Distorted

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1

[distorted sounds and music]

[rain]

[sirens]

[gasps]

[water running]

[breathing hard]

[pills jangle]

[water running]

[tap squeaks, water stops]

[footsteps]

[whirring]

Russel?

[door squeaks]

[gasps]

[breathing heavily]

Russel, there's someone

in here!

Russel!

Honey, what's wrong?

What's wrong? What is it?

There was someone here.

I got you.

I got you. You're safe.

There's no one in here, Lauren.

I got you.

Hey.

We gotta get out of here.

I just want you to feel safe.

Okay?

- I love you.

- I love you too.

[Russel] Wow, look at

this place.

Lauren. Russel.

I'm Lance, sales agent.

Welcome to twenty-first

century living.

I'll like you to meet out

head concierge, Dominique.

Hi.

- And our service engineer, Ryan.

- A pleasure.

I hope you'll be joining us.

[Lance] Right, if you'd like

to follow me this way.

We have seven different scents

pumped into the lobby

and elevator.

We've recruited an acclaimed

interior designer,

lighting specialist,

acoustical scientist,

even a feng shui expert, to help

us create the ultimate comfort

and tranquility.

Now, our amenities include a

state-of-the-art fitness center,

outdoor pool, games room, 20

seat multimedia screening room.

All suites have access to

our 24-hour surveillance

of all key venues.

- [beep]

- Okay. Please follow me.

Wireless lighting, QED window

shades with sun control fabric,

and a fully integrated

telecommunications

cabling package.

Why don't you take your time?

Feel free to have a look around.

Go upstairs.

What do you think?

I think, uh,

no one deserves to

live this well.

Hey,

70-hour work weeks, three years

without a vacation.

We had two priorities:

security and serenity.

And unless you wanna move into

Fort Knox, we're not gonna get

more secure than this.

And as for serenity...

[sighs]

I think living outside of the

city would be great for us.

You know?

[sighs]

Whatever you decide.

[switch clicks]

[water running]

[dripping, static]

Let's do this.

Baby.

This is gonna be so good

for both of us.

It's, uh...

it's, uh, big, gorgeous,

modern, safe.

An embarrassment of riches,

really.

[Beatrice] And yet?

I don't know, I'm just...

I-I'm still so scared.

Scared to, uh, you know, to,

uh, join the world again.

Scared to pick up a paint brush.

That blank canvas.

But, um...

I think I'm mostly scared

because I know that if I don't

stop being scared I'm just

gonna lose everything.

Right?

[thunder]

Still working out the kinks.

You look beautiful.

If you get uncomfortable,

if this is a crushing bore,

we're an elevator ride

away from home.

- I know.

- Okay.

- I'll get my jacket.

- Okay.

[light clicks]

[indistinct chatter]

Hey, sweetheart.

- I'm Margo.

- Hi, Margo. Russel.

- Scott's wife.

- Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you, too.

- I'm Lauren.

- Hi Lauren.

Come on, let's ditch

the excess baggage.

[giggles]

Phillip Starks, 120.

Inherited his father's

Fortune 500 marketing

and advertising agency.

Brilliant. And about as close

to the ideal neighbor

as you can possibly ever find.

[glasses clink]

Gwendolyn Serota-Talal.

Married to a Saudi kazillionaire

who's never around,

leaving her with

far too much time

on her criminally

unflawed hands.

[laughs]

Tim Hoyle.

Something to do with geoscience.

Single, bit peculiar,

but perfectly harmless.

Oh.

Don't you stray far.

[woman humming

"Beautiful Dreamer"]

Well, I believe we have

two things in common.

- May I?

- Oh, please.

So word around the building

is you're a painter.

I am.

While I've never advanced beyond

the stick figure stage myself,

I do have an enthusiasm

for impressionism,

post-impressionism,

and expressionism.

[laughs]

And the second thing?

Well, we both harbor a keen

aversion to cocktail parties.

Oh.

Not to fret, the signs

are undetectable

to your regulation "cocktalian."

But as a charter member of

the save-me-from-idle-chatter

alliance, I've developed a nose.

Well, to kindred neighbors.

To kindred neighbors.

[glasses clink] -Cheers.

- Cheers.

[exhales]

[door rattles]

Someone's in here.

[rattling]

I had a bad dream.

Ali?

- What are you doing down here?

- I had a bad dream.

Oh, let's get you back upstairs.

You can tell me and

your mommy all about it.

So you and Margo seemed to get

along like a house on fire.

She's, um, refreshing.

What, like a line of coke

on a Tuesday?

Did you know they

have a daughter?

Ali.

Scott couldn't stop

gushing about her.

I'm just gonna go get some

water. Do you want some?

Sure.

[sighs]

[water pouring]

[static]

[water fountain gurgling]

[exercise machine whirring]

[man humming

"Beautiful Dreamer"]

[humming echoes and fades]

[shower running]

[dripping, static]

[snaps case closed]

[hissing from speaker]

[hissing gets louder]

[steam hissing]

[indistinct chatter]

[birds twittering]

[fountain gurgling]

[door closes]

[key beeps]

[scurrying]

[buzzing]

[chopping]

[male newscaster] Fighting broke

out the other night between...

[Russel] So I got approval on

the delisting, so we should

be able to file notification

for removal Thursday.

I seem to remember you saying

something about scaling back

on work once everything

was settled.

Gotcha. Phone down.

[newscaster] Initial reports claim

Israeli jet fighters bombed the guerila

base, killing at least 49

soldiers and 13 civilians.

A word just flashed

across the screen.

[yelling on TV]

What word?

I don't know, it was too fast.

But I swear, a word just flashed

across the television screen.

I'm-I'm not disputing you.

It's just it's satellite TV.

If it happens again I'll call

Ryan. He'll fix it. Okay?

[chopping]

[girl whispers] Mommy.

[hissing]

[hissing intensifies]

Mommy!

[light switch clicks]

[scurrying]

[screams]

[Lauren gasps, breathing heavy]

Lauren? Hey!

- Jesus!

- What?

- It's one of the residents.

- What?

Look. Look.

Are you sure?

Yeah, I'm sure.

He was right here.

Hey, hey.

Remember what Beatrice said.

That change can be a trigger...

This is not in my head,

he was right here.

Baby. It's just gonna take time.

If it happens again,

call me right away.

We'll, uh, see if we

can't pinpoint it.

I appreciate it.

Otherwise, you're

settling in okay?

Yeah. Yeah, we, uh...

we are.

Good.

- [phone rings]

- Thanks.

Hello.

[Margo] Hey, just wondering

if you had lunch plans.

I don't.

Meditative was too slow.

Bikram's too hot.

Kundalini too esoteric.

Then I found this off-the-wall

Ashtanga studio

down on Brookline.

I've been attending

faithfully every since.

Well, looks like

it agrees with you.

Aw, this is truly the beginning

of a beautiful friendship.

Let me ask you.

Have you noticed anything, uh,

unusual about your apartment?

I just, I keep hearing this

strange hissing sound,

like something's been left on.

Hm. Well, we've had problems

with the floor heating

in our en suite,

and our terrace lights seem to

have a mind of their own,

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