Children Of The Corn: Runaway

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1

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

BOY:
When their time came,

he called them.

One by one,

the oldest among them walked

into the corn and were gone.

Ruth feared He Who Walks

Behind the Rows.

Now, she began

to hate him, too.

He had taken her friends.

He had taken

the boy she loved.

She had nothing left

but the new life

growing inside her.

And he would not take that.

So, she did the only thing

she could think of.

Burn the corn.

(LOCUST BUZZING)

(CHILDREN SCREAMING)

BOY:
Burn He

Who Walks Behind the Rows.

Burn her past.

(CAR ENGINE REVVING)

And run.

(GROANS, GRUNTS)

RUTH:
Not yet.

(SCREAMS)

(GRUNTS)

(RUTH SIGHING)

(CAR RUMBLING)

(CAR DOOR OPENING)

(WHIMPERS)

(GRUNTS)

(SCREAMS)

You can have him.

You can have him.

You can have him.

(SCREAMS)

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

Check this out.

(LOUD THUD)

- How long you been up?

- I don't know. Half hour?

Come on, Ruth,

we got work to do.

Did you just call me Ruth?

Yeah. So what?

Whatever happened to "Mom"?

Sounds like baby talk.

BOY:
I thought Ruth

was kinda crazy.

We mostly lived in our truck.

I was thinking I could get

maybe 50 bucks for this?

(MAN CHUCKLING)

Yeah, right.

- BOY:
It got old.

- Take it to the office.

(CAR BEEPING)

(URINE TRICKLING)

I'm so glad

that we're in a hotel.

- (TOILET FLUSHING)

- (INDISTINCT CHATTER ON TV)

Do you know snakes

can breathe from their tongue?

- RUTH:
Mm-hm.

- (WATER RUNNING)

- You're wasting water, you know.

- (SPITS) I know.

Isn't it wonderful?

(CHUCKLES)

(WOMAN MOANING)

WOMAN:
No. Don't.

No, don't.

You should finish.

Hurry up.

Get off of me! Stop!

Ugh! I just faked it.

(DOOR CLOSING)

(THUDS)

F***. Goddamn it. F***er.

MAN ON RADIO:

For the flesh desires

what is contrary

to the spirit,

and the spirit,

what is contrary to the flesh.

But are there any

who still doubt

that the wages of sin

is death?

RUTH:
I hate

all that religious crap.

(COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING

ON RADIO)

BOY:
Don't you miss anybody?

Don't you ever wanna stop?

- Meet people?

- No.

BOY:
I wanna go to a school.

A real school.

MAN ON RADIO:

Where you go, I will go.

And where you stay...

(STATIC)

MAN ON RADIO:

...where you die,

where you live...

Ruth.

Did you turn that back on?

Huh?

Nothing.

(SIREN WAILING)

RUTH:
Sh*t.

Ma'am, can I ask you

to turn off the engine, please?

(ENGINE STOPS)

Where y'all headed?

Nowhere in particular.

I don't suppose you packed

your license and registration.

You were weaving

like a cut cat back there.

Can I ask you

to step outside, please?

- (CAR DOOR OPENS)

- Stay here.

MAN:
Follow me back here.

You just stay there, son.

(CAR DOOR CLOSES)

- Will we get our truck back?

- (SIGHS) I don't know.

Maybe it's a good excuse

to stay put.

Really? You mean it?

I don't know. Maybe.

BOY:
Like, permanent?

No. Like, a couple few weeks

till we get this truck thing

sorted out.

RUTH:
Okay.

I got this.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

BOY:
Hey, Mom. Over here.

Hello?

MAN:
Back here.

Help you?

I'm here

about the mechanic job.

You got experience?

- Some.

- Such as?

Um...

- Salvage, mostly.

- Yeah.

We fix cars here.

We don't strip 'em for parts.

I got a truck. It's got,

like, a million miles on it.

Never once been in a shop.

- That's all well and good.

- Not once.

I need the money.

Listen,

I run a business here.

Not a charity.

Hope things work out

for you.

(RAIN PATTERING)

I'm sorry.

It's just the way it is.

We can't help that.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

- Ruth, look out! Get back!

- (RUTH GASPS)

Careful there, son.

You don't wanna crack her head

and skull on your back swing.

Get your stuff and come on.

It's...

It's nothing fancy,

but it's dry.

- It's all good.

- Thank you.

What's with

all the old bikes outside?

My kid, she, uh...

she used to collect 'em.

I put 'em together.

That was our deal.

She and her mom

got run down by a drunk.

Don't forget,

you're out of here at sunrise.

I got it.

And if I see anything missing...

(GARAGE DOOR RATTLING, BANGING)

(RUTH MUTTERING)

Cut 'em down, plant the seed,

spread their blood...

Mom?

RUTH:
Cut 'em down, plant

the seed, spread their blood,

watch and feed, bleed and die,

then cut 'em down.

(CONTINUES MUTTERING)

Cut 'em down

and plant the seed

- and spread their blood.

- Mom.

CHILDREN:
Cut them down, plant

the seed, spread their blood.

- (MUTTERING)

- BOY:
Mom.

CHILDREN:
Watch and feed,

bleed and die.

Bleed and die, bleed and die.

BOY:
Mom.

Oh, my God. Aaron.

Oh, my God, I'm so sorry.

Aaron, why did you sneak up

on me like that?

I didn't.

I was talking the whole time.

I'm sorry.

I didn't hear you.

What were you doing?

I just... I couldn't sleep,

so I... (MUTTERS)

It doesn't matter.

Let's get you to bed.

I can't sleep either.

Fair enough.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

(GARAGE DOOR RATTLING)

(CAR ENGINE REVVING)

MAN:
Get on over here!

(CAR ENGINE REVVING)

(GRUNTS)

(RUTH GRUNTS)

(WRENCH CLANGING)

(MUSIC BOX PLAYING)

RUTH:
Hi there.

What's your name?

That was weird.

What?

You can go ahead

and take your lunch now.

Oh, no, it's... we're good.

Hey, hey, um...

Josephine's,

across the street,

does a pretty mean burger.

Hmm.

Thanks.

You coming?

(MUSIC BOX PLAYING)

Order whatever you want.

Your mom has a job.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

(MAN SCREAMING)

(PLATES SMASHING, CLATTERING)

You'd think we're on the deck

of the Titanic or something.

The specials,

they're up on the white board,

except for

the chicken fried chicken,

- and we are out of that.

- How about that fried chicken?

- WAITRESS:
That we got.

- How can you have fried chicken

but not have chicken

fried chicken?

Is he gonna be trouble

or what?

(CHUCKLES)

Your toast is burning.

I don't cook.

Hey, doll, how about

my five over easy?

Here you go, sweetheart.

Over easy with a side

of toast, well done.

What about my bacon?

I always have bacon.

Well?

Think I'll get

the onion burger and fries

with the chocolate shake.

WAITRESS:

That's a good call.

(DOOR OPENING, BELL JINGLING)

Here you go. (CHUCKLES)

This will clear the cobwebs.

(LIQUID POURING)

- (BELL JINGLING)

- (LOCUST BUZZING)

(GROUND RUMBLING)

(LOCUST BUZZING)

(SCREAMING)

(PEOPLE SCREAMING)

RUTH:
No!

- BOY:
Hey, hey.

- Ow! You hurt me.

GIRL:
What'd that lady do?

I'm so sorry. I'm...

I thought... I'm so sorry.

- MAN:
You okay?

- (BOY WHIMPERING)

MAN:
Come on, Rally,

you just go and sit down.

Thanks for distracting everybody

from the crappy job I'm doing.

Come on, get that crazy b*tch

the hell out of here.

Excuse me, Rally,

but in this confusion,

did I miss the part

where you bought this shithole

and became my boss?

You seen what she did.

Now, sit your fat ass

back down on that stool.

MAN:
Hey, Rally,

don't take that sh*t.

Are you all right there,

hit girl?

(DOOR OPENS)

Yeah, I'm all right.

You didn't have to stick up

for me back there.

Oh. (CHUCKLES)

I sure as hell did.

You know, you are not

from around this town,

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