so
Move even a fraction of an inch
and I'd be more than
happy to do 20 to life, fucker.
Sit the fuck back down.
Randy, what the fuck,
man? Put the gun down.
Gene, I love you to
pieces, but right now,
I need you to sit down
and listen to my story.
Randy, if you do this, you're ending us.
Wrong, babe. This
will just get us started.
All I ask is that you hear me out.
This fuck, Father Robert O'Farrell,
was the main brain behind
the whole compound.
Are you still lost at sea?
Or do you feel the desert heat?
But I'm not who you think.
(gun bangs)
There is not a doubt in my mind.
Children of Heaven's Light.
I saw that in a documentary last week.
Are you talking about the cult,
The Children of Heaven's Light?
I am.
But, okay, Randy, that
can't be Robert O'Farrell.
He's dead.
There's pictures on the
news and TV and everything.
It's not James.
You don't know his voice. I do.
Oh, sure, his accent is fake.
In between the erosion of
time and a marvelous facelift,
you've had everyone fooled for years.
Until
Until I talked to him on the phone.
I knew that voice.
Despite his fake accent.
And then there's the little
boy's room conundrum.
O'Farrell's the only man I have ever known
to use that phrase when
no children are present.
Randy, you're mistaken.
I will prove it beyond
a shadow of a doubt
if you all sit down and
let me finish my story.
Randy, this is nuts.
[Randy] When I'm finished with
my story, if you're not convinced,
I'll hand the gun over to you
and you can arrest me yourself.
All I ask is that you hear me out.
Okay. Go on.
When our marriage wasn't
consummated, I was blamed.
[Gene] Why you and not Charlize?
Stubborn plumbing tools
mixed with the wrong pipe fitting?
[Gene] Of course.
Little blue pills weren't easily
available then without a prescription.
But they did have
their little chemistry set.
Chemistry set?
They'd strip me naked
and tie me to a metal chair with zip ties.
Regular hardware storage zip ties
that cut deep into my skin.
And they'd force feed me this liquid goo
from their little chemistry set.
And they'd make me watch porn,
keeping my eyes open
with a surgical device.
Wait, wait, wait, they
thought that forcing you
to watch straight porn was
gonna turn you straight?
[Randy] Gay porn.
Gay porn?
The good stuff too.
At least it had the same type of men as
the magazines my parents found me with.
[Gene] What the fuck?
It wasn't getting me aroused, of course.
Not with Father O'Farrell
and his anti-merry banshies around.
Then the drugs started to work.
I became violently sick.
I've never been so
nauseated in my whole life.
I started to gag.
And then they put on another porn tape,
on another screen, so
that I couldn't look anywhere
without seeing hard cocks
penetrating willing mouths.
And I was so sick, I vomited.
I vomited all over my
chest. Over my crotch.
You have the wrong man,
I didn't... [Randy] Shut up.
Do you think he's making this up?
No. This is terrible.
It wasn't me. You have the wrong man.
[Randy] I'll prove you wrong about that.
So it's-it's likely that he
has the wrong man, and
Let me finish, babe.
But I also know that he
wouldn't make this up.
So, we're all gonna hear him out.
I appreciate the vote of
confidence, but I need you to stay put.
And let me finish my story.
Babe, I'm just trying to
[Randy] You're trying to help. I know.
And in light of what you shared earlier,
I feel even worse about it,
but we all need to see this through.
Does it have to be at gunpoint?
I'm not pointing the
gun at you, nor will I.
I have no alternative.
This is not your fault.
I don't understand.
You'll be okay. It's okay.
I'm not gonna hurt you.
But I have no alternative.
I promise you'll see if
you just hear me out, okay?
Okay. Okay.
I'm sorry.
You have nothing to be sorry about.
Maybe have some sherry to calm your nerves.
Look, maybe we've just
all had a lot to drink tonight.
No, actually, I need this.
Okay. Okay.
(gentle music)
(gentle music continues)
I didn't do anything to you, Randy.
You're still gonna stay put.
So how long did they keep you strapped
to the chair like that?
(gentle music continues)
(gentle music continues)
Until the chemicals
wore out. Three hours.
Three hours without cleaning me up.
Three hours?
For 21 days straight, Sundays included.
What?
I lost 45 pounds.
I couldn't keep my food down,
and then I discovered it was easier
if I went in on an empty stomach.
You're lucky that your
kidneys didn't collapse.
They stopped that fruitless therapy
to give me enough time to recover.
Charlize, bless her heart,
she nursed me back to proper health.
And I've made sure I've
never been malnourished since.
And while I was recovering,
other boys were being treated.
How many of you were there?
51. Erm, 26 girls and 25 boys.
[Sofia] With so many
of you, couldn't you
Revolt? We tried.
We tried, and they
replied with machine guns.
They killed ten of us that night.
But when I watched the documentary,
they said that there was this
[Randy] We're not there yet.
Okay.
Peter was a kid my age.
He was so young and full of life.
The most femme queen
you can imagine that age.
He was adorable.
One day, when they returned
him from the therapy building,
he was knocked out cold.
And when he woke up,
there wasn't a spark of life left in him.
He barely knew his own name.
They had performed what I now know
is called an ice pick lobotomy.
It's where they grab an ice pick
and they shove it so far up the nose, and
They may not have killed his body,
but they annihilated his soul.
His soul?
Nobody asked you.
Randy, look, I know, okay?
But please, you've got to put the gun down.
Will you behave?
Charlize still didn't
obtain a blessed state,
as they called it, so
they took me back to the
therapy building the moment
I'd recovered my strength.
More gay porn.
Only this time, they replaced
the chemistry set with
electroshock therapy.
Not just on my skull
where you might expect it.
See, they had learned that a big audience
was definitely keeping
me from getting aroused.
So, after they stripped
me down, they all left,
except for the most
handsome boy in the compound.
He would get aroused from the gay porn,
and I would get aroused
from him and the gay porn.
And the sensors on my genitalia
would register my arousal and shock me.
It didn't
It didn't make me chase skirts,
it just made me wet myself.
After two weeks, Charlize still didn't
get pregnant, so they gave up.
And then they started taking her
to the therapy building instead.
And when she came
home at the end of the day,
she wouldn't say anything at all.
She would just roll up into a little ball.
Can you, can you hand
me that bottle, please?
(gentle music)
(gentle music continues)
(gentle music continues)
(gentle music continues)
(gentle music continues)
One day, I decided to
break out of our building
and sneak into the
therapy building to find her.
I didn't have a clue of what I
would do when I did find her.
The therapy building was so empty,
I thought maybe they
had her somewhere else.
And then I started to hear crying, moaning.
So I went toward the sound,
quicker when I recognized
it was undoubtedly hers.
Then I got to the room,
the same room that they
had done my therapy in.
Quietly, I opened the door.
There were two people inside,
but neither of them heard me.
Charlize was strapped to a
gynecological examination chair,
and Father O'Farrell was
standing in front of her,
completely naked, raping her.
That is so
Yeah, it is, isn't it?
So I grabbed the first thing I could find,
erm, a metal food tray,
and I ran toward him,
screaming, to hit him
on the back of the head,
and I shouted.
Why, why do we shout when
we're gonna attack someone.
Giving him a heads up?
In martial arts, it's called a kiai.
It's supposed to focus the
strength into your attacks
and intimidate your
opponent, but the key is to do it
so your opponents don't have a heads up.
I gave him plenty. I was 16.
Prone in his nudity as he might've been,
I was no match for him.
I was still weak, and he was younger
and more muscular back then.
He was more muscular
because he wasn't me, Randy.
He deflected the metal
sheet like it was nothing.
Then he took his fist to my
head and he knocked me out cold.
At some point, I opened my eyes.
I couldn't move.
I found I was in the same
room, laying on the ground.
And he was there, still
having his way with her.
I passed out again, and when I woke up,
I was back in our room.
I remember someone said.
I should feel lucky that they hadn't
machine gunned the hell out of me.
But I didn't know who I
was or if I wanted to be.
They'd been trying for so long
to make me into something I wasn't.
And I tried to fight that.
But when you're convinced
that you can't ever be happy again,
it's nearly impossible to be
who you're supposed to be.
And I'm so glad you found a way.
Charlize wasn't so lucky.
She had one last trick
up her sleeve, however.
See, he had raped her to
breed more of his little scions.
And when he discovered that
she used a metal coat hanger
to stop that, he gave
her the ice pick treatment.
(tense music)
That way, he could turn her into
a mindless breeding machine.
Motherfucker.
He's got the wrong guy. I didn't do that.
She wasn't as far gone as Peter.
Her joy was gone, if joy was
possible in a place like that.
But there was enough of her left
to tell me that she didn't wanna live.
I disagreed.
That night, when I went to bed,
she cut her hair short the
way it was when I first met her.
After
After?
After she cut her hair to
make herself look like a boy,
again, the way she wanted to look.
After she almost escaped the compound.
After she was mistaken for a boy.
After she was shot and
killed by cult members.
After they sent 83 pieces
of lead through her body.
After the machine gun sounds woke me up
and I looked over and saw she wasn't there.
After I never saw her again. (Sobs)
I-I have no words.
I-I don't expect you to.
Babe, can I now?
Not yet.
Okay.
I was enraged.
(tense music)
I then decided I was never
going to be a victim again.
I was going to fight.
So I stormed out of our building,
straight for Father O'Farrell.
Again, he knocked the wind right out of me.
I woke up strapped in the
same chair Charlize had been.
Tied down, stripped
naked, my legs spread apart.
I thought he was gonna
do me like he did Charlize.
Several of the hard to turn
boys had been castrated.
I thought maybe I was next.
But no.
See, eventually all of his property
was to be branded like cattle,
right here on the left ass cheek.
It had started a month
earlier. I had been the first.
He had brainwashed everyone into thinking
it was some sort of initiation.
Something to be proud of.
Now he was going to brand me again.
But on the front.
[Sofia] No.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yes, he took a hot iron out of the oven
and he put it right there.
Then he took the next one out of the oven
and shoved it right on my pubic bone.
And again. And again.
No. No, no, no!
No?
(tense music)
(James groans)
You!
(tense music)
Now you see why I
always wanted the lights off.
If I would have seen
instead of just felt,
I-I would have still
loved you just the same.
You would have asked a million questions
I wasn't ready to answer.
[Gene] Yes, but-but this?
This is to answer those
questions I promised I would.
Once I found this man and confronted him.
That's why I never got plastic surgery.
It feels so good having you here,
begging me for money.
And for me to be in a
position to give you that money
and turn you down, and turn
you down hard, and expose you.
I'm liking that very much,
Father Robert O'Farrell.
But-but babe, nobody
escaped the compound.
How can you be so
sure that it's... It's him!
I'm so sorry this happened to you, Randy.
Can't you see I'm not that guy?
Shut up! You don't get to talk.
When they sent 83 bullets through Charlize,
a stray hitchhiker was
passing through the area.
He made it back to the road unseen,
hitched a ride, and alerted authorities.
They came in hoards.
Of course, The Children of
Heaven's Light were well armed,
so it took the cops a
while to get even close.
But when the church realized
that they were going to lose this battle,
they decided to make
the ultimate sacrifice.
(tense music continues)
The proverbial Kool-Aid.
The literal cyanide.
(rhythmic music)
After they dosed everyone,
they set every building on fire.
They were so busy torching the place,
I was able to sneak out unnoticed.
Not easy since I was
naked and freshly branded.
Eventually, a cop found me,
but I wasn't the only one who escaped.
This here weasel, Judas the Cocksucker,
had killed his flock, yet spared himself.
The cop who found me kept
me out of the system because
with him out there, no survivor
of Children of Heaven's
Light would be safe.
Through the cop, uh, a
couple took me in, the Ebners.
And they nursed me, and they schooled me,
and they loved me.
(chuckles) God, they loved me.
And they kept me safe.
Safe from the media, and
safe from this piece of shit.
And you're absolutely sure?
Not at first.
But now, here, I am dead sure.
How can you be so
sure after all this time?
(tense music)
Let's see. What's his new name?
Hudson, James Hudson.
So?
It's a nickname he had,
one he certainly didn't get
from his big toe being
fused with his second toe.
How did you
One he definitely got
for the giant birthmark
on his left ass cheek, shaped
exactly like Hudson Bay.
Right down to Akimiski Island.
You monster!
- Stop it!
- Hey!
Say my name.
Asshole.
My name! Say it.
(Sofia sobs)
Randy Ebner. Are you happy?
My birth name.
Say my name!
Helmut Eugen Schulz.
(sinister music) (Randy panting)
You remember my middle name.
(tense music)
Robert O'Farrell, I'm
placing you under arrest.
(building rumbling) (objects clattering)
(Randy groans)
(tense music)
Put your shirt on, you filthy
Say it.
You lame ass coward
cocksucker, fucking say it.
It starts with an F.
You think I won't shoot?
(gun bangs)
Hey, you got witnesses.
Sofia, shut up.
Babe, just do what he says, okay?
(tense music continues)
Now move over there.
(gun bangs)
I said move the fuck over there.
All right. All right.
[James] Turn around.
Prostrate, hands out in front of you.
James, you can't... Shut up.
Take those cuffs over to Sofia.
- Okay.
- The other way.
Okay, okay.
(tense music continues)
Stop. Sofia, cuff him.
Put your hands behind your back.
- Now!
- Okay.
(handcuffs click)
(tense music)
No!
Stay put. Stay put.
Stay put.
(heartbeat thudding)
He's alive. For now.
If you fucking touch him, I'll
(gun bangs)
I said, stay put.
(tense music)
Now, this way you can all see,
earthquakes are acts of God.
Yeah, I'll believe that when
one puts you six feet under.
Yeah, right.
You will not get away with this again.
For sure I will.
Sofia, get something to tie him up with.
Now, no funny business,
or I will shoot you stone cold dead.
Move your ass!
(tense music)
(tense music continues)
(tense music continues)
If you're just gonna
kill us all, why tie me up?
I don't like making hasty decisions.
And this takes planning.
[Sofia] I found this.
Good.
Now, slowly get up, Randy.
Sit your fat ass over
there, on the ottoman.
(tense music continues)
And for Christ's sake,
button up your shirt.
Sew my buttons back on and I will.
Enough with the wise cracks.
Sofia, tie his hands behind his back.
Put your arms behind you.
(tense music)
Nice and tight.
It's super tight.
Okay, sit down.
Sit your ass down, back where you were.
(tense music continues)
[Sofia] No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
Stop your whining!
(both groaning)
(gun bangs)
(Randy yells)
Get your fat ass off me,
Helmut, you fucking queer!
Randy, do as he says, he will kill you!
[James] The bitch is not wrong.
Fine.
(tense music continues)
You fucking ruined everything.
Again.
Take a good look.
This is what pride looks like.
Shut up!
Do you have any idea
how much effort it takes
to rebuild a whole life?
I couldn't care less.
(gun bangs)
(yells) Fuck!
[James] Bring back sweet memories?
Fuck you!
Wouldn't you like that?
(tense music continues)
(tense music continues)
I'm gonna enjoy taking my
time finally finishing you off.
[Sofia] Fuck you!
(yells) You bitch!
Good job, Sofia.
- Where are your bandages?
- Up yours!
Sofia, get me some kitchen towels. Now!
(tense music continues)
(groans) Sit down over there.
(tense music continues)
I should be glad you found me, actually.
Yeah, sure you are.
[James] I never got
the chance to tell you
how much Charlize liked it in the end.
Fuck off.
Oh, she would never admit it.
But she loved having me deep inside her,
receiving the blessed
seed of Children's Light.
You can't gaslight me, shitter.
Oh, fuck. (Groans)
Gene.
Oh, look who's with us.
You got something to say?
Come here so I can say it. (Chuckles)
- What?
- Closer, closer.
What?
So there's something
you don't know about cops.
And what's that?
It's the writing on the wall. Look at it.
We always keep the keys to the cuffs,
you dumb-ass closeted cocksucker.
Man, get up. Get up.
(James groans)
Babe, get the cuffs and cuff him.
That's right, good job.
(handcuffs clicking)
I'll read you your rights when you wake up.
You guys okay?
- Yeah.
- I am now.
Are you?
Never better. (Chuckles)
Pardon me.
(James groans)
Hey, Robert.
(James groans)
Hey, guys, stop before I get
accused of police brutality, huh?
I'm having another drink.
I mean, at this point,
knock yourself out.
(gentle music)
Gene, I, I am so deeply sorry...
Babe, stop, 'kay?
You have nothing to
be sorry about, all right?
But this, it doesn't bother you?
No, does it bother you?
Isn't it obvious?
(siren wailing)
Well, then, let's do something about it.
Okay.
They must have fixed the bridge.
Kelly at dispatch must have sent them.
- Good for Kelly.
- Yeah.
Babe, where are you going?
Your fellow cops, they'll see.
I no longer care about them,
because I'm choosing you.
- I love you.
- I love you so much.
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music continues)
(dramatic music continues)
(dramatic music continues)
(dramatic music continues)
(dramatic music continues)
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