OKAY, LET’S START WITH THE OBVIOUS. YOU HAVE NO PARKS, YOU HAVE NO BEACHES, HAVE NO MOVIE THEATERS, YOU HAVE NO TELEVISION, NO TELEVISION SHOWS, YOU HAVE NO BOOKS, NO MUSIC, NO SWIMMING POOLS, NO SEASONS, WHICH MEANS YOU HAVE NO RAIN OR SNOW OR LEAVES THAT CHANGE COLORS IN THE FALL, YOU ALSO HAVE NO TREES, NO GRASS, NO CULTURE - I MEAN, YOU REALIZE THE MOON IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING LIKE EARTH RIGHT? • WAS I BUT THE FLESHY, BLOOD-FILLED TWIN OF THIS SMILING RAG DOLL, MUTE, INERT AND SIDEWAYS PRONE BEFORE ME? WAS I — HAD I ALWAYS BEEN — A MERE PLAYTHING? AN AMUSEMENT? A TOY? • ELI STARES UP AT THE CRUCIFIX. HE DOESN’T LIKE IT, AND FOR GOOD REASON. ITS KINDA CREEPY. ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. BUT FOR SOME REASON, HE CAN’T TAKE HIS EYES OFF IT. HE STARES INTO THE PAINED EYES OF JESUS. AND...IS IT POSSIBLE? THE MOUTH OF JESUS LOOKS AS THOUGH IT’S OPENING, READY TO CRY OUT! ELI’S ABOUT TO SCREAM HIMSELF WHEN, BEHIND HIM… • YOU’RE INSANE. I’M NOT INSANE, I’M IGNORANT. • MISUNDERSTANDING? WHAT SORT OF REASONABLE THING MIGHT HE HAVE BEEN THINKING THAT WOULD CAUSE HIM TO GROPE YOUR DAUGHTER? • ONE, TWO THREE FOUR / CLOSE YOUR WINDOWS, LOCK YOUR DOOR / CUZ YOU NEVER KNOW FOR SURE / WHO IT IS HE’S COMING FOR / FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT / BY THE TIME IT’S GETTING LATE / ALL YOU CAN DO IS WAIT / TIL THE WATER MAN DECIDES YOUR FATE...
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2015 SO WHAT DO YOU THINK, MR. SIMMS? WHAT IS IT LIKE ACTUALLY BEING INSIDE THE HUMAN BODY? • IN THE DISTANCE THE SCREECH OF POLICE SIRENS GROWS LOUDER. BUT LAURA NO LONGER SEEMS CONCERNED. INSTEAD, SHE LOOKS UP AT THE STARS AND, FOR THE FIRST TIME WE’VE SEEN, SHE SMILES. • JESUS CHRIST, JOSIE. I’VE BEEN ON THE FORCE THIRTY-FIVE YEARS. HALF THOSE GUYS UP IN THE COUNTY JAIL I PUT THERE MYSELF! TWO YEARS? MAY AS WELL BE A DEATH SENTENCE! AND FOR WHAT? A MISTAKE? SOMETHIN’ WE DIDN’T MEAN TO DO? SO WHAT DO WE DO? STAN THINKS. HE LOOKS BACK AT THE SHERIFF’S CAR IN THE DISTANCE. THE BODY AT HIS FEET. THE DARK WOODS BY THE ROAD. *WE NEED TO HIDE THIS. • WE’RE NOT GOING TO GET AWAY. HE TURNS BACK TO THE HOUSE. FOCUSED. HE THROWS HIS ARM SKYWARD. A SINGLE PANEL OF WOOD RIPS ITSELF OFF THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE AND FLIES INTO THE SKY- AS IF GRAVITY WERE REVERSED. • THIS IS THE MOST OFFENSIVE, DEGRADING REPRESENTATION OF MY SPECIES I HAVE EVER SEEN. AND I DON’T SOUND LIKE THAT. DO I SOUND LIKE THAT? I’M SO ANNOYING. I WANT TO PUNCH ME. AND EVERYONE ELSE. WITH MY HANDS. THESE ARE HANDS! THEY ARE NOT MITTENS! THEY DON’T COME OFF! IT’S BASIC BIOLOGY!
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