Shudderbugs (2022) Movie Script
[dramatic music]
[whooshing]
-[metallic tinkling]
[wet sliding]
[crickets chirping]
[heartbeat]
[electrical zapping]
[dial tone]
[heartbeat continues]
[woman on phone] Miss Cole?
Miss Cole, do you know where you're going?
[static]
[radio tuning]
-[eerie music]
[radio static continues]
[indistinct radio chatter]
[man on radio] Oh, my God,
there's so many tools. I can't keep up.
[indistinct chatter continues on radio]
[woman] That doesn't matter. Those names.
It doesn't. It doesn't, even, it doesn't...
Okay. Well... it might because of
[radio static continues]-[indistinct radio chatter]
[heartbeat continues]
[music continues]
[music stops abruptly]
[wind chime rings]
-[crickets chirping]
[door squeaks]
[floorboards creaking]
[mosquito buzzing]
[plastic rustling]
[wheels scraping]
[door opens]
[floorboards creaking]
[wind blows]
[wind chimes ringing]
-[door squeaks]
[ominous music]
[bird chirping]
[footsteps approaching]
[wood creaks]
[eerie music]
[sighs]
[door creaks]
[sighs]
[door creaks]
[music intensifies]
[door creaks]
[heartbeats resume]
[music fades]
[light switches on]
[fly buzzing]
[Samantha whistles]
[whistles]
[dog food bag crinkling]
[whistles]
[fly buzzing]
[light switches off]
[birds chirping]
[water running]
[telephone ringing tone]
-M.E.'s office, this is Jane.
-[Samantha] Hi. I'm calling to check
on the status of a report. Last name Cole.
[Jane] Cole. Let's see here.
First name of the deceased.
[Samantha] Eliza, Elizabeth.
[Jane] Right and her
former address of residence?
[Samantha] 344 Hollow View Road.
[Jane] And what's your
relationship to the deceased, ma'am?
-I'm her daughter.
-Okay, and your name is?
Samantha Cole.
Of course. Okay.
[water burbles]
[eerie music building]
[Jane] Okay, and the last
four digits of her social?
-[Samantha] What?
-[Jane] What are the last four digits
of her Social Security number, Miss Cole?
-Ma'am, I need to verify you're next of kin, ma'am.
-[footsteps in distance]
[Samantha] Sorry. Hang on.
[zipper unzips]
Um, 1-3-9-8.
[Jane] Okay. Okay. Thank you.
So we need to do follow up on some of
the findings before we make a final report.
-What does that mean?
-The examiner noted some unusual levels in her system.
We need to run additional tests
before we make a determination.
Unusual levels of what?
You can discuss that
with the examiner, ma'am.
Okay. Can I speak with the examiner?
She's not available at
the moment, I'm afraid.
Well, then I'd like to know
what kind of tests you're doing.
I'm not able to discuss that, ma'am.
Why is that?
Like I said, ma'am, you need to
discuss that with the examiner.
Can you have her call me back, please?
I'll give her the message.
[ringing tone]
[melancholy music]
[ringing tone continues and fades]
[crickets chirping]
[crow cawing]
[floorboards creak]
[Noah] Can I help you?[Samantha gasps]
-[Samantha] Can I come through here?
-[Noah] No.
[Samantha] Noah, it's Sam.
It's Sam Cole.
Yeah.
Left you a message.
Phones don't work.
[Samantha] Huh.
I, um
just wanted to thank you.
For dealing with all that.
You seen Clem?
The dog.
They said you let her
out when you found her.
No.
No, you didn't find her or
no, you didn't let her out?
I haven't seen the dog.
Okay.
Well, if you do...
Why'd you check on her?
She didn't put out the garbage.
When?
Friday.
[wind howling]
[vegetation rustling]
[melancholy music]
[Noah] You bury her yet?
No.
[fly buzzing]
[footsteps]
[buzzing]
[buzzing stops]
-[wind chimes ringing]
[woman 1] The time, well, the
time, we just changed the whole...
-[woman 2] Oh, yeah. Okay.
-[woman 1] Okay. [Giggles, laughs]
[muffled chatter]
[telephone ringing]
[telephone beeps]
[train rumbling in distance]
[train horn honks]
-Hello.
-[Pamela] Is this the, uh, Cole residence?
-Yep.
Hi. Hello. My name is Pamela
with NEA Life Insurance.
I'm so sorry to hear about your loss.
-What?
-I'm so sorry to hear about Mrs. Cole.
[low-pitched hum]
Uh, hello?
I can't talk right now. Sorry.
[telephone beeps]
[leaves rustling]
-[bird screeching]
[door squeaks]
[wind chimes ringing]
[enchanting music]
[Samantha as a child]
Once, once upon a time,
there was a mouse named Maude.
And then he saw something...
[dog barks]
-Clem.
Clementine!
[rushing footsteps]
[door squeaks]
[shouts] Clem?
Come here girl.
[soft ominous music]
[Samantha] Shit's weird, Jo.
I can't find her ring anywhere.
The lawn mower is not in the barn.
Everything seems off,
in some way or another.
[Jo speaking inaudibly on the phone]
[scoffs] I don't know.
He's either a creep or an idiot.
He acted like he didn't even remember me.
[inaudible phone chatter]
I mean, not much.
We didn't play together or anything.
He was always odd.
Maybe just shy.
Our families were always friendly.
[deep breath] We're the only ones up here.
-[inaudible phone chatter]
-[sighs] It's a long story.
[crickets chirping]
[sighs] She has my shit everywhere.
Like I'm five years old still.
[inaudible phone chatter]
It's been almost a year.
No, since I've been back.
He died two summers ago.
[inaudible phone chatter]
Well, I should've been here.
[sighs]
It's so quiet.
[light whooshing]
No wonder she couldn't think straight.
[wind chimes ringing]
-[inaudible phone chatter]
-Nothing, I don't know.
I just think she's been living
in the past this whole time.
[inaudible phone chatter]
Even before, when I was a little kid.
[inaudible phone chatter]
[scoffs] Damn straight. I was a treat.
[inaudible phone chatter]
I don't know.
Pretending, distracting herself.
I'll know more tomorrow. They have
to tell me what they're looking for.
[inaudible phone chatter]
Nah, I'm okay.
Thanks.
I should do this on my own.
Whatever "this" is.
[cat meows]
-[gasps]
[inaudible phone chatter] -Nothing.
Bernard snuck up on me.
You ever sure you dreamed something before
exactly as it's happening now?
[wind chimes ringing]
[inaudible phone chatter]
Dreamt? Fine, dreamt.
[wind blowing]
[soft thunder]
[birds and insects chirping]
[gentle piano music playing]
[melancholy piano music]
[automated voice] You
have one new voice message.
[Samantha on recording] Hey,
Mom. Sorry I missed your calls.
Uh, yeah. I'm still coming on Wednesday.
And... [sighs] don't go over
the top for my birthday, please.
And I got your messages. Um...
Just... [sighs] And no Dad stuff, okay?
I c... can't have that conversation anymore.
Sorry.
But I'm looking forward to coming home
and hope Clemmie's doing well.
Um... [clicks lips] let me
know what I can bring up.
I'll give you a call when I leave here.
And I will see you soon.
Don't piss anyone off.
[wind chimes ringing]
[leaves rustling]
[crickets chirping]
[music continues]
[Eliza] Sam.
Sam.
[wind blowing]
[Eliza echoing] Sam, you there?
Sammy, you there?
[soft suspenseful music]
[gunshot]
[gunshot]
[ominous music]
[panting softly]
[exhales]
[bird squawking]
[gunshot]
[breathing heavily]
[gunshots continue]
[continues breathing heavily]
[panting]
[breathing slows down]
[door squeaks]
[soft thud]
-I know Bernardo.
[device chimes] -[Brenda]
Okay, here's what I have for "go."
-As a verb, "go" is usually defined...
-[sighs]
as "to move or proceed,
especially toward something."
As a noun, "go" is usually
defined as "the act of going."
As an interjection, "go" is usually defined
as "in calling the start of a race,
start the race, leave the starting line."
For more, ask me for "more."
[device chimes]
[spits]
No, I'm just checking to see
if anything was left behind.
-[man] When was this?
-Sunday. This past Sunday.
All right, so here she
is, Elizabeth Cole, right?
-Yep.
-You didn't collect her personals?
No, I did. I'm just... just wondering
if she had anything else on her
-when she was brought in.
-Um, if you mean clothes,
you can bring clothing to the
funeral home when she's completed...
I... [stutters] if that's what
you're doing with the body,
with her...
-[sighs] No. I'm just...
There wasn't a ring?
A small amber ring or
one still on her finger?
She never took it off.
No, uh, we don't keep
jewelry on the bodies.
-That would be with her personals.
-Okay.
[melancholy music]
[door latch clicks]
[door squeaks]
[music continues]
[slams file shut]
-[wind chimes ringing]
-M.E.'s office, this is Jane.
-Dr. Santos, please.
-May I ask who's calling?
-Sam Cole about Elizabeth Cole again.
I'm sorry, Miss Cole. Dr. Santos
is not available at the moment.
[sighs] Can you have
her call me back, please?
-I'll give her the message.
-You said that yesterday.
And yesterday I gave her the message.
I just wanna know what tests
you're running on my mother.
I understand, ma'am,
we apologize for the wait.
There can't be so many
dead bodies in this town
you don't have time for one question.
-I'll give her the message, ma'am.
-Great.
-What's your name again?
-My name is Jane, Sam.
-Jane?
-Jane.
[telephone ringing] [Samantha sighs]
[door closes]
[telephone beeps]
-Who's this?
Hi, this is Pamela calling
from NEA insurance.
-We spoke yesterday.
-Yep.
I'm sorry to disturb, but I'm calling
about an outstanding balance
-on Mrs. Cole's account.
-[train horn honking]
-What does that mean?
-Mrs. Cole was making monthly payments
on her life insurance policy,
but she missed her payments
these past three months.
The very good news is we
allow a grace period to renew.
So if those payments
are made in full today,
we can remove those interest penalties
and her full benefits will be
made available to you right away.
-How much does she owe?
-If you settle her balance today of $7500,
you'll receive the full payout of $50,000.
[Samantha] Jesus.[Loud thud]
This payment can be made
with any major credit or debit card.
Would you like to go ahead
and settle her account?
Yeah. I'll get back to you.
[telephone beeps]
[Samantha] "Where peepers
sing and wind chimes ring",
you used to sit and wallow.
Now you're older, so much bolder,
you will lead, not follow.
"Mum's the word on your 33rd,
but start with Sleepy Hollow."
[wind blowing]
[melancholy music]
Hey again. That our tractor?
Yeah.
Yeah, I thought so.
What's it doing here?
Mine's busted.
Could've told me you had it.
-Didn't think of it.
-Um-hum.
[engine starts]
[exhales]
[wind chimes ringing]
[kibble rattling]
[door squeaks]
[device chimes] -[automated
voice] Here is your reminder for today,
September 3rd, 6:00 p.m.
Dollhouse. Dollhouse. Dollhouse.
Finish the dollhouse, you ninny.
[crickets chirping]
[Samantha] I know he's hiding something.
[Jo speaking inaudibly on the phone]
I'm just
certain of it.
[inaudible phone chatter]
So their house burned half down.
And the family moved into town
awhile back. And they'd always
been close to our parents, but
when his passed, Noah
wouldn't sell us his land.
Even for a shit ton of money.
[wind chimes ringing]
And it was weird
'cause there was
nothing there to hang on to.
It's just sitting there, useless.
[sighs] And then he came back
then my dad died.
[wind chimes continue ringing]
And my mom, she wouldn't let him go.
She went too far, like always.
She never even broke down.
She just wouldn't accept it.
[thinking] There had to
be a better explanation.
There had to be someone to blame.
[wings fluttering]
[melancholy music]
[inaudible phone chatter]
[wings fluttering]
[wind chime ringing]
[Eliza on recording] Hey,
Sammy. Just want to check in
and see what you want
for your birthday feast.
You're coming home. I even
have a treasure hunt for you, okay?
But I'm not telling where
it starts, no Sir-ee, Sam!
I'm still not feeling great,
-but I'll rest a ton, so I'm all better when you get here.
-[wings fluttering]
Oh, your room's made up.
The liquor cabinet's stocked.
We'll have a hearty party, smarty.
Love you.
[telephone beeps]
[Eliza] Sam?
Sammy, you there?
I'm, I'm headed to bed,
so just check in tomorrow.
I'm, I'm feeling really off.
I think I'll need to head
down in the morning,
maybe get checked out.
I'm, I'm sure it's nothing
serious, Sammy, okay?
I can't wait to get you here.
I have so much to tell you.
Love you, hon.
[telephone beeps]
[wings flutter]
[creaking softly]
["Talk Me Down" by Willy Mason]
When you talk me down I go down
I go down, I go down
When you talk me down I go down
When you lift me up, I jump
I jump, I jump
When you lift me up, I jump
When the road goes on you sail
You sail, you sail
When the road goes on
You sail -[wings flutter]
When it cracks and burns you bail
You bail, you bail
When it cracks and burns you bail
[exhales] -But it's
just a passing phase
Oh, my days Oh, my days
My foundation started to shake
Scared that it might
break -[wind chimes ringing]
How did I come this way
Come this way come this way?
But it's just another page
My book will have its day
-[wind chimes continue ringing]
[wings flutter] -Why can't I see
When you're talking to me?
Why can't I see when
you're talking to me?
Why can't I see when
you're talking to me?
Why can't I see when
you're talking to me?
[song fades]
[ominous music]
[bird calling]
[dog barking]
[rain pattering]
This is Dr. Santos.
-Thanks for your patience.
-[Samantha] Mm.
We sent out for pathogen tests on Monday,
-hence the delay.
-What does that mean?
We're just waiting on the
final results for blood work
before we can confirm a cause of death.
But she did have a stroke?
She had a cardiac arrest.
And she died because of that?
Yes, but we want to understand better
what caused her heart to malfunction.
Proteins in her blood indicate
a pulmonary embolism.
-She'd likely had a blood infection.
-[truck approaching]
Blood infections untreated
can cause clots in the lungs.
[truck beeping in reverse] -This can block
the flow to the heart, and it arrests.
-An infection from what?
-We hope to know soon.
I'll call you in 24 hours.
-Tomorrow morning?
-Yes.
[indistinct chatter outside]
[Samantha sighs]
Sorry, what day is it?
Today is Wednesday.
[Samantha] Yeah, I thought so.
Thank you.
What the shit?
[melancholy music]
[wings fluttering]
[car approaching]
[music fades]
[crickets chirping]
[melancholy music resumes]
[birds wings flutter]
[exhales]
[hinge squeaks]
[cellar door creaks and shuts]
[footsteps]
-[cord switch clicks]
-[water dripping from pipes]
[suspenseful music building]
[cord switches clicking]
[eerie sounds]
[door creaks upstairs]
[glass bottle clinks]
[Samantha breathing heavily]
[ominous music]
[cellar door creaks]
[wings flutter]
[sighs]
[eerie sounds]
[cellar door squeaks]
[wind chimes ringing]
[water splashing in video]
[Eliza] Hey, Sammy, look over here.
-[Samantha] Mom, quit filming me all the time.
-[Eliza laughing]
[Samantha] Jesus. Stop!
-[Eliza] Oh!
Mom, stop!
-[Eliza] Hey!
[screams like Tarzan]
-[Eliza laughs] Sam.
[Eliza laughing heartily]
[Samantha laughing]
-[Samantha laughing] Dad, help!
-No.
[video ends]
[sighs]
[device chimes] -[Brenda]
Here is your reminder for today,
September 4th, 11:00 a.m.
Sammy Sam is coming
to town. Oh boy, oh boy.
Brenda, tell me about Sleepy Hollow.
[Brenda] Sleepy Hollow is the tale of a
superstitious man named Ichabod Crane,
who moves to a town haunted
by a headless horseman
who rides through the streets at
night on a quest to get his head back.
Would you like to know more?
[Samantha] "Where peepers
sing and wind chimes ring",
you used to sit and wallow.
Now you're older, so much bolder,
you will lead, not follow.
Mum's the word on your 33rd,
"but start with Sleepy Hollow."
[birds chirping]
[bell rings]
"Where willows weep and swallows
sweep their bellies in the breeze
some things may sprout some tall,
some stout that never sink or breathe."
[ominous music]
[bird screeching]
[bird whistling]
[wind chimes ringing]
[telephone ringing]
[telephone continues
ringing] -[door squeaks]
[Eliza] Hi, you've reached the Cole family.
We're out and about, so
leave us a...[phone beeps]
Yep.
-Hi, this is Pamela calling
from NEA insurance...
-How'd you know my mother was dead?
-I'm sorry.
-How did you know my mother is dead?
The hospital records
for Mrs. Cole state that...
I didn't announce her death.
No death certificate was released.
I didn't call you. I didn't post an obit.
Well, the hospital records state...
You're saying the hospital
called you? Bullshit.
The point is, ma'am, we
can clear up her bill today
with no late penalties,
no interest fees, no hassle
-with just one credit card...
-What company did you say?
-Uh. I'm sorry?
-What company are you with?
-NEA insurance.
-What's that stand for?
The New England Alliance
insurance company, ma'am.
Uh-huh.[Phone beeps]
[phone thuds lightly]
[pot slides]
[soft tense music]
[glass clinks]
[Eliza's whispers echoes] -"Mud cakes
and moss capes and boulders for pillows,
dragonfly fairies that
swing from the willows.
Make for the hay but beware not to stray,
next is the clue that
will crown your big day."
[Eliza] ...big day. [Device chimes]
[Brenda] I'm sorry. I don't
know the answer to that.
Yeah, me neither.
[crickets chirping]
[sighs]
[wood creaks upstairs]
[thudding upstairs]
[wind chimes ring]
-[thudding continue]
[thudding continue]
[wood creaks]
[cricket chirping]
[cricket chirping]
[cricket chirping]
[door rattles as pushed]
[ominous music building]
[cricket chirping increases in speed]
[chirping stops]
[cord switch clicks]
[door closes]
[crickets chirping]
[Samantha] You believe in ghosts?
[inaudible phone chatter]
[Samantha sighs] Any kind?
[inaudible phone chatter]
Not really?
But I'm not sure about some things.
I think instincts can feel really big.
My mom had this story
I don't know if she told it
once or a dozen times, but
I always think of it.
Like I know it really well.
When she first married
my dad, they had a cat.
And every day, when
she was done with work
at some diner a few blocks away,
that cat would be waiting for her
on the corner to walk her home.
The cat was in their wedding photo.
And one night she had a dream
and the only thing she remembers
about this dream is seeing red.
Everything was just red.
And she woke up knowing the cat was dead.
So she woke up my dad,
and he got in the car,
and she told him
exactly where to drive
where to stop.
And there was the cat on
the side of the road, dead.
[scoffs] All I know is she was so certain
this is how it all happened.
So certain of it.
So certain of herself.
I believe in that.
[soft chuckle] She called
it "the shudderbugs."
This thing she had
sometimes it's right
sometimes it's wrong,
-but you got to follow it...
-[wind chimes ringing]
or it never goes away.
[leaves rustling]
[dogs howling in distance]
[sighs]
[ominous music]
[bird calling]
[dog barks]
[rain pattering]
[gasps] -[Brenda singing "Happy birthday"]
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Sammy Sam
Happy birthday to you
Friends and family are here
Friends and family bring cheer
Happy birthday dear Sammy Sam
Happy birthday to you
Happy, happy, happy, happy
Happy, happy -Brenda, stop!
Happy, happy, happy, happy
Happy, happy -Brenda, stop!
Happy, happy, happy
Happy, happy, happy, happy...
[song stops]
[sighs]
[crickets chirping]
[panting]
[gentle piano music]
[music stops]
[phone vibrates]
-Hello.
-Hi, Miss Cole. Dr. Santos again.
-Hi.
-So, everything's back.
Her spinal fluid does confirm
high levels of listeria in her system.
-That's bacteria?
-Yes. It infects the blood.
When listeriosis spreads to the
nervous system, it mimics a stroke.
You said she mentioned some
loss of balance, maybe fever?
Yeah.
-What causes it?
-It's foodborne.
Meat that isn't processed correctly,
raw fruits and vegetables
that have been contaminated.
Anything unpasteurized.
And it happens that fast?
Her infection appeared to be chronic.
She ingested the bacteria often over time.
It can go unnoticed for weeks, even months.
But I'm surprised she didn't
find herself sicker earlier.
If she'd come in before?
-The treatment is antibiotics.
-[metal creaking]
She would have been okay?
Maybe. She had other issues
that complicated her immune system,
her ability to fight it off.
-It's hard to say, of course.
-[creaking continues]
[ominous music]
I don't understand how she would've kept
eating something that was making her that sick.
[Jo speaking inaudibly on the phone]
Well, yeah, but it
complicated everything else.
It was the tipping point.
[inaudible phone chatter]
-She said as much.
-[Jo] Well, what was making her sick?
-I don't know.
That's the thing. I don't
know. They don't know.
-Somebody has to know.
-[inaudible phone chatter]
No, I'm not. That's not fair.
[Jo] This is exactly what you said...
I never said that. I said she went too far.
-This is different.
-[inaudible phone chatter]
-[sighs] You're not hearing me.
-[inaudible phone chatter]
I don't think she was right, I
think there's something wrong here,
if she was that sick
-[inaudible phone chatter]
-Yeah, this isn't helping.
-I got to go.
-[Jo] Sam...
It's fine. I just got to go.
[ominous music continues]
[breathing shakily]
[softly] Stop.
[inhales deeply]
Stop.
[telephone ringing]
[sighs]
-[telephone beeps]
-Pamela.
-Oh, hi.
So I was just following up...
-Did you grow up in this town, Pam?
-I... I'm sorry?
-Did you grow up here?
Oh, I... I don't know where you live.
It's a real small town, all farms.
If you don't run a farm, you
probably still own a lot of land, animals.
We had goats and chickens.
-Do you have chickens?
-No.
I'm not sure whether...
-If you do,
you know that possums are
the real bitches around here.
[train rumbling in distance]
They drove my dad crazy.
He'd get me a baby chick for a
pet and it'd go missing straight away.
Or it'd grow up to be my favorite pet.
Follow me around,
ride on the handlebars of my bike.
And then one night, a possum
would bite her neck in half
and leave a pile of feathers
and eggshells in her nest.
-Well, that sounds just terrible.
-One time a possum bit
Gertrude's head straight off.
My mom had to run around
the yard with a pasta colander,
trying to trap her
so they could put her out of her
misery and bury her before I woke up.
[suspenseful music]
I still hate spaghetti.
I'm sorry. I'm still not sure...
You know what my dad ended up doing, Pam?
No, I don't.
He got me another baby chick,
and he hunted down that possum.
[smacks lips] He figured out where
she was squeezing through into the barn,
and he waited for her at night.
And when she came after my chick
he beat her to death with a shovel.
Slowly.
So any other possums
around would hear the squeals.
He did?
No, of course not, Pam.
He wasn't an asshole.
He hooked up speakers in the barn
and played "Born to
Run" on loop every night.
Possoms hate music.
You're a vermin too, Pam.
But you're preying on
people, not just trying to eat,
so the possum has you beat.
I'm sorry. I don't know
what you're talking about. I...
And I know you're in this
town 'cause I grew up here, too.
And the one place the
freight passes through like that
is behind the fairgrounds.
There's a lumber yard and
the shack that used to be
a little real estate office,
which is now a travel agency.
Should I look up the
names of who works there?
Find another way to make some extra money,
leechy bitch.
[telephone beeps]
[sighs]
[melancholy music]
[Eliza whispering] "Mud cakes and
moss capes and boulders for pillows",
dragonfly fairies that
swing from the willows.
Make for the hay but beware not to stray
"next is the clue that
will crown your big day."
[bird chirping]
[music continues]
[water running]
[enchanting music]
[imitating bird call]
[imitating bird call]
[imitating bird call]
[screams]
[soft music]
[birds wings flutter]
[Noah] I had nothing to do with that.
Yep.
Right. Yeah. Yep, yep, yep.
[thunder rumbling]
[thud]
[wind blowing]
[thunder rumbling]
[ominous music]
[thunder rumbling]
[rain pattering]
[phone vibrating]
[thunder rumbling]
[music fades]
[Samantha breathing deeply]
[phone vibrating]
[vibrating stops]
[Samantha] "Once upon a time,
there was a small mouse named Maude."
She lived in a tower
of tree trunks and sod.
She danced in the night
time and slept through the day.
She ate giant chestnuts
and sucked milk from hay.
But when the sun rose and
the world grew so bright
out came the creatures
who looked for a fight.
Deer ticks and earwigs
and scaly-backed beetles.
[glass shatters]
Groundhogs and pol-wogs
and worms dressed in needles.
Then one stormy day,
while she dreamt fast asleep,
Maude woke to a rumble
that echoed down deep.
She crept up the tree, the
wind whipped her around.
Maude watched her nest
shudder and crash to the ground.
She tied up her tail to
the branch where she sat,
and dropped down the
trunk like an upside-down bat.
There lay her toys and
her books and her mitts,
her treasures, her
stories, all broken to bits.
Her tears and the rain formed a river below
that swept up her home
and then swallowed it whole.
And there, upside down,
with her heart in her head,
Maude heard a new voice,
find these words and it said,
'If you know you want to grow,
you must decide to up and go.
If winds are high, you stand and sigh.
If storms are near, you chase them clear.
If skies are gray, just dance away.
And now and then, just stop and say
'All these creatures, small and big,
with claws and beaks and horns and wigs.
They're just as strange as I am me.
They're just as strong as I can be.'
And just like that, the clouds had cleared.
Maude stormed the forest she once feared.
The deer ticks stared, the earwigs glared.
But no one moved. Oh, no one dared.
And to this day and to this night,
there's not a soul that gives Maude fright.
She skips on stones
and swings from flowers,
"and all the tree trunks are her towers."
[cellar door squeaks]
[screams]
You know, that's just pellets, right?
Okay.
[bucket clunks]
Sit.
[breathing heavily]
Put your hands behind your
back, arms around the pole.
Why?
Around the pole.
[groans]
-Shit! [Panting]
Hands behind your back.
[Noah exhales]
[groans softly]
What do you want?
What did you do to my mom?
Tell me.
Nothing.
She was trying to take your land.
So?
-"So?"
Your family's land.
-Old news.
-Bullshit.
Why are these here?
To eat.
-Why here?
-Because they burn outside.
They're dirty.
Poison.
You stole from her. Where's her ring?
You made her sick.
You didn't just find her.
There's no garbage on Fridays.
You killed her dog.
-I found the dog in the road.
-I saw you
snooping around our
house, taking our things.
Burying her body.
I see you.
You hurt my mom.
I know you did.
Tell me what happened.
You think I was so mad
she wanted to buy my land
that I stole a lawn mower and some ring,
spooked her dog with thunderbolts and
buried it in my plot?
Real nice for shits.
[eerie music]
And all this after I took your mom out
with some cherry fucking tomatoes.
[laughs]
You're crazy
just like her.
Maybe.
Hey!
[cellar door opens]
[cellar door closes]
[melancholy music]
[Samantha] I saw you.
[Noah echoing] Just like her.
[Eliza whispers] "Make for
the hay but beware not to stray."
-[woman] Do you know where you're going?
-[Dr. Santos] You said
she mentioned some loss
of balance, maybe fever?
[Samantha] She would've been okay?
[Pamela] I'm so sorry
to hear about Mrs. Cole.
[woman echoing] Careful, Sam.
[Samantha screaming echoing]
[muffled voices echoing]
[Samantha echoing] Clementine!
[Eliza] Sam, you there?
[woman echoing] Sam?
[Samantha] Mama?
[Eliza] Sam, you there?
[Samantha] Call me back.
-[overlapping voices]
-I should've been there.
[water gurgling]
[heartbeat thumping]
[soft music]
[gasps]
[panting]
[melancholy music]
[music turns uplifting]
[insects chirping]
[birdsong]
[music fades]
[soft rattling]
[telephone beeps] -[automated
voice] Saturday, 1:13 p.m.
[Samantha] Hi, Mom. Sorry
I missed your calls last night.
I was in rare form. [Chuckles]
I'm sorry you're still under it.
Let me know if you
went to the doctor after all
or if you want me to come out there early
or if there's anything I can do.
And did you lose your
phone again, you ninny?
Going straight to voicemail. Call me back.
[telephone beeps]
[automated voice] Saturday, 11:47 p.m.
[Samantha] Mama, please call me back.
I'll be up until you do, okay?
Sorry I haven't been around lately,
for a while.
I should have come before.
[voice shaking] I'm worried about you.
Please just let me know you're okay.
Love you.
[telephone beeps]
[sobbing]
[cellar door squeaks]
[cellar door closes]
[footsteps approaching]
[rope fibers tearing]
[spits]
That's why you were over there.
I heard the dog
crying to get out.
Even on Friday.
I didn't want to...
I should have gone inside right then.
But I didn't.
[sniffles]
You can use the pond when you need.
[uplifting music]
[birds chirping]
[laughs]
[continues laughing]
[door opens]
[door creaks]
[Samantha] "I'm your neighbor
on the other side of the hill."
Just clipped an animal
near your house in the storm.
Worried it may be a pet.
Couldn't find to follow.
So sorry to leave this.
"Please call if any questions. David."
[sentimental music]
[fire crackling]
[telephone ringing]
[Eliza] Hi, you've reached the Cole family.
-We're out and about, so leave us a shout.
-[bee buzzing]
[telephone beeps] -[Jane] Hi,
this message is for Sam Cole.
This is Jane from the M.E.'s office.
Miss Cole, sorry to
bother you on the weekend.
I just want to make sure you receive this.
So we had another case
of listeria pass our way.
We've notified local health authorities
and they're checking
all the local farm stores,
so hopefully they can
find the source of the strain
that seems to be going around.
Just thought you'd want to know.
Okay. Take care.[Telephone beeps]
[emotional piano music]
[music continues]
[chuckles]
[Eliza] Happy birthday, Sammy Sam.
In the tiniest places,
in teacups and vases,
dreamers drift and wander.
Sammies dance in silly pants
and jewels are left to squander.
Take these treasures, hunt for pleasures.
Storm this world for plunder.
Tumble, fumble, stutter, shudder,
never cease to wonder.
[song fades]
["Life Crisis" by River Whyless]
I am holding back my tongue
Trying not to let it show
But all your friends
and family seem to notice
I hope it gets to you
when you are ready
I am telling you all my thoughts
As you empty out your pockets
for the plane ticket that you lost
Be safe, you fool in New York City
Be safe, you fool in New York City
Oh, I will break you in
I've tried it before
and I'll try it again
But if this time you feel
Your shell has grown too thin
I would lend you my skin
I'll lend you my skin
[vocalizing]
[song fades]
[whooshing]
-[metallic tinkling]
[wet sliding]
[crickets chirping]
[heartbeat]
[electrical zapping]
[dial tone]
[heartbeat continues]
[woman on phone] Miss Cole?
Miss Cole, do you know where you're going?
[static]
[radio tuning]
-[eerie music]
[radio static continues]
[indistinct radio chatter]
[man on radio] Oh, my God,
there's so many tools. I can't keep up.
[indistinct chatter continues on radio]
[woman] That doesn't matter. Those names.
It doesn't. It doesn't, even, it doesn't...
Okay. Well... it might because of
[radio static continues]-[indistinct radio chatter]
[heartbeat continues]
[music continues]
[music stops abruptly]
[wind chime rings]
-[crickets chirping]
[door squeaks]
[floorboards creaking]
[mosquito buzzing]
[plastic rustling]
[wheels scraping]
[door opens]
[floorboards creaking]
[wind blows]
[wind chimes ringing]
-[door squeaks]
[ominous music]
[bird chirping]
[footsteps approaching]
[wood creaks]
[eerie music]
[sighs]
[door creaks]
[sighs]
[door creaks]
[music intensifies]
[door creaks]
[heartbeats resume]
[music fades]
[light switches on]
[fly buzzing]
[Samantha whistles]
[whistles]
[dog food bag crinkling]
[whistles]
[fly buzzing]
[light switches off]
[birds chirping]
[water running]
[telephone ringing tone]
-M.E.'s office, this is Jane.
-[Samantha] Hi. I'm calling to check
on the status of a report. Last name Cole.
[Jane] Cole. Let's see here.
First name of the deceased.
[Samantha] Eliza, Elizabeth.
[Jane] Right and her
former address of residence?
[Samantha] 344 Hollow View Road.
[Jane] And what's your
relationship to the deceased, ma'am?
-I'm her daughter.
-Okay, and your name is?
Samantha Cole.
Of course. Okay.
[water burbles]
[eerie music building]
[Jane] Okay, and the last
four digits of her social?
-[Samantha] What?
-[Jane] What are the last four digits
of her Social Security number, Miss Cole?
-Ma'am, I need to verify you're next of kin, ma'am.
-[footsteps in distance]
[Samantha] Sorry. Hang on.
[zipper unzips]
Um, 1-3-9-8.
[Jane] Okay. Okay. Thank you.
So we need to do follow up on some of
the findings before we make a final report.
-What does that mean?
-The examiner noted some unusual levels in her system.
We need to run additional tests
before we make a determination.
Unusual levels of what?
You can discuss that
with the examiner, ma'am.
Okay. Can I speak with the examiner?
She's not available at
the moment, I'm afraid.
Well, then I'd like to know
what kind of tests you're doing.
I'm not able to discuss that, ma'am.
Why is that?
Like I said, ma'am, you need to
discuss that with the examiner.
Can you have her call me back, please?
I'll give her the message.
[ringing tone]
[melancholy music]
[ringing tone continues and fades]
[crickets chirping]
[crow cawing]
[floorboards creak]
[Noah] Can I help you?[Samantha gasps]
-[Samantha] Can I come through here?
-[Noah] No.
[Samantha] Noah, it's Sam.
It's Sam Cole.
Yeah.
Left you a message.
Phones don't work.
[Samantha] Huh.
I, um
just wanted to thank you.
For dealing with all that.
You seen Clem?
The dog.
They said you let her
out when you found her.
No.
No, you didn't find her or
no, you didn't let her out?
I haven't seen the dog.
Okay.
Well, if you do...
Why'd you check on her?
She didn't put out the garbage.
When?
Friday.
[wind howling]
[vegetation rustling]
[melancholy music]
[Noah] You bury her yet?
No.
[fly buzzing]
[footsteps]
[buzzing]
[buzzing stops]
-[wind chimes ringing]
[woman 1] The time, well, the
time, we just changed the whole...
-[woman 2] Oh, yeah. Okay.
-[woman 1] Okay. [Giggles, laughs]
[muffled chatter]
[telephone ringing]
[telephone beeps]
[train rumbling in distance]
[train horn honks]
-Hello.
-[Pamela] Is this the, uh, Cole residence?
-Yep.
Hi. Hello. My name is Pamela
with NEA Life Insurance.
I'm so sorry to hear about your loss.
-What?
-I'm so sorry to hear about Mrs. Cole.
[low-pitched hum]
Uh, hello?
I can't talk right now. Sorry.
[telephone beeps]
[leaves rustling]
-[bird screeching]
[door squeaks]
[wind chimes ringing]
[enchanting music]
[Samantha as a child]
Once, once upon a time,
there was a mouse named Maude.
And then he saw something...
[dog barks]
-Clem.
Clementine!
[rushing footsteps]
[door squeaks]
[shouts] Clem?
Come here girl.
[soft ominous music]
[Samantha] Shit's weird, Jo.
I can't find her ring anywhere.
The lawn mower is not in the barn.
Everything seems off,
in some way or another.
[Jo speaking inaudibly on the phone]
[scoffs] I don't know.
He's either a creep or an idiot.
He acted like he didn't even remember me.
[inaudible phone chatter]
I mean, not much.
We didn't play together or anything.
He was always odd.
Maybe just shy.
Our families were always friendly.
[deep breath] We're the only ones up here.
-[inaudible phone chatter]
-[sighs] It's a long story.
[crickets chirping]
[sighs] She has my shit everywhere.
Like I'm five years old still.
[inaudible phone chatter]
It's been almost a year.
No, since I've been back.
He died two summers ago.
[inaudible phone chatter]
Well, I should've been here.
[sighs]
It's so quiet.
[light whooshing]
No wonder she couldn't think straight.
[wind chimes ringing]
-[inaudible phone chatter]
-Nothing, I don't know.
I just think she's been living
in the past this whole time.
[inaudible phone chatter]
Even before, when I was a little kid.
[inaudible phone chatter]
[scoffs] Damn straight. I was a treat.
[inaudible phone chatter]
I don't know.
Pretending, distracting herself.
I'll know more tomorrow. They have
to tell me what they're looking for.
[inaudible phone chatter]
Nah, I'm okay.
Thanks.
I should do this on my own.
Whatever "this" is.
[cat meows]
-[gasps]
[inaudible phone chatter] -Nothing.
Bernard snuck up on me.
You ever sure you dreamed something before
exactly as it's happening now?
[wind chimes ringing]
[inaudible phone chatter]
Dreamt? Fine, dreamt.
[wind blowing]
[soft thunder]
[birds and insects chirping]
[gentle piano music playing]
[melancholy piano music]
[automated voice] You
have one new voice message.
[Samantha on recording] Hey,
Mom. Sorry I missed your calls.
Uh, yeah. I'm still coming on Wednesday.
And... [sighs] don't go over
the top for my birthday, please.
And I got your messages. Um...
Just... [sighs] And no Dad stuff, okay?
I c... can't have that conversation anymore.
Sorry.
But I'm looking forward to coming home
and hope Clemmie's doing well.
Um... [clicks lips] let me
know what I can bring up.
I'll give you a call when I leave here.
And I will see you soon.
Don't piss anyone off.
[wind chimes ringing]
[leaves rustling]
[crickets chirping]
[music continues]
[Eliza] Sam.
Sam.
[wind blowing]
[Eliza echoing] Sam, you there?
Sammy, you there?
[soft suspenseful music]
[gunshot]
[gunshot]
[ominous music]
[panting softly]
[exhales]
[bird squawking]
[gunshot]
[breathing heavily]
[gunshots continue]
[continues breathing heavily]
[panting]
[breathing slows down]
[door squeaks]
[soft thud]
-I know Bernardo.
[device chimes] -[Brenda]
Okay, here's what I have for "go."
-As a verb, "go" is usually defined...
-[sighs]
as "to move or proceed,
especially toward something."
As a noun, "go" is usually
defined as "the act of going."
As an interjection, "go" is usually defined
as "in calling the start of a race,
start the race, leave the starting line."
For more, ask me for "more."
[device chimes]
[spits]
No, I'm just checking to see
if anything was left behind.
-[man] When was this?
-Sunday. This past Sunday.
All right, so here she
is, Elizabeth Cole, right?
-Yep.
-You didn't collect her personals?
No, I did. I'm just... just wondering
if she had anything else on her
-when she was brought in.
-Um, if you mean clothes,
you can bring clothing to the
funeral home when she's completed...
I... [stutters] if that's what
you're doing with the body,
with her...
-[sighs] No. I'm just...
There wasn't a ring?
A small amber ring or
one still on her finger?
She never took it off.
No, uh, we don't keep
jewelry on the bodies.
-That would be with her personals.
-Okay.
[melancholy music]
[door latch clicks]
[door squeaks]
[music continues]
[slams file shut]
-[wind chimes ringing]
-M.E.'s office, this is Jane.
-Dr. Santos, please.
-May I ask who's calling?
-Sam Cole about Elizabeth Cole again.
I'm sorry, Miss Cole. Dr. Santos
is not available at the moment.
[sighs] Can you have
her call me back, please?
-I'll give her the message.
-You said that yesterday.
And yesterday I gave her the message.
I just wanna know what tests
you're running on my mother.
I understand, ma'am,
we apologize for the wait.
There can't be so many
dead bodies in this town
you don't have time for one question.
-I'll give her the message, ma'am.
-Great.
-What's your name again?
-My name is Jane, Sam.
-Jane?
-Jane.
[telephone ringing] [Samantha sighs]
[door closes]
[telephone beeps]
-Who's this?
Hi, this is Pamela calling
from NEA insurance.
-We spoke yesterday.
-Yep.
I'm sorry to disturb, but I'm calling
about an outstanding balance
-on Mrs. Cole's account.
-[train horn honking]
-What does that mean?
-Mrs. Cole was making monthly payments
on her life insurance policy,
but she missed her payments
these past three months.
The very good news is we
allow a grace period to renew.
So if those payments
are made in full today,
we can remove those interest penalties
and her full benefits will be
made available to you right away.
-How much does she owe?
-If you settle her balance today of $7500,
you'll receive the full payout of $50,000.
[Samantha] Jesus.[Loud thud]
This payment can be made
with any major credit or debit card.
Would you like to go ahead
and settle her account?
Yeah. I'll get back to you.
[telephone beeps]
[Samantha] "Where peepers
sing and wind chimes ring",
you used to sit and wallow.
Now you're older, so much bolder,
you will lead, not follow.
"Mum's the word on your 33rd,
but start with Sleepy Hollow."
[wind blowing]
[melancholy music]
Hey again. That our tractor?
Yeah.
Yeah, I thought so.
What's it doing here?
Mine's busted.
Could've told me you had it.
-Didn't think of it.
-Um-hum.
[engine starts]
[exhales]
[wind chimes ringing]
[kibble rattling]
[door squeaks]
[device chimes] -[automated
voice] Here is your reminder for today,
September 3rd, 6:00 p.m.
Dollhouse. Dollhouse. Dollhouse.
Finish the dollhouse, you ninny.
[crickets chirping]
[Samantha] I know he's hiding something.
[Jo speaking inaudibly on the phone]
I'm just
certain of it.
[inaudible phone chatter]
So their house burned half down.
And the family moved into town
awhile back. And they'd always
been close to our parents, but
when his passed, Noah
wouldn't sell us his land.
Even for a shit ton of money.
[wind chimes ringing]
And it was weird
'cause there was
nothing there to hang on to.
It's just sitting there, useless.
[sighs] And then he came back
then my dad died.
[wind chimes continue ringing]
And my mom, she wouldn't let him go.
She went too far, like always.
She never even broke down.
She just wouldn't accept it.
[thinking] There had to
be a better explanation.
There had to be someone to blame.
[wings fluttering]
[melancholy music]
[inaudible phone chatter]
[wings fluttering]
[wind chime ringing]
[Eliza on recording] Hey,
Sammy. Just want to check in
and see what you want
for your birthday feast.
You're coming home. I even
have a treasure hunt for you, okay?
But I'm not telling where
it starts, no Sir-ee, Sam!
I'm still not feeling great,
-but I'll rest a ton, so I'm all better when you get here.
-[wings fluttering]
Oh, your room's made up.
The liquor cabinet's stocked.
We'll have a hearty party, smarty.
Love you.
[telephone beeps]
[Eliza] Sam?
Sammy, you there?
I'm, I'm headed to bed,
so just check in tomorrow.
I'm, I'm feeling really off.
I think I'll need to head
down in the morning,
maybe get checked out.
I'm, I'm sure it's nothing
serious, Sammy, okay?
I can't wait to get you here.
I have so much to tell you.
Love you, hon.
[telephone beeps]
[wings flutter]
[creaking softly]
["Talk Me Down" by Willy Mason]
When you talk me down I go down
I go down, I go down
When you talk me down I go down
When you lift me up, I jump
I jump, I jump
When you lift me up, I jump
When the road goes on you sail
You sail, you sail
When the road goes on
You sail -[wings flutter]
When it cracks and burns you bail
You bail, you bail
When it cracks and burns you bail
[exhales] -But it's
just a passing phase
Oh, my days Oh, my days
My foundation started to shake
Scared that it might
break -[wind chimes ringing]
How did I come this way
Come this way come this way?
But it's just another page
My book will have its day
-[wind chimes continue ringing]
[wings flutter] -Why can't I see
When you're talking to me?
Why can't I see when
you're talking to me?
Why can't I see when
you're talking to me?
Why can't I see when
you're talking to me?
[song fades]
[ominous music]
[bird calling]
[dog barking]
[rain pattering]
This is Dr. Santos.
-Thanks for your patience.
-[Samantha] Mm.
We sent out for pathogen tests on Monday,
-hence the delay.
-What does that mean?
We're just waiting on the
final results for blood work
before we can confirm a cause of death.
But she did have a stroke?
She had a cardiac arrest.
And she died because of that?
Yes, but we want to understand better
what caused her heart to malfunction.
Proteins in her blood indicate
a pulmonary embolism.
-She'd likely had a blood infection.
-[truck approaching]
Blood infections untreated
can cause clots in the lungs.
[truck beeping in reverse] -This can block
the flow to the heart, and it arrests.
-An infection from what?
-We hope to know soon.
I'll call you in 24 hours.
-Tomorrow morning?
-Yes.
[indistinct chatter outside]
[Samantha sighs]
Sorry, what day is it?
Today is Wednesday.
[Samantha] Yeah, I thought so.
Thank you.
What the shit?
[melancholy music]
[wings fluttering]
[car approaching]
[music fades]
[crickets chirping]
[melancholy music resumes]
[birds wings flutter]
[exhales]
[hinge squeaks]
[cellar door creaks and shuts]
[footsteps]
-[cord switch clicks]
-[water dripping from pipes]
[suspenseful music building]
[cord switches clicking]
[eerie sounds]
[door creaks upstairs]
[glass bottle clinks]
[Samantha breathing heavily]
[ominous music]
[cellar door creaks]
[wings flutter]
[sighs]
[eerie sounds]
[cellar door squeaks]
[wind chimes ringing]
[water splashing in video]
[Eliza] Hey, Sammy, look over here.
-[Samantha] Mom, quit filming me all the time.
-[Eliza laughing]
[Samantha] Jesus. Stop!
-[Eliza] Oh!
Mom, stop!
-[Eliza] Hey!
[screams like Tarzan]
-[Eliza laughs] Sam.
[Eliza laughing heartily]
[Samantha laughing]
-[Samantha laughing] Dad, help!
-No.
[video ends]
[sighs]
[device chimes] -[Brenda]
Here is your reminder for today,
September 4th, 11:00 a.m.
Sammy Sam is coming
to town. Oh boy, oh boy.
Brenda, tell me about Sleepy Hollow.
[Brenda] Sleepy Hollow is the tale of a
superstitious man named Ichabod Crane,
who moves to a town haunted
by a headless horseman
who rides through the streets at
night on a quest to get his head back.
Would you like to know more?
[Samantha] "Where peepers
sing and wind chimes ring",
you used to sit and wallow.
Now you're older, so much bolder,
you will lead, not follow.
Mum's the word on your 33rd,
"but start with Sleepy Hollow."
[birds chirping]
[bell rings]
"Where willows weep and swallows
sweep their bellies in the breeze
some things may sprout some tall,
some stout that never sink or breathe."
[ominous music]
[bird screeching]
[bird whistling]
[wind chimes ringing]
[telephone ringing]
[telephone continues
ringing] -[door squeaks]
[Eliza] Hi, you've reached the Cole family.
We're out and about, so
leave us a...[phone beeps]
Yep.
-Hi, this is Pamela calling
from NEA insurance...
-How'd you know my mother was dead?
-I'm sorry.
-How did you know my mother is dead?
The hospital records
for Mrs. Cole state that...
I didn't announce her death.
No death certificate was released.
I didn't call you. I didn't post an obit.
Well, the hospital records state...
You're saying the hospital
called you? Bullshit.
The point is, ma'am, we
can clear up her bill today
with no late penalties,
no interest fees, no hassle
-with just one credit card...
-What company did you say?
-Uh. I'm sorry?
-What company are you with?
-NEA insurance.
-What's that stand for?
The New England Alliance
insurance company, ma'am.
Uh-huh.[Phone beeps]
[phone thuds lightly]
[pot slides]
[soft tense music]
[glass clinks]
[Eliza's whispers echoes] -"Mud cakes
and moss capes and boulders for pillows,
dragonfly fairies that
swing from the willows.
Make for the hay but beware not to stray,
next is the clue that
will crown your big day."
[Eliza] ...big day. [Device chimes]
[Brenda] I'm sorry. I don't
know the answer to that.
Yeah, me neither.
[crickets chirping]
[sighs]
[wood creaks upstairs]
[thudding upstairs]
[wind chimes ring]
-[thudding continue]
[thudding continue]
[wood creaks]
[cricket chirping]
[cricket chirping]
[cricket chirping]
[door rattles as pushed]
[ominous music building]
[cricket chirping increases in speed]
[chirping stops]
[cord switch clicks]
[door closes]
[crickets chirping]
[Samantha] You believe in ghosts?
[inaudible phone chatter]
[Samantha sighs] Any kind?
[inaudible phone chatter]
Not really?
But I'm not sure about some things.
I think instincts can feel really big.
My mom had this story
I don't know if she told it
once or a dozen times, but
I always think of it.
Like I know it really well.
When she first married
my dad, they had a cat.
And every day, when
she was done with work
at some diner a few blocks away,
that cat would be waiting for her
on the corner to walk her home.
The cat was in their wedding photo.
And one night she had a dream
and the only thing she remembers
about this dream is seeing red.
Everything was just red.
And she woke up knowing the cat was dead.
So she woke up my dad,
and he got in the car,
and she told him
exactly where to drive
where to stop.
And there was the cat on
the side of the road, dead.
[scoffs] All I know is she was so certain
this is how it all happened.
So certain of it.
So certain of herself.
I believe in that.
[soft chuckle] She called
it "the shudderbugs."
This thing she had
sometimes it's right
sometimes it's wrong,
-but you got to follow it...
-[wind chimes ringing]
or it never goes away.
[leaves rustling]
[dogs howling in distance]
[sighs]
[ominous music]
[bird calling]
[dog barks]
[rain pattering]
[gasps] -[Brenda singing "Happy birthday"]
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Sammy Sam
Happy birthday to you
Friends and family are here
Friends and family bring cheer
Happy birthday dear Sammy Sam
Happy birthday to you
Happy, happy, happy, happy
Happy, happy -Brenda, stop!
Happy, happy, happy, happy
Happy, happy -Brenda, stop!
Happy, happy, happy
Happy, happy, happy, happy...
[song stops]
[sighs]
[crickets chirping]
[panting]
[gentle piano music]
[music stops]
[phone vibrates]
-Hello.
-Hi, Miss Cole. Dr. Santos again.
-Hi.
-So, everything's back.
Her spinal fluid does confirm
high levels of listeria in her system.
-That's bacteria?
-Yes. It infects the blood.
When listeriosis spreads to the
nervous system, it mimics a stroke.
You said she mentioned some
loss of balance, maybe fever?
Yeah.
-What causes it?
-It's foodborne.
Meat that isn't processed correctly,
raw fruits and vegetables
that have been contaminated.
Anything unpasteurized.
And it happens that fast?
Her infection appeared to be chronic.
She ingested the bacteria often over time.
It can go unnoticed for weeks, even months.
But I'm surprised she didn't
find herself sicker earlier.
If she'd come in before?
-The treatment is antibiotics.
-[metal creaking]
She would have been okay?
Maybe. She had other issues
that complicated her immune system,
her ability to fight it off.
-It's hard to say, of course.
-[creaking continues]
[ominous music]
I don't understand how she would've kept
eating something that was making her that sick.
[Jo speaking inaudibly on the phone]
Well, yeah, but it
complicated everything else.
It was the tipping point.
[inaudible phone chatter]
-She said as much.
-[Jo] Well, what was making her sick?
-I don't know.
That's the thing. I don't
know. They don't know.
-Somebody has to know.
-[inaudible phone chatter]
No, I'm not. That's not fair.
[Jo] This is exactly what you said...
I never said that. I said she went too far.
-This is different.
-[inaudible phone chatter]
-[sighs] You're not hearing me.
-[inaudible phone chatter]
I don't think she was right, I
think there's something wrong here,
if she was that sick
-[inaudible phone chatter]
-Yeah, this isn't helping.
-I got to go.
-[Jo] Sam...
It's fine. I just got to go.
[ominous music continues]
[breathing shakily]
[softly] Stop.
[inhales deeply]
Stop.
[telephone ringing]
[sighs]
-[telephone beeps]
-Pamela.
-Oh, hi.
So I was just following up...
-Did you grow up in this town, Pam?
-I... I'm sorry?
-Did you grow up here?
Oh, I... I don't know where you live.
It's a real small town, all farms.
If you don't run a farm, you
probably still own a lot of land, animals.
We had goats and chickens.
-Do you have chickens?
-No.
I'm not sure whether...
-If you do,
you know that possums are
the real bitches around here.
[train rumbling in distance]
They drove my dad crazy.
He'd get me a baby chick for a
pet and it'd go missing straight away.
Or it'd grow up to be my favorite pet.
Follow me around,
ride on the handlebars of my bike.
And then one night, a possum
would bite her neck in half
and leave a pile of feathers
and eggshells in her nest.
-Well, that sounds just terrible.
-One time a possum bit
Gertrude's head straight off.
My mom had to run around
the yard with a pasta colander,
trying to trap her
so they could put her out of her
misery and bury her before I woke up.
[suspenseful music]
I still hate spaghetti.
I'm sorry. I'm still not sure...
You know what my dad ended up doing, Pam?
No, I don't.
He got me another baby chick,
and he hunted down that possum.
[smacks lips] He figured out where
she was squeezing through into the barn,
and he waited for her at night.
And when she came after my chick
he beat her to death with a shovel.
Slowly.
So any other possums
around would hear the squeals.
He did?
No, of course not, Pam.
He wasn't an asshole.
He hooked up speakers in the barn
and played "Born to
Run" on loop every night.
Possoms hate music.
You're a vermin too, Pam.
But you're preying on
people, not just trying to eat,
so the possum has you beat.
I'm sorry. I don't know
what you're talking about. I...
And I know you're in this
town 'cause I grew up here, too.
And the one place the
freight passes through like that
is behind the fairgrounds.
There's a lumber yard and
the shack that used to be
a little real estate office,
which is now a travel agency.
Should I look up the
names of who works there?
Find another way to make some extra money,
leechy bitch.
[telephone beeps]
[sighs]
[melancholy music]
[Eliza whispering] "Mud cakes and
moss capes and boulders for pillows",
dragonfly fairies that
swing from the willows.
Make for the hay but beware not to stray
"next is the clue that
will crown your big day."
[bird chirping]
[music continues]
[water running]
[enchanting music]
[imitating bird call]
[imitating bird call]
[imitating bird call]
[screams]
[soft music]
[birds wings flutter]
[Noah] I had nothing to do with that.
Yep.
Right. Yeah. Yep, yep, yep.
[thunder rumbling]
[thud]
[wind blowing]
[thunder rumbling]
[ominous music]
[thunder rumbling]
[rain pattering]
[phone vibrating]
[thunder rumbling]
[music fades]
[Samantha breathing deeply]
[phone vibrating]
[vibrating stops]
[Samantha] "Once upon a time,
there was a small mouse named Maude."
She lived in a tower
of tree trunks and sod.
She danced in the night
time and slept through the day.
She ate giant chestnuts
and sucked milk from hay.
But when the sun rose and
the world grew so bright
out came the creatures
who looked for a fight.
Deer ticks and earwigs
and scaly-backed beetles.
[glass shatters]
Groundhogs and pol-wogs
and worms dressed in needles.
Then one stormy day,
while she dreamt fast asleep,
Maude woke to a rumble
that echoed down deep.
She crept up the tree, the
wind whipped her around.
Maude watched her nest
shudder and crash to the ground.
She tied up her tail to
the branch where she sat,
and dropped down the
trunk like an upside-down bat.
There lay her toys and
her books and her mitts,
her treasures, her
stories, all broken to bits.
Her tears and the rain formed a river below
that swept up her home
and then swallowed it whole.
And there, upside down,
with her heart in her head,
Maude heard a new voice,
find these words and it said,
'If you know you want to grow,
you must decide to up and go.
If winds are high, you stand and sigh.
If storms are near, you chase them clear.
If skies are gray, just dance away.
And now and then, just stop and say
'All these creatures, small and big,
with claws and beaks and horns and wigs.
They're just as strange as I am me.
They're just as strong as I can be.'
And just like that, the clouds had cleared.
Maude stormed the forest she once feared.
The deer ticks stared, the earwigs glared.
But no one moved. Oh, no one dared.
And to this day and to this night,
there's not a soul that gives Maude fright.
She skips on stones
and swings from flowers,
"and all the tree trunks are her towers."
[cellar door squeaks]
[screams]
You know, that's just pellets, right?
Okay.
[bucket clunks]
Sit.
[breathing heavily]
Put your hands behind your
back, arms around the pole.
Why?
Around the pole.
[groans]
-Shit! [Panting]
Hands behind your back.
[Noah exhales]
[groans softly]
What do you want?
What did you do to my mom?
Tell me.
Nothing.
She was trying to take your land.
So?
-"So?"
Your family's land.
-Old news.
-Bullshit.
Why are these here?
To eat.
-Why here?
-Because they burn outside.
They're dirty.
Poison.
You stole from her. Where's her ring?
You made her sick.
You didn't just find her.
There's no garbage on Fridays.
You killed her dog.
-I found the dog in the road.
-I saw you
snooping around our
house, taking our things.
Burying her body.
I see you.
You hurt my mom.
I know you did.
Tell me what happened.
You think I was so mad
she wanted to buy my land
that I stole a lawn mower and some ring,
spooked her dog with thunderbolts and
buried it in my plot?
Real nice for shits.
[eerie music]
And all this after I took your mom out
with some cherry fucking tomatoes.
[laughs]
You're crazy
just like her.
Maybe.
Hey!
[cellar door opens]
[cellar door closes]
[melancholy music]
[Samantha] I saw you.
[Noah echoing] Just like her.
[Eliza whispers] "Make for
the hay but beware not to stray."
-[woman] Do you know where you're going?
-[Dr. Santos] You said
she mentioned some loss
of balance, maybe fever?
[Samantha] She would've been okay?
[Pamela] I'm so sorry
to hear about Mrs. Cole.
[woman echoing] Careful, Sam.
[Samantha screaming echoing]
[muffled voices echoing]
[Samantha echoing] Clementine!
[Eliza] Sam, you there?
[woman echoing] Sam?
[Samantha] Mama?
[Eliza] Sam, you there?
[Samantha] Call me back.
-[overlapping voices]
-I should've been there.
[water gurgling]
[heartbeat thumping]
[soft music]
[gasps]
[panting]
[melancholy music]
[music turns uplifting]
[insects chirping]
[birdsong]
[music fades]
[soft rattling]
[telephone beeps] -[automated
voice] Saturday, 1:13 p.m.
[Samantha] Hi, Mom. Sorry
I missed your calls last night.
I was in rare form. [Chuckles]
I'm sorry you're still under it.
Let me know if you
went to the doctor after all
or if you want me to come out there early
or if there's anything I can do.
And did you lose your
phone again, you ninny?
Going straight to voicemail. Call me back.
[telephone beeps]
[automated voice] Saturday, 11:47 p.m.
[Samantha] Mama, please call me back.
I'll be up until you do, okay?
Sorry I haven't been around lately,
for a while.
I should have come before.
[voice shaking] I'm worried about you.
Please just let me know you're okay.
Love you.
[telephone beeps]
[sobbing]
[cellar door squeaks]
[cellar door closes]
[footsteps approaching]
[rope fibers tearing]
[spits]
That's why you were over there.
I heard the dog
crying to get out.
Even on Friday.
I didn't want to...
I should have gone inside right then.
But I didn't.
[sniffles]
You can use the pond when you need.
[uplifting music]
[birds chirping]
[laughs]
[continues laughing]
[door opens]
[door creaks]
[Samantha] "I'm your neighbor
on the other side of the hill."
Just clipped an animal
near your house in the storm.
Worried it may be a pet.
Couldn't find to follow.
So sorry to leave this.
"Please call if any questions. David."
[sentimental music]
[fire crackling]
[telephone ringing]
[Eliza] Hi, you've reached the Cole family.
-We're out and about, so leave us a shout.
-[bee buzzing]
[telephone beeps] -[Jane] Hi,
this message is for Sam Cole.
This is Jane from the M.E.'s office.
Miss Cole, sorry to
bother you on the weekend.
I just want to make sure you receive this.
So we had another case
of listeria pass our way.
We've notified local health authorities
and they're checking
all the local farm stores,
so hopefully they can
find the source of the strain
that seems to be going around.
Just thought you'd want to know.
Okay. Take care.[Telephone beeps]
[emotional piano music]
[music continues]
[chuckles]
[Eliza] Happy birthday, Sammy Sam.
In the tiniest places,
in teacups and vases,
dreamers drift and wander.
Sammies dance in silly pants
and jewels are left to squander.
Take these treasures, hunt for pleasures.
Storm this world for plunder.
Tumble, fumble, stutter, shudder,
never cease to wonder.
[song fades]
["Life Crisis" by River Whyless]
I am holding back my tongue
Trying not to let it show
But all your friends
and family seem to notice
I hope it gets to you
when you are ready
I am telling you all my thoughts
As you empty out your pockets
for the plane ticket that you lost
Be safe, you fool in New York City
Be safe, you fool in New York City
Oh, I will break you in
I've tried it before
and I'll try it again
But if this time you feel
Your shell has grown too thin
I would lend you my skin
I'll lend you my skin
[vocalizing]
[song fades]