Beneath

Why do we celebrate them dying?

We're not celebrating.

We're honoring them.

It's our responsibility.

I have something for you. Here.

This is yours.

Well, Mom gave it to me

when I turned 14,

and now I'm giving it to you.

- Let me have the keys!

- Yeah, right.

Oh, come on! Dad let you drive

when you were my age.

Oh, yes!

Vanessa! Get down!

You'll get us in trouble!

Think about your daughter.

You're an old married lady, don't forget.

Not so old.

Christy! Slow down!

Christy!

Give me the wheel! Christy!

No!

Christy.

- Vanessa.

- I can't move my legs.

Vanessa!

- Hey, sunshine.

- I think I'm dying, Joseph.

No. You're the one that's living.

Death is always hardest on the living.

I thought for sure

she was going to pull through.

- It's just not fair.

- I know, Joseph.

She's still alive!

What is it? Please! Please!

Christy! Christy!

- John! She's still alive!

- Oh, God.

Dr. Perry, please,

I really need this internship.

Look, you do good work.

When you're here,

when you are on time,

when you're under control,

which, as far as we're concerned,

isn't often enough.

We need someone who can do the job.

You're a liability.

Christy. This is John. John Locke.

I hope this is the right Christy.

It was hard to find this number.

I know it's been a long time,

but I thought you should know.

Joseph, our caretaker,

has passed away.

Heart attack, early this morning.

We're having services Saturday.

I don't expect you'll make it back,

and that's fine. Seriously.

He died peacefully,

from what we can tell.

Anyway, I hope everything else is okay.

Mrs. Locke.

It's been a long time

since you graced us with your presence.

You could've made time to visit.

Joseph missed you.

Christy?

Hi, John.

- I didn't think you would be here.

- Neither did I.

Amy, this is your aunt Christy.

Look at you. You're huge.

- How long are you in town?

- I don't have definite plans.

Well, hopefully you'll have time

to come up to the house and visit.

Christy?

Hi!

- My goodness!

- Debbie Houston!

I've missed you so much.

I sure wish you were in town for longer.

Oh, listen. Here's my number.

Give me a call so we can catch up.

- I hear. I promise.

- Okay. You'd better.

Hi, Auntie Christy.

Hi. Call me Christy.

Aunt Christy sounds so old and homely.

You look like my mom.

What are you doing back here

all by yourself?

Why did you go away?

I went to prep school.

Grandma says

you started seeing things,

things that weren't there,

but I think Grandma's mean.

Are you coming back?

I don't know, Amy.

- Something weird happened to Joseph.

- What do you mean?

- Do you believe in dark things?

- Dark things?

Like monsters, ghosts. Bad things.

Can you keep a secret?

Grownups make up most of that stuff

just to scare little kids.

A dark thing killed Joseph.

It lives in my walls. I hear it crying.

- Did you tell your dad about this?

- He doesn't believe in dark things.

Hi, John. This is Christy.

I've decided to stay in town

for a couple of days

and I was wondering

if I could come out to the house.

I'm sure Amy would like that.

I'll ask Maman and see if she'll set

another place for you for dinner.

Thanks, Mr. Morris.

So how long are you staying?

I don't know. Couple of days, maybe.

I haven't been here in so long,

I forgot how nice it is to be back.

And your school

doesn't have a problem with that?

No. I called them.

They said it should be fine.

You know, I'm pre-med now.

- Are you still practicing medicine?

- Not for years.

I'm a consultant

for pharmaceutical companies.

Chicago and Denver mostly.

I keep an office in town.

This is home.

And the family still has business

with the mine.

I thought it closed.

It's still closing.

It's not as easy as you'd think.

Safety regulations,

environmental hazards,

unlawful termination suits.

You name it. It never dies.

She eats by herself in her room.

- Grandma's a weirdo.

- Amy!

She is. And she's always speaking

in this stupid language.

Enough!

Excuse me.

Not here.

Not here.

Lose your way?

Mrs. Locke, you scared me.

Shouldn't you be eating

the meal I prepared for you?

I got lost.

My dad got me a digital camera

for my birthday.

I've taken 928... No, 929 pictures.

I take pictures 'cause I can't draw,

but my dad says

my mom was good at drawing.

Yeah, she taught me how to draw.

One more minute, Grandma?

- Can I show you the rest tomorrow?

- Yeah.

- You're gonna be here, right?

- Absolutely.

I wouldn't know what to do

without Maman.

She runs this house like a machine.

She always has.

You have a lot of pictures.

Amy likes them.

She barely remembers her mother.

Do you think she's at peace?

"An honest life ends

in a peaceful death."

A proverb.

These are almost all that's left of her.

The house looks really different.

What happened

to the rehabilitation room

you built for Vanessa,

the one with the pool?

I tore it out. It's a time I'd rather forget.

You remind me of her

when we first met.

- How old are you now?

- Twenty.

I can't believe it's been that long.

You weren't much older than Amy

when we first met.

You know, Amy's really upset

about Joseph's death.

He was her best friend.

She thinks he was killed

by a ghost or something.

- She called it a dark thing.

- Dark thing?

She said she hears it in the walls.

- Did she ever mention pirates?

- Pirates?

Her and Joseph used to pretend

the north wing was overrun with pirates.

They would fight them off

all afternoon sometimes.

- Sounds fun.

- It was.

This will be difficult for her.

So where are you staying?

- I assumed I was...

- Maman doesn't like guests.

I'm not a guest. I used to live here.

That was a long time ago.

Amy?

Amy, I have to go home now.

- Auntie Christy?

- What the hell was that?

It's my camera.

I set it to go off every half hour.

Why on earth would you do that?

I want a picture of the dark thing.

This is from two nights ago.

Here's the next.

And the next.

They're all the same.

Wait.

I didn't open it.

See? There's nothing there.

- What's wrong?

- Nothing.

Please, don't go.

I'm gonna be back tomorrow, okay?

I promise.

Get some sleep, okay?

Hi, Debbie. It's Christy. Yeah.

Kind of got stuck here tonight.

That would be great.

Thank you.

- Beer?

- No, thanks.

Pregnant?

No!

No, I'm just taking some medication.

So you're not dating anyone, then?

No, I'm too busy,

and I'm too young to have

a serious relationship, you know?

- No.

- I'm sorry.

- That's okay.

- I guess not.

No, I've just had some trouble.

- Hey, sweetheart.

- Hey!

I'm telling Jeff about your friend

who deep-fried her sister

and then went apeshit at the funeral.

Turns out he was there when

they were pulling them out of the car.

Guys! I'd like you to meet

my good friend from junior high.

Christy.

Wescot.

You probably don't remember me.

I'm Jeff. Jeff Burdan.

Well, I'm Randy. I'm an a**hole

and possibly retarded,

so you can take your pick.

All of the above.

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